California jail apprehends Seattle murder suspect then let him go by mistake

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office (CCCSO) confirmed Monday that they are investigating how Isaiah Jamon Andrews, of Kent, Washington, was released from the Martinez Detention Facility on October 22, despite being held on an out-of-state homicide warrant tied to a fatal shooting in Seattle.

Seattle Police identified Andrews as the prime suspect in the October 15 murder of 20-year-old Theodore Wheeler at the Hotel Nexus near 2100 North Northgate Way. Officers responding to reports of gunfire found Wheeler dead in the hotel parking lot.

Three days later, Andrews was arrested in California after leading police on a car chase. He was booked into the Contra Costa County Jail on local charges, a juvenile warrant out of Sacramento, and the Seattle homicide warrant.

However, CCCSO officials say that on October 22, Andrews was erroneously released from the jail. The sheriff’s office described the incident as a “procedural failure” under active review.

“The Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the release of an inmate identified as 20-year-old Isaiah Jamon Andrews of Kent, Washington,” the department said in a statement. “After Sheriff’s Office staff realized Andrews had been released, we launched a search of the immediate area and confirmed that Andrews was no longer in the area.”

A multi-agency manhunt is now underway, led by the US Marshals Service, with assistance from Seattle Police and California law enforcement.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about Andrews’ whereabouts to call 911 immediately. Tips can also be directed to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office at (925) 646-2441, emailed to tips@so.cccounty.us, or reported anonymously at (866) 846-3592.