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Kent problem property a 'hub' for violent crimes
The Kent Police Department is taking steps to restore safety to a neighborhood that has been terrorized by violent crime this last year, and they say an East Hill apartment complex seems to be the center of it all.
KENT, Wash. - The Kent Police Department is taking steps to restore safety to a neighborhood that has been terrorized by violent crime this last year, and they say an East Hill apartment complex seems to be the center of it all.
At around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, officers with the Kent Police Department (KPD), Valley SWAT and King County SWAT team responded to the Phoenix Court Apartments off SE 240th St to arrest a suspect in a recent homicide.
The 25-year-old Lakewood man surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. He was then booked into the King County Jail for second-degree murder and first-degree assault.
According to the KPD, the suspect is accused of shooting and killing 43-year-old Jeffery Winn in the apartment complex’s common area last month.
"This apartment complex has been the hub for extraordinary violent crime, particularly this year," the KPD wrote in a Facebook post. "Today’s action is but one of several steps we are taking to identify and apprehend the violent offenders who have terrorized this neighborhood."
On Aug. 15, the city of Kent announced that it filed a lawsuit with the King County Superior Court to declare the Phoenix Court Apartments a "public nuisance."
"This action comes after over a year of insisting that ownership improve the safety of the apartment complex," the city wrote.
Evict tenants that engage in criminal conduct or host guests who engage in criminal conduct
- Allow existing tenants to vacate their apartment without penalty and in some cases receive relocation assistance from the owner of Phoenix Court
- Complete the security fencing and gate surrounding the property, ensure the entrance code is changed regularly, and ensure the fence is kept in good repair
- Improve the safety of the complex by: installing security cameras at each building; improving facility lighting; maintaining a 24/7 security presence; enforcing parking restrictions; maintaining regular office hours in a visible location; immediately repairing damaged windows, doors, and otherwise maintaining the property to code; securing any empty units; and holding tenant safety meetings
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Detectives investigating homicide in Kent's East Hill
On July 15 at about 8:15 p.m., two neighbors called 911; the first reported hearing gunshots and people running, the second reported a person injured with a gunshot wound in the chest.
First responders provided aid to Winn, giving him a chest seal to cover his wounds and performing CPR. He died shortly after arriving to the hospital.
Prior to the shooting, there were reports of an argument involving several men near a stairwell. Multiple shots were fired and some of the men ran toward a dark sedan and left the scene before police arrived.
The KPD says their detectives spent hundreds of hours collecting video, identifying witnesses and examining evidence to develop probable cause to arrest the 25-year-old suspect.
"We aren’t done yet, and I want the residents to know we will not stop working to restore safety in our community," said Police Chief Rafael Padilla.