SEATTLE — On Tuesday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office released a video showing Ruth Dalton in the moments before a carjacker stole her car and killed her. It happened on Aug. 20. The suspect in this case, Jahmed Haynes, is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
According to prosecutors, Haynes can be seen in the video walking past Dalton's car several times before forcing his way inside. You see the passenger fling open, and then the car takes off. Dalton, a well-known dog walker, had several dogs with her at the time. One dog fell out of the car at the beginning of the carjacking. Others escaped, presumably when authorities said Haynes pushed Dalton out of her car and back up over her.
"This isn't just elder abuse. This isn't just crime. This isn't just animal abuse. It's everything in one horrible instance," Melanie Roberts, Dalton's granddaughter, said. "He chose, Jahmed chose to back up over her. He knew what he was doing. It was deliberate."
Roberts said she's thankful there were people with her grandmother in her last moments.
"Good people exist in this world. My grandma was one of them. John, who did CPR on her even though he knew it was too late, is one of them. Damon, who helped a stranger who reminded him of his mom, is one of them. They're heroes."
Haynes is also accused of killing Dalton's dog, Prince.
"That makes it more horrible. He would take the time to get her beloved dog out of her car and kill it," Roberts said.
Dalton's tragic demise has sparked outrage across the world. Her granddaughter welcomes it, hoping there will be justice for her grandmother.
"I'm glad people are outraged. I'm glad it's drawing all this attention. Selfishly, I'm glad for the support because it is hard and I try to be her voice and make her proud in everything I do and say, the support has been amazing to have," Roberts said.
To honor Dalton, a candlelight memorial walk is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 6:30 p.m., starting at Harrison and Martin Luther King Way, where the killing happened and will end in Madison Park.
Haynes is being held in the King County Jail with no bail option. He's been charged with murder in the first degree, animal cruelty in the first degree, and assault in the second degree.