A White Center community is reeling after the arrest of a 19-year-old woman on charges of killing her 73-year-old landlord in an apparent dispute over rent, according to reports by local law enforcement.
According to the King County Sheriff's Office, a call was received at around 7:15 p.m. last Friday, indicating a homicide at an apartment building in the 9800 block of 15th Avenue Southwest. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies discovered the body of an elderly woman inside one of the apartments, reported White Center Now. The suspect was arrested at the location and has been booked into the King County Jail with a bail set at $2 million.
The 19-year-old suspect, whose identity has not been officially released, allegedly engaged in a physical confrontation with her landlord that fatal Friday evening. Details provided to KOMO News from 'probable cause documents' indicate that the landlord had confronted the tenant about overdue rent. According to the suspect, the landlord attempted to punch her, prompting a physical response that ended with the landlord being fatally stabbed.
The suspect's brother-in-law was instrumental in alerting the authorities after receiving a distressing video call that showed the aftermath of the incident. This detail emerged in the probable cause documents and was described in the coverage by KIRO 7 News. After initially dismissing the claims as a joke and asserting her distance from the crime scene, the accused eventually admitted over the phone to a 911 operator that she had "killed her" after an alleged attempt by the victim to punch her.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are currently overseeing the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder. Further processing of the case will be conducted by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, with no previous cases involving the suspect known to them, as per official statements. The name, cause and manner of the victim’s death will be released by the King County Medical Examiner following standard protocols.
