12/08/2023
CAPTURED: The Washington State Patrol (WSP) announced Friday that they arrested a suspect believed to be involved in a number of shootings that happened on South King County highways Wednesday night.
Six different drivers were shot at while driving on I-5, and the WSP believes the suspect they arrested, 28-year-old Marco Ramos Valdez of Auburn, at around 10:40 p.m. on Thursday may be responsible for "some" of the shootings. Court documents detail two of the shootings in which witnesses confirmed he was the suspect. The victims were all strangers to him. According to court documents, two of the victims, a man and a woman, were driving southbound on I-5 just north of S 320th St. at around 9:21 p.m. when the suspect’s vehicle drove up alongside them.
The vehicle, described as a blue Nissan 370z, started matching speeds with them with the passenger’s side down. The victims heard a single gunshot, and a bullet flew through the driver’s side window, striking the man in the neck.
The woman was able to grab hold of the steering wheel, and both were able to pull over to the side of the road and call 911.
When first responders arrived, they transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center to remove the bullet, which had become lodged in his neck.
The female victim, who was six months pregnant, was uninjured, but taken to a nearby hospital for a healthcare check on her baby.
21 minutes after the first shooting, the WSP received another 911 call from a different driver whose car had been shot at by the same blue Nissan 370z in the Southcenter area of Tukwila.
When authorities came to inspect the victim's vehicle, they found a single gunshot in the driver’s side window.
When troopers arrested Ramos Valdez, he had the gun in the his Nissan 370z with him along with loose ammunition and casings in the vehicle.
During questioning, WSP detectives say he told them through a translator that he started hearing voices 9 months ago. He tried to tell his sister and brother about it but they didn't seem to understand what he was experiencing. He said he took the gun from his brother's room a week ago to protect himself. He claimed the voices were telling him which cars to shoot at because they were a danger to him.
Detectives spoke to his sister and she confirmed he told that he started hearing voices but she said it was 5 months ago.
He is expected to appear in court tomorrow afternoon. He is being held without bail right now.
Washington State Patrol FOX 13 Seattle