Police in Seattle on Saturday arrested a man suspected of stabbing a bus driver to death three days earlier.
Richard Sitzlack, 53, was found riding another King County Metro Coach bus, sleeping in the back, Seattle Police said.
Search efforts for Sitzlack had commenced on Wednesday morning following an altercation with Metro Coach driver Shawn Yim, aged 59, and another passenger. The dispute arose from Yim’s decision to keep a window open to prevent fogging, as reported by the Seattle Times. At the core of the confrontation, Sitzlack maced the driver, administered a kick between his legs, and promptly absconded, as evidenced by court documents. Meanwhile, Yim promptly contacted 911 seeking assistance.
Yim got off the bus, telling a dispatcher, “I just got assaulted. Hurry, please. He’s fleeing.”
Security footage obtained by the police captured Sitzlack doubling back and charging aggressively towards Yim. A physical struggle ensues between the two, with Yim audibly notifying the emergency dispatcher of being stabbed during the ordeal.
“I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed, hurry please,” Yim said, according to KIRO. “I’m dying right now, hurry please, hurry please.”
Despite the arrival of assistance, Sitzlack had fled the scene, leaving Yim to be pronounced deceased on-site. Post-examination revealed a severed artery and punctured lungs as the cause of death. Notably, law enforcement discovered a bloodstained knife in a nearby trash receptacle, approximately a block away from the tragic incident.
A witness told police that they recognized Sitzlack from a homeless camp earlier in the day. The camp’s records included a photo of Sitzlack’s driver’s license, and the witness identified him as the person who stabbed Yim.
Authorities say Sitzlack sliced him badly enough to sever an artery and puncture his lungs, which led to Yim dying at the scene. Officers found a bloody knife in a garbage can about a half-block away, per the police report, along with a Winchester knife sheath.
Police launched a search for Sitzlack, but it wasn’t until shortly before 5 a.m. on Saturday when another Metro Coach driver flagged down Seattle police officers and said they believed Sitzlack was on the bus. He was, asleep in the back.
Sitzlack is charged with murder.
