Plumber tried to stop suspect in fatal Seattle carjacking

Woman killed in apparent carjacking, stolen SUV recovered

Seattle Police have recovered the SUV that was carjacked from a Seattle woman who later died in the Madison Valley neighborhood.

SEATTLE - Seattle Police say a dog-walker in her 80s was carjacked, dragged, then run over with her own car on Tuesday morning.

Investigators say the suspect then drove away, leaving the woman with fatal injuries, and the Madison Valley neighborhood shattered.

While police try and find the suspect, neighbors are describing how the terrifying moments played out.

"I heard some commotion and screaming. It sounded like a crash," said Laura Dynan, a neighbor who witnessed the carjacking.

Dynan was inside her house when she heard the struggle between the local dog walker and the man police say was responsible for the carjacking.

"I basically got out of my front door before I realized there were dogs running down the street and screaming," she said.

Dynan said when she got outside, the suspect was already at the wheel of the victim's blue SUV.

"There was a Corgi and a couple of Doodles in there," she said.

She could see the victim had been run over and injured in the street, and a man was trying to stop the carjacker with what looked like a bat.

"He was a plumber working in the neighborhood, who happened to have a bat on him who was trying to save her," said Dynan.

She says the plumber tried to smash out the back window of the stolen vehicle and damaged the front windshield, freeing some of the dogs.

"The guy with the bat was batting out all the windows. There were dogs leaping out. It was just chaos," said Dynan.

Neighbors rushed to the victim's side to give her CPR and to call 911.

"He had her car, he had those dogs. There was no reason to run her over," said Dynan.

Neighbors say that the suspect also smashed into some of the vehicles that were parked on the street. Dynan said her own vehicle was damaged by the carjacker.

"It pushed our car forward. So, that was the level of impact," she said.

The stolen SUV was found about 20 minutes away on S. Jueanu Street near the Brighton Playfield.

A dead dog was also found with what may have been stab wounds. The dog's body was located 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 is a park regular who owns a dog himself. He said the crime was reprehensible.

"It’s a little shocking to be hanging out in your local park and hear about a carjacking and a dog stabbing," he said.

Madison Valley neighbor Py Bateman grabbed her own dog's leashes and treats to try to canvass the neighborhood for any remaining lost pets on Tuesday evening.

"Pretty concerning to everybody in the neighborhood," said Bateman. "I thought, I can’t do anything to help her, but I can go look for the dogs and give treats to anyone who might see the dogs."

Dynan believes the woman likely died trying to save the pets in her care.

"All the dogs that were in the car were not hers, they were other people’s in the neighborhood, and she was trying to protect them, I’m sure," said Dynan.

Investigators are still looking for the suspect. If you know who is responsible, contact Seattle Police.