A Seattle man faces five assault charges following a series of random stabbings last week in the city's Chinatown-International District. Accused of attacking five individuals, Roland Jerome Lee, 37, is charged with four first-degree assaults and one fourth-degree assault. Four victims were hospitalized in critical condition while another was treated on-site and released. Just one patient remains hospitalized and is now in stable condition. Lee is being held on $2 million bail, pending arraignment on November 27.
Authorities believe Lee might also be linked to four other stabbings in the same vicinity the previous day. Descriptions from witnesses matched him, and the assaults appeared similarly random. In a brutal sequence, Lee reportedly stabbed a person in the back, followed by attacks on three others at a street corner. Video evidence corroborates these reports, showing him targeting unsuspecting pedestrians.
Lee has a history of nine felony convictions, including car theft and robbery. While still under investigation, Seattle police have yet to conclude whether further charges will be filed. Deputy Chief Eric Barden described these violent acts as the work of "one individual over a 38-hour period," emphasizing the erratic and sudden nature of these crimes. Law enforcement detained Lee with blood on his hands and shoes, finding two knives nearby. The ongoing probe could lead to additional legal actions by King County prosecutors. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)