Suspect in custody after two carjackings, shooting that left one driver injured

A man is in custody after a pair of carjackings and shootings that left one man injured.

The violent crime spree began Monday morning in Bellevue, spilled over into Seattle and ended with the suspect’s arrest in Renton four hours later.

This had police all over the area on high alert. That’s actually how he was caught so quickly.

The suspect’s crime spree was wild and dangerous. Two people were carjacked — one of them, a 38-year-old man, was shot.

All this unfolded over a four-hour period.

“And I saw him going back and forth, kept bending down and grabbing at something,” a witness, Andrew Swarthout, said.

Swarthout happened to see a man acting strangely outside the taqueria where he works. It was just before 1:30 Monday afternoon.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I thought he was a tweaker or something picking up stuff off the ground. So, I kind of took notice, hoping he wouldn’t come in here.”

Then Swarthout heard a shot from the parking garage next door.

“Didn’t really connect the two until the cops showed up,” said Swarthout, “and started saying that’s the person they were looking for.”

The hours-long crime spree began in the parking garage at Bellevue Square mall at about 10:30 a.m. An armed man fired off several shots, stole a woman’s purse, her keys and her vehicle, this BMW.

Not long after, Bellevue police spotted him driving the car on 520 and gave chase. He sped off and clipped another vehicle, before getting off the highway.

Once in Eastlake, he allegedly abandoned the BMW, went into this garage, shot a driver, then took off in the man’s vehicle.

“I just saw a Jeep Cherokee go flying by and the cones went in the air,” said Dylan Brown.

He was walking to work when he saw the suspect speed by on Eastlake Avenue.

“I don’t know,” said Brown, when asked his reaction to what he saw. “I think it’s kind of ridiculous. It happened on Eastlake. But I hope he doesn’t come back.”

Kent police made sure that likely won’t happen anytime soon. They noticed the suspect in their city, chased him over the border into Renton and took him into custody — a peaceful conclusion to a violent afternoon.

The man who was shot was taken to Harborview Medical Center. He was in satisfactory condition in the emergency room. T

here is no word yet on whether he will be admitted. But he is expected to survive the injury to his leg.