CRIME BLOTTER

Man in custody after allegedly kidnapping staff member, barricading in Aurora apartment

Feb 19, 2026, 3:58 PM | Updated: 6:04 pm

2 SWAT aurora...

Seattle officers arrest a suspect on Aurora Avenue North. (Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

(Photo: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio)

A man is in custody after he allegedly tried to kidnap a staff member and barricaded himself in his apartment at a Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) supportive housing building on Aurora Avenue North.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) received a call that a staff member at the apartment building was being threatened by a 35-year-old resident with a gun, according to SPD Detective Eric Munoz.

The staff member was reportedly taken against their will and pushed and shoved inside the suspect’s apartment, but was able to escape. They were not hurt.

Officers determined probable cause to arrest the man for kidnapping.

When law enforcement arrived, the man had barricaded himself in his apartment in the 8600 block of Aurora Avenue North.

Authorities take man into custody

SWAT arrived at the scene and was eventually able to take the man into custody.

Police have yet to determine the suspect’s motive.

“Officers and detectives, later on, they will need to establish motive and determine the circumstances leading up to the incident,” SPD Detective Eric Munoz told KIRO Newsradio.

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