Homeless Seattle man accused of stabbing stranger with steak knife

SEATTLE — A Seattle man who lists a homeless shelter as his address was charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree assault in King County Superior Court.

The incident is alleged to have happened around 9:30 p.m. on July 16 at a building located in the 2000 block of 1st Avenue in Seattle.

In charging documents, prosecutors said Steven Joseph Devon, 42, entered a stranger’s apartment without permission and stabbed him multiple times in his torso and neck.

The victim left his apartment door partially open to let cool air inside when he saw Devon holding a steak knife, police wrote in a probable cause document.

Police said Devon then stabbed the victim multiple times, and after the steak knife bent, he picked up a folding knife on a nearby table and continued to stab the victim.

A neighbor intervened after hearing the victim’s call for help and Devon left the apartment, according to police.

Arriving officers said they found the victim sitting in the lobby, covered in blood.

Police said they located Devon nearby and took him into custody.

According to prosecutors, witnesses said Devon has a history of mental health issues.

Devon was booked into the King County Jail, where he remains in lieu of a $1 million bail.

“What is crystal clear is the defendant is a current danger to our community and has a high likelihood of committing a random act of violence if released on less restrictive alternatives,” prosecutors wrote in their request for $1 million bail.

Devon’s criminal history includes 21 misdemeanor convictions and one felony conviction since 2005, prosecutors said.

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