Suspect attacks family in Seattle’s Wedgewood neighborhood

SEATTLE – Seattle police are investigating after a family was attacked while walking in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood Sunday night.

Those who live nearby and witnessed the attack are shocked that it happened on their normally quiet street.

“The whole Sunday for this poor family has changed for the worse,” said Scott Waterman, who lives near the site of the attack.

Waterman said just minutes before the family was attacked, the suspect came to his front door, screaming aggressively. He said he feared for his safety and was thankful his children were not home.

“I heard the screaming, yelling and chaos and immediately called 911,” Waterman said.

Neighbors reported that a son was walking with his parents on Sunday evening shortly before 6:30 p.m.

Seattle police said one of the victims, a 26-year-old man, told officers a man he did not recognize approached him and began choking him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

His 70-year-old father then intervened. He was beaten several times by the perpetrator and had to be taken to hospital.

“The father was lying on the floor and luckily the neighbors brought a pillow and laid him on it. He was bloody, teeth and nose. The son said, ‘Dad, hold on, hold on,'” Waterman recalled.

The suspect ran away and police had sniffer dogs search the area, but he could not be found.

“They wouldn’t hurt a fly. It was brutal and nasty and in my opinion they wouldn’t hurt anyone,” Waterman said.

Jason Smith, who lives nearby, said police came to his home and asked for surveillance footage. He had a photo of it and gave it to police.

Smith said crime is becoming an increasing problem in the area.

“It was always called the pedestrian-friendly Wedgwood. I used to leave my front door unlocked when I left the house and went for long walks, and now you lock the door and have a security camera on the house monitoring the cars and the front yard,” Smith said.

No arrests have been made so far.