Renton police, families slam King Co. judge for release of 2 violent suspects
Renton police, families slam King Co. judge for release of 2 violent suspects
A grieving mother and sister are demanding answers after the suspect charged with killing their loved one in a hit and run was released on low bail only to vanish.
RENTON, Wash. - A grieving mother and sister are demanding answers after the suspect charged with killing their loved one in a hit-and-run was released on low bail only to vanish. It's one of several recent decisions by King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender facing criticism.
What we know:
On September 7, 2024, dashcam footage captured the tragic moments leading up to the fatal hit-and-run that killed 60-year-old Tim Gerchmez. The video shows 19-year-old Urias Morales Perez, who was returning home from a birthday party, striking Gerchmez at the intersection of Airport Way and Rainier Avenue South. Gerchmez was walking in a crosswalk when he was struck, throwing him up on the windshield and shattering it.
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Tim Gerchmez
What they're saying:
"He didn't even tap on the brakes after hitting my son. He kept going and went home," said Phillis Gerchmez, Tim’s mother.
Shortly after the incident, Renton police located Morales Perez. Police say he was heavily intoxicated. Despite the severity of the charges—vehicular homicide and hit-and-run, and with a previous hit-and-run on his record—Judge Bender drastically reduced his bail from $100,000 to $10,000, allowing him to post just a $1,000 bond in cash. This decision was made in a court session where Tim's sister, Beth McIntyre, had joined via Zoom to express her concerns.
"I feel and I think my family feels that he remains a danger to the community and should stay in jail so he doesn't kill anyone else until his sentencing," McIntyre stated. "I didn’t even want him to have an ankle monitor. He killed somebody and should have been in jail until his sentencing."
Despite the family's pleas, Judge Bender stood by her decision.
"This is craziness. Why would you let a young 19-year-old go that killed a 60-year-old man and then not expect him to do it again?" added McIntyre.
The next month, Morales Perez was back in court where prosecutors asked that he be remanded to jail because the county had a backlog on setting up his electronic alcohol monitoring system.
Judge Bender ruled it wasn't his fault and denied the request, letting him go home with no monitor.
"So, I’m going to allow your client to remain in the community and a significant exercise of trust on my part. I’m going to believe that he is going to continue engaging in the good law-abiding behavior that he has been engaging in," she told his attorney in court.
With concerns for community safety, Renton Police Chief Jon Schuldt reached out to Judge Bender, challenging her earlier comments about Morales Perez's "good law-abiding behavior." In his letter, he wrote, "Good law-abiding behavior? Let’s not forget he killed a member of our community while operating a motor vehicle impaired. So, I can explain it to my community, can you please help me understand the logic of allowing Mr. Perez to be free pending trial. I feel as though his behavior has been minimized at the expense of public safety."

Letter to Judge Bender from Chief Schuldt
Chief Schuldt expressed his frustration during an interview at his office.
"I think it really thwarts the trust in the criminal justice system when our community sees it's almost like a revolving door. We're arresting these violent criminals and then allowing them back out on the street," he said.
On Nov. 8, Morales Perez failed to appear in court for a plea hearing. Judge Bender then signed a $200,000 bench warrant for his arrest.
He wasn't the first violent suspect arrested by Renton police and set free by Judge Bender.
Detectives arrested Jose Lopez for second-degree rape. Judge Bender ordered him released on electronic home monitoring. He cut off his GPS tracker and hasn't been seen since.

Jose Lopez (left), Judge Bender (middle), and Urias Perez (right)
Another suspect, Joumari Wilson, cut off his GPS tracker after being released by Bender and was on the run for over a year until he was recently arrested by the Renton PD Violent Crime Unit. Now, he's being held on $350,000 bail charged with new gun crimes prosecutors say he committed while free.
"I think she should be removed from the bench. I think she's done way more harm than good," said Phillis.
That's a challenge in Washington state. Judge Bender was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee in 2015 and later elected to the bench. Superior court judges are not subject to voter recall like other elected officials. Families of victims can file a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Commission. They can recommend that a judge be suspended but the state Supreme Court makes the final ruling.
The other side:
While judicial rules prevent judges from discussing their decisions in public, Judge Bender has previously addressed criticisms, telling the mother of a murder suspect at a bail hearing that she has empathy for her.
"I often get death threats based on the decisions that I made. I am very empathetic to the situation that the family finds themselves," said Judge Bender.
"Why is she on the suspect side rather than the victim?" said Phillis.
The Gerchmez family doubts they will ever get justice for Tim's death because Renton PD believes he has already fled to Mexico.
As the community grapples with these events, the ongoing conversation around judicial accountability and public safety remains at the forefront, leaving families searching for answers in a system they feel has failed them.
"The safety of the community should be a priority in these decisions," Chief Schuldt said. "What we are seeing is a lot of empathy shown towards the suspects without considering how it affects the victims of the crime, the families, or the community at large."
Judge Bender is no longer presiding over cases in Superior Court. As part of the normal rotation of duties, she is now assigned to hear child welfare proceedings in juvenile court.
The Source: Information in this story is from FOX 13 Seattle reporting, Renton Police and the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
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