Kent Police arrested a 30-year-old Covington man in connection to the shooting deaths of a man and a woman at a Kent transient camp exactly one year ago to the days of the murders.
The man is in the King County jail awaiting his first court appearance, Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas said in a news release Sunday. Investigators have not yet named the suspect. The man has not been officially charged in the murders.
“Our investigators were able to corroborate information they received and were able to positively identify the male suspect,” Thomas said of the arrest. “With mutual efforts with other law enforcement agencies, the suspect was taken into custody without incident.”
On Aug. 12, 2016, at approximately 5:07 p.m., Kent patrol units responded to a transient camp in the area of 22200 block of 88th Avenue South for a report of a women, later identified as 31-year-old Louisa Campos, who had been shot. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary reports indicated that an unknown man came to the camp and, in a dispute with Campos, opened fire on her. The suspect fled the area, police reported.
On the following day, at about 2:40 p.m., Kent patrol officers were dispatched to a “suspicious circumstances” call at the same transient camp where Campos was discovered. Officers arrived to find a man, later identified as 48-year-old Robert Dias, had been shot dead. Investigators concluded that Dias was a witness to Campos’ homicide and that the same weapon was used in both shootings.
Thomas said investigators worked tirelessly on the case. Up until Saturday, on the one-year anniversary of Campos’ homicide, the suspect was unknown.
“Neither Louisa Campos or Robert Dias deserved to be murdered in such a cold-blooded manner. I am so glad that their families at least have some peace,” said Kent Police detective Matt Lorette.
Added detective Melanie Robinson: “The timing of everything coming together was truly unimaginable. It’s days like this that makes it all worth it.”
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