FOLLOWUP: Specially trained K9 helps police find guns in Puget Ridge case; suspect remains in juvenile detention

| Crime | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

3:31 PM: New information today on the arrest we reported Tuesday in connection with two Puget Ridge domestic-violence assaults, including the one that brought the Guardian One helicopter to the area on Friday. Just published online by SPD’s Jonah Spangenthal-Lee:

A specially trained ATF K9 helped officers track down three pistols hidden by a 17-year-old suspect after he attacked his girlfriend Tuesday afternoon in West Seattle.

The victim, who is also a juvenile, called police around 1:50 PM and said her boyfriend had just choked her into unconsciousness at her home and fled. She also told a 911 dispatcher the suspect had left the house carrying three handguns. Earlier in the week, he had threatened to shoot the victim and, on Tuesday, had reportedly pointed a gun at her as he fled through a wooded area near her home.

Medics treated the victim at her home as police began searching for the suspect. Officers found the 17-year-old near 18th SW and SW Juneau St and took him into custody. Police discovered he was no longer carrying the handguns, and began searching the neighborhood to try to find where he’d stashed them.

Officers were able to call in the assistance of an ATF K9, Allegra, trained to search for guns and shell casings. The dog tracked down the suspect’s three guns in a wooded area. One of the guns had been reported stolen.

Police booked the suspect into the Youth Service Center for investigation of felony domestic violence.

Previously, we had reported the recovery of one gun. Meantime, we’ve been following up on the suspect’s status via the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; he was due in court this afternoon for a detention review and probable-cause hearing. We’ll update this story when we get the results of that hearing.

4:09 PM: We’ve just received that information. The KCPAO says a judge found probable cause in the case and ordered that the suspect remain in detention; prosecutors have until Friday to file charges. The probable-cause document says the suspect had returned to his 17-year-old girlfriend’s house yesterday to get his belongings when they started to argue; she told police later that she was trying to call 911 when he slapped the phone out of her hand and choked her until she lost consciousness.

metrognome August 26, 2015 (4:09 pm)

I hope the victim receives the services, counseling and support to get away from this guy and learns to recognize the signs of an abusive relationship before it goes too far.
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I have other thoughts about what should happen to the abuser, but I hope he is young enough to also get the help he needs before it’s too late.

Eric August 26, 2015 (4:29 pm)

What about the stolen gun?

Eric1 August 26, 2015 (4:50 pm)

Wow, this guy sounds like a real winner. They seem to be missing a few more felonies in the charges: possession of a stolen firearm and a minor in possession of a pistol. That can add 15 years of freedom for the general public.
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The mayor and clowncil talk big on firearms and protecting the public from gun violence but they don’t seem to be interested in putting actual criminals in jail for an appropriate time. This guy actually used a stolen gun in a crime and he should be punished appropriately. They should be publicly encouraging the prosecutor to be more aggressive in filing firearm charges.

WSB August 26, 2015 (4:57 pm)

No charges of any kind are filed yet; as is usually the case, the day after you are arrested, you get a bail/probable-cause hearing, and that’s what happened here (detention status rather than bail, as he is 17 years old). As I noted in the followup section – the part you won’t find in SPD Blotter, because it’s my further followup with prosecutors – the charging deadline is Friday. And again, he is a juvenile, so there are different codes and procedures.

sixbuck August 26, 2015 (5:29 pm)

Hopefully the prosecutor’s office will man up and charge this thug as an adult.

joel August 26, 2015 (7:38 pm)

dude needs to be in big boy jail. do big crime, get to play with the big boys….or be the toy…..were do 17 year olds get that’s it’s okay to choke their girlfriend and pull 3 guns on her? are there any parents around?

Wb August 26, 2015 (7:43 pm)

Yea Allegra! Thank you for your service.

bolo August 26, 2015 (7:52 pm)

Why do I feel like we are awash in handguns?

Melissa August 26, 2015 (10:59 pm)

@bolo, because we are. And the gd NRA is suing the city over our putative restrictions.

Born on Alki 59 August 27, 2015 (6:34 am)

Melissa, please tell me how mayor Murrays “putative restrictions” would help in this case. The NRA is simply trying to protect the rights of law abiding citizens and force the clowncil to follow the law. Eric1 nailed it. Do the crime, serve the time.

Ms. Sparkles August 27, 2015 (1:50 pm)

Born on Alki 59
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Any protections that the NRA’s actions extent to law abiding citizens are a secondary byproduct of their true goal; protecting the profits of gun manufacturers.
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Whatever your stance on gun ownership is, please don’t be fooled by the NRA- they are lobbists for the gun manufacturers first and foremost.

Johnson August 27, 2015 (9:43 pm)

The weapons charge will be filed after sufficient evidence finds that he actually had possession of the guns. The charge was not sloughed off.

Eric1 August 27, 2015 (9:53 pm)

The NRA isn’t about profits for gun manufacturers. If that were true, President Obama would be the President of the NRA as well. He is the gun lobby’s best salesman:)
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I am pretty liberal and I like guns because I know a gun is just a tool. If the tool is used incorrectly, you blame the operator, not the tool. Look at the 4:09 WSB update: He choked his GF into unconsciousness. No gun involved and his bare hand were just as deadly. The operator is the problem in this scenario not the tool. Don’t be fooled by politicians, they use smoke and mirrors to distract you from the real problem (which they usually can’t or are unwilling to solve).

Eric August 28, 2015 (12:19 pm)

This is NRA rhetoric. How is Obama, the man that republicans and especially the NRA proponents vilify because of wanting a central data base on gun ownership and the closing of sale loopholes their best salesman?

Also, a gun is not a tool. It is a weapon and to the attempt to be clever with semantics and re-label it (a political smoke and mirrors ploy often used by the NRA) as something different is ridiculous. A hammer is a tool. It is used to put nails (usually) into wood. That is it’s primary purpose. It’s secondary purpose can be used as a weapon. A gun on the other hand IS a weapon. That is its primary purpose. It’s primary purpose is to inflict or threaten physical damage or bodily harm.

And BTW, before I get labeled as some bleeding heart liberal, I own a gun and have a CPL. But I don’t delude myself into thinking a gun is something it is not.

Sorry, comment time is over.