A man arrested in connection with Tuesday’s homicide investigation in unincorporated King County near Auburn was ordered held on $2 million bail during a first appearance hearing Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 25, 2026.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office argued there was probable cause for Murder in the Second Degree and requested bail be set at $2 million. After hearing from both sides, the first appearance court set bail at that amount. The defendant remains in custody.

As we previously reported, the arrest stems from a welfare check on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at a condominium in the 28700 block of 34th Ave South in unincorporated King County near Auburn.

According to the King County Sheriff’s Office first appearance document, deputies responded after a 911 caller reported finding a woman unresponsive inside the residence.

Deputies arrived shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday and found the victim unresponsive on the floor of the residence with visible facial injuries, including swollen eyes and blood from her nose.

Sadly, aid personnel pronounced her dead at 2:09 p.m., according to the probable cause statement.

A roommate of the victim and suspect told deputies he had left for work around 1:30 a.m. that morning and returned home about 1:10 p.m., when he noticed blankets piled on the living room floor. After moving a blanket, he found the victim lying on her back with her eyes open and her arms folded across her chest. He then went to a neighbor’s home to call 911, the documents state.

The roommate reported that the suspect had stopped taking prescribed medication about five months earlier and had a history of becoming violent when not medicated, according to the statement of probable cause.

Deputies established a perimeter around the residence and later located the suspect inside a bedroom. He was taken into custody without incident at about 3:58 p.m. and transported to SeaTac City Hall for an interview with Major Crimes detectives.

During a recorded interview, the suspect told detectives he believed he had killed his mother after an argument about school and finances. According to the probable cause statement, he described grabbing her in a choke hold, throwing her to the ground and stomping on her neck multiple times. He also said he placed pillows and blankets on top of her afterward and did not call 911.

Detectives noted that the suspect made numerous incoherent statements during the interview but ultimately acknowledged killing his mother.

Based on those statements and evidence gathered at the scene, the suspect was arrested for investigation of murder, the document states.

A first appearance hearing following an arrest is not the same as a felony charging decision, which carries a higher burden of proof. In most cases, police investigators send a formal case referral to prosecutors in the days following a first appearance.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said it has not yet received the formal felony referral from Sheriff’s Office investigators but anticipates receiving it by Friday for a charging decision.

The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.