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‘Vigilant’ dad helps nab California fugitive

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The King County sheriff said a vigilant father helped them arrest a man they believe was leaving “sexually suggestive notes” at homes in Burien.

That father saw the man on his Blink surveillance camera, and it turns out the suspect was wanted for a felony in California.

This father was determined to track down this guy. He had a video of the man on his surveillance camera. Monday night, he recognized the man as he walked by.

This is the man Hamza Mohamud said he captured on surveillance camera last Thursday, leaving sexually suggestive notes for his two young daughters.

One note reads, “Your sister.”

“I’m pretty sure he was watching them,” said Mohamud.

According to the King County sheriff’s deputies, Mohamud is not alone.

“There were community members there that had reported to us receiving very odd, uncomfortable notes, creepy notes, left by this gentleman,” said Sgt. Tim Meyer. “And also, he may have been peering in their windows.”

Meyer said there were half a dozen similar reports.

“And deputies down in that area came out and took those reports, and those are now being consolidated,” he said.

Mohamud was determined to catch him, especially after he left a second note.

“After he did that a second time, I went and installed a second camera right there,” he said. “I wanted to catch him going up the stairs.”

Then Monday night, Mohamud was sitting in his jeep when he saw a man walk by and look up at his apartment.

“I just put one and two together, ran upstairs, looked on the camera,” he said.

He jumped in his car and chased after him.

“And I caught him at the light, like, ‘Hey man, what are doing leaves notes at my house, this and that?’” he said. “And the sheriff pulls up.”

When detectives ran the man’s ID, they found at least one alias and a felony assault warrant out of California.

They credit Mohamud with the big break.

“I was going to take a month off and wait every day,” said Mohamud. “Every day. Because I had to protect my family.”

He may have protected his entire community. He said a lot of people were afraid to call 911.

But Meyer said he wants to encourage anyone to report a crime like this.

In fact, anyone who may have been a victim is asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office’s non-emergency number.

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