SEATTLE — The suspect accused of pushing two women into Lake Washington and throwing a toddler faces four felony charges, including two counts of assault and one count of attempted kidnapping.
The man, identified as 33-year-old Chaz Butler. He will appear in court on Feb. 3 at 8:30 a.m. to enter his plea.
King County prosecutors argued Butler, who has previous felony convictions, is a danger to the community. The suspect was previously convicted of two counts of assault for randomly attacking a family picnicking at Green Lake Park in August of 2020. Butler served 12 months and was released in December of 2021.
The crimes on Jan. 17 began around 11:30 a.m. when someone called to reported an attempted strong-arm robbery on Marsh Island near the Montlake Cut. Three women were taking photos at a lookout when a suspect attempted to grab one of their phones from them. A struggle ensued and Butler pushed one woman into Lake Washington, according to police.
Minutes later, another victim reported a man pushed her off the trail and into the lake after grabbing her 18-month-old daughter from her, according to police. The victim told police Butler grabbed her daughter by the hood of her jacket and tossed her to the side of the trail.
University of Washington police recognized the suspect's description and noted Butler was at UW Medical Center earlier in the morning. He threw water on an employee before fleeing, according to police.
Around 1 p.m., multiple people reported an assault in the 12300 block of 30th Avenue Northeast when Butler ran up behind a female jogger and tripped her. A witness attempted to help, and Butler punched him multiple times, according to police.
Officers eventually chased Butler down on foot and arrested him.
He was booked into King County jail for multiple felonies.