Man charged for Aug. 18 Federal Way killing at apartment

A suspect has been charged with murder after he shot and killed another man who was letting him stay in his home at The Shores Apartments in Federal Way.

On Aug. 25, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Matthew David Krutenat, 45, with second-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle. These charges stem from the shooting death of Rashawn Nikkovone Lucas, which occurred at about 7:30 a.m. Aug. 18 at The Shores Apartments, 31821 Third Place SW, Federal Way.

According to the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention jail lookup portal, Krutenat was booked into the King County Correctional Facility at 12:36 a.m. Aug. 21 and remains in jail on $2 million bail.

Krutenat’s next court date is an arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 8, according to King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Douglas Wagoner. An arraignment is where the defendant usually enters a plea of guilty or not guilty.

Details of the case

Around 7:32 a.m. Aug. 18 ,Federal Way Police Department officers responded to a shooting call located at 31821 Third Place SW, Building 11, at The Shores Apartments. Documents state that when 911 dispatch received a call reporting the incident, a female was heard screaming something along the lines of, “He’s bleeding,” and not answering questions.

According to documents, when officers arrived on the scene, a woman, later identified as Lucas’ girlfriend, was screaming about there having been a shooting, and she was pointing at a green Honda sedan in the parking lot, and the girlfriend said that Lucas had been shot.

Documents state that officers entered Lucas’ and his girlfriend’s apartment and found him unconscious, lying on the floor. Lucas was pronounced dead at the scene, appearing to have suffered a single gunshot wound to his left shoulder.

According to a GoFundMe organized by Lucas’ sister, they are seeking funds to help cover his memorial service and remembrance of his life.

An evidence search was subsequently conducted, uncovering a handgun in nearby brush, documents state. Officers located a .45 caliber pistol and a black suppressor. Several witnesses stated that they had seen Krutenat in possession of a .45 caliber pistol with a suppressor on multiple occasions.

Additionally, documents state that Lucas’ girlfriend said that she knew that Krutenat had a firearm with a “silencer” on it because she saw him on Facebook Live at one point in the past shoot it out the window of a car, and heard the muffled sound it made at that time.

Documents state that Lucas’ girlfriend said that on Aug. 17, Krutenat, who has the nickname “Mateo,” and another female asked if they could come to her apartment to take showers. Krutenat and the female went to the apartment, despite Lucas and Krutenat having underlying issues with one another. Lucas’ girlfriend said that Lucas had once cheated with the female, and she didn’t believe Krutenat had gotten over it.

Lucas’ girlfriend said that on Aug. 17, they had all been getting along, but that she told Krutenat and the female that they needed to move a green Honda they parked in the lot in front of the building, but they failed to do so, documents state. Lucas’ girlfriend believed that the green Honda was stolen, and the morning of Aug. 18, she told Lucas about the vehicle.

“She said Lucas left their bedroom, and she believed he went to the apartment’s other bedroom, where [the female] and Mateo were staying, to confront them about the Honda,” documents state. “A few seconds later, she heard what she described as a loud noise she believed was a gunshot, although she described it like it was a loud pop of rushing air.”

Lucas’ girlfriend said that she heard a scream and went to see what happened and saw Lucas stumbling backward before he fell to the ground, documents state. She said she saw Krutenat holding a gun and asked him why he shot Lucas before Krutenat and the female left the apartment.

According to documents, in June, Krutenat and the female were contacted by Federal Way police officers after they were squatting in an empty garage, and at that scene, there was the same green Honda that was at the scene of the killing. Documents state that at the time, the green Honda was not reported stolen, but it was reported stolen when it was at the scene of the killing. Officers found Krutenat and the female’s fingerprints on the stolen green Honda.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy of Lucas’ body and found that he suffered a single gunshot wound. The bullet, which appeared to be a .45 caliber bullet, entered Lucas’ left shoulder and moved laterally across his chest, striking both of his lungs, his trachea and his aorta, causing his death, according to the medical examiner’s office.