Woman charged in Capitol Hill machete attack linked to deadly N. Seattle motel fire
https://komonews.com/news/operation-crime-justice/woman-charged-in-capitol-hill-machete-attack-linked-to-deadly-n-seattle-motel-fire
SEATTLE — A woman accused of slashing a security guard with a machete last week in Capitol Hill is also linked to an arson at a notorious North Seattle motel in which two people were killed two months ago.
Prosecutors said they are now taking a second look at Ernanda Bendtsen and whether she should be charged in connection with the fire at Hillside Motel, located in the 2400 block of Aurora Avenue North.
“We’ve got two birds with one stone," said security guard Wade Biller, who was injured during an attack by a machete-wielding Bendtsen . "It’s a lot to take in and digest at this point.”
,Bill suffered several gashes to his arm after the woman allegedly confronted him as he was patrolling Capitol Hill last week.
She remained at the King County Jail on Monday, and is due to return to court on Sept. 24 for an arraignment in that case.
It was not immediately clear what Bendsten’s exact involvement may have been at the motel, but prosecutors are now re-examining the case to determine what charges could be filed against her.
“We know there is a history there, but the history is not cases that have been referred to us in king county,” said Casey McNerthney, a spokesman for the King County prosecutor’s office.
Bendsten’s criminal history includes a felony conviction for stealing a car in California along with arrests in Ohio and Florida. She has also been named in an ongoing malicious mischief case in Bremerton.