Trio off to prison for robbery of elderly couple

EVERETT — A trio of masked robbers who forced their way into a Lake Stevens couple’s home last year have all been sent to prison.

One of the defendants, Kenneth Moore, attempted to fight the charges but his August trial was halted after a judge found that the defendant appeared in court under the influence of drugs. Court papers don’t say how Moore, who was in jail, was able to get his hands on drugs.

He eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery. As part of his plea, he agreed the crime was more egregious than the average robbery because the victims were particularly vulnerable.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Michael Downes sentenced Moore to 14 years in prison, the maximum under the law. Moore, 25, had multiple felony convictions dating back to 2009.

His co-defendant, Crystal Atter, was sentenced to five years in prison for the Dec. 31, 2015 heist. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and multiple other crimes that she had racked up after the Lake Stevens incident.

The third defendant, Exavier Dean, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery. He didn’t have any prior felony convictions and was sentenced earlier this month to a year in prison.

The robbers are forbidden from having any contact with the victims.

The Lake Stevens couple, both in their 70s, told police that three people pushed their way into their home after ringing the doorbell. The suspects were wearing masks and gloves. One held the woman down by her hair while Atter went to the bedroom.

The homeowner, who has a medical condition, was in bed. He told police he tried to grab the woman’s jacket but he was struck on the head multiple times, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Toni Montgomery wrote in court papers.

The robbers grabbed a computer and jewelry.

They fled but a witness saw a white car leaving the area. The car was swerving all over the road and the license plate was covered up. The witness took video footage of the car and turned it over to police. A Lake Stevens detective noticed a distinctive dent on the Cadillac and sent a bulletin to other police departments. A Snohomish County sheriff’s detective spotted the car at a gas station about a week later.

Atter was driving. She confessed to detectives that she and two others committed the robbery. She tried to justify the heist, making up a story about the husband owing her money. She denied anyone was assaulted.

Judges found that the defendants’ drug addictions contributed to their criminal behavior and ordered the trio to undergo chemical dependency evaluations.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.

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