SoDo business owners call for action in wake of violent ax attack at encampment

SEATTLE — Frustrated business owners are demanding action in the wake of a violent and disturbing attack last month by a man at a notorious homeless encampment in SoDo in which the suspect allegedly used an ax, pole and a wooden plank to attack his victim.

Julian Brassea—Caballero, 43, has now been charged with assault in connection with the overnight beating on April 29 at the camp, located at 3rd Ave. S. and S. Walker Street. As of Thursday, he remained at the King County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bon

Prosecutors and the judge agreed to the high bail to keep the accused attacker off the streets. He is expected back in court on May 16.

The latest attack comes as city leaders have finally acknowledged rising crime near encampments. The vicious ax attack is disturbing but not surprising for business owners.

“There has been this overall feeling of lawlessness and our businesses for a long time have felt completely abandoned and ignored,” said Erin Goodman, executive director of the SoDo Business Improvement Area. “While not everyone living in these encampments is involved in criminal activity, the encampment themselves are dangerous.”

According to court documents, Brassea—Caballero busted into the tent where the victim was asleep before hitting him in the head with an ax and then beating him with a pipe and plywood.

A few days later, someone burned down the accused attacker’s tent at the same encampment.

Goodman said she's been pushing for action for years.

“This area that we’re standing in has not had any interaction with social workers or the city in two years,” Goodman. “And it has developed into an unsafe situation for everyone involved.”

According to court documents, Brassea—Caballero’s “intent was clear, telling the victim multiple times that he was going to kill him or take him out.”

Court documents also show he was acting “out of control” and “delusional” before the attack.

The suspect's criminal history includes 17 arrests, a felony assault conviction in 2019, several misdemeanor convictions for assault and assault with sexual motivation.

Not too far from where the ax attack, another incident was reported in which a woman repeatedly stabbed a man at their encampment on 13th Ave. South.

He fired back at the woman with an AK 47 type rifle which was later confiscated by police.

“People have access to guns more, and pretty much everyone has a knife,” said interim Seattle police Chief Adrian Diaz. “So, when we’re seeing assaults, it’s resulting in some level of weapons in these encampments.”

KOMO News recently asked Chief Diaz what’s being done to fight the rising crimes, especially now that city leaders have directly tied them to encampments.

“We’re creating teams like the unified care team that the city is creating, making sure we’re giving people resources,” said Chief Diaz. “But at the end of the day we have to deal with some of the criminal activity and public safety issues that are in many of these encampments, and we’ve got to clean that up.”

Businesses say they’re optimistic, but the city needs to take action fast.

“This street needs attention now,” Goodman said. “While we want to be patient, the situation that’s happening here, we can no longer be patient.”