SEATTLE — The man behind the dramatic carjacking, chase and shootout in Seattle on Sunday started his crime spree the day before.
Surveillance video shows Raymond Azevedo, Jr. committing another carjacking less than 24 hours earlier in Tacoma. According to salesman Sunny Puth at G.T. Auto Sales, Azevedo headed straight to a row of muscle cars. He told Puth he was interested in a black 2014 Dodge Challenger.
"Seems like he knows everything about the car," said Puth. Azevedo told Puth he had just gotten a settlement for $25,000 and was ready to buy.
According to Puth, Azevedo wanted to hear the sound of the engine.
"Minute I open up the door and start the car, he told me to come outside. He wanted to sit in it. I kind of lean like this and he shoved me and kind of closed the door, locked it. I was trying to bang on the door. I couldn't do nothing. So then he just took off."
Surveillance video shows Azevedo speeding off the car lot.
"That car just launched out of here," said Puth.
Azevedo was just 5-feet-6-inches tall, but he had a long history of big problems in Tacoma and Pierce County.
He had been arrested for firearms violations, assault, eluding police and drugs. On Saturday, Puth says Azevedo seemed like a normal customer.
"It's an average guy. He's clean. I didn't smell no alcohol on him. Just normal typical guy and he gave me a good explanation that his wife was eating at Monster Burger for God sakes."
Four days later, the folks at GT Auto Sales still haven’t found their $26,000 Dodge Challenger and the man who stole it was killed in a shootout with police.
“We want our car back,” said Puth.
After seeing the crimes scenes in Seattle, Puth is grateful that no one, including himself, was seriously injured or killed.
"He's shooting out with the cops for God's sake. He's got no remorse for nobody. That is scary."
KIRO
