A King County district court judge on Wednesday found probable cause to hold a 40-year-old Auburn area man on investigation of homicide after his mother was found fatally shot in the attached garage of the residence they shared, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.
The man waived his first court appearance and so bail was not set, said a prosecutor’s spokesperson. The Seattle Times typically does not name suspects until criminal charges are filed.
Deputies were called to a “disturbance” at a home in the 4200 block of South 290th Street about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer. During the hourslong standoff, the sheriff’s crisis negotiators and tactical team were called in and the 40-year-old was arrested when he came out of the house, Meyer said.
The probable cause statement outlining the sheriff’s case against the man says his mother called 911 just after 8 a.m. Tuesday and reported that her son had ordered her out of the house at gunpoint. She barricaded herself in the garage but was eventually persuaded to meet deputies down the street, the statement says.
The mother told deputies her son had been in the military, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. Though she said her son had a handgun, there was no indication a crime had been committed and so deputies left, according to the probable cause statement.
About 5½ hours later, someone called 911 and reported hearing gunshots coming from the house. Deputies arrived to find the man hanging out a bedroom window, the statement says. Deputies soon learned the man’s mother had returned home shortly before the gunshots were heard and when asked about her whereabouts, her son directed them to the garage, it says.
Concerned about the woman’s welfare, members of the SWAT team entered the garage and found a woman dead on the floor; the officers exited the garage until a search warrant was obtained, the statement says.
After an hourslong standoff, the 40-year-old came out of the house at 8:21 p.m. and was arrested.
Sheriff’s deputies re-entered the garage and found the woman dead from multiple gunshot wounds along with a small dog that had also been fatally shot, says the probable cause statement.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office had not released the woman’s identity as of Wednesday afternoon.
Seattle Times staff reporter Christine Clarridge contributed to this report.