Body of suspect in home invasion dumped in Federal Way

The body found dumped in a Federal Way parking lot Tuesday night is believed to be that of a man involved in a home invasion robbery and assault 20 miles away in Lakewood, according to investigators.

Police learned of the home invasion when a frantic call came into 911. Three men had forced their way into a home on Briar Road, attacked a man and his wife, and tied them up while demanding cash and valuables. At some point, Lakewood Police Lt. Chris Lawler said the men went outside and the homeowner got free, untied his wife and they retreated to the bedroom.

“They come back to the bedroom and the homeowner, defending himself, fires two rounds. With the evidence at the scene, not finding bullets, we pretty much assume somebody had to be hit. One of the bad guys was probably struck by gunfire,” Lawler said.

A little more than an hour later, a 911 caller alerted Federal Way police to a body found outside the Club Palisades Apartments on Star Lake Road.

“The fact that it was a gunshot victim and the description, our detectives ended up responding out there and there is some evidence at the scene that pointed us to believe that this guy is one of the suspects, one of the three suspects,” said Lawler.

Recently, home invasion robbers have been targeting the operators of marijuana businesses, looking for cash. Lawler said the evidence indicates this was a more random attack and detectives are still searching for the other two men.

Police have described the suspects as black males, each about 5 feet 10 inches tall with medium builds. The men were wearing dark clothing and masks at the time of the home invasion.

In an earlier, unrelated shooting in Federal Way a man who was trying to sell a gun was wounded by a man who grabbed it and ran off.

Shots also were fired after a separate home invasion Tuesday at the home of a marijuana dispensary owner in Midland in Pierce County.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.