Local

White Center beating, rape victim fighting for survival; suspect arrested

A 55-year old woman was brutally beaten and sexually assaulted outside the White Center DSHS office just after 2 a.m. Thursday morning.

Sgt. Cindi West, with the King County Sheriff’s Office, said the woman was beaten so severely, she suffered multiple broken bones and may not survive.

“She’s currently at Harborview, basically fighting for her life,” West told KIRO 7.

As of Friday, she remained in critical condition.

Multiple witnesses heard the woman’s cries, including William Hoffman, who lives across the street from where the attack happened.

“We heard all the screaming,” Hoffman said.

“It’s crazy around here. We don’t dare go outside here at night,” because of what Hoffman called rampant illegal drug activity and multiple homeless people living near the DSHS office.

Not much is known about the 55-year old victim, according to West, because she’s still too injured to interview.

Investigators don’t know whether she and the suspect – 21-year-old Robert Javier German from Tukwila  – even know each other.  German waived his right to appear at his own bail hearing on Friday. Bail was set at $750,000.

He is currently being held in the King County Jail for suspicion of assault, rape and indecent liberties.

“I just want to say that I’m in shock and disbelief because I don’t think he has it in him to be violent like that,” his mother Kathryn German said on Friday.

The suspect has no violent criminal history in Washington State , but was arrested for DUI in 2013 and has multiple arrests for not paying bus fare.  During German’s bail hearing on Friday, the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney told the judge German was arrested for battery in Louisiana last year.

He fled the White Center scene, but was arrested at 102nd and 16th Avenue Southwest – tracked there by a King County K-9 unit and bloody evidence.

“There was a significant blood trail leaving the scene,” West told KIRO 7.

When investigators detained the suspect, “he had blood on his tennis shoes, all around the bottom.”

West said the suspect left bloody footprints at the scene that matched the shoes he was wearing when he was arrested.

“We’re pretty confident we have the right guy,” she said.