Puyallup man leaves courthouse after sentencing, remains missing

A man sentenced to four years in prison by a Pierce County judge simply walked out of the courthouse more than a month ago and remains missing.

Police are still searching for the 36-year-old Puyallup man, whose identity has not been publicly released, after he exited the Justice Center on May 31 through a checkpoint on the second floor, according to The News Tribune. From there, he reportedly simply crossed South 11th Street, got into a black sedan and drove away.

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The suspect was seeking an alternative sentence with a reduced prison sentence for three criminal charges to which he had already pleaded guilty. His charges include possession of stolen vehicles and illegal possession of a rifle. Despite this attempt, Superior Court Judge Karena Kirkendoll decided to sentence him to more than four years.

New charges against the suspect, including contempt of court and first-degree escape, were formally filed on June 21.

Two sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the Kirkendoll courtroom about four minutes after the defendant left the courtroom, according to the probable cause document obtained by the News Tribune. There is some confusion about how he was able to escape the scene so easily, but a spokesman for the district attorney's office told the Tribune that security is not always present during court hearings when the defendant is free.

The suspect was arrested for being caught driving a stolen Chevrolet in Cle Elum in October 2022, then was caught again driving another stolen car — a Kia — six months later. He was arrested again a year later after police found him sitting in a stolen pickup truck.

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In June 2023, he was arrested for carrying a rifle under a towel while walking on Pacific Highway.

Documents obtained by The News Tribune show his criminal history includes six prior nonviolent felony convictions and more than two dozen prior misdemeanor convictions.

This is a developing story, check back regularly for updates

Contributed by: Sam Campbell, KIRO Newsradio

Frank Sumrall is a content writer at MyNorthwest. You can read his articles here and email him here.