Kent auto mechanic dies 11 months after shop beating

A Kent auto mechanic, severely beaten in May 2024 at his shop reportedly over a payment dispute, died last week still trying to recover from his injuries.

Elvis Anolin Duran-Reyes, 56, died April 24, according to a GoFundMe account posted by his daughter Katrina Ven, of Seattle.

“On May 8, 2024, my father suffered a severe traumatic brain injury as the result of a brutal assault,” Ven wrote. “From that moment on, I did everything in my power to help him. He spent 11 months in a vegetative state in a skilled nursing facility.”

Abdi Osman Abdi, of Seattle, allegedly punched and kicked Duran-Reyes after showing up May 8, 2024 at V.M. Auto Repair, 20435 84th Ave. S., according to first-degree assault charging documents filed last year by King County prosecutors.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office reported the death of Duran-Reyes in its April 28 report and listed the cause and manner of death as pending.

“It’s expected to take several weeks for the finalized autopsy report to be referred to our office by the medical examiner’s office,” said Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in an April 29 email. “We’re waiting to receive that final report and will review it as soon as we get it.”

Depending on the outcome of the report, prosecutors could change the assault charge to a more serious charge.

Abdi, 32 at the time of the incident, has a court hearing May 5 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. He was booked May 29, 2024 into the King County jail and released June 13, 2024 on bail, according to jail records. A judge set bail at $50,000.

“In this unprovoked, violent attack, the defendant pushed the victim into a metal pole knocking the victim to the ground,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Stephen A. Herschkowitz in charging documents filed May 31, 2024. “The defendant then dragged the victim out of a workshop and then proceeded to punch him then stomp on his head numerous times causing significant injuries.”

Kent Police officers responded at about 2:59 p.m. May 8, 2024 to a physical assault in progress at the auto repair shop. A witness guided officers to Duran-Reyes laying on the ground unconscious, according to charging papers. Paramedics transported Duran-Reyes to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Detectives learned that a man (later identified as Abdi) arrived with a female and entered the business through the garage, according to court documents. Abdi reportedly yelled at Duran-Reyes and pushed him backwards into a metal pole before he fell to the ground.

Abdi then repeatedly punched the man in the face before dragging him outside of the garage and kicking him in the head about five times, according to charging documents. Abdi then entered a vehicle with a female and they drove away before police arrived.

Detectives learned that there was a dispute between the employee and Abdi regarding money, either Abdi had paid for half of his vehicle repairs or hadn’t paid at all. A green car stored behind the garage reportedly belonged to Abdi, which detectives confirmed through a state Department of Licensing records check.

Police used video surveillance from surrounding businesses to reportedly connect a black Toyota RAV4 to the incident. Detectives tracked down the vehicle to a Kent woman, whose Department of Licensing photo reportedly matched the description of the woman in the video of the attack.

Detectives watched the woman’s residence and saw her drive away in a Toyota RAV4. They followed the woman to a Kent apartment complex and saw her enter an apartment.

Police eventually determined through cellphone records that Abdi reportedly ran an online clothing business out of the apartment. Records also indicated that Abdi traveled from Seattle to the area of the crime near the repair shop and then to the Kent apartment in the 25800 block of 113th Ave. SE, according to charging documents.

Police arrested Abdi on May 29, 2024 in Kent. Abdi reportedly told detectives he assaulted Duran-Reyes when he first arrived at the shop and then lost his temper after the employee allegedly spit in his face. He said he knocked Duran-Reyes out with a punch and kicked him in the head several times.

Prior to the attack, Abdi had allegedly sent threatening text messages to Duran-Reyes, according to charging papers.

Impact on family

“That day in May changed all of our lives forever,” Ven wrote on GoFundMe about Duran-Reyes. “My father was in the ICU for the first four months since the attack. He was later discharged to a skilled nursing home where he improved but did not come out of the vegetative state. He was then in and out of the hospital due to many complications linked to his brain injury, and I was by his side every step of the way. I held on to hope and prayed he would come back to us, but that day never came.”

Ven said that her dad was a hardworking man—a self-made mechanic who built his shop from the ground up.

“He poured his heart into his work and into providing for his family,” she said. “Despite our efforts to keep his shop running, we eventually had to let it go. That loss was not just financial, but deeply emotional as well.”

Ven further described her father.

“He was the kind of person who lit up any room and left a lasting impression on everyone he met,” she said. “He loved his family fiercely and always put us first. Now, we are doing everything we can to honor him in the same way.

“It breaks our hearts to know how much he suffered. As we face the many emotional and financial challenges that come with this loss, my family and I are truly grateful for any support—whether through donations, prayers, or simply sharing his story.”