People shocked that army deserter, connected to cabbie murder, hid out in their neighborhood
Neighbors shocked by arrest of JBLM felon
Neighbors in a quiet Redmond community tell FOX 13 News they had no idea a convicted child molester on the run from the military was hiding next door.
REDMOND, WA - People in a quiet, Redmond neighborhood tell FOX 13 News they had no idea a convicted child molester, who was on the run from the military, and arrested as a person of interest in a Tukwila murder, was hiding next door.
That is until Friday, when neighbors told FOX 13 News that police showed up in full-force and arrested Army deserter Jonathan Lee in the front yard of the home where he was hiding.
That same man is now under arrest in connection to the killing of a beloved cab driver, according to a police source.
Days after the arrest, shattered glass still sat on the roof where neighbors said Lee tried to escape. A sign on the front door of the home reads, "We have no comment! Please leave our family in peace."
One neighbor showed FOX 13 News pictures of officers during the arrest, with their guns drawn.
According to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Lee had been on the run from the military.
He was sentenced to 64 years for child molestation but decided to desert JBLM four days before his conviction.
Army officials say Lee fled on January 14, the same day that Tumwater taxicab driver, 34-year-old Nick Hokema, left for what would be his last shift.
"He taught me that no matter how insignificant it is, or seems, to always say I love you before you go to bed," said Hokema’s partner, Nicole Sharkody.
Sharkody says she waited for answers for two weeks.
On Tuesday, Tukwila Police announced a person of interest in the case was in custody but did not provide a name. FOX 13 News confirmed with a law enforcement source that the person in custody is Lee.
Facing felony charges, FOX 13 News asked Army officials how Lee would have been able to escape from JBLM. Specifically, we asked if Lee was in custody prior to his conviction. Neither the CID nor officials with JBLM answered our questions.
We have continued to ask Tukwila Police for updates regarding the investigation, but they have not responded.
The last official update from the department was on Tuesday.
"We are planning on releasing more details, hopefully next week. We have a few important investigative steps that need to be made and with respect to the family of the deceased, we want to tell them the information prior to releasing it to the media. At this time, we will not confirm any information besides what we provided," said Sgt. Zack Anderson with the Tukwila Police Department.
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