ARLINGTON – Police on Friday identified a man who they believe carjacked a woman’s minivan last month with her two young children still inside.
The man, 38, has been in the Snohomish County Jail since Sunday. He was arrested by Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of second-degree burglary and two outstanding warrants, one for violating conditions of his parole.
Now he’s also under investigation for three counts of kidnapping and one count of first-degree burglary, Arlington Police Chief John Gray said.
The Herald does not usually name suspects until they appear in court.
The man’s criminal history includes several convictions, including kidnapping, fraud, theft, robbery, burglary and possession of stolen property. He served 41 months behind bars after a 1998 arrest in Everett for reportedly carjacking a woman’s vehicle at knifepoint and then trying to carjack a second vehicle hours later.
A trail of soggy evidence helped detectives link the man to the Arlington carjacking, which occurred Oct. 18 in a parking lot at the intersection of 172nd Street NE and Smokey Point Boulevard.
“This tragic event had a safe and successful resolution because of the information and involvement of citizens who found the van, the dedication and persistence of the investigating officers and our law enforcement, and the cooperation of witnesses who chose to get involved,” Gray said.
Nolan and Jessica Sobania released a statement Friday thanking everyone who helped during the investigation.
“More importantly, we are grateful for all the prayers that went out nationwide,” the statement said. “They did not fall on deaf ears. Thank you.”
Jessica Sobania was with her children in the van outside a drugstore when a carjacker forced his way in.
The man threatened to harm the children, 2 and 4, if Sobania didn’t do as he said. The carjacker ordered her to drive to north Marysville and then he drove off with the children after Sobania escaped to call for help, Gray said.
The children were found the next morning inside the abandoned van, uninjured, outside of Thomas Machine &Foundry in the 13100 block of 41st Avenue NE in Marysville.
Detectives didn’t find any sign of the carjacker when they first searched where the van was found, Gray said.
When they searched the area a second time, they found the woman’s purse – which the carjacker had reportedly stolen – inside a tunnel that had been burrowed through thorn bushes about 100 yards to the north, Gray said.
Detectives searched the bushes and found wet articles of clothing, along with an item that had a man’s name on it, Gray said.
Investigators couldn’t find the man, but some of his relatives told detectives he’d contacted them the morning after the carjacking. He had been dirty and soaking wet, Gray said.
Police spent the days since the man’s arrest re-interviewing witnesses and gathering enough evidence to identify him as their carjacking suspect, Gray said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is still analyzing DNA evidence found inside the van, Gray said.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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