KENT, Wash. — A 35-year-old man was arrested late Wednesday night after a violent armed robbery and carjacking spree that spanned multiple jurisdictions and ended in Kent, according to the Kent Police Department.
Kent patrol officers first encountered the suspect around 10 p.m. while conducting routine patrols. Dispatchers alerted officers about an orange Jeep Patriot stolen during an armed carjacking in Seattle earlier that evening. Flock Safety cameras soon detected the vehicle traveling through Kent, prompting officers to converge on the area.
As police searched for the stolen Jeep, another emergency call came in: an armed robbery at a business in the 5800 block of SE 256th Street. A clerk reported that a man pointed a gun at him and demanded money. The suspect fled in an orange Jeep, matching the vehicle description of the earlier carjacking.
Officers again located the Jeep, this time near Smith and Titus Avenue. After the suspect fled from police, South King County Sheriff’s Office deputies joined the pursuit. Deputies eventually stopped the vehicle using a PIT maneuver on the East Hill. The suspect attempted to run on foot, but a King County K9 team quickly apprehended him.
Officers recovered stolen items, including cigarettes and product boxes, and located a firearm believed to have been used in the crimes. The suspect also falsely claimed he had swallowed drugs in an effort to avoid jail booking, but medical staff cleared him, and he was transferred to the King County Jail.
Kent Police said the suspect has now been linked to both the Kent robbery and the Seattle carjacking. Authorities praised the rapid coordination between multiple agencies—including neighboring police departments and King County Sheriff’s deputies—which they say was crucial in capturing the suspect.
“This is what happens when a suspect is determined to flee—and this time, the law enforcement village showed up,” the department said.