Vandal allegedly causes $100K in damage at WA Capitol, drives over park bridge
It happened again.
Last October, an intruder vandalized the domed state Capitol building in Olympia, leading to costly repairs. Late Thursday morning, the Washington State Patrol announced that a different suspect had vandalized the same building.
At about 1:15 a.m. Thursday, a state trooper heard loud noises near the Legislative Building and saw someone hurling large rocks at first-floor windows, according to a June 4 WSP news release. Another trooper came to the scene and the suspect fled, prompting a pursuit, the release said.
More troopers and the Olympia Police Department then joined in, and the suspect’s white 2009 Chevrolet Malibu hit a trooper’s vehicle, per the news release. No injuries were reported during the chase.
“The suspect turned onto the power station service access road on the east side of Capitol Lake,” according to the release. “He left the access road and successfully navigated a wooden bridge on a popular pedestrian walkway before crashing shortly thereafter.”
Ultimately the suspect, a 21-year-old man, was taken into custody, according to the news release. He’s been arrested on suspicion of DUI, second-degree assault and first-degree malicious mischief and is being held in the Thurston County Jail. The Olympian does not generally name suspects who have not yet had an initial court appearance.
The release said that 13 office window sets were “heavily damaged,” as were two doors. The suspect’s hands were apparently hurt, because blood was found on several windows, the release said, but he did not gain entry to the building.
“The protective film installed on the windows after previous vandalism was effective in denying entry and limiting any interior damage,” the release states.
Cleanup, replacement and restoration services are being conducted by the Department of Enterprise Services.
DES closed a foot-bridge connecting the nearby Marathon and Heritage parks Thursday morning. In a separate news release, DES alleged the man drove his vehicle along the pedestrian bridge. The bridge will remain closed until workers complete a damage assessment, per the release.
The man allegedly caused about $100,000 in damage, according to the DES news release.
“This is a preliminary estimate, and further investigation will result in a cumulative cost summary,” the release states.
McClatchy reached out to the offices of Gov. Bob Ferguson and Lt. Gov. Denny Heck for comment.
“I’m grateful for the security measures that have been put in place that prevented him from getting access. I’m grateful for the state employees and Washington State Patrol who apprehended him quickly and successfully,” Heck said in a statement Thursday. “I trust the justice system will now do its job.”
Following last fall’s vandalism, DES began work to add protective film to the windows of certain structures on the Capitol Campus, including the Legislative Building, McClatchy previously reported. The suspect in that case allegedly smashed a window and entered the building. The approximate cost of the window-film vendor was projected in November to reach $350,000, plus $30,000 for DES staff time.
The suspect in the fall break-in caused significant damage. Last month, the State Capitol and Capitol Campus Design Advisory committees discussed the price of additional Legislative Building repairs during a joint meeting, McClatchy reported at the time. Fixing a historic piano, marble stairs and floors, and two bronze busts and their pedestals was said to reach nearly $21,000. Meanwhile, the most expensive option to mend a damaged original Mohawk wool rug was estimated to hit nearly $960,000.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, additional information from DES and additional details about last fall’s break-in and vandalism at the Legislative Building.
This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 11:53 AM with the headline "Vandal allegedly causes $100K in damage at WA Capitol, drives over park bridge."
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