On Feb. 16, Seattle police took a man into custody on the suspicion of stealing a hookah and committing several assaults in the downtown area late that night. Police reports indicate that an employee at the downtown Target store heard the sound of breaking glass at approximately 9:15 p.m. The employee reportedly saw a man leaving the area of the Argus Dab Smoke Shop with a 3-foot gold and glass hookah. The report mentions a second man as well.

By the time police responded to the report, no one was in the area. Shortly after, police received a report of an assault at the nearby Joe's Mart. Police say the description of the assailant matched the description of the man with the hookah. However, the police didn't arrive at the second location in time to witness anything or take anyone into detention.

At 10:20 p.m., someone reported an assault by a man who was in possession of a hookah. Police arrived in time to take a man into custody. They transported the owner of the smoke shop to the scene where he identified the hookah as his property. The man in custody may face charges for burglary and assault. The report had no further mention of the second man witnessed near the shop.

As criminal charges for burglary and assault have serious consequences, the man may wish to hire an attorney to handle his defense. It's unclear if police have any physical evidence in the form of surveillance video or fingerprints. Even if police can definitively prove that the hookah was taken from the shop, without other evidence they may not be able to prove that the accused man also broke into the shop, especially without knowing the identity of the other man seen near the shop.

Source: KOMOnews.com, "Police: Hookah thief stays step ahead of cops during assault spree", Michael Harthorne, February 21, 2014