Tukwila police released a statement on Tuesday, saying they have a person of interest in custody in connection with the death of taxi driver Nicholas Hokema.
His body was discovered on Jan. 15 in a Southcenter Mall parking lot—a medical examiner determined he was killed by “multiple sharp object injuries.”
Army Spc. Jonathan Kang Lee—a deserter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM)—was being sought in connection with a recent homicide when he was arrested last week in King County, a law enforcement official told The News Tribune.
Lee was last seen at JBLM on Jan. 14. He was convicted of child-sex charges in absentia on Jan. 19 and sentenced to 64 years in prison, the Army said.
“Specialist Lee was arrested by Army CID (Criminal Investigative Division) on charges unrelated to our investigation,” Tukwila Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Zachary Anderson said. Lee has not been charged in Hokema’s death.