SEATTLE — On Tuesday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office released a video capturing the moments before Ruth Dalton was carjacked and killed. The incident occurred on Aug. 20. The suspect, Jahmed Haynes, was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday but missed the arraignment due to a required mental health assessment. His next court appearance is set for Sept. 26.
Prosecutors stated that the video shows Haynes walking past Dalton’s car multiple times before forcibly entering it. The footage reveals the passenger door being flung open as the car drives away. Dalton, an 80-year-old dog walker, had several dogs with her. One dog fell out of the car during the carjacking, and others escaped when Haynes allegedly pushed Dalton out and ran 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,” said Melanie Roberts, Dalton’s granddaughter. “He chose, Jahmed chose to back up over her. He knew what he was doing. It was deliberate.”
Roberts expressed gratitude for those who were with her grandmother in her final 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 added.
Dalton’s death has sparked widespread outrage. Her granddaughter welcomes the attention, hoping for justice. “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 incident occurred, and ending in Madison Park.
Haynes is held in the King County Jail with no bail option and faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree animal cruelty, and second-degree assault.
