Machete bus attack suspect currently missing after leaving King County treatment center
Oct 13, 2026, 7:54 AM | Updated: 3:29 pm
A photo of a King County Sheriff's Office badge. Photo courtesy: KIRO 7.
A man who previously attacked a King County Metro bus with a machete is missing from an in-custody treatment facility he was staying at.
According to court files, Daniel Couch escaped from Electronic Home Detention (EHD) Saturday.
In July, Couch was put into EHD after trying to board a bus near 4th Avenue S and Jackson Street in the Chinatown International District (CID) back in July, but the driver didn’t let him on, saying he recognized Couch from a previous incident and was nervous that he had a machete, according to charging documents.
Couch then allegedly used the machete to smash the bus windows and windshield.
EHD is a court-ordered or pretrial alternative to jail that lets defendants serve time at home while wearing an electronic tracking device (such as a GPS ankle bracelet). Couch had a chance to stay at Sea Mar Turning Point Treatment Center after he was charged with malicious mischief, but he violated the treatment center’s policy and was sent back to King County Jail.
In September, the King County Prosecutor’s Office tried to send Couch back to the treatment center, but he was required to wear a GPS monitoring device.
Couch has had 44 arrest warrants in the past 11 years, according to KIRO 7.
Only three felonies were referred to King County prosecutors, and all three were charged, according to Casey McNerthney in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
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Couch considered a ‘walkaway’ after leaving treatment center
Approximately two hours after he left Sea Mar Turning Point Treatment Center, his GPS stopped displaying his location. King County prosecutors are calling it a “walkaway.”
Couch’s GPS last showed him going to a home in south Seattle while ignoring the ankle monitor’s verbal demands to call officers.
He hasn’t been seen since, and prosecutors have now issued an arrest warrant. He’s considered dangerous to the community.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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