Followup: Bail set at $500,000 for SUV theft/kidnap suspect

| Crime | Highland Park | West Seattle news

Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: Bail is set at $500,000 for the 25-year-old man accused of stealing an SUV from outside Seamart in Highland Park, with a 10-month-old baby girl in the back seat, abandoning it (and her) in White Center. As added to our coverage last night after he was booked into jail, he also has warrants in connection with three domestic-violence-related cases, one of which also involved taking a vehicle; court documents list his address as less than a block away from the scene of yesterday’s crime. The documents include a short police narrative of how it unfolded; adding that in a moment.

ADDED: Transcribed from the “probable cause” section of the document:

(The victim) stopped at 1513 SW Holden Street. He took his keys out of the ignition and entered the store. He left his 10-month old daughter in the back of the vehicle, but was only about 20 feet from the car. Within seconds of (the victim) entering the store, (the suspect) opened (the victim’s) car and started getting into his vehicle. (Video exists of this part of the incident.) (The victim) saw him entering his vehicle and ran toward the vehicle. He yelled that his baby was in the car and to not take the car. (The victim) was positive that (the suspect) heard what he said but took the car anyhow … The victim stated that the suspect left eastbound on SW Holden from that location.

A short time later, a call came in reporting that a vehicle (later identified as the victim vehicle) had been abandoned on the 700 block of SW 99th St. Officers responded to that location and found that the baby was unharmed. A description of the suspect was sent to officers over the air, and (the suspect) was located between the location of the abandoned vehicle and (his) house. He was detained and (the baby’s father) positively identified (the suspect) as the person who knowingly and intentionally abducted (the baby) while in the commission of an auto theft. Officers ran (the suspect’s background) and found that he had two warrants. One felony warrant out of Seattle for a no-contact order violation, and for taking a motor vehicle without permission … The second warrant is a King County misdemeanor warrant for domestic-violence assault 4th degree … (The suspect) was booked into KCJ for investigation of kidnapping, investigation of auto theft, and the two listed warrants.

The next hearing in the case is set for next Tuesday.

Morgan August 28, 2014 (4:46 pm)

Lock him up and thow away the keys

B August 28, 2014 (4:53 pm)

Interesting that someone with TWO felony warrants is allowed bail.

WSB August 28, 2014 (5:14 pm)

The assault warrant is misdemeanor.

Ex-Westwood Resident August 28, 2014 (5:20 pm)

From Kimg County, yes, but Seattle had a Felony warrant out on him for a “No Comtact” violation and Auto Theft.

WSB August 28, 2014 (5:23 pm)

The city attorney only prosecutes misdemeanor cases. That aside, the two things you mention, the only case in which he has a King County-prosecuted felony charge on the record, were part of the same incident, back in June. I looked this all up last night and it’s in our first story. – TR

Eric August 28, 2014 (5:56 pm)

Without splitting hairs about where this felony stems from or that misdemeanor arose from, in my opinion, if the justice system had any teeth, this guy wouldn’t have been on the streets in the first place to add to his list of crimes. This guy obviously has no regard for anyone but himself.

From what I read, not only did this guy violate a no contact order stemming from domestic assault or assault, but then he steals and wrecks the car from the person he is not supposed to even have contact with and almost kidnaps her 7 year old daughter in the process. Lock him up, for a long time.

JJ August 28, 2014 (7:10 pm)

Glad kid is ok, but for the love of John Henry Browne dont leave your 10 month in the car.

Chrisd August 28, 2014 (8:00 pm)

How did he start the car?

Mike August 28, 2014 (9:59 pm)

Chrisd, from what I can tell it was either left running or keys in the ignition and unlocked with child left in the car unattended on one of the hottest days of the year. All around, a lot of really not smart people in this whole event.

JanS August 29, 2014 (12:32 am)

Chrisd..it’s a new Ford Edge…push button start. You simply have to have the key with you. That’s why it finally stopped near White Center in the middle of the street. The car knows when the key is not in proximity, and shuts off. Key was with the father.

unknown August 29, 2014 (3:50 pm)

Geez thank god for that key proximity thing!

Adam August 29, 2014 (8:57 pm)

Owning a push button start Ford, no, they don’t shut off when out of proximity of the key. Think about it – if this was the case then you could get stranded on railroad tracks (or lose power steering while driving on the highway!) if your key spontaneously breaks or runs out of batteries at the wrong time. Push button start cars do not turn off until you push the button to turn them off. They make it clear if a key isn’t in the car so you don’t accidentally strand yourself somewhere, but they don’t spontaneously shut off.
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The car won’t start when the key isn’t inside the car, either. Some cars are even sensitive as to *where* the key is inside the car. My Prius will not start if the key is in the back seat, it needs to be in the front seat. They won’t start when the key is outside the car.
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If the car stopped in a weird place it was because the suspect stopped there and shut the car off.

Sorry, comment time is over.