Seattle Mayor Ed Murray tweets support after bias crime at Africatown Center

The Seattle Police Department arrested a suspect believed to be involved in a burglary and bias crime reported earlier in the week. Police are investigating a burglary and vandalism, which included racial slurs and hate graffiti, left inside the Africatown Center for Education and Innovation in South Seattle.

Officers responded to the Africatown Center, located at Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Alaska Street, twice last week on reports documenting the burglary and vandalism. The center reported that equipment had been taken during the burglary.

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The initial incident occurred on March 20, and involved a known East African male who volunteers at the center writing a check with insufficient funds to the center, and also the theft of some computers and electronics. Police say the center personnel suspected this volunteer for the theft but couldn’t prove it.

The suspect arrived at the center while the officers were on scene and he was interviewed. Police say the man’s father offered to pay for the bad check, and also to pay for the stolen items, if he in fact had stolen anything. Center personnel agreed to this arrangement. Officers did not make an arrest due to lack of probable cause for burglary/theft and restitution agreement on the check.

The center was burglarized again later in the week, but this time there was graffiti targeted at African Americans. The center personnel again suspected the same East African male who was not present. He was located about four hours later, and after being interviewed, was arrested for burglary and is a suspect in the bias crime. This remains an active investigation.

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray tweeted his support for the Africatown Center on Saturday by writing, “Seattle will not tolerate this kind of hate. We are ready to support Africatown Center as they work to recover, and know they’ll be back stronger than ever.”