A Seattle man pleaded guilty to federal charges after robbing someone of their car near Lumen Field, and then being arrested by the Auburn Police Department in Auburn after he fled on foot and ditched the car.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice Western District of Washington, Louis Montel De’Andre Dowers, 32, pleaded guilty April 24 to the federal charges of carjacking and using a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the department, Dowers’ charges stem from a June 9, 2024, incident in which he robbed a man of his car at gunpoint outside a business on Occidental Avenue South in Seattle.

According to the department, at about 6:50 p.m., the victim was sitting in his 2013 BMW X3 outside the Occidental Avenue South business, waiting for his wife, when Dowers approached the vehicle from behind. The department states that Dowers then opened the victim’s car door, pointed the gun at him, and told him something to the effect of, “It’s mine now. Get out.”

“The victim was able to get his dog out of the car before Dowers drove off,” the department stated. “The victim’s wife came out of the store and was nearly hit by the car as it raced away.”

According to the department, the victim quickly called police, and the vehicle was tracked down and determined to be parked near Kilo Middle School, located in Auburn but part of Federal Way Public Schools. It was approximately 7:40 p.m. when Auburn Police officers located the vehicle, although Dowers had already abandoned it, the justice department states. According to the department, shortly after the vehicle was located, officers saw Dowers walking down a nearby street, and his description matched that of the alleged perpetrator. Officers then approached Dowers to detain him on the carjacking investigation, according to the department. According to the department, when Dowers was asked if he had any weapons, he said he had a “ghost” on him, referring to a privately manufactured gun, otherwise known as a “ghost gun,” which are illegal in Washington state. The department states that officers then removed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from Dowers’ waist, which was fully loaded with a round in the chamber. According to the plea document, Dowers admitted that he used that firearm during the carjacking.

According to the plea document, the government agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 84 months of imprisonment, and the defendant agreed to recommend a sentence of at least 60 months and one day. However, the department states that District Judge John H. Chun is not bound by the recommendations and can impose any sentence allowed by law after considering sentencing guidelines.

According to the department, Chun will sentence Dowers on Aug. 4. The case was investigated by the federal carjacking task force made up of the Seattle Police Department, the Kent Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the FBI. Additionally, the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg, who leads the Western District of Washington Carjacking Task Force.