EDMONDS — A man accused of attacking his wife with a hammer while she slept in their Edmonds home was believed to be found dead Wednesday, police said.
Early Wednesday morning, the woman, 68, was the victim of a “prolonged attack” as she slept in her home in the Five Corners neighborhood before escaping to a neighbor’s home, Edmonds police Cmdr. Josh McClure said. The 73-year-old husband, identified as Nick Zerafat, drove away. Just after 5:15 a.m., the attack was reported to police.
When officers arrived, they found the woman had sustained “multiple severe injuries,” including to her head, according to police. She was taken to Swedish Edmonds, and released from the hospital later Wednesday.
Meanwhile, investigators put out a call for tips about Zerafat’s whereabouts on social media, telling the public not to approach him because he was believed to be armed. He was wanted for investigation of first-degree assault domestic violence and unlawful imprisonment.
Just before 5:30 a.m., Washington State Patrol troopers found Zerafat’s abandoned car along I-5 south on the Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle, according to police. A man matching his description was later found dead below the bridge.
Initial information showed he fell from the bridge. Police found no obvious signs of foul play. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the deceased, as well as determine the cause and manner of his death.
Edmonds police, Washington State Patrol and the Seattle Police Department continued investigating the alleged attack and the death.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.
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