Teen allegedly committed crime to pay for her prom

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Teen allegedly committed crime to pay for her prom

Monday, May 15, 2000

By CHRIS McGANN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Going to a high school prom is expensive.

There's the dress. The hairstylist. And don't forget the shoes.

So when an Auburn teenager was arrested for allegedly taking part in a robbery, she told police that she committed her crime to help cover the costs of her prom.

The teen, Erika Adams, 18, was charged with one count of first-degree burglary and one count of first-degree robbery.

On May 8, according to police, four men forced their way into a house on V Street in Auburn.

They were armed with a gun, a baseball bat and knives, and stole more than $6,000 in jewelry and cash, police said.

One of the men told police that the group targeted the house because they believed that the occupant had several ounces of cocaine, according to the court papers.

Adams allegedly was the getaway driver.

"She mentioned her prom as being costly and wanting some extra money for those costs," according to court documents.

Contacted at home yesterday, Adams refused to comment on charges or on her prom.

For many young women, prom costs typically climb to hundreds of dollars, said 19-year-old Melanie Reed, who works in a clothing store that rents formal wear.

During her senior prom in 1998, Reed spent $250 on the gown alone.

"I also bought shoes and a purse and got my hair done," Reed said. "I spent about $500 all together. Most of my friends spent about the same amount."

Gary L. Nelson, 28, of Des Moines was also charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery.

Adams will appear in court next Monday.