SEATTLE — Law enforcement in California is trying to locate the suspect in a Seattle murder after he was mistakenly released from jail last week.
In a news release on Monday, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office (CCCSO) said they are investigating how Isaiah Jamon Andrews, 20, was released from jail last week despite being held on a warrant in connection with a fatal shooting in Seattle earlier this month.
Seattle police named Andrews as a suspect in the Oct. 15 homicide at the Hotel Nexus near 2100 North Northgate Way. That afternoon, police responded to a shooting and found 20-year-old Theodore Wheeler dead in the parking lot.
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Andrews was arrested on Oct. 18 after a car chase with police in California.
He was booked into the Contra Costa County jail on local charges and the warrant for the Seattle homicide.
On Oct. 22, jail staff released Andrews from custody. The sheriff’s office said they were “investigating the circumstances surrounding” Andrews’ release from jail.
KOMO News asked Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes about the now-missing suspect.
“I think sometimes people forget that it is a criminal justice system: cops, courts, and corrections. And although we did our due diligence, the courts and that part of the system did not,” Chief Barnes explained. “Certainly, it was an error that if they had to go back and do it all again, they would’ve done something differently. But it’s my understanding that he was released by accident and they are working feverishly to put him back into custody.”
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Andrews is asked to call 9-1-1. The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (925) 646-2441. For any tips, email: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.