LFP Police officers recover two missing children in two days - and a suspected arsonist

10 year old Kibebew walked from Bothell
to the Shoreline - Seattle border
Photo courtesy Bothell police

A ten year old boy from Bothell ran away from home on Friday, August 30, 2019. His mom called police and posted notices on social media. Friends, family, and community members fanned out with his photo to look for him.

Bothell Police put out the call at 1:30pm.

Tips were being called in from community members and one said that the child had been spotted at NE 145th and Bothell Way NE, which would put him in LFP police territory.

LFP Officer Benson prepared to respond. The report was immediately corrected to NE 145th and I-5, which would be Shoreline.

Officer Benson, recognizing the time sensitive nature of the sighting, proceeded anyway and located the child at NE 145th and 10th Ave NE at 9:00pm.

Chief Mike Harden stated "Outstanding work by Ofc Benson and the assistance by Ofc Beard."

The second story involved a 12yr old girl, missing from Tacoma for three days. 

Officers received a tip that she might be in a vehicle parked in LFP.  

Ofc. Wieghat located the missing girl in a parked vehicle in the company of an 18-year-old man (suspect), whom she met through "friends" online. The vehicle was parked at the address belonging to a former foster parent of the male suspect. 

The suspect had a modified short-barreled shotgun sitting next to him in the vehicle. The suspect was booked into KC Jail, charged with Rape of a Child 2 and a Firearms violation.

All indications at this point are that the girl left home and remained away from home voluntarily. The girl was reunited with her family at the police department. 

Detective Troxell, Officer Zelenock, and Officer Beard assisted with the investigation and "it was a great team effort."

The third case involved a mentally ill man who had attacked his mother and set fire to his condominium in Lynnwood.  (See HeraldNet.com article)

Lynnwood police were trying to locate him. At one point he showed up at the Lynnwood police station and then drove off with police in pursuit. When they were unable to stop him by ramming his vehicle at an I-5 onramp, they terminated the pursuit.

Later in the day, a Lake Forest Park citizen called in a suspicious situation. A man had parked his vehicle on Perkins Way and run into the woods. When the LFP officers located him, they believed he was a suspect in a hit and run because of the fresh vehicle damage.

Because of his mental state, he was taken on a medical hold to Swedish Edmonds. After some research by the Officer Czebotar and Sgt. Gross, the connection was made with the Lynnwood case. Lynnwood officers located him at the hospital and arrested him.