TACOMA, Wash — A man was charged with first-degree murder in the July 23 shooting death of a woman in a Tacoma hotel parking lot.
The man, identified as Nazieere D'Mikhal Thomas, was also charged with second-degree murder and attempting to elude police.
The Tacoma Police Department responded to reports that a woman was shot in a hotel parking lot at 8820 S. Hosmer St. just before 9 p.m. on July 23. Officers found the woman in the driver's seat of a car and provided her with first aid, but she was later pronounced dead at the scene by the Tacoma Fire Department.
Witnesses to the shooting said a vehicle drove by them in the parking lot only for the driver to return five minutes later, shooting at them as the car drove past, according to probable cause documents.
Detectives took an image captured from surveillance footage of the suspect car to a Honda dealership where two salespeople identified the vehicle as a 2022 Honda Insight, according to court documents. Detectives then searched for recent incidents involving that type of car and discovered one was stolen from a tow yard on South Tacoma Way four days earlier.
Detectives learned the car had been towed from a home in University Place on July 19 and the car was currently being rented from Zip Car. The car was being rented by Thomas's girlfriend's mother, according to court documents.
When interviewed, the woman said Thomas was the only person who drove the vehicle and she confirmed he was driving it on the night of the murder, according to court documents.
Detectives found the suspect's vehicle on July 25 just after 2:45 p.m. Officers tried to stop the car in the area of South 56th Street and Tacoma Mall Boulevard, but the suspect fled and struck the bumper of a vehicle stopped at a light at South 56th and South Alaska Street.
Police said the suspect continued driving to the northbound Interstate 5 onramp before the car was disabled. Thomas was arrested at the scene, police said.
Police have not provided a motive for the shooting.
Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore announced his plan to reduce crime in front of the City Council on July 12.
As of July 3, there were at least 24 homicides in Tacoma. That was more than a 118% increase compared to the same time last year.
The chief first outlined his plan three months ago. The first phase will focus on extra patrols in city "hot spots." The second will focus on violent offenders through local and state partnerships. The third phase encourages community engagement.
