SEATTLE — A family and Seattle neighborhood are left heartbroken after a beloved dog walker was tragically killed during a carjacking Tuesday morning. The suspect was arrested Wednesday.
Family and friends of 80-year-old Ruth Dalton came by the intersection of E Harrison Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way East throughout the day Wednesday to lay flowers, place notes, even some dog treats and toys on a nearby tree to create a memorial to honor her memory.
“And that we all love her…everybody loves her. And I know she’s looking down,” Dalton’s granddaughter, Melanie Roberts, said.
Dalton is also the owner of Grandma’s Critter Care. Roberts says her grandmother paid for her private school growing up and also helped pay for her daughter’s school.
“And her only goal was to pay for that school and this community accepted her and brought her in and loved her like their family,” Roberts said.
She also came by the memorial and says her grandmother was a beloved member of the community who would do anything and everything for the dogs in her care.
“They weren’t just clients. It wasn’t just a job. It was her extended family,” Roberts said.
Dalton wasn’t the only casualty in this carjacking. Her dog, Prince Eric, was also stabbed to death by her suspected car jacker. Prince Eric’s body was found in the Rainier Valley neighborhood along with Dalton’s car. Other close friends of Dalton’s also spoke with KIRO 7 about how all of this still doesn’t feel real.
“I’m numb. I’m numb. I haven’t processed any of this yet,” Nisha Kline, who knew Dalton for years, said.
Moments after the attack, good Samaritans tried to save Dalton after she was ran over. John Ayala was in the area working on a person’s fence when it happened. He said when he heard screaming, he felt he had to do something.
“I just wanted to help. I saw her and it just seemed like the right thing to do,” Ayala said.
Ayala got a chance to meet Roberts when she came by the memorial. He says he wishes his efforts could’ve saved Dalton’s life, but Roberts is thankful that a complete stranger to her grandmother tried to help in her time of need.
“But to know that somebody who cared, even a stranger, was with her….it is comforting,” Roberts said.
Roberts created a Facebook page called ‘Remembering Ruth Dalton’ where friends and family can share their favorite memories of her as many people in the community continue to grieve.
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