This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

A Seattle community is mourning the loss of a beloved 80-year-old dog walker Ruth Dalton and her dog who were both killed by a carjacker this summer. Demand maximum sentencing in this case!

On August 20, Dalton was in her car with six dogs she was getting ready to walk when she was forced from her vehicle by Jahmed Haynes.
 

According to King County prosecutors, Dalton tried to drive away while Haynes attempted to shove her out of the car and take control of it. He was armed with a knife and threatened bystanders who tried to intervene. Haynes continued to shove Dalton, until she was hanging out of the car, at which point he gained control, reversed into multiple parked cars, and knocked Dalton completely out into the road. He then drove over her and fled the scene.

The dogs escaped and were found, but Haynes stabbed her own dog Prince to death and threw his body in a recycling bin in a nearby park.

Haynes was quickly arrested by Seattle Police detectives and SWAT operators, who found the bloody knife used to kill Prince, along with Dalton's car keys.

Haynes, who has a history of felony charges, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree assault, and first-degree animal cruelty, each with a deadly weapon enhancement.

He was due in court in early September, but his defense team requested a mental health evaluation and so far he has not been deemed mentally fit to stand trial.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Maximum Sentence for Carjacker Who Killed Woman and Her Dog

I am writing to you in support of the aggressive prosecution of
Jahmed Haynes, who is facing multiple felony charges related to the carjacking and murder of beloved 80-year-old dogwalker Ruth Dalton and her dog Prince.

Haynes has a criminal history, including three felony convictions in King County that should have kept him behind bars, but Washington’s Persistent Offender Accountability Act is clearly not being applied in a way that would actually keep the public safe from dangerous offenders.
 
I sincerely hope you prosecute this case to the maximum extent of the law and ensure Haynes is not free to harm anyone else. I will be following this case to its fruition and fully expect the outcome to reflect the brutal nature of the crimes that were committed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.