CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Arrest in Delridge murder, one week after suspect got out of jail

10:57 AM: Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting that killed a man in an encampment at 26th/Juneau early Monday. Police say a 911 tip led them to the 43-year-old man in South Delridge (the call log says the 9400 block of Delridge Way SW). He was booked into the King County Jail early today. Jail records show the suspect had spent a month there recently, from May 11th to June 13th, in relation to an auto-theft case.

4:21 PM UPDATE: Court documents reveal more about the murder case, including the victim’s name, Anthony Gonzales; the King County Medical Examiner says he was 58 years old. We are also naming the suspect – Jaycee C. Thompson – as he is already charged in another case (the auto-theft case is actually from a West Seattle incident last year, covered here).

In Monday’s murder, the initial police document says Thompson was a “friend” of Mr. Gonzales, who lived at the encampment. Less than an hour before the shooting, police say, Thompson allegedly assaulted another “friend” in the 9400 block of Delridge Way SW. He then drove to the encampment at 25th/Juneau, where he allegedly ordered someone at gunpoint to take him to the victim’s campsite. Another witness told police that Thompson kicked open the door to Mr. Gonzales’s “makeshift structure” and then said something about money and drugs before shooting the victim in the face.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office provided us with information explaining why Thompson was released from jail a week before this, and what led up to it. The original case was a car theft at the Delridge Arco/AM-PM in March of last year; Thompson was held after that in lieu of $5,000 bail. The KCPAO filed the auto-theft charge against Thompson in April. In August of last year, his lawyer argued for “less-restrictive conditions of release. A Superior Court judge released him on his personal recognizance. In October, a warrant was issued after he failed to show up for a hearing. He was arrested on January 5th. Two weeks later, the Northwest Community Bail Fund posted the $5,000 for his bail, and he was released. Two months later – in March – Thompson again failed to appear for a hearing; another warrant was issued. He was arrested May 11th. On June 13th, his lawyer “made another motion for less restrictive alternatives. THE KCPAO objected to his release – he still had a warrant active in a Pierce County DUI case. A judge released him to the Community Center for Alternative Programs on his personal recognizance,” per KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney. That was one week before this Monday’s murder. The first hearing in that case has just concluded, McNerthney tells us, with no bail decision since the suspect “refused to come to court.”

42 Replies to "CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Arrest in Delridge murder, one week after suspect got out of jail"

  • Alki resident June 22, 2022 (12:56 pm)

    Great job SPD. One less car their around and hopefully be in prison forever for the murder. 

    • Anonymous June 24, 2022 (3:33 pm)

      This guy is also a suspect or should be for his gf last seen with him who is went missing I’m not sure bit I think she still missing in pierce Kitsap area it’s crazy to me with his full history and just the current warrents and 3 fta’s on this theft case alone that he was ever reased this guy is a skitsofrantic when using

  • ltfd June 22, 2022 (12:57 pm)

    The old Seattle “Catch-and-Release” rears it’s ugly head again.

  • StopCuttingDownTrees June 22, 2022 (1:03 pm)

    Too bad he didn’t spend another couple of weeks in jail. His victim would still be alive. Higher bails and longer sentences save lives.

  • Delridge neighbor June 22, 2022 (1:20 pm)

    WSB, do you know why he was released after a month for the auto theft case?

    • WSB June 22, 2022 (2:51 pm)

      Not yet, awaiting info from prosecuting attorney’s office as well as court documents. The case was dated as being from last year, so it apparently was not a new arrest.

      • WSB June 22, 2022 (4:29 pm)

        Have just added a lot of new info, including victim and suspect (as he is already charged in another case) IDs.

  • TJ June 22, 2022 (4:55 pm)

    The Northwest Community Bail Fund, a group with no shame, and a despicable one as well. Who are the people that donate to it to provide bail in these cases? Any guilty feelings on their part? Lets hear them make a response to this.

  • flimflam June 22, 2022 (4:58 pm)

    how do these judges sleep at night?

  • Question Authority June 22, 2022 (5:08 pm)

    The Community Bail Fund now learns the hard lesson how some people don’t deserve to be set free into the community.

    • Marina June 22, 2022 (6:29 pm)

      Based on their repeated desire to post bail for criminals, I doubt they’ve learned any lesson or ever will. I just wish they’d be held liable for the people they’ve bailed out who went on to commit more crime. 

    • Anonymous eyes June 23, 2022 (7:47 pm)

      Did you guys miss the fact he had been picked back up and re released after the bail out? 

  • Mj June 22, 2022 (5:23 pm)

    It seems like when a perp is released on their personal recognizance and then fail to show up for court this option needs to be not available in the future!

  • Anne June 22, 2022 (5:31 pm)

    The judge & The CBF should be ashamed. Would like the name of the Judge elected -there’s something we can do about that. Not much we can do about the CBF -except not donate to them.

    • WSB June 22, 2022 (5:36 pm)

      I already asked the KCPAO. The judge from the hearing a week ago was Johanna Bender.

      • Jen June 24, 2022 (8:27 pm)

        She is the same judge who set a relatively low bail for a man who just did 20 years in Missouri for 2 armed robberies, came to Seattle and has shown up at 3 people’s houses trying to rob them, mine included. At my house he was armed with a loaded gun with a round in the chamber. At his most recent arrest he was kicking in a woman’s door as she screamed inside. Judge Bender set a $10,000 bail (finally) but you only have to come up with $1000 for that, which this guy’s uncle did. So he’s out, and probably already victimizing other people. I’ve emailed back and forth 87 times with the proseuctor’s office since last July trying to have him prosecuted for what happened at my house. Before my house, he’d been at another neighbor’s house. A felon in possesion of a firearm, and still no charges.  Judge Bender also denies the majority of Joel’s law petitions. https://www.nwnewsnetwork.org/health-and-medicine/2017-10-23/desperate-families-get-startlingly-different-results-under-joels-law

    • WSB June 22, 2022 (8:21 pm)

      Yes, as mentioned in our (linked) report last year about his car-theft arrest, he was wanted at the time in Kitsap County,

    • Anonymous June 24, 2022 (3:41 pm)

      Yes it 8s but he was last one seen with his gf who is missing for over a year now I’m not sure if they found her body yet but I will look for the article I’m almost positive he was detain as a suspect on that case. He’s a big guy and hears a sees things that are not real and this is not his only body 

  • New Salt June 22, 2022 (6:11 pm)

    King County judges need to take the Northwest Community Bail Fund into account when setting bails. Is the Superior Court Judge(s) involved in these cases public information? Up for reelection anytime soon? They’re probably all running unopposed, but at least I’ll know which bubbles to leave blank. Maybe a write-in for a magic 8 ball.

    As for the Northwest Community Bail Fund, everyone should know of their moral and intellectual bankruptcy. Half of the people they bail out are being held for violent charges (per recent KING 5 report). Of course they’re huge fans of abolishing police as well. “System isn’t perfect, guess we should do everything we can to make the problem worse while we achieve no progress on a completely impractical utopian alternative that was conceived in a room full of the loudest and most self righteous social media trolls”. I wish I could get away with “break everything first, and we’ll fix it never” at my job.

    • Jen June 22, 2022 (7:16 pm)

      +5 points for writing in a magic 8 ball, lol!

  • Auntie June 22, 2022 (6:21 pm)

    NW Community Bail Fund needs to be a little more discriminating in whom they support. This guy was obviously not going to comply, so why give him free reign to offend again? Not sure what their criteria are, but they need to revisit them.

    • winniegirl June 22, 2022 (8:10 pm)

      Maybe because one is innocent until proven guilty?  An arrest is not a conviction. If what is holding you in jail is your lack of bail money that is suspect. Wealthy people shouldn’t have a different system of justice and incarceration.

      • Auntie June 22, 2022 (8:26 pm)

        But shouldn’t they consider past “failure to appear” situations? Rich or poor, you need to show up for your hearing, or post bail to ensure that you do so.

      • Frustrated June 22, 2022 (8:32 pm)

        They need to take the facts of the case into account. Prior/repeat offenders are probably not the ones you want to set free – this is not the first incident like this nor will it be the last. You’d think the members of the Northwest Community Bail Fund would step back and think “oh.. we let this guy go free and now he’s killed someone.. maybe we should think about this a little harder next time.”

        • CAM June 22, 2022 (10:42 pm)

          That’s not actually accurate. The defendant didn’t show up to court when out on bail. The NCBF was not involved in his most recent release from custody. CCAP is an alternative release program that requires daily attendance or other requirements to be released without bail. If you want to question why higher bail wasn’t set or why he wasn’t in custody, check on that assault 2 charge from Kitsap, that should have merited a much higher bail/no bail situation/lengthy sentence than a vehicle theft charge/conviction. Most likely, depending on his prior convictions, he’s already served more time in custody than he’d get sentenced for on the vehicle theft charge (if convicted). This is not to argue that he should be out of custody but this is not the judges fault. Look at the totality of the circumstances. Also, please ask yourself why no one in this comment section is questioning his free access to guns but is fully ready to blame civil servants and nonprofit agencies for his behavior? You aren’t going to fix this by locking everyone up forever so long as you keep handing angry people guns. 

      • alki_2008 June 23, 2022 (2:13 am)

        This person had convictions in the past, for violating a protective order (3 times), trafficking and possession of stolen property, assault, car theft, attempting to elude police and theft. Then he was arrested and released, but failed to appear, so he was arrested again. Then the CBF thought it was a good idea to post bail for someone that didn’t show up to their last court date. Is that the best way for the CBF to direct their resources?

      • Jim P. June 23, 2022 (12:50 pm)

        When someone has shown their personal word of honor has no value, then it is time to not give them free tickets out like this guy got.Failure to show more than once tells anyone looking he has no personal honor and is not going to keep his word.  The concept of bail is to assure the accused shows.If he has nothing at stake, he has nothing to lose by giving them, and society, the figurative finger and letting someone else pay.

      • Jill Eriksson June 29, 2022 (4:23 pm)

        What if the crime was witnessed by many independent witnesses?   What if the crime was committed by someone with 10 prior violent felony convictions?  What if the crime was all filmed on video and the suspect was clearly identified?   Or do these situations not matter?  The things I mentioned above happen daily, yet the Community Bail Fund goes out of their way to  release these violent criminals back to our community.  ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ does not factor in the safety of the community.  NCBF is only concerned about their “mission” and not at all about the community or victims of crime.  

    • Jen June 24, 2022 (9:40 pm)

      The bail fund doesn’t consider the charge or the criminal history. I asked the bail fund that question several years ago. They literally don’t care if the person is a repeat offender who just strangled his wife. They bailed out a guy who then murdered his baby. They bailed out a guy for $310K who was a repeat drive by shooter with additional outstanding drive by shooting warrants, who was doing another drive by shooting! They don’t care.

  • Grace Salamanca June 23, 2022 (2:55 am)

    If any of the rest of us did a quarter of these crimes we would never get out of jail.  I don’t know what it is about certain people that always seem to get away with stuff. My sources on the street because I own an RV that’s my business vehicle so I have associated with some of that crowd because there’s actually one couple that live in an RV that are really nice people, she graduated from University of Washington and she was a grant writer worked for a senator , she’s just going through some addiction stuff but anyhow apparently there’s some vigilante that’s been going around and shooting at some of the RVs ?! I guess her boyfriend was talking to someone at one of these so-called encampments and somebody started bashing him with a baseball bat , the other night I heard that this was related to that situation so I basically heard about the shooting before it was on here or in the news.  I don’t know 100%  if it’s the exact same people but nonetheless it’s starting to feel like I’m back in New Mexico. I left New Mexico in 1986 for a reason. Even though I’m from Santa Fe my dad lives in Albuquerque now. They had one of the highest crime rates. Still do.  And now  I live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world and I don’t feel safe here and I hear about this kind of stuff and I just shake my head because the worst part is how expensive it is at least Albuquerque is cheap! Some lady was complaining on here the other night that she couldn’t take her dad to Salty’s at least her dad will still come visit her my dad won’t even come here anymore he said I will never go to Seattle ever again. 

    • Anonymous June 27, 2022 (4:01 pm)

      Not related.  Heard about it but not related.

  • K June 23, 2022 (9:51 am)

    This must be absolutely exhausting and infuriating to the police and prosecutor’s office who work hard to arrest and charge these folks, only to have a judge release them time and time again.  

  • snowskier June 23, 2022 (10:23 am)

    Here’s hoping that a murder charge results in denial of bail.  Given his past record of failure to appear it seems wise to keep him behind bars so that he can’t hurt someone else while out on bail…..again.  I say hope because given the countless cases of “catch and release”, we don’t really know what crime will keep someone in jail.

    • Jen June 24, 2022 (9:42 pm)

      Not in Washington state. Even Maurice Clemmons had bail set.

  • Kelly Taylor June 23, 2022 (9:46 pm)

    Did the Mayor’s office have anything to say? Or is it just too much for him? 

  • T June 23, 2022 (10:57 pm)

    Any chance we can get the link for the report from the car thief at the gas station? I can’t quite remember the details 

  • Anonymous June 25, 2022 (6:58 am)

    Jaycee, was a good man. If no one else is going to take a stand for him I will. Jaycee has been a target for undue ridicule and harassment within the surrounding homeless community. As a lot of us out here have. Everyone is scared to come forward because they are worried about being a snitch, or about severe backlash both from the homeless and the sheltered within this circle of people. Jaycee believed he and quite a few others out here were being trafficked. As in human trafficking. Now, this is not the time to debate whether he is right, only that he believed it was occuring. Now combine that with a mistrust for law enforcement. Suddenly there’s no one to turn to. When he believed he had been pushed too far, and was standing up for himself and others he loves. (A girlfriend that he believed the victim in this case was abusing and holding and drugging or tampering with her drugs so she would be more apt to cooperate.) He went and confronted those who he believed had her against her will.  Don’t let those who are in the midst of the circle cloud your judgement in this case. Keep an open mind. Albiet murder is not the answer,  what would you do if it was your girlfriend, or friend, or niece, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, grandfather, nephew, son, neighbor. It shouldn’t matter. No murder is not the answer, but I will not let his caring, compassionate personality, be tarnished with this bull crap that people are trying to put in her to sway public opinion on the matter. Social engineering and manipulation are done by gross jerks. Don’t let them get away with crap like that. Stand up for those u care about. Maybe we wouldn’t be In this mess humans are currently in, if we cared for others a little more and weren’t out for the next hustle or come up. 

    • Janet Gonzalez June 28, 2022 (8:16 am)

      Jaycee was a pos who killed my husband and left a wife 3 grown kids and several grandkids. I hope he gets life and rotts there. He is NOT A GOOD PERSON. How can you even say that?!?!

      • Udontknowmee July 1, 2022 (12:14 am)

        Right ! Gonzo never had anyone there against their will. He didn’t deserve this! And I met Jaycee once- at Gonzo’s & I have NEVER had such an intense overwhelming fear about a person who I never even met before I was all of a sudden terrified and told Jaycee that I forgot something at Gonzo’s & when I got back inside Gonzo could even see how shook up I was and stopped his conversation with someone to ask me what’s wrong.  When I told him how I felt he actually almost vouched 4 Jaycee , but told me I was welcome to hang out if I was scared to leave while jc was around.HOWEVER, I do believe that JC was a victim of something terrible at some point in his life- hurt people, HURT PEOPLE. Also am I the only one thinking that it doesn’t make sense for him to walk up to somebody and put a gun to their head and say “take me to Gonzo’s”when he knew Gonzo already and had been to Gonzo’s place many times?I think “kidnap victim” isn’t being 100% 

Sorry, comment time is over.