Update for 7/18:
Richardson pleaded not guilty on July 14. Here are the details from King County Prosecutors:
"Monty R. Richardson, 48, was arraigned Thursday on charges of Burglary First Degree, Assault Second Degree and Unlawful Imprisonment for breaking in to a neighbor's house in West Seattle where he allegedly tied up, beat and attempted to strangle a 65-year-old woman who lived there. He plead not guilty. Bail remained at $25,000."
Original Story from 7/6:
King County Prosecutors charged Monty R. Richardson, 48, with first degree burglary, second degree assault and unlawful imprisonment on June 30, stemming from an alleged May 7 attack on a 65-year-old woman living right across the street.
Court documents show Richardson allegedly entered the victim’s home (she lives alone) on 41st Ave S.W. using a spare key she had hidden outside. Once inside, Richardson allegedly grabbed the victim while she was getting ready for bed and carried her to the basement.
Detective Shayne St. John with the Seattle Police Department states in his probable cause document that Richardson allegedly “brutally assaulted” his victim, binding her with duct tape and masking tape before repeatedly hitting and kicking her and attempting to strangle her with power cords. At some point the victim was knocked unconscious.
According to the court, Richarson allegedly left the residence before the victim regained consciousness, leaving the key he used to enter the home in the lock. When the victim came to, badly injured with broken ribs, “scrapes, bruising and broken or damaged teeth” and permanent hearing loss, she managed to cross the street and contact her neighbor who called 911.
It turns out the house she went to was Richardson’s. Richardson was gone at the time but his wife was home and she called 911 for the severely injured woman.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center where she was able to describe the clothing her assailant wore during the attack before being treated for her injuries.
Four days later on May 11 detectives approached Richardson while he worked on a car near his home. Probable cause documents reveal Richardson was wearing clothes that matched the victim’s description. Detectives accompanied him back to his home where he consented to a DNA swab from his cheek. His clothes were also taken as evidence. During their interview, Richardson told police, unsolicited, that in the early morning hours of May 8 he had driven down the victim’s alley “in an attempt to have sex with a female he had met at a known drug house.” He said he walked to the victim’s back door, fumbled around looking for keys but did not actually enter her home.
DNA results lead to an arrest
On June 21 Detective St. John received the lab report from the Washington State Police crime lab. Lab results revealed Richardson’s blood was found on the black jacket he was wearing and the roll of duct tape found in the victim’s house. Court records show his DNA was also found on the key used to enter the home.
An arrest warrant was requested once the lab results were processed and Richardson was arrested on June 30 at an in-patient treatment program at Seattle’s Salvation Army. Richardson is in jail on a $250,000 bail. His arraignment is scheduled for July 14 according to Dan Donohoe with the prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutors wrote in their bail request, “the victim in this case easily could have died … this defendant presents an extreme danger to the community, hence why such a bail is appropriate.”
Richardson has a 1999 conviction for Violation Uniform Controlled Substance Possession and was in treatment for drug issues at the time of his arrest, according to court documents.
