Family of 13-year-old sues Everett after fatal bike collision with a metal cable
Published 1:30 am Friday, September 26, 2025
EVERETT — The family of Emiliano Munoz is suing the city of Everett after the 13-year-old died from injuries sustained when he collided with a braided cable while riding his electric bicycle in south Everett in May.
The family claims the city should have removed the cable strung between a fence post and a traffic bollard across a lot near the 8800 block of 5th Avenue West, said attorney Raymond Bishop, who is representing the Munoz family. The complaint filed Thursday lists three defendants: the city of Everett and two residents responsible for installing the cable.
Around 4:30 p.m. May 2, Munoz, also known as “Emi,” was riding his electric bike south on the grassy area of the public right-of-way on 5th Avenue West when he struck the cable. Everett Fire crews arrived within three minutes of dispatch.
First responders transported Munoz to Harborview Medical Center. He died from his injuries May 5.
“There’s a well worn path in that right of way, and it’s worn because children beat that path from their apartments, their homes, to Explorer Middle School, which is the school that Emiliano went to,” Bishop said. “Emiliano was 100% on city property when he was struck by this cable.”
The property owner allegedly restrung the cable after Munoz’s death, allegedly telling witnesses who were attending the memorial nearby that they needed to reinstall the cable because “some kid loosened it,” Bishop said.
On May 6, four days after the accident, a representative from the Mexican Consulate in Seattle, where Munoz’s mother worked, contacted the Everett Police Department to express concern that the cable could harm other children if it was not removed. Police took down the cable soon after, Bishop said.
The cable was installed around 10 years prior by the initial property owner. According to Bishop, the defendant violated city code by installing an unpermitted cable within the public right-of-way.
On April 11, 2024, a suspect fleeing police in a 2004 GMC Yukon collided with the cable, according to court documents.
“The grill of the GMC truck was ripped off by the cable,” Bishop said. “The police documented the existence of the cable one year beforehand.”
The city of Everett declined to comment on Friday due to the pending litigation.
“This is a situation where the city of Everett has had an opportunity over 10 years to get rid of this thing,” Bishop said. “They just keep letting it go back up.”
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan
