Seattle Crime Report

On February 17, 2025, an incident at Uwajimaya grocery store located at 600 5th Ave S in Seattle led to the arrest of Leslie R. Koch on charges of fourth-degree assault. The incident began at approximately 1:11 PM when Koch, who is permanently banned from the store, was seen vaping inside by security personnel.

The store's Security Supervisor, Jaff I. Togi, recognized Koch from previous encounters. Upon asking her to leave the premises, Koch refused and continued to vape inside the store. The situation escalated when Koch, becoming agitated, spat in Togi's face and attempted to strike him with her fist, although she missed.

Christopher J. Sanchez, another security guard at the store, corroborated Togi's account, explaining that both guards had approached Koch with the intention of escorting her out without incident. However, once outside, Koch was subdued by security until the police arrived.

Seattle Police Officer Justin Fermant was the primary investigator at the scene and attempted to establish contact with Koch. According to officer statements, Koch exhibited bizarre behavior and made several strange claims, including being related to Russian President Vladimir Putin and having royal ancestry. Despite her claims of being body slammed and strangled, no injuries were observed.

Given her behavior and claims, the Seattle Fire Department was called to evaluate Koch, who was cleared medically. Subsequently, Koch was arrested and booked into King County Jail. The store management was not present to provide video footage at the time, but contact information was exchanged for potential future evidence retrieval.