By Rhiannon Koh, AsAmNews Contributor
AsAmNews has just confirmed the name of the victim of a vicious King County attack in a Seattle neighborhood that took place on January 31, 2022.
According to charging documents obtained by AsAmNews, Shengnan Wang was walking home from work when she was unexpectedly and violently struck from behind. Surveillance video shows a man striking her with a baseball bat. Wang suffered concussion trauma as well as fractures to her skull. She was scheduled to receive surgery on Feb. 8.
Under arrest for the crime is 31-year-old Wantez Jamel Tulloss. Since 2012, courts in Washington State have issued 11 warrants for his arrest. Tulloss currently has an outstanding warrant from Kirkland Municipal court for theft in the 3rd degree.
Prosecuting attorney Daniel T. Satterberg argued for and obtained a $150,000 bail based on the likelihood that Tulloss would fail to appear in response to a summons or that he might commit another violent offense. Tulloss remains in jail.
A report from the prosecutor’s office of the camera evidence reads as follows: “The video shows the victim walking alone down the sidewalk in Belltown. It was just after 6pm, dark outside, and her hood was up. [Tulloss] walked up behind her, bat in his left hand, and two bags in his right. He saw [Wang] and quickly put down the two bags he was carrying, so he could use both hands to swing the bat. He then took a full body swing at her head with the baseball bat, striking her in the side of the head and knocking her to the ground.”
Seattle Police Department Detective James L. Cooper spoke to Wang. She said she did not remember much of the assault because the attacker came from behind, she did not see who it was. She is currently staying with a friend while she remains in bed, immobilized by her injuries.
Wang, who also works at Amazon, told Cooper that her family is in China and it was very hard for her family to hear about this.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has since charged Tulloss with Assault in the First Degree.
There have also been questions about possible hate crime.
The county’s communication director Casey McNerthney told AsAmNews via email: “If we can prove a hate crime, we will charge that. Right now, with what has been sent to us by investigators, the crime we can prove is Assault in the First Degree – which also has a significantly longer sentencing range set by state lawmakers. But regardless of the sentencing ranges, if we get information that can prove a hate crime in this case or others, we’ll charge that hate crime.
If convicted, Tulloss could face up to 12 years in addition to another 36 months of community custody.
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Rope
Is there a gofundme for Shengan Wang?