Rantz: After brutal dogwalker murder, will Seattle wake up to crime reality?

Ruth Dalton, an innocent, sweet and loved 80-year-old dogwalker, was brutally killed in Seattle during an alleged carjacking. One of her dogs was stabbed to death. The crime not only robbed a community of a cherished member but also exemplified the complete breakdown of public safety in Seattle.

Police say 48-year-old Jahmed Haynes, a criminal with eight prior felonies, entered Dalton’s car. There was a struggle, with Dalton allegedly pushing Dalton out of her car, dragging her before pulling away in the stolen vehicle. Witnesses came to her aid but it was too late. Later, police found her dog stabbed to death. They arrested Haynes with a bloody knife and Dalton’s car keys.

There are certain crimes that can galvanize a community. One might hope this is gruesome and tragic enough that residents might act with urgency and demand change. Though, I won’t hold my breath. As a community mourns, the mayor’s office hasn’t said a damn thing.

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Will dogwalker Ruth Dalton’s death change anything in Seattle?

Will Dalton’s death become another statistic that only conservative media will remember as we continue to sound alarms? This was a despicable act of violence that should strip away any remaining illusion that Seattle is the safe city Democrat leaders and activists pretend.

Dalton’s life, dedicated to caring for others—both people and animals—was viciously cut short allegedly by a man with a lengthy criminal record and mental health problems. It underscores the failures of a justice system and political establishment that seems more interested in coddling criminals than protecting the innocent. After all, police said Haynes had violent tendencies.

This isn’t an isolated incident; it’s part of a broader pattern of violent crime that has increasingly targeted the most vulnerable members of our community. Just last year, we saw a historic number of homicides. The city’s response? Tepid at best. It was certainly ephemeral. Local leaders, who are quick to weigh in on issues like abortion or when an officer maybe acts inappropriately, have done little to address the root causes of this crime surge. G-d forbid we truly give police the ability to … police. Maybe we might even put pressure on local lawmakers to change permissive policies around criminals. But no. They seem more concerned with their progressive image than with the lives of their constituents.

What makes this crime even more unbearable is the senseless cruelty involved. One of the dogs Dalton cared for was found dead in a trash can, a final act of violence that punctuates this horrific tragedy.

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Will this crime be a breaking point?

The question now is whether this will be the breaking point. Will this atrocity finally galvanize the community to demand real change? Will Seattleites rise up and hold their leaders accountable, or will they continue to tolerate a city where an 80-year-old dogwalker can be brutally murdered in broad daylight in Seattle without anyone batting an eye?

The time for action is long overdue. Seattle needs more than just platitudes; it needs a complete overhaul of its approach to crime. This includes bolstering police presence, reforming the judicial system to keep repeat offenders off the streets, and demanding accountability from local leaders who have allowed the city to spiral into chaos. Seattle needs a mayor who won’t be completely silent after a murder that shocked the entire city. Why did Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Reichert speak out before mayor Bruce Harrell? Her death was only worth a tweet to the mayor, not a press conference with a commitment that this won’t happen again if you can help it? If only. He isn’t able to delegate it to someone else to handle, so it won’t happen.

If Ruth Dalton’s death doesn’t serve as a wake-up call, then what will?

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The community must take responsibility, too

The community must also take responsibility for the death of dogwalker Ruth Dalton; it’s not just about Democrat leadership in Seattle. We all played a role in the deterioration of this city, allowing a small group of loud activists to bully too many into silence, fearing the response when we’re honest about Seattle’s conditions.

Perhaps the community can shed the complacency and start speaking out, attending Seattle City Council meetings, demanding action, and, most importantly, voting out the leaders who have failed to protect us. Seattle has lost its way, but it’s not too late to reclaim our city (and state). Let’s ensure that Ruth Dalton’s death is not in vain by making this the moment we finally say, “Enough is enough.”

Seattle, are you paying attention? Our city is in crisis and this is unacceptable.  If we continue to ignore the problem, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves when the next Ruth Dalton becomes a headline.

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