WA maintenance worker dragged into apartment, attacked

KENT, Wash. - Two people were charged with kidnapping and assault after Kent police say they dragged a maintenance worker into their apartment and beat him Sunday afternoon.

Officers were called at 12:29 p.m. to an apartment complex near Kent Memorial Park on Central Ave N, responding to several 911 calls reporting an assault. Callers told police they saw a man choking the building's maintenance worker, then dragged him into one of the units.

An officer arrived and heard yelling from one of the apartments, and went in, where he saw a man pinning down the worker on the floor.

The officer ordered the suspect to stop and took him into custody.

What they're saying:

The suspect, a 50-year-old man from Kent, told his side of the story, which police say conflicted with witness reports. The man said he did not drag the worker into his apartment and denied assaulting him.

Officers then spoke with the maintenance worker, a 35-year-old man from Kent, who said he saw the suspect's dog poop in a public area. He asked the man to pick up after his dog, and the man yelled back for him to do it himself.

The maintenance worker told police he waited to see what unit the suspect lived in so he could report him to the office. He said the suspect got angry and dragged him into his unit, threw him to the floor and started beating him. He said a second suspect, a 48-year-old woman from Kent, took his phone and kicked him, then put her foot over his mouth to keep him from yelling.

The victim said the woman suspect slammed his phone to the ground, hit it with a wrench, then poured water on it after it caught fire.

What's next:

Officers arrested both suspects, then were granted a search warrant of the apartment, where they found two dogs locked in the bathroom. King County Animal Control were called in to take the dogs for safekeeping.

Both suspects were booked into King County Jail for second-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault and malicious mischief.