Court records say the defendant had 28 arrests, 13 convictions and nine active warrants.
SEATTLE, WA — A 36-year-old Seattle man was charged Wednesday with first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping after police said he forced a 15-year-old girl from a Northgate bus stop into nearby woods and sexually assaulted her Monday morning.
Joshua V. Kowalczewski is being held in the King County Jail on $1 million bail as prosecutors point to both the seriousness of the new charges and his long criminal history. Charging records say he has had 46 warrants issued since 2008, including nine active warrants across five jurisdictions when he was arrested.
Police said the attack began around 9 a.m. Monday, May 4, near Northeast 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast, close to the Northgate transit area. The girl was waiting for a bus when Kowalczewski approached her, asked her age and made comments about her appearance, according to court documents. Prosecutors said he threatened her and demanded that she go with him into a nearby wooded area. The girl went with him because she feared what he might do if she refused, investigators wrote. Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said the attack was “unacceptable” and said children should be able to travel safely without fear.
A construction worker told investigators he saw Kowalczewski approach the girl and thought the contact looked suspicious, according to court documents. The worker said he watched the two walk toward the woods, crossed the street and followed. He then heard the girl scream and ran toward the area. The girl came out crying and looking terrified, the witness told police. A second witness also heard the scream and later gave officers a detailed description of the man she saw leaving the area at a quick pace. Firefighters treated the girl at the scene, and medics took her to Seattle Children’s Hospital for evaluation. Police said she had minor injuries.
Detectives with the Seattle Police Department’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit processed the scene, interviewed witnesses and collected evidence. Investigators also reviewed surveillance video from a nearby business that they said helped place the suspect in the area around the time of the assault. Police said Kowalczewski ran before officers arrived. About two hours later, firefighters who had responded to the teen recognized a man matching the suspect description near Aurora Avenue North and North 115th Street. Officers arrested him there around 10:50 a.m. Police said he was taken to Seattle Police Headquarters for an interview before being booked into jail for investigation of rape and kidnapping.
The case drew attention beyond the immediate allegations because of Kowalczewski’s record. Charging documents say he has had 28 arrests and 13 convictions over 19 years. Those convictions include assault, DUI, violating a protection order, theft and other offenses. Police also said he had active warrants from Snohomish County and Puyallup Municipal Court. King County jail records cited in local reports showed he had been released from custody the week before the Northgate attack in a separate case. Prosecutors said one recent drug possession case involving Kowalczewski had been routed into a therapeutic alternative diversion program, which likely would not have led to jail time even if he had been convicted.
Prosecutors charged Kowalczewski on May 6 with first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping. They said those charges more accurately describe the alleged conduct and carry more severe penalties than a rape of a child charge would if he is convicted as charged. The case remains in an early stage, and the allegations have not been proved in court. A judge set bail at $1 million after reviewing the new case, pending matters and Kowalczewski’s prior convictions. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 11.
Neighbors and people who use the Northgate area told local reporters the assault left them shaken, especially because it happened in daylight near a busy transit corridor. The area around Northeast 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast includes bus stops, apartment buildings, sidewalks and patches of trees near major roads. Witness accounts helped officers move quickly from the scene to the arrest, according to police. Barnes said the city and community must support victims and prosecute those responsible for stealing vulnerable people’s sense of safety.
Kowalczewski remained in custody Friday as the felony case moved toward arraignment. The next scheduled milestone is his May 11 court appearance, where the case is expected to proceed under the charges filed by King County prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.