SEATTLE — A judge has ordered a mental health evaluation for a man accused of trying to push another person in front of an oncoming light rail train earlier this month near the Northgate station.
Surveillance video captured the suspect appearing to scope out the victim, then lunging to push him.
When the victim managed to recover his balance, the attacker is seen trying to grab and push him again, with the victim narrowly avoiding falling into the path of the train.
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According to charging documents, detectives tracked the suspect’s movements using area surveillance cameras and received a tip that led them to Cascade Hall, a mental health facility located less than a mile from the Northgate light rail station. Staff members there identified one of their residents, Elisio Melendez, after reviewing images from the incident, and investigators say clothing matching what the suspect wore was later found in his room.
During Melendez’s arraignment Tuesday morning, a judge granted a defense request for a mental health evaluation and ordered that the defendant’s face not be shown publicly due to potential identification issues that could come up during trial.
Defense attorneys argued Melendez has a documented history of mental illness, including schizophrenia, and has previously been found incompetent to stand trial before.
“He has a prior finding of incompetence that led to a dismissal for civil commitment,” his defense attorney said in court, adding that he’s observed similar symptoms, along with a possible traumatic brain injury or other neurocognitive conditions.
Records show Melendez has spent years in and out of treatment and has previously been accused of violent behavior. In 2018, he had a pending assault case where prosecutors say he randomly punched a woman in church without being provoked, and the victim required stitches. In 2019, he was arrested in connection with the stabbing of his sister. That case was ultimately dismissed after multiple evaluations determined he was not competent to stand trial.
A 2021 report from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) described Melendez as having a “clear history of problems with violence” and symptoms of a major mental illness, noting he was at an elevated risk for reoffending. That report also noted there was an 2020 incident during treatment when Melendez reportedly “attempted to punch/attack a peer when he mistakenly thought this peer was yelling at him.”
After the 2019 assault case was dismissed, Melendez was later committed to Western State Hospital. In 2022, prosecutors say DSHS determined he had progressed enough in treatment to be released to a less-restrictive facility.
DSHS declined to comment on Melendez specifically, citing patient privacy laws, but said in general that releasing patients from state care involves extensive planning. That process typically includes coordination with the patient’s treatment team of doctors, nurses, and social workers, along with arrangements for housing, finances, and ongoing psychiatric support after discharge.
Despite Melendez’s history, officials with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says they intend to move forward with the current attempted murder case.
“People can change in their state of where they are, whether they’re competent or not,” Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stated. “There’s also medication orders and other options that the court can issue.”
“Either way, what I think people wanna know is that, will prosecutors do everything they can to move the criminal case forward? And the answer is yes, absolutely,” McNerthney added. “You don’t want to see behavior like this.”
Prosecutors have also requested an independent expert to evaluate Melendez, separate from DSHS, while the defense will also have the opportunity to have its own expert present during the evaluation process.
The case remains under investigation.