Published January 3 2013
Lakewood Police on Wednesday arrested Ja'mari Alexander-Alan Jones, 19, who previously had been charged with murder in connection with a Christmas Eve shooting at the Munchbar in downtown Bellevue.
Just after 8 p.m., Lakewood officers took Jones into custody after a random license plate check of a Toyota Corolla during a traffic stop. The vehicle had been reported stolen in Auburn. More patrol units were called to assist in a high-risk vehicle stop in the 10800 block of Pacific Highway South.
Both Jones and his 20 year-old girlfriend, Maliesha Imunique Saleem, were arrested without incident for possession of a stolen vehicle. During the traffic stop investigation, police determined that Jones was wanted for the Bellevue murder.
Both Jones and Saleem were taken to the Bellevue Police Department jail. Both were interviewed by detectives and later transported to the King County Jail. Jones was booked for second-degree murder and is being held in lieu of $5 million bail. Saleem was booked for rendering criminal assistance. Prosecutors may file other charges against Jones and Saleem.
Jones is suspected in the early morning shooting at the Munchbar, a popular nightclub at Bellevue Square mall. An altercation led up to the shooting, which left a Seattle man dead and a Renton man badly injured.
Bellevue Police officers and officers from surrounding police agencies responded immediately. There were reportedly more than 600 patrons at the bar at the time of the shooting, and the situation was chaotic as police tried to secure the scene. Surveillance video and statements from witnesses helped detectives identify the shooter as Jones.