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Police release video of Capitol Hill kidnapping attempt

Seattle Police have released security video from the February 2nd kidnapping attempt in which a man tried to force a woman into a truck in the 1600 block of Bellevue:

SPD’s update describes the late Tuesday, February 2nd attack:

Detectives are releasing a surveillance video that captured last Tuesday’s assault. The grainy video shows the suspect pull up curbside just as the victim walks into frame. The suspect can be seen reaching into the cab before lunging at the victim. The victim quickly breaks free and the suspect retreats to the truck before speeding off.

Detectives are asking anyone with information in this case to please call (206) 684-5767.

Police released the first information on the attack Wednesday more than a week after the attempted abduction.

The 29-year-old woman told police she was walking near Bellevue and E Pine on February 2nd around 11:30 PM when a man driving in a dark blue pickup truck pulled alongside her, grabbed her arms, and told her to get in his car. When others noticed the woman screaming, the suspect drove off. The victim was unharmed.

According to the police report on the incident, the shaken victim said she had never seen the man before, describing the suspect to police as an older white male, around 5’10”, and wearing a dark beanie:

Screen Shot 2016-02-11 at 4.01.28 PM

The investigation has focused on the blue truck used in the attack. A witness described the truck to police as a dark blue 2000 Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup truck, with tinted windows.

If you have information that could help the investigation, call 911 or (206) 684-5767.

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22 Comments
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Ella
Ella
8 years ago

This is really really disturbing. It appears the guy just pulled up and was waiting. Glad there wasn’t much of a struggle and the victim is safe.

alp
alp
8 years ago

What sort of shit place are we living in? What is happening to Capitol Hill?

iluvcaphill
iluvcaphill
8 years ago
Reply to  alp

Really? The comments section on this blog are full of revisionist historians. That area of Bellevue Ave. has been nothing but sketch for decades. I used to work at City Market back in the 90’s when there was a phone bank outside and it was essentially an open air heroin market, back when Rolling Stone declared Seattle “Junkie Town.” Not saying that it’s safe, but it’s definitely not any less safe than it’s always been.

If you think Seattle is a dangerous city, you need to travel some more and see an actual city. Try Chicago.

birthday girl
birthday girl
8 years ago
Reply to  alp

I don’t understand the Chicago reference. Do you mean to say that the fact that Chicago is more dangerous should make people living in Seattle feel better about the crime that we experience here? For example, next time I get mugged getting off work at midnight I should think, “well, shit, this happens all the time in real cities like Chicago. I guess I shouldn’t feel so shitty about this because people in Chicago go through this all the time.”
Is it a ‘first world problems’ kind of perspective? Either way an attempted kidnapping sucks. Just because it happens with more regularity somewhere else doesn’t change that. Actually, I would argue that the fact that it doesn’t happen as much in Seattle as it does in Chicago is reason for more concern. Attempted kidnapping is scary no matter where you live.

Zoe
Zoe
8 years ago
Reply to  alp

Could we please stop being reductive about violence against women and dangers in Seattle?! Everytime I hear someone going on about “how safe” this city is, I do an eyeroll. Like any city, there is crime and violence. Ladies, if you run into a weird encounter, scream, draw attention to yourself, if you can jump into a crowded restaurant or a business. Whatever you do, don’t get in the car. I had a few close calls in Belltown and Capitol Hill. Scary.

iluvcaphill
iluvcaphill
8 years ago
Reply to  alp

The fact is that you’re more likely to get hit by a bus or a car in the cross walk than you are to be a victim of crime, so quit pretending like Seattle and/or Capitol Hill are going to hell in a hand basket.

I can’t help buy roll my eyes whenever I hear someone make idiotic comments like “What sort of place are we living in?” We are living in a very safe place. Even though CHS and the media in general would like us to think that danger lurks in every corner. It’s just fear-mongering to generate advertising clicks.

Fritz
Fritz
8 years ago

Curiously, the news report says the incident was at 11:30pm, but the time stamp on the video is an hour and a half or so later. Is the camera off? Or is her recollection off?

And GOOD for her to scream and keep screaming! It probably saved her life.

Joan
Joan
8 years ago
Reply to  Fritz

Yes! Always scream bloody murder (because that’s what the end result will likely be) O.o

j
j
8 years ago
Reply to  Fritz

Also noticed this. Was surprised when I read that it happened that early in the night.

Someone who lives there
Someone who lives there
8 years ago

I live in this building (Hawthorne Apartments – 1618 Bellevue Ave), and my gf’s car was broken into in their garage. That’s nothing compared to this, but leads to my next point: all the security cameras in Hawthorne are atrociously grainy and do nothing to protect people. Upgrade your cameras, Hawthorne / Pacific Crest Real Estate. For fuck’s sake, people are getting kidnapped right outside of you.

(https://www.dropbox.com/s/rrkddk56h4bg1ut/07202015%20Car%20Prowl%20Entry.avi?dl=0 for example)

andysea
andysea
8 years ago

I was thinking exactly the same thing when I saw the video. There are modern cameras that are far better than that.

yup
yup
8 years ago

With a better camera they would have been able to see his license plate and the cops would have this guy arrested by now.

Douglas
Douglas
8 years ago

There are of course better cameras but it costs money to replace the ones already in place. Also, they may have set it at a lower frame rate to reduce the need for extra storage to save costs, which in turns negatively impacts quality. Until better equipment is implemented anyone wanting to commit a similar crime now knows this specific location is a blind spot.

Rachel Ricci
Rachel Ricci
8 years ago

I heard a bloodcurdling scream and looked out (as did many people on the block). I didn’t see anything but it happened right below my building. I forgot about it because yelling and police happen all the time at night, but it struck me at the time that it was a scream no one could mistake for anything but sheer terror for one’s life. I guess it’s a good thing I’m moving off Bellevue at the end of the month…

Jasmine
Jasmine
8 years ago

You guys kill me. Last week people are upset about Stingrays and privacy. Now you want 4K cameras everywhere. There has to be a happy, safe, privacy aware medium. When the 4K cameras are everywhere then the real predators will just be able to follow you home.

Robin
8 years ago

It’s amazing to me that people are surprised that violence happens on Capitol Hill, or, more generally, that they’ll be safer if only they don’t live on streets or in areas where violence has happened. Newsflash: Violence happens anywhere, any time.

As far as we know, this incident was random, but most violence isn’t. All the warnings to children and adults about violence from strangers deny the truth that violence most often happens in places we feel safe, is most often perpetrated by people we know, people we trust, people we expect to keep us safe.

So please, let’s not pretend that our neighbourhood is this magically safe bubble, or that those we perceive as threatening (folks addicted to drugs, folks living o the streets, folks we don’t know) are the only, or even primary, source of danger.

Sean
Sean
8 years ago

Terrible thing to happen to someone.. In review of the video, I find it interesting that the victim didn’t run for her life when she broke free. I know that I (Nor most people) would have casually walked away after some stranger does something like that to you. It honestly gives me the impression that she may have somehow known the guy. Comes across more like a domestic issue between two known people vs victim of a random crime.

cappyhill
cappyhill
8 years ago
Reply to  Sean

Not true. That is a very normal reaction to extreme fear.

Douglas
Douglas
8 years ago
Reply to  Sean

It looks as though she attempted to take a picture of the truck as it pulled away (perhaps I’m wrong), which would of been a very heads up thing to do in under 15 seconds after an attack.

susu
susu
8 years ago
Reply to  Sean

I agree with cappyhill. Something similar happened to me last year while traveling, and it took me a while to come out of the shock to react the way I thought anyone would. I walked by a guy next to a motorcycle, he came up from behind and tried to grab me, I screamed, he ran off and I just kept walking, then shortly after turned around pissed as all hell and tried to run after the guy wanting to kick his face in. Then I realized that wasn’t smart (obviously still in shock) so I turned back around and kept on my journey. I need to work on my survival instincts. Nevertheless, I consider myself lucky that night.