Arrest made in Wallingford rape case

Thanks to some quick-thinking by a Wal-Mart employee in South Everett, a suspect was arrested Wednesday night in connection with a rape and robbery that happened last week in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.

Three days after the attack on Oct. 20, police released a sketch of the suspect as well as surveillance photos of him captured at a Lynnwood store.

The images stayed in the mind of a store security officer who spotted the man at the South Everett Wal-Mart Wednesday night around 10:30 p.m., said Reneé Witt, police department spokeswoman.

The officer quickly dialed 911 and Everett police arrived to arrest the 35-year-old suspect, Witt said. He was taken to Seattle police headquarters and booked this morning into King County Jail for investigation of rape and robbery.

The sketch and driver's license photo of the suspect look nearly identical, Witt said this morning, as she showed the pictures during a media briefing. She called for a "shout out" to the security officer who put two-and-two together.

The rape had the quiet neighborhood on edge, after the 32-year-old woman was attacked around 9:30 p.m. in her home in the 1600 block of North 52nd Street.

According to police, the suspect entered the house while the woman's two children and nanny were in their rooms and her husband had left to run an errand.

The suspect raped her at knife point and stole some items before fleeing.

Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com