CRIME BLOTTER

Seattle woman, 80, carjacked at gunpoint and beaten

Jan 12, 2024, 9:00 AM | Updated: 11:21 am

Image: Seattle's Delia Matabilas, 80, was approached by three young men, threatened with a gun and ...

Seattle's Delia Matabilas, 80, was approached by three young men, threatened with a gun and then assaulted on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. The men then stole her car. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

(Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

Delia Matabilas has done everything she possibly could to protect herself.

She chose her senior living apartment building in Seattle’s Central District based on safety. She’s also taken a self-defense class.

None of that helped her Monday night after she was approached by three young men, threatened with a gun and then assaulted. The men then stole her car.

“Two men came near me and the one on this side (pointing to her left) was pointing the gun in my belly. I was so shocked looking at the gun, I did not say a word,” Matabilas said. “And the guy with him, he punched my face.”

That punch left her with a black-and-blue eye and some lightheadedness. Otherwise, she will be OK.

She was unloading her car in the 200 block of 18th Avenue South when the men approached her. She said they were likely Asian or possibly Hispanic.

More from James Lynch: Edmonds Police arrest suspect in the murder of a rideshare driver

A confused victim with a message

Still, she is confused about how someone could be so brutal toward another person.

“We find happiness if we have God in our heart. We don’t feel happy about mistreating people,” Matabilas said.

The Seattle Police Department is looking for her stolen Toyota RAV4 and the men who took it.

They hope can call and give them information that might lead to an arrest.

Matabilas doesn’t want what happened to her to happen to anyone else. And she has this message for those who attacked her.

“I would like to tell them to be kind, loving, and caring. Treat people with respect,” she said.

‘I’m shocked’: Tacoma woman dies after officer-involved shooting

Matanilas’ son, Melvin, has moved in with his mother and he said he will live with her for the next month.

Anyone with information about this crime should call 911 or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 800-222-TIPS.

You can read more of James Lynch’s stories here. Follow James on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email him here.

Crime Blotter

shooting Idaho In-N-Out burger...

REBECCA BOONE AND MARTHA BELLISLE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Multiple people dead after shooting at fast food restaurant in southern Idaho

A shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho on Saturday afternoon left multiple people dead and others injured, police said.

10 hours ago

seattle police bodycam bite of seattle shooting...

Julia Dallas

VIDEO: Police release bodycam footage from Bite of Seattle shooting, arrest

The Seattle Police Department released bodycam footage from a gang-related mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle on Sunday.

2 days ago

manhunt mill creek I-5...

Frank Lenzi

Manhunt near I-5 in Mill Creek: Deputies, K-9 search for suspect who may have stolen firearm

A manhunt is underway near I-5 in Mill Creek after a suspect stole items from a vehicle — potentially including a firearm — and fled on foot into a wooded area, Snohomish County sheriff's officials said.

2 days ago

copper wire thieves ballard...

MyNorthwest Staff

Copper wire thieves hit Ballard businesses repeatedly, owners demand action

Copper wire thieves are hitting Ballard businesses hard, leaving owners with repair bills worth thousands of dollars.

2 days ago

parkland arrest teen dead robbery mexico...

Jason Sutich

Parkland teen murder suspect arrested in Mexico, extradited to WA

A "significant breakthrough" was made in the investigation of the Parkland homicide case, where suspect Brandon Torres-Mesa was taken into custody in Mexico.

3 days ago

ICE Seattle Center shooting...

Jack Bilyeu, KIRO 7 News

KIRO 7 Exclusive: Video shows ICE arrest during Seattle Center mass shooting investigation

Footage obtained exclusively by KIRO 7 showed ICE arresting a man near Seattle Center Monday morning while the cleanup and investigation into Sunday night’s mass shooting was happening only feet away.

3 days ago

Seattle woman, 80, carjacked at gunpoint and beaten