By JIM FORMAN / KING 5 News
LYNNWOOD, Wash. - The case of the Florida cheerleader beating that was videotaped has ignited a storm of controversy and concern over violence among young people.
But long before the Florida case, there was a brutal beating in Lynnwood, Wash.
Laura Eberhard was on the receiving end of the attack by her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. The incidence was videotaped and, within days, it was on YouTube and MySpace.
Now nearly a year after the beating, Laura is working two jobs, and working to move on. But while the bruises have healed, the emotional scars remain.
After the beating, Laura went to police. During their investigation, they took pictures, interviewed witnesses, and even got a confession.
But it was the video that would make the case. At least that's what Laura thought.
“Like what case? There never was a case. It was like in and out, a slap on the hand, here you go, like have a nice life,” she said.
Laura says, when it came time for trial, the judge never looked at the video, ultimately sentencing the aggressor simply to home monitoring and 8 hours of anger management classes.
Laura believes there need to be tougher penalties for those who decide to turn to violence and then turn around and share it with the world.
Laura says YouTube took the video down right away, but it took a lot more work with MySpace.
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Woman drives SUV into building
By MIMI JUNG / KING 5 News
SHELTON, Wash. - A driver went on a rampage in Shelton Monday evening, using her SUV as a battering ram.
She took out several parked cars before driving straight through the Department of Corrections building.
The 39-year-old woman driving a Landrover played bumper cars, slamming into several vehicles before ramming her car into the building over and over again and driving into an office.
State trooper said the woman was intoxicated but refused a breath test.
Nobody was injured. The woman was arrested.
It was not immediately clear why she went on the rampage.
SHELTON, Wash. - A driver went on a rampage in Shelton Monday evening, using her SUV as a battering ram.
She took out several parked cars before driving straight through the Department of Corrections building.
The 39-year-old woman driving a Landrover played bumper cars, slamming into several vehicles before ramming her car into the building over and over again and driving into an office.
State trooper said the woman was intoxicated but refused a breath test.
Nobody was injured. The woman was arrested.
It was not immediately clear why she went on the rampage.
Teen to plead guilty in adult court
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A 16-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a man during a burglary in White Center last fall has agreed to plead guilty in adult court to second-degree murder.
Jonathan Newman was 15 when he was charged with first-degree murder in King County Juvenile Court shortly after Craig Hoffman, 46, was killed when he interrupted a burglary in his home on Oct. 19.
During a hearing Monday in Juvenile Court, Deputy Prosecutor Amy Montgomery and defense attorney Christopher Carney signed off on an agreement that the case be handled in adult court with the stipulation that Newman would plead guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm. Juvenile Court Judge Leroy McCullough remanded Newman's case to adult court.
Montgomery said the Prosecutor's Office plans to seek a sentence of up to 23 years in prison. Newman is scheduled to enter his plea Wednesday morning at the Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Montgomery said Monday that prosecutors have a strong case against Newman. She said two other teens arrested in the burglary have pleaded guilty in juvenile court and promised to testify against Newman.
According to charging papers, the three teens saw Hoffman drive away from his home in the 11000 block of 14th Avenue Southwest on the morning of Oct. 19 and Newman entered through an open garage. He then let the other two boys in through the front door. When Hoffman returned a short time later, the boys raced out of the house with stolen items in hand, court documents said.
Montgomery said Newman shot Hoffman as the homeowner was chasing the teens off his property.
Montgomery also said in court that Newman committed nearly 20 burglaries in the months before Hoffman's death. She said he stored what he took in a mobile home on his parents' property, and that some items were sold and the rest were traded for drugs.
Newman's attorney declined to comment about the case after Monday's hearing.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times staff reporter
A 16-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a man during a burglary in White Center last fall has agreed to plead guilty in adult court to second-degree murder.
Jonathan Newman was 15 when he was charged with first-degree murder in King County Juvenile Court shortly after Craig Hoffman, 46, was killed when he interrupted a burglary in his home on Oct. 19.
During a hearing Monday in Juvenile Court, Deputy Prosecutor Amy Montgomery and defense attorney Christopher Carney signed off on an agreement that the case be handled in adult court with the stipulation that Newman would plead guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm. Juvenile Court Judge Leroy McCullough remanded Newman's case to adult court.
Montgomery said the Prosecutor's Office plans to seek a sentence of up to 23 years in prison. Newman is scheduled to enter his plea Wednesday morning at the Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Montgomery said Monday that prosecutors have a strong case against Newman. She said two other teens arrested in the burglary have pleaded guilty in juvenile court and promised to testify against Newman.
According to charging papers, the three teens saw Hoffman drive away from his home in the 11000 block of 14th Avenue Southwest on the morning of Oct. 19 and Newman entered through an open garage. He then let the other two boys in through the front door. When Hoffman returned a short time later, the boys raced out of the house with stolen items in hand, court documents said.
Montgomery said Newman shot Hoffman as the homeowner was chasing the teens off his property.
Montgomery also said in court that Newman committed nearly 20 burglaries in the months before Hoffman's death. She said he stored what he took in a mobile home on his parents' property, and that some items were sold and the rest were traded for drugs.
Newman's attorney declined to comment about the case after Monday's hearing.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Edmonds man pleads guilty to tax fraud
By Seattle Times staff
An Edmonds computer programmer faces up to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge that he filed a fraudulent tax return.
Lyle R. Larson, the 43-year-old owner of the software-development and computer-consulting company, Red Planet Corp., claimed he made less than $22,000 in 2000 — even though he earned more than $1.5 million that year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Washington. He used his unreported earnings to buy cars, a yacht and real estate.
Larson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Friday. He is expected to be sentenced in July and faces a maximum punishment of three years behind bars, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Larson is also to pay full restitution and remains liable for civil penalties, interest and back taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
"Cheating on your federal income taxes is a good way to get yourself federally prosecuted," said Special Agent Dan Wardlaw, a spokesman for the FBI in Seattle, which investigated Larson's case.
An Edmonds computer programmer faces up to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge that he filed a fraudulent tax return.
Lyle R. Larson, the 43-year-old owner of the software-development and computer-consulting company, Red Planet Corp., claimed he made less than $22,000 in 2000 — even though he earned more than $1.5 million that year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western Washington. He used his unreported earnings to buy cars, a yacht and real estate.
Larson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Friday. He is expected to be sentenced in July and faces a maximum punishment of three years behind bars, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Larson is also to pay full restitution and remains liable for civil penalties, interest and back taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.
"Cheating on your federal income taxes is a good way to get yourself federally prosecuted," said Special Agent Dan Wardlaw, a spokesman for the FBI in Seattle, which investigated Larson's case.
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