By LAUREN SILVER Court TV
SEATTLE (Court TV) — Police have arrested a suspect on murder and kidnapping charges in the disappearance of a woman who was last seen at a Seattle Mariners baseball game.
Seattle police confirmed they had arrested a 46-year-old suspect in the case of Leticia Martinez-Cosman. Martinez-Cosman was last seen on March 31st at T-Mobile Park during a game.
Martinez-Cosman and Gitchel appear in a photo taken at the Seattle Mariners game on March 31. (Seattle Police Department)
The last photo of Martinez-Cosman shows her at a baseball game with a man, whom Seattle police confirmed they interviewed.
Brett Gitchel was charged with attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, first-degree theft and unlawful possession of a firearm, KING reported. Police said Gitchel’s cell phone data showed he went to a remote area in the mountains after the victim disappeared and he allegedly kidnapped her son.
Martinez-Cosman’s son, who is in his 20s with special needs, told detectives investigating his mother’s disappearance that he was attacked by a strange man, KIRO reported. He said the man knocked on his bedroom door and had facial hair and glasses.
The stranger told Martinez-Cosman’s son, who was not identified, that his mother had been in an accident and he was going to take him to see her at the hospital, according to KING. After driving in a car for hours, the son said the suspect then stopped and attempted to strangle him with “an unknown type of material.”
Leticia Martinez-Cosman has not been seen since March 31. (Seattle Police Department)
The son was able to escape from the car and call 911. Martinez-Cosman’s car was found engulfed in flames hours later, and investigators told KIRO that the fire appeared to be intentionally set.
According to court documents obtained by KCPQ, Gitchel had a Seattle Mariners attendance wristband on when he was arrested, but took it off and put it into his pocket before police interviewed him. Gitchel first denied knowing the victim and then told detectives that she had left the game with another man.
Gitchel is also suspected of being involved in the theft of $10,000 worth of jewelry on April 4 from the Costco where he reportedly met Martinez-Cosman, KCPQ reported. The pair met on March 19 at the store when Martinez-Costman was there with a friend and the two exchanged numbers.
Gitchel has previous convictions on his record, KIRO found, including felony drug and theft charges.
