‘Don’t hide in Kent’: License plate reader helps Kent police arrest man wanted for child rape

A man suspected of child abuse was arrested in Kent on Saturday after an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) assisted officers in locating the suspect.

At approximately 1:24 p.m., Kent Police Department (KPD) Officer Kinney was on routine patrol when an ALPR alerted that a vehicle registered to the suspect was near E. Smith and E. Titus, KPD announced.

Kinney had assisted the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office with a separate apprehension attempt for the same suspect two days earlier, but the suspect wasn’t home.

The suspect, a 50-year-old Kent man, was wanted by Thurston County on probable cause for a second-degree rape of a child investigation.

Plate check revealed a $500K warrant, additional charges

Kinney ran the suspect’s vehicle’s plate, and it showed a $500,000 warrant out of Grays Harbor County for second-degree rape of a child, first-degree trafficking, and commercial sex abuse. The ALPR also confirmed that the vehicle is registered to the suspect.

Other officers were notified and advised that, because the suspect’s home address was near where the ALPR notification was made, the suspect was likely headed back home. As officers arrived, they saw the suspect’s vehicle in the driveway.

KPD made PA announcements telling the suspect that he was under arrest. The suspect eventually exited the home on his own and was taken into custody without incident.

The suspect was booked into the King County Jail, awaiting transport back to Grays Harbor County. Thurston County detectives were notified that he was in custody and could complete their investigation.

“Nice work by Kinney and his crew immediately responding to the ALPR hit and to the suspect’s home,” KPD stated. “He had been elusive up to this point but is now captured. We are happy to help other agencies on all cases, but especially ones where the suspect is alleged to have caused harm to children. Don’t hide in Kent. The officers will find you.”

Arrest comes as ALPR use faces new restrictions statewide

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed a new law in March that set guardrails for the use of automated license plate readers throughout the state.

The law’s passage came after concerns that federal immigration authorities are tapping into automated license plate reader data to aid their searches. The bill was mostly opposed by law enforcement but supported by immigration advocates.

Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank, one of the most vocal opponents of the legislation, responded to the new state law by deactivating his entire automatic license plate reader system, claiming it’s now useless.

“We could be driving past stolen cars, cars that have a suspect wanted for homicide,” Swank told KIRO Newsradio. “Those cameras help us differentiate those cars, the bad guys, from the good guys, and we won’t be able to use that tool anymore.”

The Renton Police Department temporarily shut down its ALPR cameras on March 31 as the city established new privacy guidelines to comply with state law. Renton Police Chief John Shuldt said the cameras help solve crimes, and they have led to a 25% increase in stolen-vehicle recoveries.

The pause in using Flock cameras also impacted a previous homicide investigation that occurred outside Renton’s city limits. The homicide involved a suspect vehicle driving into Renton and past Flock Cameras.

Contributing: Jillian Raftery, KIRO Newsradio

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