Sheriff’s detectives identify Lake Tapps area homicide victim, suspect being sought for involvement in homicide; abandoned infant found inside homicide victim’s residence, transported to area hospital & expected to recover / Press Release
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TACOMA, Washington — At 4:07 a.m. on Tuesday October 24, 2017, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call from a passerby reporting a body at the intersection of 166th Ave. E. and 24th St. Ct. E. in the Lake Tapps area. Deputies located a partially burned woman’s body on the side of the road. Investigators believe the woman had been killed at another location and her body had been dumped at the location by the suspects. Surveillance images from a nearby residence showed two sets of vehicle headlights leaving the scene shortly after they had attempted to set her body on fire.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., #PCSD detectives were contacted by the Auburn Police Department regarding a suspicious vehicle that was found abandoned in the 2000 block of 63rd St. SE in Auburn.
On the morning of Wednesday October 25, 2017, Pierce County Sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant at a residence in the 23200 block of 105th Ave. SE in Kent; the residence being searched was of the registered owner of the abandoned vehicle. Inside the residence, detectives located a 4 month old baby girl abandoned in her crib; the house was otherwise unoccupied. The infant was suffering from dehydration and was taken to Seattle Children’s Hospital for treatment, and is expected to recover.
At the residence detectives also discovered evidence that indicates the homicide likely occurred inside the home. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that the body of the woman found near Lake Tapps is the resident of the house in Kent; she has been identified as Linda K. Sweezer, a 64 year old female.
Detectives have learned that Sweezer was caring for the infant and was in the process of obtaining legal custody. Detectives are attempting to locate the Sweezer’s other vehicle, a bronze 2003 Chevrolet Impala, Washington State license plate AGX9423.
Detectives are also attempting to locate suspect Lance Rougeau for his involvement in the homicide. Rougeau is a 25 year old light skinned black male, 6’1”, 160 lbs., with long curly black hair, brown eyes, and has a mustache and goatee. He is known to frequent the Kent area.
Sheriff’s detectives are currently working with Kent Police detectives at the victim’s residence.
