SWNAcar – by Ben Barry
A businesswoman was shocked to find a man broke into her parked car, fell asleep in the back seat – then refused to leave for TWO HOURS.
Tanya Woo, 40, parked her car in the Chinatown International District, Seattle, Washington, near the I-5 overpass on King Street.
She unlocked her car door after a day of meetings, sat in the driver’s seat, before she saw the man out of the corner of her eye.
The former councilmember says she started yelling at him – but the man refused to leave for two hours.
Tanya said the incident has made her more “vigilant,” and she wants people to check the back of their cars before they drive off.
The business owner from Seattle, Washington, said she later noticed a smashed window.
“People need to know to check their backseat when they get into their car,” she said.
“I have heard stories about this in the past but felt secure as I work in this neighborhood and have visited a lot.
“People need to make sure their personal safety is paramount no matter what neighborhood they are in.
“I never thought something like this would happen to me.”
The encounter happened in King Street on February 20 at 6:45pm.
“I got out of the car and started yelling at him to get out, but he didn’t reply,” she said.
“I walked around to the sidewalk and saw that he had smashed a window to get in.”
After an hour, Tanya flagged down an outreach worker for a homeless shelter to help.
They were asking the man in the car if he was okay, he looked at them and then slammed the door, she said.
Tanya said: “At that point, we had to call the police as he was not leaving.
“They came an hour later; they had to wait for backup as they weren’t entirely sure why he was refusing to leave.
“A few officers opened the door, but the man still refused to leave.
“They pulled him out of the car and finally got him out.”
Tanya was parked near 12th and Jackson – an area known for crime and heavy drug use – but said she felt safe as she works in the area.
Tanya said: “As a female growing up, we were always hearing stories about how we have to check our back seat in case someone is there.
“I am really glad I saw him before something worse happened.
“It was really scary.”
