On Friday, January 1st at 4:10 pm, Yakima police officers were dispatched to the area of 9th Avenue and Chestnut Avenue to respond to a report of a male assaulting a female. As officers were responding, they were told the male had run over the unconscious female with his truck and taken a small child from the victim’s vehicle.
The 30-year-old female victim was severely injured and transported to Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital in Yakima. She was later flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a higher level of care.
The 33-year-old male suspect, who had a history of domestic violence with the victim, dropped the two-year-old child off with family in the Wapato area and then was reported to be driving the wrong way on Highway 97 in Wapato. A few minutes later, the suspect vehicle collided, head on, with another vehicle.
A passenger in the other vehicle was killed and another passenger suffered broken bones. The male suspect also suffered considerable injuries to his legs and was later flown to Harborview Media Center in Seattle.
The Washington State Patrol is investigating the fatal collision on Highway 97 (for further information about that investigation, please contact the WSP).
Detectives from the Yakima Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division responded to the assault/kidnapping scene on 9th Avenue, where they obtained witness statements and video evidence of the assault.
The two-year-old child involved in the incident was located and turned over to Washington State Child Protective Services.
If anyone has information about this incident, please contact the Yakima Police Department at (509) 575-6200.