Chief Sealth High School principal resigns after DUI arrest

Chief Sealth International High School Principal Ray Garcia-Morales has reportedly resigned.

This comes after his arrest on suspicion of DUI and reckless endangerment last month.

According to Westside Seattle, a statement was read to staff announcing Garcia-Morales’ resignation. Vice Principal Hope Perry is now serving as interim principal, according to the statement.

The school district confirmed the arrest on Feb. 4 in an emailed statement obtained by “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

The statement from Seattle Public Schools (SPS) revealed the Seattle Police Department (SPD) arrested Morales for driving under the influence and reckless endangerment early on Feb 2.

SPS said it immediately placed him on administrative leave until further notice.

According to court records, no charges were filed against Garcia-Morales, and the case has been closed, the school district’s statement reads.

Noting this is a personnel issue, the district also said further details will remain confidential to protect the principal’s privacy rights.

Assistant Principal Hope Perry will be stepping in to serve in place of Garcia-Morales and will be able to answer questions related to Chief Sealth International High School operations.

‘Do you wanna die?’ Victim says suspect opened door while vehicle was moving

According to an SPD incident report obtained by “The Jason Rantz Show,” an officer arrived on the scene of an overturned Toyota Highlander early Sunday and a man dubbed as “Suspect 1” was standing next to it. The department incident report does not specifically refer to Garcia-Morales as “Suspect 1,” but it is believed he is the suspect described in the report.

The suspect initially denied anyone else was in the Toyota and he also denied drinking alcohol before the incident.

When SPD officers told the suspect 911 callers said they saw a woman run away from the SUV after the rollover, he denied knowing of anyone else in the vehicle.

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The report states officers noticed the man on the scene was large and the driver’s seat was pushed so far forward, that it would be unreasonable for him to fit in the drivers seat. Also, the drivers seatbelt was locked from the collision, and the passenger’s seatbelt was fully redacted into the seatbelt device. Therefore, since officers believed the suspect wasn’t driving the SUV when the crash happened, he was released.

Since the Toyota was not registered to the suspect, two officers went to the home of the woman who was listed as the registered owner. She told the SPD officers she was at a party in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood when the suspect started falling asleep. When she suggested they leave, the report says he called her a b****.

The two left the Capitol Hill party with the suspect driving, initially. The report states the victim recorded the suspect driving “because she was afraid of him.” The two later switched seats before getting on Interstate 5 (I-5).

At the location of the crash, the suspect opened the passenger’s door and asked the victim “Do you wanna die?” After that, the suspect grabbed and pulled the steering wheel causing the Toyota to overturn, the report reads. The victim reiterated to SPD officers she was afraid of the suspect and that is why she ran from the scene of the rollover. 

The victim went on to say the suspect has been verbally abusive in the past, and he also abused the family dog before. She added there was a prior incident back around 2017 or 2018 between them. The victim’s daughter also confirmed to officers the suspect had been verbally abusive in the past. The SPD members took photos of the victim’s bruised left arm and swollen face while at the home, the report states. 

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After the SPD officers visited the victim, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the suspect at his brother’s house in Burien and transported him back to Seattle.

Based on the video presented to the officers, the suspect ended up being arrested for both DUI and domestic violence reckless endangerment and DUI.

Contributing: Jason Rantz, KTTH

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