Arizona tourist says he was attacked by homeless man near Space Needle

SEATTLE – An Arizona man told police he was attacked by a homeless man near the Space Needle during a visit to Seattle with his family earlier this month.

The man told police the attacker punched him in the face several times and wrapped a rope around his neck during the June 2 incident in the Wells Fargo parking lot at 2800 3rd Ave.

It wasn’t clear if charges were filed in the attack. The King County prosecutor’s office said it didn’t have any cases associated with the police-report number, and the suspect’s name was redacted in the report, making it impossible to cross-reference.

According to the police report:

The Arizona man and his family were on their way to the Space Needle. They parked their truck, but saw the suspect peeked his head out of the tent next to the parking spot, got uncomfortable, and decided to move to a nearby parking lot.

When they did get out of the truck, the suspect came up behind them and started asking questions in a way that the family said “was threatening and scared them.”

The man said the suspect suddenly punched him from behind. He tried to get away, but said the man used the rope. The man said he wasn’t sure if the rope went completely around his neck, though officers said there was a “significant rope burn” near his throat that started at his shoulder and ran to his Adam’s apple.

The man and his girlfriend got away and caught up to the rest of his family, and the suspect ran back to his tent. The Arizona man said he felt safe and was crossing the street when the suspect “ran full force and punched (him) on the right side of his head,” knocking him into Denny Way.

The man said the suspect punched him several more times in the chin and mouth before a police officer arrived and broke it up.

The suspect was booked into King County Jail for investigation of felony assault and misdemeanor assault.