'A huge sigh of relief:' Judge rules against releasing Kirkland home invasion robbery suspect
KIRKLAND, Wash. - A home invasion robbery suspect went before a judge in King County on March 6 to ask to be set free from jail.
19-year-old Muhammad Sesay, who appeared in court on Monday, and 23-year-old Bubacarr Touray are both charged with first-degree robbery and two counts of first-degree burglary following a string of home invasions in Kirkland last October.
Tourey is also facing a charge of first-degree rape.
At the hearing, Sesay's younger sister pleaded with Judge Michael Scott to release her brother from jail to get treatment for undiagnosed PTSD. His sister explained that Sesay was born in the U.S, then sent overseas to a boarding school in Gambia when he was 10 years old, where he was abused.
"Years of beatings have left permanent scars on my brother's back. Enough [impact] to have on anyone's mental health," she said.
Sesay returned to the Seattle area in 2020.
"Mohammed is one of 10 children in our family. He has always been hardworking and dedicated to supporting our family and our community," said his sister.
Prosecutors argued Sesay is a danger to the community and is also under investigation by the King County Sheriff’s Office for more violent crimes.
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"There are other potential charges which put Mr. Sesay at considerable jeopardy, which also makes him a flight risk," said prosecutor Emily Peterson.
Sesay's attorney said he was scared of his co-defendant and was just following orders. Jennifer, the survivor of the home invasion robbery and assault, responded in court saying Sesay was the leader and the aggressor.
Jennifer was asleep on her couch on Oct. 28, 2022 when Kirkland Police say Sesay and Touray broke into her home at 1 a.m. She noted how comfortable they looked with weapons in their hands, and how they went from room to room, clearing each room the way law enforcement might.
"It was Sesay that pressed his semiautomatic weapon to my temple," she told the judge.
Jennifer told the judge that Touray was trying to get her to unlock her phone to use a cash app to send him money when Sesay threatened her.
"Sesay comes again, very aggressive at me and holds the gun to my temple again and says, 'she better hurry up or I'm going to pop this b****!' "This is not a mental health crisis. These are experienced criminals who have taken over my home," said added.
In the end, Judge Scott denied Sesay's request to be released from jail.
"It was a huge sigh of relief," said Jennifer. "It's important that we stand up and we fight for the safety of our communities," she added.
Sesay continues to be held on $1.25 million bail.