Escaped Western State Hospital inmate captured in SeaTac after nearly 2 weeks

A missing inmate from Western State Hospital who broke out nearly two weeks ago has been found and taken into custody.

The missing inmate, Joshua Dylan Rice, broke out of the state-operated psychiatric hospital, located in Lakewood, at approximately 8:15 p.m. on March 31. He was considered dangerous.

According to the Lakewood Police Department, Rice was taken into custody by SeaTac Police on April 12. Officers were called to a local business regarding trespassing and theft involving Rice.

“He was at a business, and he was called in as a trespasser,” Sergeant Charles Porche, a public information officer with the Lakewood Police Department, stated. “From the little bit I know, it was a fairly benign process there.”

Upon his arrest for these charges, the arresting officers learned of his outstanding warrants and booked him into jail.

Rice has a court appearance Thursday, and further detention will be determined at that time.

“It’s always good to get the bad guy in custody, right? So that part is great,” Porche added. “I guess the little bit of frustration is that when you know people escape from wherever it is, or abscond in some way, that it can take a little bit to track them down, but through some good legwork, generally, we get that part of it done.”

Rice’s escape from Western State Hospital

Police and hospital staff believe Rice climbed out of a window in his room, the Lakewood Police Department told KIRO 7. He was eventually spotted by a security camera climbing over a fence, but staff did not notice he was missing until 12 hours after the escape.

“Western State Hospital takes the safety and security of patients, staff, and the surrounding community very seriously,” DSHS spokesperson Cynthia Shipley said in a statement. “Following this incident, we have conducted a thorough review and have implemented additional safety measures to strengthen our protocols and prevent future elopements.”

Rice’s arrest leading to his time at Western State Hospital

Rice had been at Western State Hospital since September 2025 after failing to appear in court, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial. Rice was arrested after attacking a victim and carjacking him in a Vancouver parking lot in 2024. According to KIRO 7, Rice pulled the victim out of the car and physically fought him. When the victim pulled out a knife, Rice grabbed it from him and cut both his hands.

The victim needed surgery on both of his hands after the incident.

“That’s probably what’s going to happen here,” the victim told KIRO 7. “They will catch him when he hurts someone else.”

Rice, who has a known criminal history in Multnomah County, is facing pending robbery, assault, and theft of a motor vehicle charges in Clark County Superior Court.

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