On Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, there was a hearing for Julio Andres Ramirez-Santiago, a Des Moines man arrested for an alleged bomb threat on Saturday (Jan. 16) at the downtown Seattle FBI office.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office asked that Mr. Ramirez-Santiago be held on $250,000 bail. A judge agreed and found probable cause for a bomb threat and first-degree reckless burning.
The bomb threat resulted in the closing down and evacuation of a large area in downtown Seattle near an FBI office.
Charging papers say that Ramirez-Santiago intentionally set fire to the rear passenger side tire of his vehicle; here are more details from the Prosecutor’s Office:
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- A Seattle Police Officer asked the driver for ID to verify if he was the registered owner of the vehicle, and he provided a Mexico ID/Voter Card.
- Ramirez-Santiago stated (through a translator) that he had intentionally set the fire with the hopes of attracting police.
- He stated that his family had been kidnapped in Mexico City, and that he had received a call from an unknown person telling him to drive the truck with a bomb in it to the FBI office, or they would kill his family.
- At this point, police secured the suspect, and called for a supervisor and the Arson/Bomb Squad.
- The officer says he noticed several exposed wires, taped items, a gasoline canister, and other items in the truck. Additionally the suspect had phones as well as an RFI transmitter and an unknown remote with the diagram of a vehicle on it.
- The area was evacuated, and a large portion of the city was shut down.
“Upon further questioning, the suspect stated that he had been awake for two days, was a meth user, and that he heard the ‘voices’ tell him to park here,” charging documents said. “He did not know if his family had been kidnapped – he only knew that he could not reach them. He admitted that he did not know if he had a bomb.”
Ramirez-Santiago is expected to remain in the King County Jail prior to a Thursday hearing.
