Seattle police arrested a 50-year-old convicted rapist in North Seattle Tuesday afternoon after he was mistakenly released from custody while awaiting sentencing.
According to the Seattle Police Department, patrol officers spotted the man around 2:30 p.m. near North 141st Street and Linden Avenue North.
Officers said he initially gave them a false name but was later confirmed as the wanted suspect and taken into custody.
The man had been convicted of rape in July after a jury found him guilty in a case stemming from a 2019 assault.
Detectives with SPD’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit (SAU) had investigated the case, which involved a woman attacked inside an abandoned house in South Seattle.
In 2024, detectives referred charges to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office after a DNA match tied him to the scene.
He was being held at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, but on July 26 he bonded out of jail by mistake while awaiting sentencing.
A warrant for second-degree rape was issued by King County Superior Court three days later.
Community members later reported seeing him in Seattle, prompting detectives to issue an internal “be on the lookout” alert to officers.
That alert led to his arrest Tuesday.
The man has now been booked into the King County Jail, where he awaits sentencing.
Court documents show he faces more than 13 years in prison.
SPD noted that the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit specializes in investigating sex crimes and offenses against children.
The unit also has victim advocates who support survivors during investigations and provide access to counseling and community resources.
SPD also employs a comfort dog named Ryan, who works with detectives to help ease the stress victims face during interviews and throughout the criminal justice process.
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