One victim was approached about Pokémon cards before his gold chain was ripped from his neck.
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash — A 20-year-old man was charged in a series of Tacoma crimes involving a drive-thru shooting, two necklace robberies and stolen jewelry sold to a pawnshop, according to court documents.
Lorenzo Addison Stewart II faces nine felony charges that include two counts of first-degree assault, three counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and two counts of first-degree trafficking in stolen property. Charges were filed Thursday.
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Prosecutors say Stewart and three co-defendants were involved in crimes between June 28 and July 7.
The two assault charges and one robbery charge stem from a July 1 confrontation at Burritos California on South 38th Street in Tacoma.
Police found two injured men near South 37th Street and South Thompson Avenue shortly before 3 a.m. One had been shot in the head, while the other had injuries from an assault and reported that his wallet was stolen.
Surveillance video allegedly showed a fight begin after another suspect walked into the drive-thru line and exchanged punches with one of the men.
The second man joined the fight before Stewart got out of a Cadillac Escalade and began fighting alongside the other suspect, court documents say.
Investigators said Stewart and the other suspect knocked one man down and kicked him. Stewart then allegedly reached into the Cadillac, pulled out what appeared to be a gun and tucked it into his jacket.
The Cadillac left with the victims’ Mazda following it. Gunfire was reported about a minute later, and police said the Mazda had at least three apparent bullet strikes. A bullet fragment was later removed from the wounded man’s head, according to the documents.
The charges also connect Stewart to a July 1 robbery near Tacoma Mall. A man told police that someone repeatedly asked to buy his custom gold necklace, claimed to have a gun and threatened to shoot him before ripping the chain from his neck.
The necklace included an “A” charm and a boy-shaped pendant with a green gemstone.
Surveillance allegedly showed that man running to a waiting SUV after the robbery. Investigators identified Stewart as a rear-seat passenger.
The other suspect then sold the necklace to a Tacoma pawnshop for $350 less than 30 minutes after the robbery, according to court records. He returned July 7 and sold the boy-shaped pendant for $30. Stewart was with the other suspect during both transactions.
The third robbery happened June 28 outside Stargazer Comics on Sixth Avenue.
The victim said a man approached him inside the store and repeatedly tried to interest him in Pokémon cards. After the victim declined, the man allegedly followed him outside, ripped a gold necklace from his neck and ran.
The victim chased and caught up with him, but stopped when the man pointed a handgun at him, court records say. The pendant was recovered near the victim’s vehicle, but the necklace remained missing.
Store employees reported that a second man accompanied the robbery suspect and appeared to be scanning the business. Investigators identified one of the men in surveillance video as Stewart, according to court documents.
