SEATTLE — A 12-year-old boy was arrested in Seattle and could face a judge after allegedly attacking a woman with a screwdriver and robbing her in the Central District.

The incident occurred on Jan. 17 at around 6:50 p.m. near 23rd Avenue South and South Jackson Street, where police were called to reports of a robbery.

Upon arrival, officers found a 43-year-old woman who had been injured.

According to the police report, the boy, who was wearing a "hot pink ski mask," assaulted the woman at the Amazon Fresh store.

The report stated that the suspect "attacked the victim, hitting her multiple times in the face with his hands. He then brandished a screwdriver and poked at the victim in the face, striking her on her left cheek."

"That’s pretty scary," said Geoffrey Michael Butterfield, who lives nearby. "I have a 14-year-old, and I would never in my wildest dreams think of a 12-year-old doing that."

"This corner has been a little bit problematic, but the neighborhood is generally safe," added Tyler Gray, an Amazon Fresh shopper.

Officers reported the young suspect took the woman's handbag, rifled through it in a parking garage, then came back to assault the victim again before running away. SPD said the 12-year old was known to officers, and they tracked him to his home to make an arrest and recover the screwdriver.

KOMO News reached out to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office (KCPAO), and they said it's too soon to comment on the case because Seattle police had yet to refer it to prosecutors as of Monday. Whether it's a felony or a misdemeanor would depend on the extent of the woman's injuries.

The KCPAO said violent crimes, like an assault in the first or second degree, could be prosecuted through a formal court process rather than being diverted to a community-based program. It noted the law limits what penalty a 12-year-old could face as the juvenile justice system aims to rehabilitate young people to help prevent future crime. The KCPAO expects to have the case in court within a week.

"I hope he doesn’t get just stuck away and actually gets some reform," Butterfield added.

The boy was booked into juvenile detention at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center. Robbery detectives are handling the case.