Car Thief Shot and Killed in Maple Valley

The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a shooting and killing of a suspected car thief overnight Tuesday.  

According to a press release, at 12:12 a.m., a 911 call was received stating someone was trying to steal a car in the 21800 block of SE 236 Pl then quickly added that shots were fired.  Deputies arrived about four minutes after the initial call and found a subject deceased next to a car.  The scene was secured and life saving efforts failed. 

Deputies quickly learned the deceased 27 year old suspect and his girlfriend had arrived at this location in a stolen Honda Civic with stolen license plates.  The male broke into a white Toyota pick-up while the female waited in the driver’s seat of the Honda.  The owner of the truck happened to go outside to walk his dog when he discovered the male inside his truck.  The truck owner yelled at the suspect and at some point the suspect produced a 45 caliber handgun.  The truck owner who does have a concealed weapons permit produced a 9 mm handgun. 

Multiple shots were fired between the two with the suspect being shot one or more times.  The truck owner and the suspect’s girlfriend who was caught in the crossfire were not injured. 

The girlfriend was taken into custody for an outstanding burglary warrant.  The truck owner was briefly detained and then released. 

Both suspects are from the southeast King County area.  The female suspect was booked into jail for her warrant and may face additional charges from this incident.

The case will be completed and given to the prosecutor to review for consideration of charges against the female suspect as well as the truck owner.