Man accused of stabbing at least five people in Seattle has been held on $2 million bail

SEATTLE- A 37-year-old man who police say stabbed five people in broad daylight in Seattle on Friday and possibly four others the day before appeared in court for the first time Saturday, where a judge set bail at $2 million -dollars ordered against him.

“People who live in and travel to the Chinatown-International District deserve to feel safe and to be safe,” King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion said after the judge found probable cause to charge him with five counts of first-degree assault.

When setting the high bail amount, the judge noted that there was an arrest warrant for the man. He also has nine felony convictions in Washington state, including four counts of auto theft, possession of stolen property, robbery and attempted burglary, according to the probable cause report.

The case remains under investigation and has not been referred to the King County Prosecutor's Office for charges, spokesman Casey McNerthney said Saturday. They expect to receive the case by Thursday, he said.

Messages sent to the King County Department of Public Defense seeking comment were not immediately returned Saturday afternoon.

Four of the five victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center on Friday. One man who was in critical condition was upgraded to serious, while two others remain in the intensive care unit in serious condition, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said Saturday. Another male patient was in satisfactory condition, she said.

Police said they found two knives that appeared to be contaminated with blood in the parking lot where the man was arrested. A third knife was lodged in a victim's back when he was taken to the hospital, court documents say.

Seattle police believe the man was also involved in at least four other stabbings in the same area on Thursday. He matched the suspect's descriptions and the attacks were also random, like Friday's attacks. Police are continuing to investigate the case and more charges could be added, they said.

Thursday's stabbings in Chinatown began when a 52-year-old woman was found with multiple stab wounds, police said. On Thursday afternoon, a 32-year-old man was found with multiple stab wounds and around 8 p.m., a 37-year-old man was stabbed multiple times in the back, police said.

On Friday around 2 p.m., police received 911 reports that four people had been stabbed in Chinatown. Another victim was found about a block away, the probable cause statement said.

A witness told police he saw the suspect come up behind a man and stab him in the back. This man was hospitalized with four stab wounds. The witness said he followed the suspect as he calmly walked up the street and then stabbed three people as they stood on a corner.

Video evidence showed the suspect also stabbed another man before attacking the group of three, police said. The video shows the suspect walking behind a person and stabbing them in the back. He fell to the ground with the knife still stuck in his back, police said.

The police arrived and arrested the man based on witness descriptions. He was wearing a black sweatshirt with “Fear of God State” written on the chest, police said. He appeared to have blood on his hands and shoes, police said.

“This incident appears to have involved an individual committing random attacks over a 38-hour period,” Deputy Police Chief Eric Barden said at the scene on Friday.