Kent police catch suspect after woman fights him off during brutal attack, sexual assault

The Kent Police Department is crediting a victim’s detailed description and her will to fight back, despite being brutally punched and choked to the point of unconsciousness, with catching a 26-year-old suspect.

Detectives said the 29-year-old victim took a bus from Seattle to Kent Station where she started to walk along Central Avenue North toward her apartment. She was on the phone at the time, talking with her mother and expressing joy over the first time she made the bus commute. Court documents stated along her route she passed by the suspect, 26-year-old Troy Walton, who was smoking a cigarette and walking in the opposite direction, described as a light-skinned black male wearing a grey zip-up jacket with brown sleeves, a grey t-shirt and grey pants — a description that would lead alert officers to the suspect two days later.

More local crime: Bellevue man arrested for exposing himself to sleeping women after apartment break-in

Police said moments later the victim heard the suspect running toward her from behind. Walton, who is 6 feet 6 inches tall, according to court documents, then picked up the victim and threw her into a row of bushes near a veterinary hospital where he repeatedly punched her in the face as she attempted to scream and punch back, police said. The victim told police she lost consciousness when Walton choked her, according to court documents. When she came to, police said the suspect had forced his head under her shirt. The victim punched and kicked her attacker and bit his hand when he tried to choke her again. Police said then Walton screamed in pain and ran away.

Walton has a record of assaults on women. In August he pleaded guilty to slapping a Fred Meyer cashier on her rear-end hard enough that she felt lasting pain and sustained bruising. Police said Walton later returned to the store and pursued the victim until she told him to stop. Police said Walton stated at the time he thought the victim liked him. He was released on August 20 after serving 10 days in jail. This most recent assault happened less than a month after that release and while he was still on active probation.

When police interviewed the victim her face was swollen and bandaged. She explained she thought the suspect was going to kill her and shared her detailed description with officers. She also told them she was carrying two cell phones at the time of the attack and that the suspect grabbed one of them and disconnected the ongoing call with the victim’s mother.

“This is a terrifying event,” King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney said. “When you fight back like that, that’s the best thing you can do for yourself. It’s very hard for people to do that, but we’re fortunate that the victim did here.”

During their investigation, Kent detectives said they uncovered surveillance camera footage from a nearby business that recorded the suspect attacking the victim. More surveillance video from several other businesses and a home Ring camera showed the suspect walking away from the scene of the attack, according to court documents. Detectives shared screen captures from that video with patrol officers. Two days later an alert office spotted a man near the Kent Transit Center wearing clothing that exactly matched the victim’s specific description.

Other news: Man found dead in car from Federal Way shooting

When officers arrested Walton they said he had a bite mark on his hand that he initially said he got from a dog, but, according to police, he later admitted the victim bit him. During questioning, prosecutors said he admitted to punching and choking the victim because she would stay quiet. According to court documents, police and prosecutors claim the suspect also told detectives he intended to rape the victim, but she never lost consciousness, so he eventually walked away.

Walton is charged with Kidnapping in the First Degree, Attempted Rape in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree with Sexual Motivation and Indecent Liberties. He’s being held on $750,000 bail.

“We are fortunate Kent Police did really solid work on this and got us this information right away so we could bring it before the court,” McNerthney said.

Luke Duecy is a reporter for KIRO Newsradio.