A 19
year-old male transient was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for one count
each of Assault in the First Degree and Robbery in the First Degree after
detectives gained probable cause for his arrest in the brutal assault and robbery
of a Marysville man on the evening of March 2nd at Totem Middle School in Marysville.
Acting
on a tip, detectives were able to confirm the identities of both the male and
female present that night when the assault occurred. With the cooperation and
assistance of the Marysville Police NITE Team, Everett Police Department Gang
Unit, and the Everett Police Department Proactive Patrol Team, the suspect was
located on Evergreen Way at about 7:30 PM last night, March 12th.
When
contacted by police, the 19 year-old suspect, who also had a felony warrant
from Department of Corrections, fought with officers before being taken into
custody. A second hatchet was also discovered on the male’s person, stuffed
down the front of his pants. Along with the Marysville charges and his warrant,
the suspect now faces new charges in Everett for drug-related crimes and
resisting arrest.
The juvenile
female that had been present during the assault was found with the male suspect.
She was later released to her guardian without being arrested, though
detectives continue to investigate.
Detective
interviews yielded a rough timeline of events leading up to the assault; the
juvenile female, a stranger to the victim, had run into him at a business in
the 1000 block of State Avenue that night, stating that she was trying to find
the suspect. The victim accompanied her on foot, where they eventually found
the suspect, then elected to go to Totem Middle School to use narcotics
together.
The
juvenile said that she went across the street to Taco Bell for a few minutes,
then heard screams as she returned to the school and saw the suspect strike the
victim in the head with the axe. After the suspect stole items from the victim,
he and the juvenile female quickly fled the area on foot. The axe used in the
assault was recovered by police that night during a search of the area.
“This
case was solved due to cooperation on multiple fronts,” said Sergeant Pete
Shove. “Bystanders who rendered immediate first aid and quickly alerted law
enforcement on the night of the incident, a concerned citizen’s tip, and the assistance
of our neighboring law enforcement partners, all of which culminated in the successful
apprehension of a dangerous suspect, now off the streets and behind bars. We
thank all involved for their assistance in bringing this investigation to a
swift resolution.”
The victim
is now out of the hospital and recovering from a total of four skull fractures sustained
in the assault.