A family is safe and a suspect is in custody following a bizarre encounter inside their home yesterday morning.
On Monday at about 5:30 am East Precinct officers responded to the 600 block of 12th Avenue East to investigate a report of a stranger inside the house. The residents called 911 stating that the unknown man, wearing only shorts, had entered the house armed with a large knife. The homeowner confronted the suspect, and asked him what he was doing. The suspect told the resident that he was looking for a certain individual, who does not live there. Officers responded quickly and surrounded the house, but the suspect fled before officers arrived. Officers conducted an extensive search of the neighborhood but did not locate the suspect. During their initial investigation, two knives were found outside a basement window. The evidence was collected and submitted into evidence for fingerprint analysis. After conducting their investigation, officers left the scene. The homeowner was not injured during this encounter.
At 7:00 am the homeowners called 911 again, stating that the suspect had returned to the backyard. Officers returned to the house as the suspect fled through the neighboring yards. Officers were able to surround him in a backyard about a block away and take him into custody without any further incident. Detectives from the Robbery Unit responded and processed the scene. Detectives attempted to interview the suspect, but it was clear he was experiencing some sort of mental health crisis or was under the influence of drugs and was unable to be interviewed. The 27-year-old man was later booked into the King County Jail. The Robbery Unit will conduct the follow-up investigation. This remains an active and on-going investigation.