SEATTLE — Residents in Seattle's University District are concerned about a man the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office calls a danger to the community, who is repeatedly in and out of jail.
According to the King County Prosecutor's Office, Betru Shirega had just been released from jail before being re-arrested and charged with residential burglary after breaking into Kevin Cook's home.
"As soon as I walked into my kitchen I heard my front door smash, and the glass is double-paned and thick, about a half-inch thick," said Kevin Cook, who immediately called 911. He said police came within minutes and arrested the man who had broken into his home last week.
"He didn't care that I was on the other side saying get out. He was just slowly going through my things," Cook continued.
Cook knew who the man was.
"He's one person, but he has a huge impact when he's in the neighborhood," said Don Blakeney, the director of the U District Partnership.
"It's the cycle. He's in the neighborhood and then out of the neighborhood for a long time and then we're waiting to hear what the plan is for how he'll be reintroduced to society or what kind of services he'll get put into to get the help he needs," said Blakeney.
According to King County charging documents, Betru has a lengthy criminal history from theft to assault, property destruction and harassment. According to the "system failure report" commissioned by six Seattle Business associations, between 2001 and 2019, Betru had 46 Washington state criminal cases.
KING 5 asked the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office why he keeps being released.
"We asked for him to be held on a $150,000-dollars bail because of the danger that we see to the community, but also to the defendant. We're doing our part, but we need the state to do its part too," said Casey McNerthney with the the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
The Prosecutor's Office said there's a need for mental health resources.
"In order for people who need treatment and who need to correct this behavior to truly be served, we need the state behavioral health services to do their part and they haven't been doing it for a couple years," said McNerthney.
In a statement, the Washington Department of Social and Health Services said, “Due to patient privacy laws, we are not able to comment on specific cases. However, in general cases such as these, a patient must meet very specific civil commitment criteria in order for us to detain them for an extended period of time on the grounds of grave disability or substantial likelihood to reoffend as a result of a behavioral health disorder.”
KING 5 reached out to the King County Department of Public Defense and was told they could not confirm representation without violating the law.