Renton Police and sheriff’s deputies took a man into custody Wednesday evening on West Hill, who’s suspected in a robbery earlier in the day that left a store clerk with a slit throat.
The 44-year-old suspect was booked into the King County Jail for felony investigation of attempted murder. A first court hearing was held Thursday, which he refused to attend, according to Dan Donohue, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The judge found probable cause to keep him in custody and set the bond hearing for Friday at 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 1 at the jail.
The Renton Reporter is not naming the suspect because he hasn’t been charged.
The 23-year-old victim, a store clerk at GameStop in downtown Renton, was reported in stable condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with what were described as significant injuries on Wednesday. As of Thursday afternoon, Kiersten Shideler, the victim, was in serious condition in intensive care.
Her family released the following statement:
“We are overwhelmed by the love and support we have received from the community in dealing with this tragedy. The work done by the Renton Police Department has been amazing, and we are very grateful for their quick response. We are also appreciative of information that was shared by traditional and social media that helped bring the suspect into custody. Thank you for respecting our privacy at this time.”
After the assault police searched for the suspect with a K9 unit but weren’t able to locate the suspect. Images taken from security cameras at the store and in downtown Renton were sent to local media.
The King County Sheriff’s Office received a tip Wednesday afternoon indicating the suspect might be at an apartment complex in the 13300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Renton Police and King County deputies arrested him there without incident at 5 p.m., at an apartment where he had been living until he was kicked out, according to Terri Vickers, police spokesperson.
It all unfolded Wednesday when Renton Police responded to a robbery and stabbing at 10:58 a.m. Renton High School and St. Anthony School were placed in lockdown about 11 a.m. because of the closeness of the retail store in the 200 block of South Second Street.
Police learned that after entering the store, the suspect held a knife to the lone store clerk’s throat. He then walked her behind the counter and slit her throat. He took all the money from the cash register and fled the store on foot.
The suspect was originally described as a black male, 20 to 30 years of age, around 6 feet tall and heavyset, wearing a yellow or tan coat with black pants and a black backpack. He wore a scarf to cover his face.Other surveillance cameras caught the same male suspect in a different set of clothes still in the downtown Renton area not long after the incident.
Police indicated the man was extremely dangerous, based on his actions. CrimeStoppers put out a $1,000 reward leading to the suspect’s arrest.
