Rashod Jones held his 19-month-old daughter hostage for four hours at her north Renton home on July 25, using her as a human shield between him and Renton police, prosecutors write in charging him with burglary.
Jones, 32, of Seattle was charged Wednesday with residential burglary – domestic violence following the incident at the home of his former girlfriend at 500 Pelly Ave. N.
He was being held at the county jail at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent on $500,000 bail. His arraignment is Aug. 11. Jones has an extensive criminal record as an adult and as a juvenile, according to prosecutors.
According to prosecutors, Jones threatened to kill himself and his child, as well as any officer who entered the residence. Later, officers learned he was unarmed, according to Penny Bartley, a Renton police spokesman.
“I’m gonna die tonight,” he told officers, according to the police report.
The incident began several hours earlier when the female resident of the house suspected that her former boyfriend had stolen her van. The woman had gone inside the house to get some money to get a tire fixed that was going flat on the van. When she returned to the van, it was gone. The van was running.
Around 7:40 p.m., Jones showed up at the house. The van was in front of the house.
The woman told police the ex-boyfriend was upset about a missing cell phone. She tried to leave. She grabbed her daughter, but Jones took hold, too, according to prosecutors. She released her grip when the child started to cry, then ran outside, leaving Jones and the child inside, according to prosecutors.
She called 911. A SWAT team was called in. Officers determined that Jones and the child, as well as a dog, a pit bull, were downstairs.
Jones said he would shoot any officers inside the house, according to prosecutors. Asked to surrender, Jones said, “You’re going to have to kill me,” according to prosecutors.
A negotiator talked with Jones and at about midnight, Jones walked out of the house with the child. He was arrested and booked into Renton City Jail for investigation of violating a protection order and harassment.
