A 30-year-old woman is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after a reported carjacking incident that involved her being stabbed and struck with a sledgehammer. The violent assault took place in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood on Friday morning. Police discovered the injured woman near the intersection of Market Street and Palatine Avenue. As of Friday afternoon, the individuals identified as suspects in the attack remained at large.
Seattle Police Department officers were dispatched to the scene following a 911 call placed around 9:15 a.m. The caller reported witnessing a woman covered in blood and that someone appeared to be attempting to kill her, according to a Seattle Police Department spokesperson. A neighbor’s surveillance video captured the immediate aftermath, showing medics providing aid to the woman and police engaging with residents to gather information.
Cyndie Richter-Juarez, a neighbor, recounted the rapid police presence. "The first thing we heard was sirens, and then all of a sudden there were like 10 police cars here," Richter-Juarez said. She noted that officers informed area residents "a woman had been left on the street here after she was stabbed."
The injured woman provided officers with details of the assault. She reported being stabbed multiple times and hit in the head with a sledgehammer. Additionally, her car was stolen. The woman stated the incident occurred after a night of partying at an apartment complex located near Aurora Avenue and North 39th Street. According to her account, her assailants drove her car to an alley about a mile away from the apartment complex, where the physical assault took place. Help was subsequently summoned by a neighbor near Market Street and Palatine Avenue.
Residents in the vicinity expressed their unease and surprise at the nature of the violence. Nadine Santo Pietro, who lives nearby, described her street as "a quiet, short little street." Cyndie Richter-Juarez also reflected on the perceived change in the area, commenting that it no longer felt like "our neighborhood or what it used to be" and that the community seemed to be "becoming a little bit more unsafe."
Detectives investigating the reported carjacking later located the woman’s stolen vehicle. The car was found near the apartment complex where the initial gathering had taken place. Inside the recovered vehicle, officers discovered a bloody sledgehammer. The keys were also found in the ignition of the car.
Harborview Medical Center confirmed on Friday evening that the woman’s injuries were non-life-threatening. Despite the recovery of the vehicle and the discovery of a key piece of evidence, questions regarding the individuals involved persist. Police continued their search for the suspects. As of Friday afternoon, a woman identified by police as a suspect, along with three men, were still missing following the incident.
The Seattle Police Department is asking anyone with information regarding this case to contact their Violent Crimes tip line. The number to call is (206) 233-5000.
