A man who hid in Mexico for 15 years to dodge drug charges has pleaded guilty in federal court in Tacoma.
TACOMA, Wash. —
A man who hid in Mexico for 15 years to dodge drug charges has pleaded guilty in federal court in Tacoma.
Fifty-eight-year-old Frank Falco pleaded guilty Thursday to money laundering in a drug-smuggling conspiracy that imported 50,000 kilos of hashish into the United States in 1992.
The conspiracy involved having a boat meet another boat carrying the drugs off the Washington coast, and then ferrying the drugs back to shore. The drugs were then distributed to Oregon, California, and New York by rental trucks.
Falco fled to Mexico and hid until he turned himself in at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico, last March.
He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine when he is sentenced next Jan. 9.
Experienced legal counsel to cannabis businesses, entrepreneurs, and patients.
Seattle, Washington (206) 728-0200
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Pot farm causes heavy damage in national parks
By TAHLIA GANSER SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD
MOUNT VERNON -- In mid-August, more than 50 law enforcement officers raided the first marijuana grow site ever discovered on national park land in the state of Washington.
Officers uprooted more than 16,000 marijuana plants in the course of a day -- then shipped them off in dump trucks to be destroyed.
Left behind were the scars of cultivation and tampering with nature, along with months of trash and chemicals used to grow the drug. Cleaning it all up will take a lot of time and money.
The growers escaped and ran free, but without the fruits of their estimated $48 million drug operation. Investigators believe a high-powered Mexican drug organization -- using low-end growers -- is responsible for the grow site in the North Cascades National Park Complex, east of Skagit County near Ross Lake, as well as similar sites in other national parks around the country.
In the past decade, illegal marijuana sites have been discovered and destroyed in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Santa Monica National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore.
For some, the most tragic part of the crime is the scars left behind on the recreational park land after the plants were yanked.
"It's just wild," said Mignonne Bivin on a recent trip to the North Cascades grow site. Bivin is the plant ecologist for the park complex and is responsible for the plan to help restore the land.
"Where did it all go?" she said, looking at bare areas clear cut of Douglas fir to make way for thousands of marijuana plants.
The plants grew in terraced rows in five plots. Three of the plots were about 100 feet by 100 feet. The other two were about half that size.
When the plants were pulled, the mountain was left pocked with foot-wide craters on terraces built by the growers. On five different sites on the mountainside, tall trees still stood, their lower branches stripped away to allow sunlight to reach the crop, and their upper branches kept intact for cover.
The trees that were cut down lay around the perimeters of the sites, stacked up in heaps to keep wildlife out.
"It has disturbed the ecosystem, and I think that's our primary concern," said Kevork Arackellian, a park ranger who helped with the initial raid.
Other tree trunks were cut to build shelters, which were suspended in other trees. A red pepper hung from one of the shelters, and remnants of eggs, onions and limes sat uneaten.
Empty cans of tomato sauce, tortilla wrappers and water bottles were scattered among the different sites.
Investigators believe six growers lived there and tended to the sites for months.
Arackellian said new garbage has appeared since the raid, making him believe that the growers returned.
Bob Mierendorf, who visited the site with Bivin recently, said a flattened patch of ground, used as a sleeping area, hinted to him that people had lived in the area for at least two growing seasons if not more.
"I'm most amazed at the amount of effort and the sheer labor it took to do this," Mierendorf said.
Near one shelter was a clear bathroom area. A nook in the dirt held a white bar of soap, and below it, a 3-foot-wide hole in the ground. A red Folgers coffee can collected water nearby.
Black piping, which collected stream water to irrigate the plants with sprinklers, was strewn along the mountainside along with rat traps and poison.
Full restoration of the five sites will take hundreds of hours of labor. The trash strewn throughout the wilderness area needs to be removed, the shelters dismantled and the fences taken down.
Not much can be done for the damage caused by the unknown amount of chemicals used by the growers, Bivin said, especially without funding.
She's hoping to find volunteers to help with the many hours of work needed. Getting to the area is one problem. The well-hidden site is located near Ross Lake and a steep hike off of the East Bank hiking trail.
"We're hoping that next spring or early summer, we'll be able to get enough people in there to bring back the area to its natural state," Arackellian said.
Park employees will also monitor for invasive species.
"National parks are special places for all Americans places were we bring our family and children to enjoy nature's wonders and learn about their heritage," said National Park Service Director Mary Bomar in an August news release. "Marijuana farms like the one recently destroyed in North Cascades National Park are a blight on our national parks."
In early September, investigators pulled another 6,752 marijuana plants from public land in eastern Skagit County in a similar grow operation. This time, it was on Department of Natural Resources land. The large-scale marijuana grow was the second big operation busted in the area within a month, and the second-biggest operation in the county in the past 25 years, said Skagit County sheriff's office Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt.
"It's one more piece of evidence that the Hispanic drug-trafficking organizations that are so prevalent in Eastern Washington are coming over to this side," Reichardt said. "We're hoping that it's not a trend, but it looks like it's turning into one."
------
Information from: Skagit Valley Herald, http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com
MOUNT VERNON -- In mid-August, more than 50 law enforcement officers raided the first marijuana grow site ever discovered on national park land in the state of Washington.
Officers uprooted more than 16,000 marijuana plants in the course of a day -- then shipped them off in dump trucks to be destroyed.
Left behind were the scars of cultivation and tampering with nature, along with months of trash and chemicals used to grow the drug. Cleaning it all up will take a lot of time and money.
The growers escaped and ran free, but without the fruits of their estimated $48 million drug operation. Investigators believe a high-powered Mexican drug organization -- using low-end growers -- is responsible for the grow site in the North Cascades National Park Complex, east of Skagit County near Ross Lake, as well as similar sites in other national parks around the country.
In the past decade, illegal marijuana sites have been discovered and destroyed in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Santa Monica National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore.
For some, the most tragic part of the crime is the scars left behind on the recreational park land after the plants were yanked.
"It's just wild," said Mignonne Bivin on a recent trip to the North Cascades grow site. Bivin is the plant ecologist for the park complex and is responsible for the plan to help restore the land.
"Where did it all go?" she said, looking at bare areas clear cut of Douglas fir to make way for thousands of marijuana plants.
The plants grew in terraced rows in five plots. Three of the plots were about 100 feet by 100 feet. The other two were about half that size.
When the plants were pulled, the mountain was left pocked with foot-wide craters on terraces built by the growers. On five different sites on the mountainside, tall trees still stood, their lower branches stripped away to allow sunlight to reach the crop, and their upper branches kept intact for cover.
The trees that were cut down lay around the perimeters of the sites, stacked up in heaps to keep wildlife out.
"It has disturbed the ecosystem, and I think that's our primary concern," said Kevork Arackellian, a park ranger who helped with the initial raid.
Other tree trunks were cut to build shelters, which were suspended in other trees. A red pepper hung from one of the shelters, and remnants of eggs, onions and limes sat uneaten.
Empty cans of tomato sauce, tortilla wrappers and water bottles were scattered among the different sites.
Investigators believe six growers lived there and tended to the sites for months.
Arackellian said new garbage has appeared since the raid, making him believe that the growers returned.
Bob Mierendorf, who visited the site with Bivin recently, said a flattened patch of ground, used as a sleeping area, hinted to him that people had lived in the area for at least two growing seasons if not more.
"I'm most amazed at the amount of effort and the sheer labor it took to do this," Mierendorf said.
Near one shelter was a clear bathroom area. A nook in the dirt held a white bar of soap, and below it, a 3-foot-wide hole in the ground. A red Folgers coffee can collected water nearby.
Black piping, which collected stream water to irrigate the plants with sprinklers, was strewn along the mountainside along with rat traps and poison.
Full restoration of the five sites will take hundreds of hours of labor. The trash strewn throughout the wilderness area needs to be removed, the shelters dismantled and the fences taken down.
Not much can be done for the damage caused by the unknown amount of chemicals used by the growers, Bivin said, especially without funding.
She's hoping to find volunteers to help with the many hours of work needed. Getting to the area is one problem. The well-hidden site is located near Ross Lake and a steep hike off of the East Bank hiking trail.
"We're hoping that next spring or early summer, we'll be able to get enough people in there to bring back the area to its natural state," Arackellian said.
Park employees will also monitor for invasive species.
"National parks are special places for all Americans places were we bring our family and children to enjoy nature's wonders and learn about their heritage," said National Park Service Director Mary Bomar in an August news release. "Marijuana farms like the one recently destroyed in North Cascades National Park are a blight on our national parks."
In early September, investigators pulled another 6,752 marijuana plants from public land in eastern Skagit County in a similar grow operation. This time, it was on Department of Natural Resources land. The large-scale marijuana grow was the second big operation busted in the area within a month, and the second-biggest operation in the county in the past 25 years, said Skagit County sheriff's office Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt.
"It's one more piece of evidence that the Hispanic drug-trafficking organizations that are so prevalent in Eastern Washington are coming over to this side," Reichardt said. "We're hoping that it's not a trend, but it looks like it's turning into one."
------
Information from: Skagit Valley Herald, http://www.skagitvalleyherald.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Armored truck robber uses Craigslist to make getaway
KING5.com Staff
MONROE, Wash. – In a move that could be right out of a Hollywood movie, a brazen crook apparently used a Craigslist ad to hire a dozen unsuspecting decoys to help him make his getaway following a robbery outside a bank on Tuesday. He then made his escape in an inner tube on the Skykomish River.
The robbery happened about 11 a.m. on an armored truck guard at a Bank of America branch.
"He was wearing a dust mask, a particle mask. At first I thought it might be a surgical mask. I still didn't think anything was wrong, just unusual. Then I noticed he had a pump sprayer," said Mitch Ruth, who had looked out his office window and noticed the man walking into the bank.
The robber sprayed the guard with pepper spray, grabbed a bag of money the guard was carrying and ran about 100 yards to the creek that runs into the Skykomish River, shedding clothes as he ran.
But apparently, the robber had planned ahead. In case anyone was hot on his trail, he had at least a dozen unsuspecting decoys waiting nearby, which he recruited on Craigslist.
"I came across the ad that was for a prevailing wage job for $28.50 an hour," said Mike, who saw a Craigslist ad last week looking for workers for a road maintenance project in Monroe.
He said he inquired and was e-mailed back with instructions to meet near the Bank of America in Monroe at 11 a.m. Tuesday. He also was told to wear certain work clothing.
"Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask… and, if possible, a blue shirt," he said.
Mike showed up along with about a dozen other men dressed like him, but there was no contractor and no road work to be done. He thought they had been stood up until he heard about the bank robbery and the suspect who wore the same attire.
From there, the cook made his watery escape in a creek that dumps out into the Skykomish River. One witness said the robber swam away, but another said he used an inner tube to get away.
"We did get an inner tube that was about 200 yards from the place where he entered the water and took that for evidence," said Debbie Willis, Monroe Police.
Investigators believe accomplices could have picked the robber up at a nearby boat launch or park.
Police say they now have the Craigslist information and they are trying to piece it all together to find the suspect.
The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10, wearing a dark blue shirt, jean shorts and a mask.
MONROE, Wash. – In a move that could be right out of a Hollywood movie, a brazen crook apparently used a Craigslist ad to hire a dozen unsuspecting decoys to help him make his getaway following a robbery outside a bank on Tuesday. He then made his escape in an inner tube on the Skykomish River.
The robbery happened about 11 a.m. on an armored truck guard at a Bank of America branch.
"He was wearing a dust mask, a particle mask. At first I thought it might be a surgical mask. I still didn't think anything was wrong, just unusual. Then I noticed he had a pump sprayer," said Mitch Ruth, who had looked out his office window and noticed the man walking into the bank.
The robber sprayed the guard with pepper spray, grabbed a bag of money the guard was carrying and ran about 100 yards to the creek that runs into the Skykomish River, shedding clothes as he ran.
But apparently, the robber had planned ahead. In case anyone was hot on his trail, he had at least a dozen unsuspecting decoys waiting nearby, which he recruited on Craigslist.
"I came across the ad that was for a prevailing wage job for $28.50 an hour," said Mike, who saw a Craigslist ad last week looking for workers for a road maintenance project in Monroe.
He said he inquired and was e-mailed back with instructions to meet near the Bank of America in Monroe at 11 a.m. Tuesday. He also was told to wear certain work clothing.
"Yellow vest, safety goggles, a respirator mask… and, if possible, a blue shirt," he said.
Mike showed up along with about a dozen other men dressed like him, but there was no contractor and no road work to be done. He thought they had been stood up until he heard about the bank robbery and the suspect who wore the same attire.
From there, the cook made his watery escape in a creek that dumps out into the Skykomish River. One witness said the robber swam away, but another said he used an inner tube to get away.
"We did get an inner tube that was about 200 yards from the place where he entered the water and took that for evidence," said Debbie Willis, Monroe Police.
Investigators believe accomplices could have picked the robber up at a nearby boat launch or park.
Police say they now have the Craigslist information and they are trying to piece it all together to find the suspect.
The suspect is described as a white man in his 20s, between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-10, wearing a dark blue shirt, jean shorts and a mask.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Drug smuggling suspect pleads guilty to lesser charges
P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
TACOMA -- One of three brothers accused of running a southwest Washington methamphetamine ring has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Ulises "Mono" Barragan-Mendoza of Lacey pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and to being an alien in possession of a firearm. Charges of conspiracy to distribute meth and to engage in money laundering were dropped.
Investigators believe Barragan and his two brothers from Arteaga, Mexico, led a group that brought large amounts of meth into the country from Mexico.
In raids in April from the Olympic Peninsula to the Longview-Kelso area, 22 people were arrested and authorities seized cars, $100,000 in cash, 41 guns and 20 pounds of meth.
One brother of Barragan also was arrested. The other is believed to be in Mexico.
TACOMA -- One of three brothers accused of running a southwest Washington methamphetamine ring has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.
Ulises "Mono" Barragan-Mendoza of Lacey pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and to being an alien in possession of a firearm. Charges of conspiracy to distribute meth and to engage in money laundering were dropped.
Investigators believe Barragan and his two brothers from Arteaga, Mexico, led a group that brought large amounts of meth into the country from Mexico.
In raids in April from the Olympic Peninsula to the Longview-Kelso area, 22 people were arrested and authorities seized cars, $100,000 in cash, 41 guns and 20 pounds of meth.
One brother of Barragan also was arrested. The other is believed to be in Mexico.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Blog post about shooting rampage leads to charges
By ELISA HAHN / KING 5 News
BLAINE, Wash. – Jeffrey Gargaro says he was just expressing his opinion when he posted a blog on a newspaper Web site following this month’s Skagit County shooting rampage that left six people dead including a sheriff’s deputy.
Now, prosecutors have charged him with felony harassment because they say he threatened to shoot up a mall.
The day after the rampage, Gargaro logged onto the Bellingham Herald Web site and went to the community blog section where readers started sounding off on what caused it all.
"Blame single parents, drugs, schooling, maybe mental illness without looking at the facts. I thought that was wrong,” said Gargaro.
Frustrated, he decided to write this post:
"Also to all of you who blame drugs ... shut up as well. You know what, I am going to go shoot up Sunset Square today ... just for the hell of it. No drugs, no mental illness ... you can blame today’s episode on video games and George Bush's example of 'pay back' to society.”
"Maybe I could have worded it differently,” said Gargaro. “but I'm not sorry for what I wrote because my intent wasn't harm. It wasn't a threat. It was to get people to think outside of the box and have an open and public debate.”
The question is did anyone think he was coming to Sunset Square to do the shooting? Prosecutors say the police did and called it malicious harassment.
Gargaro’s attorney says it was taken out of context and now it’s an issue of free speech.
"This was a computer news media blog. There's no rules, and if you read these blogs, you'll see people make derogatory comments. These blogs are obviously notoriously bombastic,” said attorney Jeffrey Lustick.
Now, the married father of two young girls faces a felony charge. The irony is that now readers are sounding off about Gargaro’s arrest and many of them are voicing support.
"There are a lot of nice things that people said. My family and I read their messages and we appreciate it,” said Gargaro.
The Whatcom County prosecutor says it doesn’t matter if Gargaro meant to harm anyone and that what he wrote was perceived an imminent threat.
Trial is set for November.
BLAINE, Wash. – Jeffrey Gargaro says he was just expressing his opinion when he posted a blog on a newspaper Web site following this month’s Skagit County shooting rampage that left six people dead including a sheriff’s deputy.
Now, prosecutors have charged him with felony harassment because they say he threatened to shoot up a mall.
The day after the rampage, Gargaro logged onto the Bellingham Herald Web site and went to the community blog section where readers started sounding off on what caused it all.
"Blame single parents, drugs, schooling, maybe mental illness without looking at the facts. I thought that was wrong,” said Gargaro.
Frustrated, he decided to write this post:
"Also to all of you who blame drugs ... shut up as well. You know what, I am going to go shoot up Sunset Square today ... just for the hell of it. No drugs, no mental illness ... you can blame today’s episode on video games and George Bush's example of 'pay back' to society.”
"Maybe I could have worded it differently,” said Gargaro. “but I'm not sorry for what I wrote because my intent wasn't harm. It wasn't a threat. It was to get people to think outside of the box and have an open and public debate.”
The question is did anyone think he was coming to Sunset Square to do the shooting? Prosecutors say the police did and called it malicious harassment.
Gargaro’s attorney says it was taken out of context and now it’s an issue of free speech.
"This was a computer news media blog. There's no rules, and if you read these blogs, you'll see people make derogatory comments. These blogs are obviously notoriously bombastic,” said attorney Jeffrey Lustick.
Now, the married father of two young girls faces a felony charge. The irony is that now readers are sounding off about Gargaro’s arrest and many of them are voicing support.
"There are a lot of nice things that people said. My family and I read their messages and we appreciate it,” said Gargaro.
The Whatcom County prosecutor says it doesn’t matter if Gargaro meant to harm anyone and that what he wrote was perceived an imminent threat.
Trial is set for November.
Child actor setup costs Whidbey woman
P-I STAFF
Enamored with such shows as "Gossip Girl, 16-year-old Alexa wanted to be an actress, so her mother, Maria Best, sent her to a group home for budding child actors in Los Angeles last year.
Best, of Whidbey Island, paid more than $2,000 a month for rent, child care, acting lessons and audition scheduling.
But instead of breaking into the industry, Alexa became one of nine victims allegedly bilked by the home's manager, Bernadette Carter.
This week, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office announced it had charged Carter, 42, with 13 misdemeanor counts, which included scamming children and their families and running an unlicensed group home.
Prosecutors said Carter's clients ranged from 7 to 17 years old. Investigators believe five to 15 children lived in her San Fernando Valley home at any given time, with three adults supervising. "Bernadette really destroyed these kids, as far as their confidence level," Best said Friday. She said she borrowed money to pay Carter and lost $10,000.
In the four months that her daughter lived there, she went on only two auditions, but spent a lot of time cleaning Carter's cat box and hearing threats of being evicted, Best said.
Many parents met Carter at child-acting conventions, according to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News.
"(Parents) are thinking, 'Gosh, I got some big entertainment mogul that's gonna bring me to L.A. and make my kid a star,' " Anne Henry, co-founder of the nonprofit BizParentz Foundation, told the newspaper. The foundation warns against agencies that want money upfront.
Prosecutors say Carter violated a California law that bars agencies from collecting a commission before an artist gets work and from selling classes and other products to clients. The law is intended to protect artists, especially children, from predatory service providers.
P-I reporter Vanessa Ho contributed to this report.
Enamored with such shows as "Gossip Girl, 16-year-old Alexa wanted to be an actress, so her mother, Maria Best, sent her to a group home for budding child actors in Los Angeles last year.
Best, of Whidbey Island, paid more than $2,000 a month for rent, child care, acting lessons and audition scheduling.
But instead of breaking into the industry, Alexa became one of nine victims allegedly bilked by the home's manager, Bernadette Carter.
This week, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office announced it had charged Carter, 42, with 13 misdemeanor counts, which included scamming children and their families and running an unlicensed group home.
Prosecutors said Carter's clients ranged from 7 to 17 years old. Investigators believe five to 15 children lived in her San Fernando Valley home at any given time, with three adults supervising. "Bernadette really destroyed these kids, as far as their confidence level," Best said Friday. She said she borrowed money to pay Carter and lost $10,000.
In the four months that her daughter lived there, she went on only two auditions, but spent a lot of time cleaning Carter's cat box and hearing threats of being evicted, Best said.
Many parents met Carter at child-acting conventions, according to a report in the Los Angeles Daily News.
"(Parents) are thinking, 'Gosh, I got some big entertainment mogul that's gonna bring me to L.A. and make my kid a star,' " Anne Henry, co-founder of the nonprofit BizParentz Foundation, told the newspaper. The foundation warns against agencies that want money upfront.
Prosecutors say Carter violated a California law that bars agencies from collecting a commission before an artist gets work and from selling classes and other products to clients. The law is intended to protect artists, especially children, from predatory service providers.
P-I reporter Vanessa Ho contributed to this report.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Budget cuts turn some felonies into misdemeanors
By LINDA BYRON / KING 5 News
SEATTLE – The impact of King County’s budget cuts is already being felt by the people who put criminals behind bars as the county prosecutor is being forced to cut dozens of jobs, which means handing off more cases to lower courts.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of criminal cases are now winding up in Seattle Municipal Court because of the cutbacks. Some cases that the legislature defines as felonies will now be prosecuted as misdemeanors.
Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr is concerned about the change.
"My concern is that my constituents are going to be put at risk because the budget problems the county has and that's scary to me,”
said Carr.
But King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg says he has no choice. His budget is being cut $5 million in 2009, which means 41 deputy prosecutors must go. As a result property crimes under $1,000 and identity thefts will go to municipal courts for prosecution, where sentences carry time in county jail but no prison time.
"If someone stole a thousand dollars from me, I think I'd want more than a couple days in the county jail from them,” said Carr.
Ironically, Seattle’s been making big headway on property crimes which reached their lowest level in ten years in 2007. Prosecuting these cases as misdemeanors will put offenders back on the street much faster.
That’s not good news in neighborhoods where property crimes are already high.
"If they're gonna take something of mine, they should be punished for it. I mean you work hard for your money,” said Laura, a concerned citizen.
"I think they should be prosecuted just like if they were robbing a store, major business or whatever,” said Melinda Anderson, another concerned resident.
SEATTLE – The impact of King County’s budget cuts is already being felt by the people who put criminals behind bars as the county prosecutor is being forced to cut dozens of jobs, which means handing off more cases to lower courts.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of criminal cases are now winding up in Seattle Municipal Court because of the cutbacks. Some cases that the legislature defines as felonies will now be prosecuted as misdemeanors.
Seattle City Attorney Tom Carr is concerned about the change.
"My concern is that my constituents are going to be put at risk because the budget problems the county has and that's scary to me,”
said Carr.
But King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg says he has no choice. His budget is being cut $5 million in 2009, which means 41 deputy prosecutors must go. As a result property crimes under $1,000 and identity thefts will go to municipal courts for prosecution, where sentences carry time in county jail but no prison time.
"If someone stole a thousand dollars from me, I think I'd want more than a couple days in the county jail from them,” said Carr.
Ironically, Seattle’s been making big headway on property crimes which reached their lowest level in ten years in 2007. Prosecuting these cases as misdemeanors will put offenders back on the street much faster.
That’s not good news in neighborhoods where property crimes are already high.
"If they're gonna take something of mine, they should be punished for it. I mean you work hard for your money,” said Laura, a concerned citizen.
"I think they should be prosecuted just like if they were robbing a store, major business or whatever,” said Melinda Anderson, another concerned resident.
Police search for clues in deadly Seattle shooting
LINDA BRILL / KING 5 News
SEATTLE – Police broughts in a search dog Thursday to search for clues after a man was shot and killed in north Seattle on Wednesday night.
Seattle Police say officers responded to a shots fired call in the 9700 block of 5th Avenue NE at about 7:30 p.m. They arrived to find a man in his 20s dead in the apartment building garage.
A 19-year-old resident of the apartments was arrested and his rifle recovered.
Neighbors say there have been several car prowls and thefts in the area, although police won't confirm what led to the shooting.
The apartment manager wouldn't comment, but a resident said car prowls are common.
"Maybe a week ago the manager called me about 10 o'clock at night and said don't leave anything in your car, make sure it's locked up, we've had problems," said Art Christensen.
Christensen said he was surprised that his neighbor was arrested for murder.
"He's a good young kid," he said.
The suspect is to appear in court on Friday.
The name of the victim has not been released.
SEATTLE – Police broughts in a search dog Thursday to search for clues after a man was shot and killed in north Seattle on Wednesday night.
Seattle Police say officers responded to a shots fired call in the 9700 block of 5th Avenue NE at about 7:30 p.m. They arrived to find a man in his 20s dead in the apartment building garage.
A 19-year-old resident of the apartments was arrested and his rifle recovered.
Neighbors say there have been several car prowls and thefts in the area, although police won't confirm what led to the shooting.
The apartment manager wouldn't comment, but a resident said car prowls are common.
"Maybe a week ago the manager called me about 10 o'clock at night and said don't leave anything in your car, make sure it's locked up, we've had problems," said Art Christensen.
Christensen said he was surprised that his neighbor was arrested for murder.
"He's a good young kid," he said.
The suspect is to appear in court on Friday.
The name of the victim has not been released.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Forest Service officer, suspect dead after shootings
KOMO/4 STAFF
SEQUIM -- A U.S. Forest Service officer was shot and killed on the Olympic Peninsula Saturday afternoon while on duty after reporting a suspicious van, and the suspected gunman was killed hours later.
Troopers say Kristine Fairbanks, a 15-year veteran of the Forest Service, was working on Forest Road 2880, off Palo Alto Road, near Sequim when she radioed the State Patrol at about 2:40 p.m. to report a suspicious van and to ask for information.
When the State Patrol radioed back, they received no response. Troopers were immediately dispatched to the scene, located about five miles inside the Olympic National Forest.
When troopers arrived, they found Fairbanks dead from a gunshot wound. The van was nowhere in sight. Sheriff's deputies say Fairbanks had a police dog with her at the time of the shooting, and the dog was found unharmed in Fairbanks' vehicle.
Investigators found the van empty later in the evening, and the suspected gunman was shot to death about 9:30 p.m., State Patrol spokeswoman Krista D. Hedstrom said.
The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Shawn Matthew Roe.
SEQUIM -- A U.S. Forest Service officer was shot and killed on the Olympic Peninsula Saturday afternoon while on duty after reporting a suspicious van, and the suspected gunman was killed hours later.
Troopers say Kristine Fairbanks, a 15-year veteran of the Forest Service, was working on Forest Road 2880, off Palo Alto Road, near Sequim when she radioed the State Patrol at about 2:40 p.m. to report a suspicious van and to ask for information.
When the State Patrol radioed back, they received no response. Troopers were immediately dispatched to the scene, located about five miles inside the Olympic National Forest.
When troopers arrived, they found Fairbanks dead from a gunshot wound. The van was nowhere in sight. Sheriff's deputies say Fairbanks had a police dog with her at the time of the shooting, and the dog was found unharmed in Fairbanks' vehicle.
Investigators found the van empty later in the evening, and the suspected gunman was shot to death about 9:30 p.m., State Patrol spokeswoman Krista D. Hedstrom said.
The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Shawn Matthew Roe.
Medical pot patient convicted of growing marijuana
Despite having a doctor's authorization for medical marijuana under state law, a Kitsap County man has been convicted of growing pot.
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. —
Despite having a doctor's authorization for medical marijuana under state law, a Kitsap County man has been convicted of growing pot.
Superior Court Judge Anna M. Laurie ruled Friday that Robert Dalton's use of marijuana for chronic lower back pain didn't meet the conditions of the state law legalizing the medical use of the drug because he failed to show his pain was "unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications," such as opiate-based painkillers.
Dalton's lawyers were angered by the ruling and said the judge had no business second-guessing the doctor who recommended Dalton try marijuana.
"If Judge Laurie wants to be a doctor, she should go to medical school," Hiatt told the Kitsap Sun. "No patient in this state is safe if she's right."
Detectives with the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team served a search warrant on Dalton's property in August 2007. In court documents, they said they found 88 plants, which they said was well beyond the 60-day supply allowed by law - even though the state Health Department has not defined what constitutes a 60-day supply.
Kitsap County Deputy Prosecutor Cami Lewis called the decision "the correct result." During closing arguments, deputy prosecutor Coreen Schnepf had argued that opiate medications were relieving Dalton's pain, and that he needed to have pain unrelieved by other medicines to use cannabis.
Hiatt argued that the opiates made Dalton sick and were not effective at quelling his pain.
Dalton faces zero to six months in jail for the felony conviction. His lawyers will ask the judge at an Oct. 17 hearing to suspend any sentence pending their appeal.
With the conviction, Robert Dalton's medical marijuana card is nullified, he said following the verdict. He said he doesn't want to use opiates for pain control because they're addictive.
"I don't want to be a drug addict," he said. "That's why I chose medical marijuana."
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Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. —
Despite having a doctor's authorization for medical marijuana under state law, a Kitsap County man has been convicted of growing pot.
Superior Court Judge Anna M. Laurie ruled Friday that Robert Dalton's use of marijuana for chronic lower back pain didn't meet the conditions of the state law legalizing the medical use of the drug because he failed to show his pain was "unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications," such as opiate-based painkillers.
Dalton's lawyers were angered by the ruling and said the judge had no business second-guessing the doctor who recommended Dalton try marijuana.
"If Judge Laurie wants to be a doctor, she should go to medical school," Hiatt told the Kitsap Sun. "No patient in this state is safe if she's right."
Detectives with the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team served a search warrant on Dalton's property in August 2007. In court documents, they said they found 88 plants, which they said was well beyond the 60-day supply allowed by law - even though the state Health Department has not defined what constitutes a 60-day supply.
Kitsap County Deputy Prosecutor Cami Lewis called the decision "the correct result." During closing arguments, deputy prosecutor Coreen Schnepf had argued that opiate medications were relieving Dalton's pain, and that he needed to have pain unrelieved by other medicines to use cannabis.
Hiatt argued that the opiates made Dalton sick and were not effective at quelling his pain.
Dalton faces zero to six months in jail for the felony conviction. His lawyers will ask the judge at an Oct. 17 hearing to suspend any sentence pending their appeal.
With the conviction, Robert Dalton's medical marijuana card is nullified, he said following the verdict. He said he doesn't want to use opiates for pain control because they're addictive.
"I don't want to be a drug addict," he said. "That's why I chose medical marijuana."
---
Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Serial armed robber roaming south King County
By MIMI JUNG / KING 5 News
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – A one man crime spree has hit more than a dozen convenience stores in south King County and has gotten away with thousands of dollars in cash.
The armed robber usually strikes between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. He’s hit 13 stores in three weeks in Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent and Renton.
He’s been caught at least twice on surveillance video.
"He said 'I have gun, give me the money,'" said Kevin Nam. He was working behind the counter at a smoke shop when the robber struck.
"I said 'I have camera inside and outside. I know you. You are my customer.'"
Witnesses describe the robber as a white man, about 20-to-30-years-old, about 6 feet tall with short blond hair. In some cases the robber wears sunglasses but he also disguises himself with a mask and actually shows a weapon. He has a large tattoo on his left arm and drives an older, light blue sedan. He also appears to wear the same white sneakers with blue stripes.
No one has been hurt yet, but police fear his brazen robberies could get violent. If you know him, police want to hear from you.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – A one man crime spree has hit more than a dozen convenience stores in south King County and has gotten away with thousands of dollars in cash.
The armed robber usually strikes between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. He’s hit 13 stores in three weeks in Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent and Renton.
He’s been caught at least twice on surveillance video.
"He said 'I have gun, give me the money,'" said Kevin Nam. He was working behind the counter at a smoke shop when the robber struck.
"I said 'I have camera inside and outside. I know you. You are my customer.'"
Witnesses describe the robber as a white man, about 20-to-30-years-old, about 6 feet tall with short blond hair. In some cases the robber wears sunglasses but he also disguises himself with a mask and actually shows a weapon. He has a large tattoo on his left arm and drives an older, light blue sedan. He also appears to wear the same white sneakers with blue stripes.
No one has been hurt yet, but police fear his brazen robberies could get violent. If you know him, police want to hear from you.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Fewer arrests in summer DUI crackdown
P-I STAFF
Law enforcement officers across the state busted nearly 1,800 drivers for drunken driving during a summer-long crackdown.
Thursday, the state's Traffic Safety Commission released the results of the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed crackdown, which began Aug. 15 and ended Sept. 1. Statewide, 268 law enforcement agencies participated in the effort, the agency reported.
Of the 1,797 motorists arrested for driving under the influence during the period, 351 were in King County. Pierce County had the next highest number of arrests with 254.
Drugs and alcohol use are the primary factor in traffic deaths. Last year, 517 people died in traffic crashes in the state. Of those deaths, 263 involved an impaired driver.
Officials said the extra patrols that are part of the crackdown have helped reduce traffic deaths.
As of Sept. 2, there have been 319 traffic deaths statewide. In the same time period last year, there were 364 deaths.
Over the Labor Day weekend, of the four fatalities that took place on state highways, none involved alcohol or drugs.
"It has been six years since a Labor Day holiday was free from a traffic death due to alcohol," said Lowell Porter, director of the traffic safety commission.
Law enforcement officers across the state busted nearly 1,800 drivers for drunken driving during a summer-long crackdown.
Thursday, the state's Traffic Safety Commission released the results of the Drive Hammered, Get Nailed crackdown, which began Aug. 15 and ended Sept. 1. Statewide, 268 law enforcement agencies participated in the effort, the agency reported.
Of the 1,797 motorists arrested for driving under the influence during the period, 351 were in King County. Pierce County had the next highest number of arrests with 254.
Drugs and alcohol use are the primary factor in traffic deaths. Last year, 517 people died in traffic crashes in the state. Of those deaths, 263 involved an impaired driver.
Officials said the extra patrols that are part of the crackdown have helped reduce traffic deaths.
As of Sept. 2, there have been 319 traffic deaths statewide. In the same time period last year, there were 364 deaths.
Over the Labor Day weekend, of the four fatalities that took place on state highways, none involved alcohol or drugs.
"It has been six years since a Labor Day holiday was free from a traffic death due to alcohol," said Lowell Porter, director of the traffic safety commission.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Federal Judge Sentences Farmers Linked to E. coli Outbreak to No Time, No Fine, No Probation
Tacoma, Washington -- September 5, 2008. Dairy farmers Michael Puckett and Anita Puckett, owners of Dee Creek Farm in Woodland, were sentenced in Federal Court Friday on charges stemming from an E. coli outbreak in 2005, but received only a $25 mandatory court assessment fee.
United States Magistrate Judge Strombom disregarded the recommendation of the Probation Office when she ruled against the proposed $250 fine and one-year probation for each defendant.
"I frankly don't see what benefit anybody gets from putting these people on probation," Strombom told the court. "I realize everybody here has come to this court agreeing to that, but I don't agree with it."
Both defense and prosecuting attorneys had argued for one year probation, and the probation office requested a $250 fine. The maximum sentence for the misdemeanor charge is one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
"The fact that they pled guilty to this Class A misdemeanor is sufficient punishment for these two individuals," Strombom said.
Though she gave the couple six months to pay the mandatory assessment fee, they paid it before they left the courthouse.
Anita Puckett said, "We are humbled by Judge Strombom's decision. We're very happy to move past this, and are looking forward to the future."
She added, "We couldn't have made it through these last three years without all the help we were given from family, friends and supporters all over the country. We are so thankful for them."
More than 20 friends and family members attended the hearing in support of the Pucketts, and several of them began to cry as the judge pronounced the sentence.
The Pucketts pled guilty June 8 to misdemeanor charges of distributing adulterated food. The charges stemmed from cow-share participants crossing into Oregon with milk prepared under conditions where it may have contributed to injury, the plea agreement stated.
According to figures released by the Clark County Health Department, 18 people were sickened in December 2005 with a strain of E. coli that a Washington State Department of Agriculture investigation later linked to Dee Creek Farm. Five were hospitalized, and all have since fully recovered.
Dee Creek is a small, family-run farm, practicing organic methods and diversity, with offerings such as produce, grass-based meats, eggs and dairy products. The farm collectively holds several licenses through Washington State Department of Agriculture, including poultry processing and commercial kitchen for further food processing. Although the farm was licensed in May 2007 as a Grade A raw goat milk dairy, the only dairy products it now sells are raw aged and pasteurized cheeses, yogurt and other processed items.
United States Magistrate Judge Strombom disregarded the recommendation of the Probation Office when she ruled against the proposed $250 fine and one-year probation for each defendant.
"I frankly don't see what benefit anybody gets from putting these people on probation," Strombom told the court. "I realize everybody here has come to this court agreeing to that, but I don't agree with it."
Both defense and prosecuting attorneys had argued for one year probation, and the probation office requested a $250 fine. The maximum sentence for the misdemeanor charge is one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.
"The fact that they pled guilty to this Class A misdemeanor is sufficient punishment for these two individuals," Strombom said.
Though she gave the couple six months to pay the mandatory assessment fee, they paid it before they left the courthouse.
Anita Puckett said, "We are humbled by Judge Strombom's decision. We're very happy to move past this, and are looking forward to the future."
She added, "We couldn't have made it through these last three years without all the help we were given from family, friends and supporters all over the country. We are so thankful for them."
More than 20 friends and family members attended the hearing in support of the Pucketts, and several of them began to cry as the judge pronounced the sentence.
The Pucketts pled guilty June 8 to misdemeanor charges of distributing adulterated food. The charges stemmed from cow-share participants crossing into Oregon with milk prepared under conditions where it may have contributed to injury, the plea agreement stated.
According to figures released by the Clark County Health Department, 18 people were sickened in December 2005 with a strain of E. coli that a Washington State Department of Agriculture investigation later linked to Dee Creek Farm. Five were hospitalized, and all have since fully recovered.
Dee Creek is a small, family-run farm, practicing organic methods and diversity, with offerings such as produce, grass-based meats, eggs and dairy products. The farm collectively holds several licenses through Washington State Department of Agriculture, including poultry processing and commercial kitchen for further food processing. Although the farm was licensed in May 2007 as a Grade A raw goat milk dairy, the only dairy products it now sells are raw aged and pasteurized cheeses, yogurt and other processed items.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
A convicted felon sues over bad food in jail.
By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER
A 10-time felon is suing King County alleging a crime against good taste -- serving moldy snacks to inmates.
In court documents filed earlier this month, Moses Wiggins III, 41, said he bought and ate moldy Keefe Snack Legends Dunkin' Sticks while jailed at the Norm Maleng Justice Center.
Wiggins didn't notice the green growth until he became violently ill halfway through a bag of the cookies. He claims staff at the Kent jail ignored his pleas for medical help as he spent several days vomiting while suffering from diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Representing himself in the suit, Wiggins has asked that he be compensated for his "pain, suffering, mental and emotional distress" by King County and snack stick manufacturer Keefe Group. No response has been filed in King County Superior Court.
Currently serving a 3 ½ year sentence at Stafford Creek Corrections Center near Aberdeen, Wiggins has been in trouble with the law since he was convicted at age 17 of attempted burglary. He pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in 2007 for his role in a Kent robbery during which a man was shot.
P-I REPORTER
A 10-time felon is suing King County alleging a crime against good taste -- serving moldy snacks to inmates.
In court documents filed earlier this month, Moses Wiggins III, 41, said he bought and ate moldy Keefe Snack Legends Dunkin' Sticks while jailed at the Norm Maleng Justice Center.
Wiggins didn't notice the green growth until he became violently ill halfway through a bag of the cookies. He claims staff at the Kent jail ignored his pleas for medical help as he spent several days vomiting while suffering from diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Representing himself in the suit, Wiggins has asked that he be compensated for his "pain, suffering, mental and emotional distress" by King County and snack stick manufacturer Keefe Group. No response has been filed in King County Superior Court.
Currently serving a 3 ½ year sentence at Stafford Creek Corrections Center near Aberdeen, Wiggins has been in trouble with the law since he was convicted at age 17 of attempted burglary. He pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in 2007 for his role in a Kent robbery during which a man was shot.
Two teens arrested in North Seattle robberies
Seattle police have arrested two teenagers in connection with a string of robberies Monday night in North Seattle.
By Sonia Krishnan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police have arrested two teenagers in connection with a string of robberies Monday night in North Seattle.
The boys, 17 and 16, were arrested around 10 p.m. Monday by detectives using "good, old-fashioned police work," said department spokeswoman Reneé Witt.
According to police, around 8:20 p.m., a person who had been robbed on the street on the 2000 block of Northeast 73rd Street called authorities to report the incident, said department spokesman Mark Jamieson.
The robbers were described as two black men in their early 20s wearing black hoodies and black shorts and armed with a handgun, Jamieson said.
Thirty minutes later, police got word of a similar robbery on the 300 block of North 46th Street, near Woodland Park Zoo, "involving possibly the same two" men, he said.
Ten minutes after that, police got reports of gunfire in the 300 block of North 103rd Street. The shots came from a dark-colored car headed to Aurora Avenue, Jamieson said. Officers were unable to track the car down but got a partial license plate.
Then another report of a street robbery came in 20 minutes later in the 8700 block of Phinney Avenue North. The victim gave the same description of the robbers and provided information about their license plate and car — a black Chrysler, Witt said.
Officers working the case recognized the car and traced the registration to a house in Seattle, she said. They showed up and arrested one of the suspects. The other boy was found in Renton.
Witnesses were able to identify the teens and they were booked into the King County Youth Services Center, she said.
Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com
By Sonia Krishnan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police have arrested two teenagers in connection with a string of robberies Monday night in North Seattle.
The boys, 17 and 16, were arrested around 10 p.m. Monday by detectives using "good, old-fashioned police work," said department spokeswoman Reneé Witt.
According to police, around 8:20 p.m., a person who had been robbed on the street on the 2000 block of Northeast 73rd Street called authorities to report the incident, said department spokesman Mark Jamieson.
The robbers were described as two black men in their early 20s wearing black hoodies and black shorts and armed with a handgun, Jamieson said.
Thirty minutes later, police got word of a similar robbery on the 300 block of North 46th Street, near Woodland Park Zoo, "involving possibly the same two" men, he said.
Ten minutes after that, police got reports of gunfire in the 300 block of North 103rd Street. The shots came from a dark-colored car headed to Aurora Avenue, Jamieson said. Officers were unable to track the car down but got a partial license plate.
Then another report of a street robbery came in 20 minutes later in the 8700 block of Phinney Avenue North. The victim gave the same description of the robbers and provided information about their license plate and car — a black Chrysler, Witt said.
Officers working the case recognized the car and traced the registration to a house in Seattle, she said. They showed up and arrested one of the suspects. The other boy was found in Renton.
Witnesses were able to identify the teens and they were booked into the King County Youth Services Center, she said.
Sonia Krishnan: 206-515-5546 or skrishnan@seattletimes.com
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Violence erupts near Seattle Center
By ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 news
SEATTLE - It was violent night at Seattle Center on Saturday as gunshots were fired toward police officers and at least one person was badly beaten.
There were at least two, possibly three violent incidents around Seattle Center Sunday night involving gunshots and assaults in the hours after a high school football game and hip hop party let out.
Police, including Seattle gang units, swarmed the area around Seattle Center beginning around 1:30 a.m.
Policed said the first incident involved someone who had approached police and asked for an escort to their car because they were afraid they would be attacked.
As officers were walking with that person, someone fired shots in their direction, but no one was hurt.
Another incident happened a few blocks away where there were shots fired near 2nd and Roy. Again no one was hurt.
In a third incident at about 2:20 a.m., a man was badly beaten.
All this was going on as the crowd lingered after the Garfield - Franklin High football game and as a long running, upscale urban dance party was taking place.
The promoter of that event doesn't believe anyone from his "Virgo 2008" party was involved. Chukundi Salisbury said he's sick of events like his getting a bad reputation because of other members of the community.
"This is indicative of a larger problem in Seattle and in Washington and across the country. So yeah, I'm upset. I'm upset that I even have to come here and talk about it, quite frankly because I got in the phone this morning with people who went to the even and they had no idea that anything had happened," said Salisbury.
Police say at least one person was arrested overnight. That person is believed to have been involved in the shots fired toward police.
SPD had no more information to release about the incident.
SEATTLE - It was violent night at Seattle Center on Saturday as gunshots were fired toward police officers and at least one person was badly beaten.
There were at least two, possibly three violent incidents around Seattle Center Sunday night involving gunshots and assaults in the hours after a high school football game and hip hop party let out.
Police, including Seattle gang units, swarmed the area around Seattle Center beginning around 1:30 a.m.
Policed said the first incident involved someone who had approached police and asked for an escort to their car because they were afraid they would be attacked.
As officers were walking with that person, someone fired shots in their direction, but no one was hurt.
Another incident happened a few blocks away where there were shots fired near 2nd and Roy. Again no one was hurt.
In a third incident at about 2:20 a.m., a man was badly beaten.
All this was going on as the crowd lingered after the Garfield - Franklin High football game and as a long running, upscale urban dance party was taking place.
The promoter of that event doesn't believe anyone from his "Virgo 2008" party was involved. Chukundi Salisbury said he's sick of events like his getting a bad reputation because of other members of the community.
"This is indicative of a larger problem in Seattle and in Washington and across the country. So yeah, I'm upset. I'm upset that I even have to come here and talk about it, quite frankly because I got in the phone this morning with people who went to the even and they had no idea that anything had happened," said Salisbury.
Police say at least one person was arrested overnight. That person is believed to have been involved in the shots fired toward police.
SPD had no more information to release about the incident.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Man gets 12 years for wife's attempted hanging: He told her noose was part of haunted house
Sean A. Jennings, 38, will spend 12 years in prison for the attempted hanging of his wife in October 2007, according to a plea agreement filed Tuesday.
By Meghann M. Cuniff
The Spokesman-Review
SPOKANE — It wasn't actually a haunted house. Her husband just told her that to get her to the garage.
Now, nearly a year later, Sean A. Jennings, 38, will spend 12 years in prison for the attempted hanging of his wife in October 2007, according to a plea agreement filed Tuesday.
Along with probation and fines, Jennings can have no contact with his ex-wife, who called police from a Wal-Mart two days after her husband lured her into a noose in the garage by telling her he'd set up a haunted house for Halloween.
Jennings pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder, according to Spokane Superior Court documents. He originally faced a first-degree attempted murder charge.
"He just felt horrible about the whole thing," said his public defender, Anna Nordtvedt. "He thought that the offer and the amended charge reflected what happened."
Nordtvedt said Jennings apologized to a judge and has shown only remorse during the time she's spent with him. Neither side would have benefited from a jury trial, she said.
"There were a lot of issues happening with both of them," she said. "It's just a really bad situation, but I think that there were some contributing factors."
Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Mark Lindsey did not return a phone message left late Tuesday afternoon.
The woman said she was working on a computer at the couple's home on North Audubon Street on Oct. 7 when Jennings called her to the garage to see a haunted house. Saying he wanted to surprise her, Jennings blindfolded his wife, then handcuffed her and slipped a noose around her neck after she stepped up on a ladder, according to a Spokane police report.
The two struggled, and Jennings released his wife of a year and a half just as she lost consciousness, according to the report. The woman told police Jennings had told her hanging her was "better than getting a divorce," according to the report.
After his wife regained consciousness, Jennings told her to put aloe vera on the rope burn and then hide it with a neck brace, according to police.
The couple's divorce was finalized a month later, according to newspaper records.
"I think even (she) was just astounded," Nordtvedt said. "Both Sean and I hope that she can get on with things."
Jennings' two children who lived with the couple are being cared for by his parents, Nordtvedt said.
By Meghann M. Cuniff
The Spokesman-Review
SPOKANE — It wasn't actually a haunted house. Her husband just told her that to get her to the garage.
Now, nearly a year later, Sean A. Jennings, 38, will spend 12 years in prison for the attempted hanging of his wife in October 2007, according to a plea agreement filed Tuesday.
Along with probation and fines, Jennings can have no contact with his ex-wife, who called police from a Wal-Mart two days after her husband lured her into a noose in the garage by telling her he'd set up a haunted house for Halloween.
Jennings pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder, according to Spokane Superior Court documents. He originally faced a first-degree attempted murder charge.
"He just felt horrible about the whole thing," said his public defender, Anna Nordtvedt. "He thought that the offer and the amended charge reflected what happened."
Nordtvedt said Jennings apologized to a judge and has shown only remorse during the time she's spent with him. Neither side would have benefited from a jury trial, she said.
"There were a lot of issues happening with both of them," she said. "It's just a really bad situation, but I think that there were some contributing factors."
Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Mark Lindsey did not return a phone message left late Tuesday afternoon.
The woman said she was working on a computer at the couple's home on North Audubon Street on Oct. 7 when Jennings called her to the garage to see a haunted house. Saying he wanted to surprise her, Jennings blindfolded his wife, then handcuffed her and slipped a noose around her neck after she stepped up on a ladder, according to a Spokane police report.
The two struggled, and Jennings released his wife of a year and a half just as she lost consciousness, according to the report. The woman told police Jennings had told her hanging her was "better than getting a divorce," according to the report.
After his wife regained consciousness, Jennings told her to put aloe vera on the rope burn and then hide it with a neck brace, according to police.
The couple's divorce was finalized a month later, according to newspaper records.
"I think even (she) was just astounded," Nordtvedt said. "Both Sean and I hope that she can get on with things."
Jennings' two children who lived with the couple are being cared for by his parents, Nordtvedt said.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Cars vandalized at Lynnwood park-and-ride
By GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News
LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Imagine getting off the bus after a long shift at work over the holiday weekend only to find your car windows smashed out. That's what is happening to nearly a couple dozen people at a Lynnwood park-and-ride.
The normally packed lot at the Ash Way Park-and-Ride was nearly empty over the holiday weekend. But there were enough cars to interest some vandals who seemed more interested in causing damage than ripping people off.
The calls started coming in about 6:00 a.m. Monday from park-and-ride users who returned to very little left of the car windows.
"I'm just trying to get home without getting injured by all this glass," said Christine Booth, park-and-ride commuter.
Booth is a nurse who parked at the Ash Way Park-and-Ride Sunday night. She is a regular commuter who thinks having one window smashed out to get to her valuables but three smashed out for no reason is just hard to understand.
"I mean, why would they not take anything?" she said. "I have stuff here that's worth quite a bit of money. And they didn't take any of it."
"We heard that about 20 vehicles were broken into," said Tom Pearce, Community Transit spokesman.
Community Transit officials who should be celebrating their largest ridership ever in July with over a million passengers are not happy to find their park and ride filled with glass, strewn personal belongings and having to reassure some angry customers.
"Crime in our park and rides has been down significantly over the last several years and that is due a large part due to our work the Snohomish County Sheriffs," said Pearce.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Department has some good evidence to view. Whoever decided to trash the cars must not have looked up or they would have seen one of dozens of surveillance cameras spraying every nook and cranny of the parking lot.
And solving this crime just might clear up another recent one at another park and ride. Just up the road in Mukilteo, someone pulled off the same kind of crime in the Sounder Park-and-Ride, causing lots of damage but not taking much.
There were some items stolen. Deputies aren't saying much, but that will just add to the list of crimes against the people who did this. It's just a matter of time until deputies find them on the surveillance tapes and put their pictures on the air.
LYNNWOOD, Wash. - Imagine getting off the bus after a long shift at work over the holiday weekend only to find your car windows smashed out. That's what is happening to nearly a couple dozen people at a Lynnwood park-and-ride.
The normally packed lot at the Ash Way Park-and-Ride was nearly empty over the holiday weekend. But there were enough cars to interest some vandals who seemed more interested in causing damage than ripping people off.
The calls started coming in about 6:00 a.m. Monday from park-and-ride users who returned to very little left of the car windows.
"I'm just trying to get home without getting injured by all this glass," said Christine Booth, park-and-ride commuter.
Booth is a nurse who parked at the Ash Way Park-and-Ride Sunday night. She is a regular commuter who thinks having one window smashed out to get to her valuables but three smashed out for no reason is just hard to understand.
"I mean, why would they not take anything?" she said. "I have stuff here that's worth quite a bit of money. And they didn't take any of it."
"We heard that about 20 vehicles were broken into," said Tom Pearce, Community Transit spokesman.
Community Transit officials who should be celebrating their largest ridership ever in July with over a million passengers are not happy to find their park and ride filled with glass, strewn personal belongings and having to reassure some angry customers.
"Crime in our park and rides has been down significantly over the last several years and that is due a large part due to our work the Snohomish County Sheriffs," said Pearce.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Department has some good evidence to view. Whoever decided to trash the cars must not have looked up or they would have seen one of dozens of surveillance cameras spraying every nook and cranny of the parking lot.
And solving this crime just might clear up another recent one at another park and ride. Just up the road in Mukilteo, someone pulled off the same kind of crime in the Sounder Park-and-Ride, causing lots of damage but not taking much.
There were some items stolen. Deputies aren't saying much, but that will just add to the list of crimes against the people who did this. It's just a matter of time until deputies find them on the surveillance tapes and put their pictures on the air.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
20,000 marijuana plants seized in Klickitat County
Authorities have reported the seizure of 20,000 mature marijuana plants in Klickitat County.
GOLDENDALE, Wash. —
Authorities have reported the seizure of 20,000 mature marijuana plants in Klickitat County.
Sheriff's deputies also say four armed people were arrested Wednesday and Thursday and are now in federal custody.
Deputies say 15,000 pot plants were found and two people were arrested Thursday on public land about eight miles north of White Salmon.
Two arrests also were made Wednesday as 5,000 marijuana plants were removed from rangeland about 10 miles east of Goldendale.
Also participating in the raids were the Drug Enforcement Administration and Washington State Patrol.
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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
GOLDENDALE, Wash. —
Authorities have reported the seizure of 20,000 mature marijuana plants in Klickitat County.
Sheriff's deputies also say four armed people were arrested Wednesday and Thursday and are now in federal custody.
Deputies say 15,000 pot plants were found and two people were arrested Thursday on public land about eight miles north of White Salmon.
Two arrests also were made Wednesday as 5,000 marijuana plants were removed from rangeland about 10 miles east of Goldendale.
Also participating in the raids were the Drug Enforcement Administration and Washington State Patrol.
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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
Friday, August 29, 2008
Man dies after being pushed from car; Shoreline resident arrested
Seattle police have arrested a 27-year-old Shoreline man for investigation of homicide after he reportedly pushed a man out of a vehicle in South Seattle on Thursday morning.
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police have arrested a 27-year-old Shoreline man in the investigation of a homicide after he reportedly pushed a man out of a vehicle in South Seattle on Thursday morning.
Police initially looked at the case as possibly being a medically related death after finding the victim, who had some type of medical equipment attached to his body. But around 9 p.m. Thursday, homicide investigators arrested the Shoreline man outside of Seattle, said police spokeswoman Reneé Witt.
"It's not a random situation. These two gentlemen were acquaintances," Witt said.
Witt declined to say how officers found the suspect or what linked him to the case.
Officers were called to Ninth Avenue South and South Dakota Street at 7:30 a.m. Thursday after a witness reported seeing someone push the a person with a belt around his neck from a 2005 Kia Rio. The 61-year-old victim was dead when police arrived. The victim appeared to have been dead for a while, police said.
The driver was last seen traveling south on Airport Way South, Witt said.
The man arrested has no prior felony history in Washington state.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police have arrested a 27-year-old Shoreline man in the investigation of a homicide after he reportedly pushed a man out of a vehicle in South Seattle on Thursday morning.
Police initially looked at the case as possibly being a medically related death after finding the victim, who had some type of medical equipment attached to his body. But around 9 p.m. Thursday, homicide investigators arrested the Shoreline man outside of Seattle, said police spokeswoman Reneé Witt.
"It's not a random situation. These two gentlemen were acquaintances," Witt said.
Witt declined to say how officers found the suspect or what linked him to the case.
Officers were called to Ninth Avenue South and South Dakota Street at 7:30 a.m. Thursday after a witness reported seeing someone push the a person with a belt around his neck from a 2005 Kia Rio. The 61-year-old victim was dead when police arrived. The victim appeared to have been dead for a while, police said.
The driver was last seen traveling south on Airport Way South, Witt said.
The man arrested has no prior felony history in Washington state.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Body dumped from car; police investigating
By MIKE BARBER
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police are investigating a body that was pushed from a car at Ninth Avenue South and South Dakota Street early Thursday.
A witness around 7:30 a.m. saw a black or dark colored Kia drive into the area and dump the body then drive away. A witness tried to follow the car but lost sight of it on Airport Way, police said.
Police spokesman Renee Witt said the victim, a male of unknown age, did not move or breathe and is believed to have already been dead when pushed from the car.
Police have cordoned off the area, located just west of Interstate 5, and are searching for the car, a 2005 Kia Rio, Washington license 549-UXG.
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police are investigating a body that was pushed from a car at Ninth Avenue South and South Dakota Street early Thursday.
A witness around 7:30 a.m. saw a black or dark colored Kia drive into the area and dump the body then drive away. A witness tried to follow the car but lost sight of it on Airport Way, police said.
Police spokesman Renee Witt said the victim, a male of unknown age, did not move or breathe and is believed to have already been dead when pushed from the car.
Police have cordoned off the area, located just west of Interstate 5, and are searching for the car, a 2005 Kia Rio, Washington license 549-UXG.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Border agents arrest Federal Way fugitive
By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
P-I REPORTER
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Federal Way fugitive Monday at the Peace Arch border crossing who is wanted by King County for failure to appear in court on a narcotics violation.
Officers turned Daniel Hildreth, 47, over to Whatcom County Sheriff's deputies after a digital name check revealed a warrant in the FBI's National Criminal Information Center database.
"The arrest of fugitives attempting to re-enter the US through our ports of entry is a critical element of our border security mission", said Service Port Director Margaret Fearon "and represents CBP's commitment to protect our local communities."
P-I REPORTER
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Federal Way fugitive Monday at the Peace Arch border crossing who is wanted by King County for failure to appear in court on a narcotics violation.
Officers turned Daniel Hildreth, 47, over to Whatcom County Sheriff's deputies after a digital name check revealed a warrant in the FBI's National Criminal Information Center database.
"The arrest of fugitives attempting to re-enter the US through our ports of entry is a critical element of our border security mission", said Service Port Director Margaret Fearon "and represents CBP's commitment to protect our local communities."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Patrol car windshield shattered at Shelton
Juveniles accused of shattering the windshield on a Washington State Patrol car under a Shelton overpass told police they thought it would be funny to see a car get hit with a rock.
SHELTON, Wash. —
Juveniles accused of shattering the windshield on a Washington State Patrol car under a Shelton overpass told police they thought it would be funny to see a car get hit with a rock.
They didn't realize the car that was hit early Monday on Highway 101 was a patrol car.
The patrol says the trooper was not injured. He was able describe a car on the overpass to dispatchers. Police found it and arrested a 22-year-old Shelton man and two 14-year-olds from Shelton.
The man was booked into the Mason County Jail for investigation of charges that including furnishing liquor to a minor. The teens were booked into juvenile detention for consumption of alcohol, malicious mischief and reckless endangerment.
SHELTON, Wash. —
Juveniles accused of shattering the windshield on a Washington State Patrol car under a Shelton overpass told police they thought it would be funny to see a car get hit with a rock.
They didn't realize the car that was hit early Monday on Highway 101 was a patrol car.
The patrol says the trooper was not injured. He was able describe a car on the overpass to dispatchers. Police found it and arrested a 22-year-old Shelton man and two 14-year-olds from Shelton.
The man was booked into the Mason County Jail for investigation of charges that including furnishing liquor to a minor. The teens were booked into juvenile detention for consumption of alcohol, malicious mischief and reckless endangerment.
Thieves get away with five purebred puppies
By TRICIA MANNING-SMITH / KING 5 News
DES MOINES, Wash. – Dognappers stole an entire litter of purebred miniature Australian shepherd puppies from a Des Moines dog breeder.
Sue McCullough tears up when she looks at the puppies' empty kennel.
It didn't take her long to gather evidence Saturday morning.
"I'm assuming they moved the barrel under the window," she said. "Someone was standing on here as they passed the puppies out the window, out to someone out here, then over the fence."
She pointed to a newly made trail over the fence, into her neighbor's empty yard where she believes the thieves escaped with the dogs.
"They were part of the family and we wanted them to go to good homes. Now we don't know where they are," she said.
Bu McCullough believes she knows who took the five 10-week-old puppies: Two men who came to her certified Des Moines kennel the night before to look at the dogs.
She said the men looked around the property and didn't seem to know much about miniature Australian shepherds. They said they'd call back.
They never did call back, but the puppies disappeared.
McCullough never got their names or any identifying information, such as type of car or license plate number.
She urges others to be more careful as she hopes for the safety of the puppies.
The dogs are worth about $600 each.
The Des Moines Police are investigating.
DES MOINES, Wash. – Dognappers stole an entire litter of purebred miniature Australian shepherd puppies from a Des Moines dog breeder.
Sue McCullough tears up when she looks at the puppies' empty kennel.
It didn't take her long to gather evidence Saturday morning.
"I'm assuming they moved the barrel under the window," she said. "Someone was standing on here as they passed the puppies out the window, out to someone out here, then over the fence."
She pointed to a newly made trail over the fence, into her neighbor's empty yard where she believes the thieves escaped with the dogs.
"They were part of the family and we wanted them to go to good homes. Now we don't know where they are," she said.
Bu McCullough believes she knows who took the five 10-week-old puppies: Two men who came to her certified Des Moines kennel the night before to look at the dogs.
She said the men looked around the property and didn't seem to know much about miniature Australian shepherds. They said they'd call back.
They never did call back, but the puppies disappeared.
McCullough never got their names or any identifying information, such as type of car or license plate number.
She urges others to be more careful as she hopes for the safety of the puppies.
The dogs are worth about $600 each.
The Des Moines Police are investigating.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Red light cameras come to Federal Way
By CHARLOTTE STARCK / KING 5 News
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - A crackdown on red light runners begins this morning in Federal Way.
The city's new red light camera program aims to cut down on red light accidents at two of the city's busiest intersections: 320th and Pacific Hwy South and 348th and Enchanted Parkway.
"The risk is so great people are injured in such a staggering number across the country that we want people to know primarily that you're not going to get away with it anymore when you run the red light," said Stan McCall, Federal Way Police.
The casualties are not something to ignore. Statistics show that more than 800 people die each year due to red light runners, another 175,000 are injured nationwide, according to the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.
"Our officers can't be 24 hours a day in every single location," said Jeanne Burbidge, Federal Way City Councilmember.
None of the statistics take into account property damage, medical treatment and productivity losses.
Now Federal Way follows more than a dozen Puget Sound communities by placing cameras at South 320th Street at Pacific Highway South and South 348th Street at Enchanted Parkway.
"I see people all the time going through at the last second and, you know, that's when accidents happen," said Federal Way driver, Kay Jones.
Gary Poelstra, visiting Federal Way, got a ticket in the past.
"I'm telling you it made me far more alert from then on," he said.
The fine is $124, but Monday marks the beginning of a 30-day grace period, which runs through Sept.24. Starting Sept. 25, registered owners of the vehicles will get the actual ticket, which includes a photograph of their license plate and an online link to a video of their car going through the light.
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - A crackdown on red light runners begins this morning in Federal Way.
The city's new red light camera program aims to cut down on red light accidents at two of the city's busiest intersections: 320th and Pacific Hwy South and 348th and Enchanted Parkway.
"The risk is so great people are injured in such a staggering number across the country that we want people to know primarily that you're not going to get away with it anymore when you run the red light," said Stan McCall, Federal Way Police.
The casualties are not something to ignore. Statistics show that more than 800 people die each year due to red light runners, another 175,000 are injured nationwide, according to the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.
"Our officers can't be 24 hours a day in every single location," said Jeanne Burbidge, Federal Way City Councilmember.
None of the statistics take into account property damage, medical treatment and productivity losses.
Now Federal Way follows more than a dozen Puget Sound communities by placing cameras at South 320th Street at Pacific Highway South and South 348th Street at Enchanted Parkway.
"I see people all the time going through at the last second and, you know, that's when accidents happen," said Federal Way driver, Kay Jones.
Gary Poelstra, visiting Federal Way, got a ticket in the past.
"I'm telling you it made me far more alert from then on," he said.
The fine is $124, but Monday marks the beginning of a 30-day grace period, which runs through Sept.24. Starting Sept. 25, registered owners of the vehicles will get the actual ticket, which includes a photograph of their license plate and an online link to a video of their car going through the light.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Parkland 'bikini barista' scalds flasher
By DREW MIKKELSEN / KING 5 News
PARKLAND, Wash. - A Parkland barista threw a cup of boiling water at a man who deputies said had repeatedly flashed the woman.
The woman wears a bikini while she serves coffee at "Java Girls."
Investigators say the man was wearing women's underwear and had come to the stand harassing baristas at least three times.
A surveillance camera at the coffee stand recorded the barista throwing the hot water at the man.
"I can't say there's a direct correlation between these places and these incidents," said Pierce County Det. Jerry Bates, "But it's something we're watching for out there."
PARKLAND, Wash. - A Parkland barista threw a cup of boiling water at a man who deputies said had repeatedly flashed the woman.
The woman wears a bikini while she serves coffee at "Java Girls."
Investigators say the man was wearing women's underwear and had come to the stand harassing baristas at least three times.
A surveillance camera at the coffee stand recorded the barista throwing the hot water at the man.
"I can't say there's a direct correlation between these places and these incidents," said Pierce County Det. Jerry Bates, "But it's something we're watching for out there."
Lawyer pleads guilty to murdering courtroom rival
By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER
A disgraced lawyer already convicted of shooting his opposing counsel has pleaded guilty to murder.
Nearly three years have passed since Mill Creek attorney William Joice was convicted of attempted murder for the Nov. 3, 2004, shooting of Kevin Jung.
Joice fired at Jung three times from close range striking his target once in the head. Joice then drove off planning to make a 10 a.m. court appearance in Everett.
In December 2005, a King County jury took barely 30 minutes to convict Joice of attempted murder in the first degree and 13 minutes more to decide it was an aggravated crime.
He was sentenced to 32 years in prison, an exceptionally long sentence for the charges against him.
Days after Joice was sentenced, Jung succumbed to the massive head trauma caused by the bullet Joice fired.
On Tuesday, Joice pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, according to court documents.
As part of a plea agreement, Joice, now 54, received the same sentence given to him under the earlier charge.
King County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Dan Donohoe said Joice also agreed to withdraw his appeal currently before the state Supreme Court.
Joice and Jung opposed each other in a commercial lawsuit filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
At his earlier sentencing, Joice told the judge he'd fallen behind in his work and was losing his case to Jung.
P-I REPORTER
A disgraced lawyer already convicted of shooting his opposing counsel has pleaded guilty to murder.
Nearly three years have passed since Mill Creek attorney William Joice was convicted of attempted murder for the Nov. 3, 2004, shooting of Kevin Jung.
Joice fired at Jung three times from close range striking his target once in the head. Joice then drove off planning to make a 10 a.m. court appearance in Everett.
In December 2005, a King County jury took barely 30 minutes to convict Joice of attempted murder in the first degree and 13 minutes more to decide it was an aggravated crime.
He was sentenced to 32 years in prison, an exceptionally long sentence for the charges against him.
Days after Joice was sentenced, Jung succumbed to the massive head trauma caused by the bullet Joice fired.
On Tuesday, Joice pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, according to court documents.
As part of a plea agreement, Joice, now 54, received the same sentence given to him under the earlier charge.
King County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Dan Donohoe said Joice also agreed to withdraw his appeal currently before the state Supreme Court.
Joice and Jung opposed each other in a commercial lawsuit filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
At his earlier sentencing, Joice told the judge he'd fallen behind in his work and was losing his case to Jung.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
DUI signs are message from grieving families
By CELESTE FLINT
P-I REPORTER
Along state highways, bold signs convey a simple plea, "PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE."
They're a part of the Washington State Department of Transportation's DUI Memorial Sign Program to prevent drunken driving, but they also act as a memorial, bearing the names of people killed in drunken-driving accidents.
"I see all the signs as a voice. We need the laws changed, and the only way we can do that is for people to see what we're losing," said Caroline Clay, the mother of Cassandra Clay, who died in an accident Oct. 1, 2007.
On Tuesday, Caroline Clay participated in a sign dedication for her daughter and Shane Bender, who also was killed in a DUI-related accident at state Routh 7 and 159th Street Southeast in Spanaway.
"The weekend before Cassandra was killed, there was an article about a lady having 13 DUIs, and (Cassandra) said, 'Mom how does this happen?' And I had no answer for that," Clay said. "Hopefully people will see these signs and ask why were these people on the road."
The program to erect the DUI signs started in 1994 as a grass-roots effort by a Walla Walla family that lost a loved one in a drunken-driving accident. They wanted a way to set up a formal sign. Now there are 126 signs on state highways, said Pat O'Leary, DOT traffic regulation specialist.
"Since we established the program, there have been a number of local agencies in our state who have developed companion programs. They use very similar signs and program criteria," O'Leary said.
The signs cost $300 to $700, and the prices are about to go up. However, victims' panels and organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving find ways to help families pay for them, O'Leary said.
After her daughter's death, Clay decided to start speaking for the Pierce County DUI Victim Panel, which eventually decided to pay for her daughter's sign.
For the families, it's like a message in a bottle. They put it out there and hope it saves someone's life. The hope makes it worth working with these families on a daily basis, O'Leary said.
"It's a really tough position for us as well, when we go to these scenes and we see what it does to the families," State Patrol Trooper Brandy Kessler said.
In 2007, there were 231 alcohol-related car fatalities, according to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission.
"We have more people killed in automobile accidents that way then we do by guns. So it's a very serious thing," Kessler said.
For Clay, she wanted to have her say.
"All of her (Cassandra's) friends and the people she knew just about take that road at some point. For me it's a reminder for them," Clay said. "I see this as a chance for Cassandra to keep talking."
P-I REPORTER
Along state highways, bold signs convey a simple plea, "PLEASE DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE."
They're a part of the Washington State Department of Transportation's DUI Memorial Sign Program to prevent drunken driving, but they also act as a memorial, bearing the names of people killed in drunken-driving accidents.
"I see all the signs as a voice. We need the laws changed, and the only way we can do that is for people to see what we're losing," said Caroline Clay, the mother of Cassandra Clay, who died in an accident Oct. 1, 2007.
On Tuesday, Caroline Clay participated in a sign dedication for her daughter and Shane Bender, who also was killed in a DUI-related accident at state Routh 7 and 159th Street Southeast in Spanaway.
"The weekend before Cassandra was killed, there was an article about a lady having 13 DUIs, and (Cassandra) said, 'Mom how does this happen?' And I had no answer for that," Clay said. "Hopefully people will see these signs and ask why were these people on the road."
The program to erect the DUI signs started in 1994 as a grass-roots effort by a Walla Walla family that lost a loved one in a drunken-driving accident. They wanted a way to set up a formal sign. Now there are 126 signs on state highways, said Pat O'Leary, DOT traffic regulation specialist.
"Since we established the program, there have been a number of local agencies in our state who have developed companion programs. They use very similar signs and program criteria," O'Leary said.
The signs cost $300 to $700, and the prices are about to go up. However, victims' panels and organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving find ways to help families pay for them, O'Leary said.
After her daughter's death, Clay decided to start speaking for the Pierce County DUI Victim Panel, which eventually decided to pay for her daughter's sign.
For the families, it's like a message in a bottle. They put it out there and hope it saves someone's life. The hope makes it worth working with these families on a daily basis, O'Leary said.
"It's a really tough position for us as well, when we go to these scenes and we see what it does to the families," State Patrol Trooper Brandy Kessler said.
In 2007, there were 231 alcohol-related car fatalities, according to the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission.
"We have more people killed in automobile accidents that way then we do by guns. So it's a very serious thing," Kessler said.
For Clay, she wanted to have her say.
"All of her (Cassandra's) friends and the people she knew just about take that road at some point. For me it's a reminder for them," Clay said. "I see this as a chance for Cassandra to keep talking."
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Woman in seized child-porn video sues Tacoma for not destroying it
P-I STAFF
Former Tacoma Police Department detective and convicted sex offender Lee Giles is facing a lawsuit from a woman accusing him of taking home child pornography seized as evidence. The lawsuit also blames his former employer – the department – for allowing him to do it.
Giles, 61, was sentenced to 19 years in prison earlier this year after pleading to child rape, child molestation and other sex crimes.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this month in King County Superior Court, attorneys representing the woman say officers were able to take child pornography out of evidence and home for their own enjoyment. The case in point – the sole instance offered by her attorneys – is that of Detective Giles.
In a 2006 search of Giles home, detectives found two pornographic videos taken of the woman, then a young girl, in the early 1990s. The man who took the videos was sentenced to prison following a sting operation.
A Pierce County Superior Court judge had ordered the videos destroyed 12 years before they were found at Giles' house. That decision carried "extreme importance" for the woman, who had believed the order was carried out.
Instead, her attorneys contend, Giles "fostered his fetish for victimizing children by viewing pornographic videotapes – including pornographic videotapes from the Pierce County evidence room."
The suit names Pierce County and the City of Tacoma as defendants, as well as Giles. A rebuttal has yet to be filed.
Former Tacoma Police Department detective and convicted sex offender Lee Giles is facing a lawsuit from a woman accusing him of taking home child pornography seized as evidence. The lawsuit also blames his former employer – the department – for allowing him to do it.
Giles, 61, was sentenced to 19 years in prison earlier this year after pleading to child rape, child molestation and other sex crimes.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this month in King County Superior Court, attorneys representing the woman say officers were able to take child pornography out of evidence and home for their own enjoyment. The case in point – the sole instance offered by her attorneys – is that of Detective Giles.
In a 2006 search of Giles home, detectives found two pornographic videos taken of the woman, then a young girl, in the early 1990s. The man who took the videos was sentenced to prison following a sting operation.
A Pierce County Superior Court judge had ordered the videos destroyed 12 years before they were found at Giles' house. That decision carried "extreme importance" for the woman, who had believed the order was carried out.
Instead, her attorneys contend, Giles "fostered his fetish for victimizing children by viewing pornographic videotapes – including pornographic videotapes from the Pierce County evidence room."
The suit names Pierce County and the City of Tacoma as defendants, as well as Giles. A rebuttal has yet to be filed.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Puppies maul abandoned cancer patient
By BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash. – Pierce County authorities are looking to charge a cancer patient's caregivers after the man was left alone in his house for days and mauled by hungry puppies.
One of those caregivers is the patient's own daughter.
The 55-year-old man from Parkland is in critical condition and being kept alive by machines.
"We don't believe the puppies attacked him but the puppies were using him as a food source due to the fact that they just didn't know any better and he was on the ground incapacitated for a couple of days," said Det. Ed Troyer, Pierce Co. Sheriff's Office.
It's a gruesome end to what may have been days of neglect. Detectives say two women lived in the home with some 20 dogs and were unofficial caregivers of the cancer patient. At some point the women abandoned the man and the dogs.
"He's incapacitated and needs full time care and should have had full time care, and some of the medicines and treatments were not getting to him," said Troyer.
Neighbors say they've had problems with some of the older dogs before, but they didn't know the cancer patient was being neglected inside.
The fact that one of the caregivers was the man's own daughter is even more shocking.
"I didn't get along with my dad real well. I could never imagine treating him like that in his last days," said neighbor Gary Anderson.
"That just blew me away. I couldn't believe it. That was going on right next to me," said neighbor Mark Williams.
The two women were booked into the Pierce County Jail on investigation of criminal mistreatment, but detectives are looking into more serious felony charges.
The roughly 20 dogs that were seized from the home are at the Pierce County Humane Society. There is no decision yet on what will happen to them.
TACOMA, Wash. – Pierce County authorities are looking to charge a cancer patient's caregivers after the man was left alone in his house for days and mauled by hungry puppies.
One of those caregivers is the patient's own daughter.
The 55-year-old man from Parkland is in critical condition and being kept alive by machines.
"We don't believe the puppies attacked him but the puppies were using him as a food source due to the fact that they just didn't know any better and he was on the ground incapacitated for a couple of days," said Det. Ed Troyer, Pierce Co. Sheriff's Office.
It's a gruesome end to what may have been days of neglect. Detectives say two women lived in the home with some 20 dogs and were unofficial caregivers of the cancer patient. At some point the women abandoned the man and the dogs.
"He's incapacitated and needs full time care and should have had full time care, and some of the medicines and treatments were not getting to him," said Troyer.
Neighbors say they've had problems with some of the older dogs before, but they didn't know the cancer patient was being neglected inside.
The fact that one of the caregivers was the man's own daughter is even more shocking.
"I didn't get along with my dad real well. I could never imagine treating him like that in his last days," said neighbor Gary Anderson.
"That just blew me away. I couldn't believe it. That was going on right next to me," said neighbor Mark Williams.
The two women were booked into the Pierce County Jail on investigation of criminal mistreatment, but detectives are looking into more serious felony charges.
The roughly 20 dogs that were seized from the home are at the Pierce County Humane Society. There is no decision yet on what will happen to them.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Bonney Lake man shot after ramming police cars in pursuit
P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
KENT – Kent police shot and wounded a man Friday who reportedly rammed several patrol cars during a pursuit, the Police Department reported.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Bonney Lake man, was taken to Harborview Medical Center. A police officer also was hurt, although not seriously.
The shooting happened just after 3 p.m. Police had boxed in the suspect near South 252nd Street and Canyon Drive Southeast after he tried to drive away. He tried to crash through the patrol cars and two officers opened fire, police reported.
Police had been looking for the suspect since Aug. 1, when he eluded an officer who tried to stop him for a traffic offense. The officer backed off the pursuit because the suspect's driving was endangering others, police reported.
The suspect later abandoned his car. Police were able to identify him and discover that he was named in an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Renton police are investigating the shooting on behalf of the Kent Police Department.
KENT – Kent police shot and wounded a man Friday who reportedly rammed several patrol cars during a pursuit, the Police Department reported.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Bonney Lake man, was taken to Harborview Medical Center. A police officer also was hurt, although not seriously.
The shooting happened just after 3 p.m. Police had boxed in the suspect near South 252nd Street and Canyon Drive Southeast after he tried to drive away. He tried to crash through the patrol cars and two officers opened fire, police reported.
Police had been looking for the suspect since Aug. 1, when he eluded an officer who tried to stop him for a traffic offense. The officer backed off the pursuit because the suspect's driving was endangering others, police reported.
The suspect later abandoned his car. Police were able to identify him and discover that he was named in an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Renton police are investigating the shooting on behalf of the Kent Police Department.
4 women arrested at massage parlors after raids in 3 cities
P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES
BELLEVUE – Four women were arrested Thursday at massage parlors in Bellevue and SeaTac. King County sheriff's detectives suspect that the businesses are fronts for prostitution.
"We believe that one or more of those arrested were the managers or owners of this enterprise," King County sheriff spokesman John Urquhart said.
Detectives raided four parlors – one in SeaTac, one in Kirkland and two in Bellevue – and seized business records at each location.
The women range in age from 28 to 51. They were booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of various charges, including prostitution and money laundering.
Urquhart said both charges are felonies. Detectives believe all four parlors have common owners, managers and employees.
In Bellevue, sheriff detectives and police officers raided Royal Spa at 16407 Lake Hills Blvd. and Chada Thai Bodyworks at 10448 N.E. 29th St.
Deputies arrested a 33-year-old woman at Royal Spa and two women, ages 28 and 36, at Chada Thai Bodyworks.
In SeaTac, officers searched Miracle Spa and arrested a 51-year-old woman. That spa is at 3312 S. 192nd St.
In Kirkland, deputies raided Lisa Thai Massage at 1942 Market St. but made no arrests.
No customers were arrested during the raids. But detectives may contact customers who can be identified from the business records or credit-cards receipts, Urquhart said.
BELLEVUE – Four women were arrested Thursday at massage parlors in Bellevue and SeaTac. King County sheriff's detectives suspect that the businesses are fronts for prostitution.
"We believe that one or more of those arrested were the managers or owners of this enterprise," King County sheriff spokesman John Urquhart said.
Detectives raided four parlors – one in SeaTac, one in Kirkland and two in Bellevue – and seized business records at each location.
The women range in age from 28 to 51. They were booked into the King County Jail on suspicion of various charges, including prostitution and money laundering.
Urquhart said both charges are felonies. Detectives believe all four parlors have common owners, managers and employees.
In Bellevue, sheriff detectives and police officers raided Royal Spa at 16407 Lake Hills Blvd. and Chada Thai Bodyworks at 10448 N.E. 29th St.
Deputies arrested a 33-year-old woman at Royal Spa and two women, ages 28 and 36, at Chada Thai Bodyworks.
In SeaTac, officers searched Miracle Spa and arrested a 51-year-old woman. That spa is at 3312 S. 192nd St.
In Kirkland, deputies raided Lisa Thai Massage at 1942 Market St. but made no arrests.
No customers were arrested during the raids. But detectives may contact customers who can be identified from the business records or credit-cards receipts, Urquhart said.
Friday, August 8, 2008
4 arrested in massage parlor prostitution raids
By KING5.com Staff
BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sheriff's detectives arrested four women Thursday during raids at Puget Sound massage parlors that they say served as fronts for prostitution.
Detectives believe the four massage parlors – located in SeaTac, Kirkland and Bellevue – have common owners and employees, according to a press release from the King County Sheriff's Office.
The women arrested range in age from 28 to 51. They were booked on various charges, including promoting prostitution and money laundering. Police say more arrests are expected.
While no customers were taken into custody, detectives have seized the business records from each massage parlor. Customers who can be identified from the records will be contacted by detectives, and police say charges are possible.
The four massage parlors raided are:
Miracle Spa, located at 3312 S. 192nd in SeaTac
Royal Spa, located at 16407 Lake Hills Boulevard in Bellevue
The Chada Thai Bodywords, at 10448 NE 29th in Belleuve
Lisa Thai Massage, 1942 Market Street in Kirkland.
No arrests were made at the Kirkland location.
BELLEVUE, Wash. – Sheriff's detectives arrested four women Thursday during raids at Puget Sound massage parlors that they say served as fronts for prostitution.
Detectives believe the four massage parlors – located in SeaTac, Kirkland and Bellevue – have common owners and employees, according to a press release from the King County Sheriff's Office.
The women arrested range in age from 28 to 51. They were booked on various charges, including promoting prostitution and money laundering. Police say more arrests are expected.
While no customers were taken into custody, detectives have seized the business records from each massage parlor. Customers who can be identified from the records will be contacted by detectives, and police say charges are possible.
The four massage parlors raided are:
Miracle Spa, located at 3312 S. 192nd in SeaTac
Royal Spa, located at 16407 Lake Hills Boulevard in Bellevue
The Chada Thai Bodywords, at 10448 NE 29th in Belleuve
Lisa Thai Massage, 1942 Market Street in Kirkland.
No arrests were made at the Kirkland location.
Agents use extreme tactics to evict pot-squatters
By GARY CHITTIM / KING 5 News
NEAR MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Washington state's public lands are being invaded by marijuana growers, and police say they pose a serious risk to people who enjoy the outdoors.
Now agents are using extreme tactics to clean out the pot-squatters.
Agents recently loaded up with ammo and camo to raid a major marijuana grow operation in Grant County wilderness.
Assault teams, hoping to capture the growers, arrived dangling from helicopters. The plan was to be hanging so far down they could easily unclip and run in, using the element of surprise.
It's become the preferred tactic. Agents arrive fresh, and with a perimeter of agents on the ground, the growers have nowhere to run. Hiding won't work either. Canine agents also fly in. The dogs are trained to be comfortable in harnesses.
State Fish and Wildlife agents say they've had enough with drug growers trashing public lands.
"These folks who engage in this these activities, they pose a clear and present danger to public health and safety," said Mike Cenci, of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife's Enforcement Division. "They protect their grows."
And this grow was worth protecting. Roughly 10,000 plants were spread out under the protective canopy of a grove of Russian olive trees in Grant County. It took hours for agents to pull them all up.
And there's environmental damage because the growers bury elaborate networks of hoses and pipes to siphon off creeks and ponds, and sometime use entire waterbodies as cauldrons to mix their irrigation water.
"They'll dump their fertilizers and chemicals directly into the water source, so they're completely polluting the environment and they're killing every animal that comes in and drinks from that water source," said Captain Chris Anderson, of the Department of Fish and Game.
And the growers didn't just work at the grow location, they also lived there in heavily camouflaged tents. Their camp equipment and supplies - left behind - pose another threat to the natural ecology.
It's happening on public lands all over the state. Solid demand for high quality marijuana is encouraging growers to invest serious time and energy infesting lands set aside for wildlife and recreation.
In Grant County, the bad guys slipped out before the raid, but their marijuana was seized and they lost it all - all their time and effort, their high hopes, went flying off in the arms of agents.
The pot busting team consists of agents from the DEA, state Fish & Wildlife, and sheriff's deputies.
They're asking anyone who finds marijuana grows in the wild to quickly back away and give them a call.
NEAR MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Washington state's public lands are being invaded by marijuana growers, and police say they pose a serious risk to people who enjoy the outdoors.
Now agents are using extreme tactics to clean out the pot-squatters.
Agents recently loaded up with ammo and camo to raid a major marijuana grow operation in Grant County wilderness.
Assault teams, hoping to capture the growers, arrived dangling from helicopters. The plan was to be hanging so far down they could easily unclip and run in, using the element of surprise.
It's become the preferred tactic. Agents arrive fresh, and with a perimeter of agents on the ground, the growers have nowhere to run. Hiding won't work either. Canine agents also fly in. The dogs are trained to be comfortable in harnesses.
State Fish and Wildlife agents say they've had enough with drug growers trashing public lands.
"These folks who engage in this these activities, they pose a clear and present danger to public health and safety," said Mike Cenci, of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife's Enforcement Division. "They protect their grows."
And this grow was worth protecting. Roughly 10,000 plants were spread out under the protective canopy of a grove of Russian olive trees in Grant County. It took hours for agents to pull them all up.
And there's environmental damage because the growers bury elaborate networks of hoses and pipes to siphon off creeks and ponds, and sometime use entire waterbodies as cauldrons to mix their irrigation water.
"They'll dump their fertilizers and chemicals directly into the water source, so they're completely polluting the environment and they're killing every animal that comes in and drinks from that water source," said Captain Chris Anderson, of the Department of Fish and Game.
And the growers didn't just work at the grow location, they also lived there in heavily camouflaged tents. Their camp equipment and supplies - left behind - pose another threat to the natural ecology.
It's happening on public lands all over the state. Solid demand for high quality marijuana is encouraging growers to invest serious time and energy infesting lands set aside for wildlife and recreation.
In Grant County, the bad guys slipped out before the raid, but their marijuana was seized and they lost it all - all their time and effort, their high hopes, went flying off in the arms of agents.
The pot busting team consists of agents from the DEA, state Fish & Wildlife, and sheriff's deputies.
They're asking anyone who finds marijuana grows in the wild to quickly back away and give them a call.
Charges filed in puppy slaying
By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER
An Auburn woman accused of killing her neighbor's puppy is facing felony animal cruelty charges in the shooting.
Denise Leahy, 46, was charged Thursday with a single count of first-degree animal cruelty for the July 4 killing.
That afternoon, a neighbor of Leahy's returned home to find Taz, her 7-month-old bull mastiff, laying dead in her yard soaked in blood, according to court documents. She called police while her husband rushed the puppy to Sumner Veterinary Hospital, where a necropsy was completed.
Veterinarians determined the puppy had been killed by a small caliber bullet, which had blown through its torso. That discovery caused Auburn police to respond to the home in the 5200 block of 55th Street Southeast.
Officers spoke with a neighbor who described hearing a loud explosion earlier that day. He said he thought little of it – it was Independence Day – until he saw Taz running frantically in the large yard where he was fenced in. Even then, though, he told officers he assumed the puppy was simply bothered by the fireworks.
According to police reports, Leahy later told a friend that she'd shot the puppy because it was "barking and being annoying." That friend later relayed that conversation to police.
Leahy was arrested July 31 at her home and briefly jailed. She is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 20.
P-I reporter Levi Pulkkinen ca
P-I REPORTER
An Auburn woman accused of killing her neighbor's puppy is facing felony animal cruelty charges in the shooting.
Denise Leahy, 46, was charged Thursday with a single count of first-degree animal cruelty for the July 4 killing.
That afternoon, a neighbor of Leahy's returned home to find Taz, her 7-month-old bull mastiff, laying dead in her yard soaked in blood, according to court documents. She called police while her husband rushed the puppy to Sumner Veterinary Hospital, where a necropsy was completed.
Veterinarians determined the puppy had been killed by a small caliber bullet, which had blown through its torso. That discovery caused Auburn police to respond to the home in the 5200 block of 55th Street Southeast.
Officers spoke with a neighbor who described hearing a loud explosion earlier that day. He said he thought little of it – it was Independence Day – until he saw Taz running frantically in the large yard where he was fenced in. Even then, though, he told officers he assumed the puppy was simply bothered by the fireworks.
According to police reports, Leahy later told a friend that she'd shot the puppy because it was "barking and being annoying." That friend later relayed that conversation to police.
Leahy was arrested July 31 at her home and briefly jailed. She is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 20.
P-I reporter Levi Pulkkinen ca
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Man shot in South Seattle early Wednesday
By MIKE BARBER
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police are investigating the shooting of a 29-year-old man in the 4300 block of South Othello Street early Wednesday morning.
The victim, whose name was not released, was shot in the right leg shortly before 12:30 a.m., police spokeswoman Renee Witt said, and was expected to recover.
The shooting was not connected to the slaying of a 15-year-old boy two hours earlier that also remains under investigation, she said.
Investigators have some leads they are actively pursuing but no arrests had been made and no motive was yet determined, Witt said early Wednesday.
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police are investigating the shooting of a 29-year-old man in the 4300 block of South Othello Street early Wednesday morning.
The victim, whose name was not released, was shot in the right leg shortly before 12:30 a.m., police spokeswoman Renee Witt said, and was expected to recover.
The shooting was not connected to the slaying of a 15-year-old boy two hours earlier that also remains under investigation, she said.
Investigators have some leads they are actively pursuing but no arrests had been made and no motive was yet determined, Witt said early Wednesday.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Men charged with forcing teen into prostitution
By DEBORAH FELDMAN / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - Two men pleaded not guilty today to charges they forced a 14-year-old girl into prostitution.
Police believe they did it by threatening to kill the girl and her family.
Yonatan Ogube and Samuel Rezene are accused of driving the teen to Aurora Avenue, where she says she was forced to have sex with strangers.
"And he threatened her both with her own life, and that he would also kill her family if she didn't comply," said Lisa O'Toole, prosecutor.
The victim also told police the men approached her about two weeks later as she walked in Holly Park, grabbed her by the hair and tried to drag her into their Cadillac a second time, but that she managed to get away. That night she told her father, who called police.
According to charging documents, the day after the victim gave her statement to police, they found the white Cadillac she'd described. Later, on a search warrant, they found a loaded handgun inside.
Friends of the two suspects say the charges aren't fair. They claim the young girl wasn't forced, and that race may be an issue since she is white.
"They were probably just playing around just to see like how far she'll go," said Sonny Mensure, the defendant's cousin. "And then she probably got scared or something."
Today bail remained at $50,000 for each of the defendants.
Rezene has a been booked for various crimes 14 times since 2006 and has a felony drug conviction.
SEATTLE - Two men pleaded not guilty today to charges they forced a 14-year-old girl into prostitution.
Police believe they did it by threatening to kill the girl and her family.
Yonatan Ogube and Samuel Rezene are accused of driving the teen to Aurora Avenue, where she says she was forced to have sex with strangers.
"And he threatened her both with her own life, and that he would also kill her family if she didn't comply," said Lisa O'Toole, prosecutor.
The victim also told police the men approached her about two weeks later as she walked in Holly Park, grabbed her by the hair and tried to drag her into their Cadillac a second time, but that she managed to get away. That night she told her father, who called police.
According to charging documents, the day after the victim gave her statement to police, they found the white Cadillac she'd described. Later, on a search warrant, they found a loaded handgun inside.
Friends of the two suspects say the charges aren't fair. They claim the young girl wasn't forced, and that race may be an issue since she is white.
"They were probably just playing around just to see like how far she'll go," said Sonny Mensure, the defendant's cousin. "And then she probably got scared or something."
Today bail remained at $50,000 for each of the defendants.
Rezene has a been booked for various crimes 14 times since 2006 and has a felony drug conviction.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Washington TE Izbicki faces misdemeanor charges
Washington reserve tight end Chris Izbicki has been charged with a pair of misdemeanors - second-degree criminal trespass and minor in possession of alcohol.
SEATTLE —
Washington reserve tight end Chris Izbicki has been charged with a pair of misdemeanors - second-degree criminal trespass and minor in possession of alcohol.
Izbicki, who will be a redshirt freshman for the Huskies this fall, was charged Monday and will be arraigned on Aug. 14 in King County District Court in Burien, prosecutor's spokesman Dan Donohoe said.
According to a police report, Izbicki attempted to enter a VIP area during a July 20 concert at the White River Amphitheater and was denied access. Officers also noted a strong smell of alcohol and that Izbicki was swaying from side to side.
Izbicki was escorted from the area, but later tried again to enter the VIP area and was released to a friend who promised to take him home.
Less than 20 minutes later, however, Izbicki was seen again near the VIP area and was arrested for trespassing. A breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .241 - three times the legal limit of intoxication, the report said.
Izbicki is expected to compete with senior Michael Gottlieb and freshman Kavario Middleton for playing time this fall.
SEATTLE —
Washington reserve tight end Chris Izbicki has been charged with a pair of misdemeanors - second-degree criminal trespass and minor in possession of alcohol.
Izbicki, who will be a redshirt freshman for the Huskies this fall, was charged Monday and will be arraigned on Aug. 14 in King County District Court in Burien, prosecutor's spokesman Dan Donohoe said.
According to a police report, Izbicki attempted to enter a VIP area during a July 20 concert at the White River Amphitheater and was denied access. Officers also noted a strong smell of alcohol and that Izbicki was swaying from side to side.
Izbicki was escorted from the area, but later tried again to enter the VIP area and was released to a friend who promised to take him home.
Less than 20 minutes later, however, Izbicki was seen again near the VIP area and was arrested for trespassing. A breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .241 - three times the legal limit of intoxication, the report said.
Izbicki is expected to compete with senior Michael Gottlieb and freshman Kavario Middleton for playing time this fall.
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