Man damages 5 cars and attacks 2 strangers in a random, violent rampage in downtown Seattle



SEATTLE -- The man behind a violent rampage in downtown Seattle spent only one day in jail before he was released.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office asked for a $100,000 bail but a judge lowered the bail to $50,000. After a family posted the 10 percent bail, the suspect was out.

Q13 News is not releasing his name because he has not been charged.

People across the country have seen the dramatic incident captured by Matt Reynolds of Sammamish. Reynolds was on his way home from work last Thursday when the event unfolded.

He was stopped at a light in his Tesla when he saw a man jumping on top of two cars in front of him. Then he attacked his Tesla, leaving thousands of dollars in damage.

“Jumps up and down on my car like a gorilla to break it like he's going to get in,” Reynolds said.

Then the man hops onto a Jetta, then a Honda Civic.

The Honda was a Lyft car and in the dramatic video, you see the man kicking the sunroof and then using his bare hands to rip it off.

He takes the sunroof and goes after a nearby man who is a parking enforcement officer for Seattle Police.

“At this point, he came right at him and gouged his eye,” Reynolds said.

Several people jumped in to help the parking attendant. Together, they managed to hold the man down until police arrived.

Witness Erika Andersson, who works near Spring and 1st, could not believe her eyes.

“He fully knocked him down and the parking attendant hit the bottom of his head,” Andersson said.

She says the parking enforcement officer also directs traffic in the area so his face is well known to many.

“He is a really nice guy we see him every day, I hope he is ok,” Andersson said.

Reynolds also says he hopes for a speedy recovery.

“After the incident, he had to sit in the middle of the ground to collect himself,” Reynolds said.

Police reports state that even before the car hopping attack, the suspect randomly attacked a pedestrian trying to strangle the stranger.

Reynolds says the suspect looked like he was on some type of drug or having a psychotic episode.

“His face was completely blank,” Reynolds said.

Prosecutors could charge him with four crimes, including assault 2, a felony, for allegedly attacking the parking enforcement officer and assault 4 for the attempted strangling of the pedestrian.

The next court hearing is Tuesday. Charges are also expected by Tuesday.