Kent Police: 16-year-old shot into ex-girlfriend's apartment, threatened family

KENT, Wash. - Kent Police arrested a 16-year-old accused of shooting into his ex-girlfriend's apartment and harassing her over the phone while police searched for him.

Officers were called to a domestic violence incident at the Central Flats Apartments Wednesday morning, located off of Central Avenue near S 235th Pl. Authorities say a 16-year-old unexpectedly showed up at his ex-girlfriend's apartment and allegedly threatened to shoot her if she did not let him in.

She called 911, and the suspect ran off before police arrived just minutes later.

Police spoke with the victim, who was in the apartment with her two-year-old child. While officers searched the area, the 16-year-old suspect reportedly came back and shot several times into the apartment. No one was injured in the shooting, and police say the suspect ran into the woods nearby.

Officers heard the shots and searched for the suspect, but could not find him. As they scoured the area, the suspect reportedly kept harassing the victim over the phone, saying he was armed with a rifle and watching police, then threatening her and her family in Burien and saying he would not surrender to police, authorities say.

A K9 team and helicopter search could not find the suspect, so Burien Police were sent to the home of the victim's family there to be escorted to a safe location. The suspect was not found there either.

Instead, detectives learned the teenager was at an apartment complex in SeaTac, so the Valley SWAT Team was called in to arrest him.

"Without the great work of our Patrol Officers, Detectives, Special Investigations Unit and Valley SWAT, we believed the juvenile suspect was likely to follow-through on his threats to harm the victim and her family. I am both grateful and very proud of the work of the Kent Police Personnel," said Chief Rafael Padilla.

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If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, you are not alone. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or explore resources on the King County website.