John Ray Lomack, a 55-year-old resident of Seattle, has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. With a history of run-ins with the law dating back to the 1980s, Lomack was caught on surveillance camera stealing a 70-inch television worth over $600 from a Target store in downtown Seattle.
According to Target staff, Lomack had been repeatedly shoplifting from their store since October. In fact, he had stolen from the store a whopping twenty-two times before finally being apprehended when he tried to make off with the stolen television. Video footage captured Lomack nonchalantly loading the large TV box into a shopping cart and simply walking out of the store without even attempting to pay for it. Shockingly, Lomack has managed to steal over $6,000 worth of goods from this Target location alone since starting his spree in October.
In the video, security guards can be seen trying to stop Lomack from leaving through the rotating door, but he cleverly evades their efforts and exits through another exit. He then proceeds to drag the television down the street until eventually being confronted by the Seattle police, who ordered him to relinquish the stolen property.
Unsurprisingly, Lomack vehemently denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he had purchased the TV but couldn’t produce a receipt. When the police tried to arrest him, he resisted, leading to a physical struggle before eventually being taken into custody and charged with burglary. The TV, which was originally priced at $750, was on sale for $600 at the time.
It is believed that Lomack is homeless, and this fact played a role in his encounter with Judge Kuljinder Dhillon, who has gained a reputation for being lenient towards homeless suspects. In December, Judge Dhillon had released Lomack without bond for a previous burglary offense, and now he finds himself back in a similar situation. A King County prosecutor argued for a $5,000 bond, citing Lomack’s extensive criminal history with 32 previous arrests and cases dating back to 1985.
Despite these concerns, Lomack appeared before a different judge, Melinda Young, who also decided to release the homeless suspect without bail. The reason given was that Lomack had become “medically unavailable” due to a recent exposure to COVID-19 and was required to continue his quarantine until it was completed. Like Judge Dhillon, Judge Young has gained a reputation for being lenient towards homeless offenders.
The lenient rulings by these judges have sparked outrage among conservatives who believe that suspected offenders should be held behind bars. Commenting on the situation, 770 KTTH Radio host Jason Rantz expressed his frustration, stating, “Homeless people have completely taken over downtown Seattle.”
These events have brought the question to the forefront: Should Seattle’s judges reconsider how they handle cases involving homeless suspects? The debate continues.
