Ballard and North Seattle teens are being mugged on their way home from school

Seattle police are tracking 14 different street robberies that targeted students traveling home from school in the North Seattle area, said Assistant Chief Todd Kibbee during a press conference on Wednesday.

In some cases, the suspects held students at gunpoint or beat them up as they demanded their cell phones and AirPods. In two instances in early October, students were forced into a car until they released their cell phone passcodes, Kibbee said.

The majority of these muggings have taken place in the Ballard area. However, Kibbee said yesterday three robberies happened near Roosevelt and Bishop Blanchet high schools in the Greenlake and the Ravenna areas.

RELATED: Protesters sought new 911 response in Seattle. Here it is

Anne Marie’s 14-year-old son was just blocks away from Ballard High School when he was mugged by four males just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 15.

KUOW is not using Anne Marie’s last name, or naming her son, due to safety concerns.

The freshman spotted a car slowly driving by, Anne Marie said. Four males emerged from the car wearing masks and punched the teen in the face and tackled him to the ground. They took his iPhone and demanded his password.

“My first response was, I was just so pissed off, you know, just so pissed that people would target a kid,” Anne Marie said about her son being attacked.

A woman taking a stroll outdoors saw the mugging in progress, and began to scream, Anne Marie said. Then, the suspects attacked her too before they fled in a vehicle with the teen’s cell phone.

The suspects appear to be teenagers wearing ski masks or hoodies, working in groups of three to six, and traveling in stolen vehicles. A post on the Seattle Police blotter listed that potential vehicles included a red Kia, gray Hyundai, or a red or silver sedan.

Kibbee said the department has deployed the mobile precinct, a specialized van that serves as a command center, to the Ballard area. And there will be additional police presence when staffing allows for it, according to the Seattle Police news blotter.

A news reporter at the press conference asked Kibbee why the mobile precinct was stationed near Golden Gardens, about three miles away from Ballard High School.

“These incidents are happening all over the north end,” Kibbee said. “We will try to move it around as best we can. But unfortunately, we don't have a great way to figure out where these robberies will happen next.”

Assistant Chief Kibbee said Seattle Police are in contact with Seattle Public Schools and providing safety information for students.

“We have to teach our kids that they have to be aware of their surroundings,” Kibbee said. He said students should walk in groups, against the flow of traffic, and remain vigilant.

Ballard High School Principal Abby Hunt addressed the robberies in an email to families on Oct. 20.

“Please know that student safety and well-being at Ballard High School is our top priority,” Hunt wrote. “I am working closely with regional school leaders and the district’s Safety and Security team on best practices in keeping our campuses safe.”