Soldiers suspected of UW attacks ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail

Two soldiers based at Fort Lewis made their first appearance in King County Superior Court this afternoon after they were arrested Tuesday in connection with attacks near the University of Washington.

A judge decided there was probable cause to hold the two men until a decision on charges is made. They were identified as Pvt. 1st Class Chad A. Braden, 19, of Etna, Ohio; and Pvt. Robert E. Lucas, Jr., 20, of Murfreesboro, Tenn. Both soldiers are assigned to Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, according to Fort Lewis.

Bail was set at $100,000 for each man.

The county has until Friday to file formal charges against the men.

The victims, members of the UW's Beta Theta Pi fraternity, were walking from their fraternity house in the University District to the Chevron Mini Mart at 2:30 a.m. Jan. 17 when two men stopped them and asked if they had any cigarettes, according to the probable-cause documents. The men then asked the students to hand over their wallets, the documents said.

The students showed their wallets to the two men, but neither wallet had cash inside, the documents said One student admitted he had cash but refused to turn it over. The two men pulled out semi-automatic pistols and aimed them at the students, demanding cash. One of the men struck one of the students in the face with a pistol, according to the probable-cause documents. The other student ran away and was tackled by the second man, who struck him in the back of the head with the handgun, the documents said.

The armed men demanded the victims' cellphones, which they surrendered, according to the documents. When a witness saw what was happening and approached the group, one of the armed men turned and pointed a gun at him, the documents said.

The two suspects left the scene by car with a third person.

One of the students was taken to the UW Medical Center and treated for injuries to his face and head.

Braden and Lucas are being discharged from the Army, the court documents said.

According to Fort Lewis officials, the investigation was launched by the Army's Criminal Investigation Division after other soldiers who are in the same unit as Braden and Lucas alerted authorities to the alleged activities. The two men were arrested at Fort Lewis on Tuesday.

University of Washington police issued a safety advisory last week in response to recent assaults in the campus area. Seattle police also increased patrols around the university.

About midnight Jan. 24, a man reported walking home, in the area of Northeast 45th Street and Ninth Avenue Northeast, when he was accosted by two young men in dark hooded sweatshirts, who demanded money. The victim was struck in the face, and his wallet and $40 were taken.

About midnight Jan. 26, another man reported he was walking in the 5200 block of 17th Avenue Northeast when he, too, was accosted by two men who first asked to use his cellphone, then struck him when he refused. They stole his backpack and fled in a burgundy PT Cruiser, police said.

It wasn't immediately known if police had identified suspects in the two recent attacks.

Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com

Seattle Times staff reporter Christine Clarridge contributed to this report.