A King County Superior Court case against Orhan H. Najaar, 58, centers on an alleged assault in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood in November 2024. He was charged Oct. 13 with first-degree kidnapping with sexual motivation and second-degree rape, after his arrest on Oct. 8, according to KING5. The charges are allegations; the case is pending.
What investigators have—and have not—reported
One investigative detail remains unresolved: KING5 reported that a detective collected a tool bag from the woman’s apartment on May 20 and sent it to the Washington State Crime Lab, but results were pending when charges were filed. Investigators also examined the locking system of a gray 2008 Chevrolet Impala Najaar owned around the time of the alleged incident. The available account does not establish what the lab will find or whether the bag will provide evidence in the case.
The woman told investigators the alleged assault happened on Nov. 19, 2024, as she returned from a doctor’s appointment. She said Najaar forced her into a vehicle with a knife, took her away and later brought her to her apartment, where she said he raped her repeatedly and punched her. KING5 reported that hospital records from the next day noted swelling near her left eye and jaw and wrist pain; imaging showed no fractures, and she received a wrist splint and concussion-recovery instructions.
She reported the alleged assault to police in May 2026. According to KING5, she said a later incident in which she believed Najaar was following her by car led her to seek refuge in a pizza restaurant and report the earlier attack. Najaar told investigators he initially did not recognize the tool bag, then said he had helped the woman carry it. He acknowledged having sex with her but described it as consensual, and denied kidnapping her or having unwanted sexual contact, the station reported.
Prior convictions and the prosecution’s sentencing argument
KING5’s account of court records describes three earlier guilty pleas. Najaar received a 99-month sentence after pleading guilty to third-degree rape in a 2008 case. In a case involving an assault prosecutors said occurred in August 2012, he pleaded guilty to third-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and failure to register as a sex offender, and received a 43-month sentence. In a 2019 case, he received a 60-month sentence after pleading guilty to third-degree assault with sexual motivation. He was released from prison on Oct. 7, 2024, the station reported.
Prosecutors asked the court to keep bail at $2 million. Prosecutors argued that a conviction in this case could count as a third strike and expose him to life imprisonment without parole, according to KING5. Washington’s persistent-offender definitions and sentencing statute set out the relevant legal provisions; the prosecution’s argument is not a finding that Najaar qualifies. His arraignment was scheduled for Thursday morning.
Context for delayed reporting
The delay between the alleged 2024 assault and the May 2026 police report does not, by itself, establish whether the allegation is true. The Seattle Police Department says people can report sexual assault even if it happened in the past. For support and referrals, the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center says its 24-hour Resource Line is available at 1.888.998.6423.
Broader statistics also cannot resolve the facts of an individual case. In a study of people released from state prisons, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 7.7% of released sex offenders were arrested for rape or sexual assault during a nine-year follow-up, compared with 2.3% of other released prisoners. These are population-level arrest figures, not conviction rates or evidence about Najaar or the pending allegations.
