WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Assaulted with spray; arrested across town

Two more crime reports today:

ASSAULTED WITH SPRAY: Received from a reader:

I wanted to alert you to an assault on Alki at the lighthouse by a middle aged white man on a red bicycle spraying people along the walking path with some sort of spray that burns. This happened at 3:10 this afternoon while I was walking right in front of the lighthouse. He was on his red bicycle riding on the sidewalk going very fast, and as he passed me and my husband he sprayed me with something that got into my mouth and burned my tongue. The woman walking behind us was sprayed and it got into her eyes and she said it was burning her eyes. Another man walking his dog said that he had gotten sprayed on his neck. I filed a police report and the incident number is 2022-113816. This man was white, with balding gray hair, blue eyes, and a shaggy close beard with dark sweatshirt and bright neon green construction rain pants. Another report had been filed by another person that was assaulted by him earlier.

ARRESTED ACROSS TOWN: If you’re noticing police activity in the low bridge/Harbor Island vicinity, we have been listening to police track a carjacking suspect from an incident north of downtown; somehow so she turned up here, first reported in the Chelan Café vicinity, though we’ve also heard an officer mention 11th/Spokane. No other details except that the victim has been brought to the arrest scene to verify the suspect’s identity, and the stolen car was abandoned somewhere else.

18 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Assaulted with spray; arrested across town"

  • Jeepney May 6, 2022 (5:19 pm)

  • Recognized May 6, 2022 (6:01 pm)

    That’s awful! That guy or some one else who matches the clothing description was at Whole Foods in the junction this afternoon pointing a banana at people and getting in their face and saying absurd things. He’s making his way across west Seattle unfortunately sounds like. 

  • MyThruppence May 6, 2022 (6:09 pm)

    I guess ‘walking sticks’ are now a necessity. Jamming one of those into the spokes of an offender’s bike is step one of your self-defense plan. If someone sprays me with an unknown liquid, I will rightfully treat it as a physical assault. Hope you didn’t want those teeth.

    • alki_2008 May 8, 2022 (12:58 am)

      As backwards as it seems. If he’s already sprayed you, then doing what you suggest would leave you liable to any injuries he sustains. If someone is going away from you, then you can’t vengefully knock him down. If the biker is about to assault someone else along the sidewalk and you do it, then maybe you could claim defense of others, but INAL and wouldn’t suggest it.

      • Friend O'Dinghus May 8, 2022 (8:37 am)

        No jury in this city would convict you for defending yourself in this way. These miscreants don’t understand or respond to laws, but they do understand and respond to pain. So be it. See ya in court should I have to exercise my right to self-defense. He might loop around again and spray me twice with an unknown substance that burns the skin. After all, he did it once….

  • West Seattle Long-timer May 6, 2022 (6:14 pm)

    I was also sprayed and almost ran into by this same person while walking up Jacobsen at 2:55pm today.  He ran me off the sidewalk with his bike. It was shocking.  Not a great picture but here is what I was able to capture as he was riding away.

  • Jan May 6, 2022 (7:18 pm)

    Same guy that was walking up Admiral angry and shouting obscenities today.  We recognized him from a couple weeks ago, where we saw him walking along the bike/pedestrian path at Alki shouting at people and getting confrontational.  

  • Autumn May 6, 2022 (8:06 pm)

    This guy was up on Avalon today. He biked right up to my dog and me as we were crossing the street, had something in his hand that looked like an unraveled paper clip, and tried to circle us on his bike saying “you’re going to die in 1 hour” — we ran off A few min later I saw him harassing a car the same way on the corner of 35th Ave SW and AvalonNow I’m feeling thankful he didn’t have his spray!!

    • StopCuttingDownTrees May 6, 2022 (9:25 pm)

      I hope you reported the incident to police, especially the “you’re going to die” part.

  • Scubafrog May 6, 2022 (9:29 pm)

    Great job for the photos!  How terrifying would that be, to be sprayed by an unknown substance??   

  • 1994 May 6, 2022 (10:04 pm)

    He sounds like a candidate for a visit to Western State Hospital. What a dangerous and frightening guy! That bike sure allows him to get around and cover more territory, and make a fast get away.  

  • WSCurmudgeon May 6, 2022 (10:23 pm)

    I’m rather sure that I’ve seen this chap around WS for some months, perhaps longer. He was usually just talking to himself. He didn’t appear to be paying attention to others. 

    More recently, I’ve heard him yelling, but from a distance, so I couldn’t see clearly if he was yelling directly at a person,  or people.

    The descriptions of his behavior today suggest to me that he’s delusional, and feels threatened by anyone in his vicinity. So he’s dangerous to anyone weaker than himself. He’s also ambushing people by racing toward them.  Today it’s some noxious spray, but it seems possible or likely he will get more aggressive.  

    I think we should all copy the case numbers provided in the article and have them ready to give the 911 operator if you see him.  In his present apparently manic state he’s a danger to others and himself.

    • Jethro Marx May 7, 2022 (10:52 am)

      What suggests to you this diagnosis? Is it your extensive knowledge of and experience treating mental illness in a professional setting,? Or is this more like, “I’ve watched a lot of Criminal Minds, I know what I’m talking about.”? At least you didn’t suggest jamming a stick in their spokes.

  • Future Investment May 6, 2022 (10:26 pm)

    Put this guy in a mental institution, why is he free to ride around and assault people?

  • wsres May 6, 2022 (10:59 pm)

    I hope each of you that had him intimidate you will call the police to report it. He sounds like he is dangerous and needs help.

  • Zee Cee May 7, 2022 (9:34 am)

    I was waiting for the bus Tuesday morning at 35th SW and SW Myrtle when he rode by and told me I was gonna get shot.

  • GMan May 7, 2022 (10:44 am)

    Why can’t the cops pick this guy up, sounds like he’s been a huge menace for awhile, spraying people with burning liquid, WTH is wrong with this city 

  • West side Runner May 7, 2022 (12:37 pm)

    I was also sprayed by this man while I was running near Constellation Park on Friday around 3. Had I not been wearing sunglasses the spray would have gotten in my eyes. 

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