Swinomish Police capture murder suspect

Swinomish Police caught the suspect who was wanted in the stabbing death of a 21-year-old Auburn man.

After allegedly stabbing Jaseree Fountain numerous times last Thursday, Auburn Police sent out a bulletin to be on the lookout for the murder suspect, Fritz Ratcliffe, who was thought to be en route to Oak Harbor.

Swinomish Officer John Riddle was staged at the Swinomish Chevron station on Highway 20, when dispatch notified officers in the area that the suspect was driving a silver Dodge Charger and possibly en route to Oak Harbor.

“Officer John Riddle looked at his watch and realized that the murder happened 45 minutes ago,” said Swinomish Police Chief Andrew Thorne. “So he parked alongside Highway 20 west of the twin bridges and clocked a silver Dodge Charger doing well over 100 miles per hour.”

Officer Riddle then radioed ahead to Anacortes Police Department, ran the license plates and verified that he was after the suspect vehicle.

The Charger was stopped at Sharps Corner at about 3 a.m. Friday, Thorne said.

The suspect did not resist arrest, and the Auburn Police towed the car and took custody of Ratcliffe.

“The suspect was thought to be heading to his father’s house in Oak Harbor,” Thorne said.

“The Swinomish Police Department and Anacortes Police Department work really well together as well as with the Skagit Sheriff,” he said.

Ratcliffe, 26, is held on suspicion of murder in the King County Correctional Facility on $1 million bail.