Issaquah: Bail set at $250,000 for stabbing suspect

Bail for the 19-year-old suspect in a fatal stabbing case that occurred Friday night was set at $250,000 during a hearing at the King County Jail in Seattle on Monday afternoon. The woman has not yet been booked but is being held for investigation of second-degree murder, according to the booking log. Police believe that the suspect stabbed Tomasz Matczak, 21, one time in the chest during a physical argument Friday night at the Windsong Apartments in the 600 block of Front Street South, according to court documents. During her brief court appearance, a judge allowed photographs of the suspect, but not of her face. The defense attorney requested that the suspect's face not be shown because he said he was worried it could prejudice potential jury members. The suspect stood quietly, with her hands laced loosely behind her back. She looked once at the audience at the end of the hearing. A man who was there on her behalf declined to identify himself or speak with reporters. The Reporter is not identifying the suspect until charges are filed against her. Prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges. According to police and hospital officials, the suspect drove Matczak to the Swedish Medical Center Issaquah emergency department. They arrived at 10:13 p.m., and police were called to investigate by about 10:20 p.m. When the suspect drove up, she told medical staff that her boyfriend was dead. She said that she had her daughter in the vehicle and needed to take her to her parents' house and would return, according to the certification for determination of probable cause. Medical staff pulled Matczak from the truck and started CPR. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead eight minutes before arriving, the document said. Issaquah Police officers were waiting at the apartment complex when the suspect arrived and was arrested, shortly before midnight. Police recovered a "medium-sized steak knife," which the suspect was carrying and dropped when they asked her to do so. The suspect at first told detectives that she had nothing to hide and had "just came from school," referring to the Gene Juarez academy in Seattle where she was a student, according to court documents. Later after being advised of her rights, the suspect said she and Matczak had been dating for four years and have a 2-year-old daughter in common. She said that late last week, Matczak had been mad at her because the house was not clean. On Friday, he said he would pick her up from school but then did not. When she arrived at home, he became very angry. She told officers that she was looking for a key to Matczak's truck, when he began to struggle with her, eventually pushing her over a couch and holding her down, the papers state. The suspect said that she then grabbed a knife, turned a bit and brought her arm back, which poked the knife into Matczak's chest slightly. "He started bleeding and said, '(Name omitted) oh my God, what happened?" she told detectives, saying that she had just wanted him to let her go. According to the probable cause statement, the suspect has been arrested for second-degree assault previously, and officials believe she is a flight risk because she has family outside the United States. Court records show that on April 15, 2005, at a friend's apartment in Fife, neighbors called to report a domestic dispute between the then-16-year-old girl and then-18-year-old Matczak. Officers contacted the suspect, who was intoxicated, and told them that her boyfriend beat her up but would not cooperate with the investigation. She gave a fake name and tried to walk away, but officers noticed scratches on her back that were bleeding. Upon entering the apartment, they found Matczak hiding in a bedroom, with a bloody nose that he said his girlfriend had inflicted. Both were arrested for investigation of fourth degree domestic violence assault. After that, Matczak was served with a no-contact order, according to court documents. In another incident, the girlfriend ran away from home to Matczak's residence in early August 2005. On Aug. 13, the two went to a party together in the early morning hours. At 3 a.m., they left and drove around, and Matczak began accusing her of cheating on him. Over the next three days, he refused to help her get home, forced her to sleep in the car, left her at several locations without transportation and was physically abusive with her on several occasions, including two incidents where she said he strangled her. Matczak was later charged and sentenced in connection with those incidents. Last month, the two were back in court on yet another protection order request. It was unclear whether the order was in effect at the time of Friday's dispute. The couple's daughter is now being cared for by family members, Issaquah Police Deputy Chief Steve Cozart said.

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