Woman killed in apparent car theft, stolen SUV recovered
Seattle police have recovered the SUV that was stolen from a Seattle woman who later died in the Madison Valley neighborhood.
SEATTLE – According to Seattle police, an 80-year-old dog owner was the victim of a carjacking on Tuesday morning, was dragged along and then run over by her own car.
Investigators say the suspect then drove away, leaving the woman with fatal injuries and the Madison Valley neighborhood in ruins.
While police try to find the suspect, neighbors describe how the horrific moments unfolded.
“I heard noises and screams. It sounded like an impact,” said Laura Dynan, a neighbor who witnessed the car theft.
Dynan was in her house when she heard the fight between the local dog owner and the man who police said was responsible for the car theft.
“I was practically out the front door before I noticed screaming dogs running down the street,” she said.
Dynan said when she got outside, the suspect was already behind the wheel of the victim’s blue SUV.
“There was a corgi and some doodles in there,” she said.
She could see that the victim had been hit and injured on the road, and that a man was trying to stop the car thief with what looked like a baseball bat.
“He was a plumber who worked in the neighborhood and happened to have a baseball bat with him and tried to save her,” Dynan said.
She says the plumber attempted to smash the rear window of the stolen vehicle, damaging the windshield in the process, which allowed some of the dogs to be freed.
“The guy with the bat smashed all the windows. Dogs jumped out. It was just chaos,” Dynan said.
Neighbors rushed to the patient to administer CPR and call 911.
“He had her car, he had those dogs. There was no reason to run them over,” Dynan said.
Neighbors say the suspect also drove into some of the vehicles parked on the street. Dynan said her own vehicle was damaged by the car thief.
“It pushed our car forward. So that was the force of the impact,” she said.
The stolen SUV was found about 20 minutes away on S. Jueanu Street near Brighton Playfield.
A dead dog was also found with suspected stab wounds. The dog’s body was found in or near a blue recycling bin in the park.
“There is no reason to attack a helpless animal,” said Brian Robertson, who lives near Brighton Playfields.
Robertson, a regular visitor to the park and owner of a dog, said the crime was reprehensible.
“It’s a bit of a shock when you’re hanging out in your local park and you hear about a car theft and a dog being stabbed,” he said.
Madison Valley neighbor Py Bateman grabbed her own dog’s leash and treats Tuesday night to search the neighborhood for other missing pets.
“It was pretty upsetting for everyone in the neighborhood,” Bateman said. “I thought, I can’t help her, but I can look for the dogs and give treats to anyone who sees them.”
Dynan believes the woman likely died while trying to rescue the pets in her care.
“The dogs in the car did not belong to her, but to other people in the neighborhood. I’m sure she wanted to protect them,” Dynan said.
Investigators are still looking for the suspect. If you know who is responsible, please contact Seattle Police.
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