EXCLUSIVE: Homeless suspect in murder of Seattle bus driver revealed to be Venezuelan illegal immigrant

An ICE spokesperson confirmed to The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “ICE Seattle lodged an immigration detainer with the Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington, against Richard Sitzlack Bastidas, an illegal alien from Venezuela.” The spokesperson added that if local authorities honor the detainer, the agency will hold Sitzlack accountable for immigration violations and place him into removal proceedings.

ICE said on background that the agency lodges immigration detainers against illegal immigrants who have been arrested for criminal activity and taken into custody by state or local law enforcement. An immigration detainer is a request from ICE to state or local law enforcement agencies to notify ICE as early as possible before a removable alien is released from their custody. Detainers request that state or local law enforcement agencies maintain custody of the immigrant for a period not to exceed 48 hours beyond the time the individual would otherwise be released from criminal custody, allowing ICE to assume custody for removal purposes in accordance with federal law.

Seattle, King County, and Washington state are all so-called “sanctuary jurisdictions,” and it is unclear if the detainer will be honored.

ICE explained that detainers are critical public safety tools because they focus enforcement resources on illegal immigrants who have been arrested for criminal activity, such as homicide, armed robbery, assault, and sexual assault against women and children, and other egregious crimes.

“Detainers increase the safety of all parties involved, such as ICE officers, law enforcement officials, the removable alien, and the public, because it allows ICE to arrest these individuals in a secure and controlled custodial setting as opposed to at-large where a criminal alien can continue harming the community in which they would have otherwise been released. Additionally, detainers conserve scarce government resources by allowing ICE to take criminal aliens into custody directly rather than expending resources locating these aliens at-large.”

According to court documents and surveillance footage from Metro Bus #7011 and nearby businesses, the confrontation in question began shortly after Sitzlack boarded the Route 70 bus at 2:49 am. He sat near the front of the bus and almost immediately began arguing with driver Shawn Yim over an open window. When Yim re-opened the window to prevent fogging, Sitzlack protested that he was cold and made disparaging remarks about the driver. Yim eventually told him he needed to exit the bus.

At 2:53 am, Sitzlack approached Yim and pepper-sprayed him in the face before stepping off the bus. Yim followed but stumbled as he exited, while the suspect continued spraying him at close range.

Surveillance footage shows Sitzlack delivering a forceful kick to Yim as the driver fell to the ground. The two men briefly disappeared from view, but additional cameras captured Yim trailing Sitzlack north along University Way NE.

Video from multiple businesses showed that in a Wells Fargo parking lot, Sitzlack abruptly turned and ran toward Yim. A physical struggle followed, and Yim collapsed at approximately 2:54 am. The footage shows Sitzlack standing over the driver and pushing him back down as he attempted to rise. Another struggle occurred on the ground before Sitzlack walked away toward University Way NE.

A witness, identified as DTJ, later entered the camera’s view and found Yim unresponsive against the Wells Fargo building. In the video, DTJ can be heard saying, “Oh my god he’s on the floor… I think he’s dead.” Seattle homicide detectives recovered a knife sheath on the sidewalk and a blood-covered fixed-blade knife in a nearby garbage can. Police also identified another witness who had seen the altercation on the bus and called 911 when Yim was initially pepper-sprayed.

DTJ told investigators that he recognized Sitzlack from the SHARE/WHEEL Tent City #3 shelter, where Sitzlack had once applied for temporary shelter. According to DTJ, Sitzlack had previously mentioned being involved in disputes at other homeless encampments and had left shortly after arriving.

Seattle police arrested Sitzlack after a manhunt in December when officers discovered him sleeping in the back of another Metro bus. A judge later found probable cause for Murder in the Second Degree with a Deadly Weapon and Assault in the Third Degree.

Sitzlack has an extensive criminal history for violent offenses. In 2023, he was arrested on felony homicide charges in the fatal stabbing of his roommate. Though prosecutors found probable cause, Seattle homicide detectives failed to file a rush charging decision, resulting in Sitzlack’s release after 72 hours by Judge Rebecca Robertson. Investigators have not yet charged him in that case, citing insufficient evidence to disprove self-defense. Sitzlack also has prior convictions from a 2012 King County incident involving assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Despite Sitzlack’s face being displayed across the media during the manhunt, King County Superior Court Judge Dave Keenan ruled at a hearing in January that the media couldn't show Sitzlack’s face.

The killing occurred less than 48 hours after Metro announced the closure of several bus stops in the Chinatown-International District due to rising safety concerns affecting both drivers and riders. Since 2023, attacks on transit drivers have increased by more than 80 percent, and passenger assaults on Seattle’s light rail have risen by over 53 percent.