SEATTLE — A 36-year-old man has been charged with kidnapping and rape after police say he assaulted a teenager at her Northgate bus stop on Monday morning.
According to court documents released by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the 15-year-old was waiting for the bus near the transit center at around 9 a.m. Monday, when 36-year-old Joshua Kowalczewski walked up and started talking to her.
Prosecutors state that Kowalczewski threatened the victim and demanded she go with him to a nearby wooded area. Scared of what he might do, she went along, where she was then sexually assaulted.
The teen was able to scream, and when she did, the suspect ran off. She came out of the woods “crying” and “looking terrified,” a witness told investigators.
That witness, a construction worker in the area, told investigators he saw the suspect approach the teen at the bus stop and “thought it was suspicious.” He said he saw the pair walk into the woods and crossed the street to follow them. He then heard the teen scream and ran over. The victim told him what happened in the woods, and he called 911.
A second witness was walking by at the same time and heard the scream. She told police she watched the suspect walk by her at a “decent pace,” and described the suspect in detail to officers while she stayed with the teenager.
The newly-released court documents contain a photo from a surveillance video that helped police track down the suspect, matching the description provided by the victim and witnesses.
Police arrested Kowalczewski that same day after firefighters recognized him while he was defecating in public, documents state.
On May 6, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Joshua V. Kowalczewski with first-degree first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping.
Prosecutors were asked why Kowalczewski was not charged with rape of a child. They told KIRO 7 that the charges filed more accurately describe the defendant’s actions and carry more severe penalties if convicted as charged.
Charging documents note that Kowalczewski has 9 active warrants across 5 jurisdictions. He’s had 46 warrants issued against him since 2008, and he’s had 28 arrests and 13 convictions over the past 19 years. The convictions include assault, DUI, violating a protection order, theft, and more.
Taking into account his ongoing cases and conviction history, a judge set his bail at $1 million.
Kowalczewski is expected back in court on May 11.
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