At around 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, islander Karl Craine was in his front yard located near the North End ferry dock, when he was approached by a young man wearing a black hoodie and baggy pants. According to Craine, the man spoke to him in an agitated way and physically accosted him, poking his stomach in an aggressive way. Craine pushed him away and watched as the man ran into his house. He then realized the man was carrying a knife.

The man entered Craine’s home, pushing aside Craine’s wife, Hita Mende Johnson. He quickly came back out again, with the couple’s two whippet dogs in pursuit. The intruder, at that point, ran away.

Craine, in the meantime, had called 911. Two sheriff’s deputies, based on Vashon, responded and were soon joined by a third deputy from Seattle. A police helicopter was also called in to search for the assailant, who was apprehended on a nearby street.

King County Sheriff’s Media Relations Officer Tim Meyer said a 19-year-old suspect in the case is now being held in the King County Jail on $50,000 bail for investigation of robbery and residential burglary. Meyer said that the prosecutor of the case makes all final charging decisions, but in this situation, the sheriff’s office chose to focus on the felony charge of robbery in order to keep the suspect in King County Jail.

According to the police report, the suspect is a resident of Vashon.

Craine thanks the sheriff’s department for its speedy response and also said his neighbors had rallied to keep others safe.

“There were people running over to neighbors and telling them to lock their doors,” he said.