2:14 PM: This arrest was just announced via SPD Blotter:
Seattle police narcotics detectives and SPD’s SWAT team arrested a 51-year-old prolific drug trafficker in West Seattle last week following a monthslong narcotics investigation stemming from a previous arrest.
Detectives started their investigation looking for a suspected drug supplier after they arrested a man in the 2600 block of Southwest Cambridge Street on July 16, for selling Fentanyl and Methamphetamine from his RV.
Their investigation into the supplier identified the man, living in SeaTac, WA. Detectives found him to be a convicted felon with extensive criminal history, including violations for selling controlled substances and many other crimes.
While surveilling him, detectives found that he frequently traveled from SeaTac, spending several hours selling narcotics in the South Park, White Center, and Westwood Village neighborhoods. His actions contribute to drug overdoses, retail theft, car prowls, and car thefts in the area, according to detectives.
SPD investigators developed probable cause to arrest him for a Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act for Possession with Intent to Deliver Fentanyl.
On Oct. 15, at about 10:30 p.m., detectives surveilled the suspect as he drove with his wife and children to the shopping center in Westwood Village.
While his family shopped, he walked across the street into Roxhill Park, to sell narcotics. Almost immediately, suspected narcotic users, who appeared to be waiting for him for drugs, began approaching him.
Shortly thereafter, the SWAT team arrested the 51-year-old without incident.
Roxhill Park is less than a mile from Chief Sealth International High School. Its trails are an opportunistic location for drug users, drug dealing, and selling stolen items, providing a veil of protection from the public eye, according to narcotics detectives.
Oftentimes, the suspect would access an electric scooter from his vehicle and ride around on it, selling narcotics, making it easy for him to maneuver through the park.
During the arrest, detectives recovered:
•178.6g powdered Fentanyl
•42.2g Methamphetamine
•41.5g white powdery substance
•$291 Cash
• Drug paraphernalia, scale, packaging baggies
Police booked the suspect into the King County Jail for multiple drug crimes. His bail is set at $250,000.
Incident Number: 2025-200398
We are checking with prosecutors regarding the case’s status.
3:53 PM: The suspect, 51-year-old Antonio J. Kent, has been charged with two drug felonies and pleaded not guilty this morning. A judge rejected his request for reduced bail and he remains in the King County Jail, bail set at a quarter-million dollars. We’re reading the charging documents now and will add any additional information of note.
4 PM: Kent is described in the documents as having a record of 39 convictions, 11 of which were felonies, dating back into the ’90s and ending in 2019, for crimes including robbery, theft, assault, DUI, trespass, stolen-car possession. He also is reported to have had 54 warrants issued over the years and was labeled in a national database as a “career criminal.”
4:47 PM: We sent a photo request to the state Department of Corrections, which can provide photos to media if the person was ever in their system. The photo added above and to the right is the newest one they had, from 2016.
