³ÉÈËXÕ¾

MYNORTHWEST NEWS

I-90 brick-throwing suspect ‘could be’ same man who threw rocks at drivers in June

Jul 11, 2024, 1:34 PM | Updated: 2:17 pm

Photo: A brick was thrown at a truck on I-90 Tuesday morning. It could be the same man who threw a ...

A brick was thrown at a truck on I-90 Tuesday morning. (Photos courtesy Washington State Patrol)

(Photos courtesy Washington State Patrol)

The man who threw a brick into a truck on Interstate 90 (I-90) Tuesday morning “very well could be” the same man in a similar attack on drivers exiting onto Rainier Avenue last month, the Washington State Patrol said.

A driver whose truck was hit told authorities a man was standing beside the freeway around 4 a.m. Tuesday and threw a brick into his truck’s windshield as he passed the Rainier Avenue exit. Photos of the Isuzu box truck showed a hole in the middle of the windshield and a brick sitting inside the cabin.

The driver had minor injuries with just a “scrape on the driver’s right arm,” a WSP press release said.

Troopers went to the scene but couldn’t find the suspect, who was only described as “a male in all black with a hat on.”

Washington crime report: Hate crimes, youth offenses rise; officer staffing still low

Couple faces similar rock-throwing attack on I-90

About one month prior, a couple getting off I-90 onto Rainier Avenue South they experienced a similar attack, with a man throwing a rock down onto their car from the trail passing above the exit ramp.

It reportedly happened around the same time of day as Tuesday’s attack, about 5 a.m. on June 6.

“It shook the car, scared me and I was like ‘What was that?'” Kayli Behrens told ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7.

The couple was frustrated at what they felt was a lack of urgency from Seattle police. The couple said they were told they had to call state patrol because of its jurisdiction over the freeway. In an Instagram post, Denali Liston – who was driving with Behrens at the time – said he was confused as he just called 911.

“I’m still terrified that (the suspect) is still out there,” Behrens said.

King County Communications Center told ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 it never received a call from the couple about the rock throwing. Trooper Rick Johnson told ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio that WSP is investigating and the drivers did the right thing in calling 911.

When asked whether the two attacks could be linked, Johnson said investigators have not yet found any evidence of it, but that they “very well could be” connected.

“We track all of this, state, location,” Johnson said, adding that investigators believe it is a single suspect in each attack.

‘He was bigger than life;’ Auburn family remembers teen murdered an hour before 18th birthday

Since January 2024, Johnson said there have been about 80 reports from drivers on King County highways where rocks or debris hit their cars. He noted that this statistic also includes possibly unintentional debris landing on vehicles from the roads. Separating that data from intentionally thrown rocks, bricks or other debris would require further in-depth analysis of each report, he added, saying tracking is complicated by drivers who do not want to be contacted after making the initial report.

Johnson said troopers are planning to increase patrols in the area in hopes of catching the suspect.

In the meantime, any driver who sees a suspicious person by the highway is urged to call 911.

Contributing: Louie Tran, ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 

You can read more of Sam Campbell’s stories here. Follow Sam Campbell on Ìý´Ç°ùÌýemail him here.

More local crime

MyNorthwest News

FILE - People are seen on the beach and in the water in front of the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honol...

Associated Press

Hawaii plans to increase hotel tax to help it cope with climate change

  HONOLULU (AP) — In a first-of-its kind move, Hawaii lawmakers are ready to hike a tax imposed on travelers staying in hotels, vacation rentals and other short-term accommodations and earmark the new money for programs to cope with a warming planet. State leaders say they’ll use the funds for projects like replenishing sand on […]

47 minutes ago

Dolly Parton Imagination Library...

Sofia Silvia

‘A heartbreaking loss’: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library loses funding in WA

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library will no longer have funding in the state of Washington.

4 hours ago

tax proposals...

Heather Bosch and Frank Lenzi

Poll shows voters feel Seattle is ‘making progress’ in reducing crime

A new poll shows Seattle voters believe their city is making progress when it comes to reducing crime and the number of homeless encampments.

7 hours ago

Image: An Auburn Police Department vehicle is seen on a city street....

³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 News Staff

12-year-old dies in rollover crash, mother investigated for DUI and booked for vehicular homicide

An Auburn mother has been charged with vehicular homicide after investigators say she allegedly drove under the influence and flipped her car.

8 hours ago

Seattle Children's Hospital. (Courtesy of ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7)...

³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 News Staff

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and Seattle Children’s expand pediatric, neonatal partnership

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) and Seattle Children’s announced Tuesday they have expanded their longstanding partnership to enhance pediatric and mother-baby health care services across the Puget Sound region. The new strategic affiliation builds on nearly 15 years of collaboration between the two organizations and aims to improve access to expert physicians, specialized care teams, […]

8 hours ago

Virginia Inn (Photo Courtesy of ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7)...

Sofia Silvia

Seattle staple will keep its doors open, overturning eviction notice

The Historic Virginia Inn will continue to welcome guests in Seattle.

8 hours ago

I-90 brick-throwing suspect ‘could be’ same man who threw rocks at drivers in June