By GREGORY ROBERTS
P-I REPORTER
King County has reached tentative agreement on a new labor contract with sheriff's deputies that would finally clear the way to establishing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office, County Executive Ron Sims said Monday.
But the County Council member who co-sponsored the 2006 legislation creating the oversight framework isn't ready to declare victory.
"It sounds like we're getting there," Councilman Bob Ferguson, D-Seattle, said. "But the devil's in the details."
The Office of Law Enforcement Oversight has not been activated because it would affect disciplinary procedures outlined in the prevailing contract with the deputies, and any changes to those procedures were subject to collective bargaining with the deputies' union.
The tentative deal on oversight differs from the legislation, a Sims spokeswoman said, but she was unable to provide more information before the deputies' union submits the deal to its membership for ratification. Any contract ultimately must be approved by the council as well.
The tentative labor agreement also includes pay raises for deputies in each of its five years, Sims' office said.
The 2006 legislation gives the oversight agency the authority to field complaints from the public about sheriff's deputies, to review Sheriff Sue Rahr's response to the complaints and to make suggestions to her about how to deal with them. Currently, complaints from citizens are handled within the Sheriff's Office.
Establishing civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office was a key recommendation of the blue-ribbon panel appointed in 2006 by Sims, the council and then-Prosecutor Norm Maleng to investigate how the sheriff responds to citizen complaints. The panel was formed in reaction to "Conduct Unbecoming," a Seattle P-I series that reported on wrongdoing by deputies and lax internal discipline.
Other panel recommendations also have been put on hold pending the contract negotiations, including applying new performance standards and evaluations for deputies and setting up an "early intervention system" that would be triggered when problems first surface.
Rahr has moved ahead with reforms not restrained by the labor contract, such as posting complaint forms and procedures at the sheriff's web site (www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/), stressing accountability within the department, upgrading supervision and training and forming precinct-level citizens advisory committees.
As for the tentative deal with the deputies, a Rahr spokesman said, "We're very happy to have this finally settled," although he noted the union has yet to vote on it.
Deputies' union president Steve Eggert could not be reached for comment.
Under the provisions of the 2006 legislation:
# The oversight office will report directly to the council. Sims will nominate a full-time director, who will serve a four-year term, subject to council approval,
# The office can respond immediately to homicides or other "critical incidents," dispatching observers to the crime scene.
# A panel of 11 citizen volunteers will advise the director on issues of misconduct by deputies and will help inform the public about the office's work. Sims will appoint the members, subject to council confirmation.
# The sheriff and the oversight director will set up a voluntary procedure for mediation of citizen complaints about deputies..
# The county auditor will review the oversight agency and report regularly to the council.
The county has set aside $425,000 in its 2008 budget for an oversight office with a director and three staff members.
The Sheriff's Office polices the unincorporated areas of King County and also provides law enforcement by contract to a dozen suburban cities, the Metro bus system and some other agencies. It employs 1,150 people, including 650 deputies, and functions with an annual budget of $150 million.
The city of Seattle operates its own oversight system for its police department. A civilian director heads the Office of Professional Accountability, which includes a team of police officers who investigate complaints of misconduct. The director forwards the office's findings to the chief, who makes the final decision on discipline.
The system also includes a civilian auditor who reviews investigations for thoroughness and fairness and who looks for trends that might warrant remedial training. In addition, a three-member civilian review board examines a portion of closed misconduct cases and issues public reports on how the department handles internal investigations.
P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez contributed to this story.
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Monday, July 7, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Ex-boyfriend wouldn't move out, now he's dead
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
Snohomish County sheriff's detectives have arrested a woman and a man suspected of killing the woman's ex-boyfriend.
Investigators allege the man carried out the slaying with the woman's knowledge.
Both were booked into the Snohomish County Jail early on July 4 for investigation of first-degree murder. Jail records indicate the woman is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
There is not yet any bail set for the male suspect.
The victim, a 49-year-old Sultan man, was found dead on June 26. At the time, sheriff's officials said they were investigating his death as suspicious, but did not release any information about the manner of his death.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office has not released the victim's name saying the release is pending positive identification and further investigation.
Detectives say the victim had broken up with a 46-year-old Sultan woman several months ago, but refused to move out of her home in the 12800 block of 311th Avenue Southeast where the two lived with the woman's mother.
The woman began dating a 30-year-old Gold Bar man, who sometimes stayed over at the home, but still the ex-boyfriend refused to leave.
Early on June 26, the woman called Sultan police and said she arrived home to find her former boyfriend dead in his bed. Sultan police asked the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office to investigate the death.
Sheriff's investigators have said the man died from homicidal violence, but have released no details.
Neither of the two suspects has any apparent criminal record, though the man was the subject of a domestic violence protection order in 2006.
P-I REPORTER
Snohomish County sheriff's detectives have arrested a woman and a man suspected of killing the woman's ex-boyfriend.
Investigators allege the man carried out the slaying with the woman's knowledge.
Both were booked into the Snohomish County Jail early on July 4 for investigation of first-degree murder. Jail records indicate the woman is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail.
There is not yet any bail set for the male suspect.
The victim, a 49-year-old Sultan man, was found dead on June 26. At the time, sheriff's officials said they were investigating his death as suspicious, but did not release any information about the manner of his death.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office has not released the victim's name saying the release is pending positive identification and further investigation.
Detectives say the victim had broken up with a 46-year-old Sultan woman several months ago, but refused to move out of her home in the 12800 block of 311th Avenue Southeast where the two lived with the woman's mother.
The woman began dating a 30-year-old Gold Bar man, who sometimes stayed over at the home, but still the ex-boyfriend refused to leave.
Early on June 26, the woman called Sultan police and said she arrived home to find her former boyfriend dead in his bed. Sultan police asked the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office to investigate the death.
Sheriff's investigators have said the man died from homicidal violence, but have released no details.
Neither of the two suspects has any apparent criminal record, though the man was the subject of a domestic violence protection order in 2006.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Police looking for man who snatched elderly woman's purse
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
Investigators are looking for help in locating a man who shoved an 86-year-old woman to the ground before making off with her purse earlier this week.
King County sheriff's detectives have very little to go on and only a vague description of the purse snatcher. "Not much to go on," Sgt. John Urquhart said.
The robbery happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday at South 152nd Street and International Boulevard in SeaTac.
The victim had just disembarked from Metro bus 174 when she was confronted by a man who ordered her to give him her purse. When she refused, the man pushed the woman to the ground and ripped her purse away.
The woman lost her purse, her driver's license and her checkbook. She suffered scrapes and bruises to her knees, forearms and head.
She told detectives the man may have been on the bus with her. The victim was traveling from her North Seattle home to visit her 92-year-old sister in SeaTac when she got lost changing buses in downtown and ended up riding the bus later than she had planned.
Urquhart said the woman and her older sister have been victimized before. Just last year, the two lost more than $20,000 in a roofing scam, he aid.
Investigators made an arrest in that case.
Anyone with information about this purse snatching is urged to contact the sheriff's office at 206-296-3311.
P-I REPORTER
Investigators are looking for help in locating a man who shoved an 86-year-old woman to the ground before making off with her purse earlier this week.
King County sheriff's detectives have very little to go on and only a vague description of the purse snatcher. "Not much to go on," Sgt. John Urquhart said.
The robbery happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday at South 152nd Street and International Boulevard in SeaTac.
The victim had just disembarked from Metro bus 174 when she was confronted by a man who ordered her to give him her purse. When she refused, the man pushed the woman to the ground and ripped her purse away.
The woman lost her purse, her driver's license and her checkbook. She suffered scrapes and bruises to her knees, forearms and head.
She told detectives the man may have been on the bus with her. The victim was traveling from her North Seattle home to visit her 92-year-old sister in SeaTac when she got lost changing buses in downtown and ended up riding the bus later than she had planned.
Urquhart said the woman and her older sister have been victimized before. Just last year, the two lost more than $20,000 in a roofing scam, he aid.
Investigators made an arrest in that case.
Anyone with information about this purse snatching is urged to contact the sheriff's office at 206-296-3311.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
24-ounce limit proposed for medical marijuana
Patients authorized to possess or grow marijuana for medical reasons under Washington law would be limited to 24 ounces of harvested marijuana..
By Carol M. Ostrom
Seattle Times health reporter
Patients authorized to possess or grow marijuana for medical reasons under Washington law would be limited to 24 ounces of harvested marijuana, plus six mature plants and 18 immature plants, according to an official draft rule filed by the state Department of Health today.
The filing of the draft rule starts a rule-making process and a public-comment period. A hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 25 in Tumwater, Thurston County.
The draft reduces amounts earlier considered by the health department and revealed in a "talking points" memo used to brief Gov. Christine Gregoire in February. Health-department officials said in the February memo that they planned to recommend 35 ounces of harvested marijuana plus 100 square feet of plant-growing area.
Gregoire's staff told health-department officials the amount appeared to be on the high side, and that law enforcement and medical providers should be consulted. The health department convened an advisory panel that included law-enforcement officials, advocates and a single doctor — a public-health HIV/AIDS expert who does not care for patients directly.
Law-enforcement officials have said their main concern is being able to distinguish legitimate patients from those who are hiding behind the law to grow and sell large amounts of marijuana. They said they consider 3 ounces a reasonable amount for the 60-day supply specified in Washington's law, passed by voters in 1998.
That law allows patients with certain chronic, fatal or debilitating diseases to possess a 60-day supply with a doctor's authorization.
Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com
By Carol M. Ostrom
Seattle Times health reporter
Patients authorized to possess or grow marijuana for medical reasons under Washington law would be limited to 24 ounces of harvested marijuana, plus six mature plants and 18 immature plants, according to an official draft rule filed by the state Department of Health today.
The filing of the draft rule starts a rule-making process and a public-comment period. A hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 25 in Tumwater, Thurston County.
The draft reduces amounts earlier considered by the health department and revealed in a "talking points" memo used to brief Gov. Christine Gregoire in February. Health-department officials said in the February memo that they planned to recommend 35 ounces of harvested marijuana plus 100 square feet of plant-growing area.
Gregoire's staff told health-department officials the amount appeared to be on the high side, and that law enforcement and medical providers should be consulted. The health department convened an advisory panel that included law-enforcement officials, advocates and a single doctor — a public-health HIV/AIDS expert who does not care for patients directly.
Law-enforcement officials have said their main concern is being able to distinguish legitimate patients from those who are hiding behind the law to grow and sell large amounts of marijuana. They said they consider 3 ounces a reasonable amount for the 60-day supply specified in Washington's law, passed by voters in 1998.
That law allows patients with certain chronic, fatal or debilitating diseases to possess a 60-day supply with a doctor's authorization.
Carol M. Ostrom: 206-464-2249 or costrom@seattletimes.com
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Bail set in fatal hit-and-run
P-I STAFF
Bail was set at $250,000 Friday for a Tukwila man suspected of running over and killing a pedestrian and leaving the scene of the accident.
The suspect, 29, made his first appearance at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, where he remained in custody. He could face charges of vehicular homicide. Prosecutors have until Monday to make a charging decision, spokesman Dan Donohoe said.
Deputies were called around 11:30 p.m. Thursday after someone reported a body in the road in the 9700 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive, near Boulevard Park. Witnesses said the victim, identified as Albi Mendez-Perez, 22, of Renton, had been struck at least twice by a minivan that sped off, court documents say.
Earlier, the suspect and Mendez-Perez were spotted fighting at nearby Rascal's Casino. They were told to leave and continued fighting in the parking lot. Deputies were called about the fighting but were unable to find either man at the casino.
Security guards recorded the suspect's license plate, which deputies used to track him down after they suspected the victim was one of the two men fighting.
Bail was set at $250,000 Friday for a Tukwila man suspected of running over and killing a pedestrian and leaving the scene of the accident.
The suspect, 29, made his first appearance at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, where he remained in custody. He could face charges of vehicular homicide. Prosecutors have until Monday to make a charging decision, spokesman Dan Donohoe said.
Deputies were called around 11:30 p.m. Thursday after someone reported a body in the road in the 9700 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive, near Boulevard Park. Witnesses said the victim, identified as Albi Mendez-Perez, 22, of Renton, had been struck at least twice by a minivan that sped off, court documents say.
Earlier, the suspect and Mendez-Perez were spotted fighting at nearby Rascal's Casino. They were told to leave and continued fighting in the parking lot. Deputies were called about the fighting but were unable to find either man at the casino.
Security guards recorded the suspect's license plate, which deputies used to track him down after they suspected the victim was one of the two men fighting.
river arrested for DUI in fatal head-on crash
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
A woman involved in a fatal head-on collision Friday night has been arrested for investigation of driving under the influence.
Washington State Patrol trooper Cliff Pratt said the woman suffered a broken ankle in the crash, but was booked into the King County Jail after treatment.
"She didn't even know her ankle was broken," Pratt said.
The collision happened around 10 p.m. on state Route 18 near the Tiger Mountain Summit, the State Patrol reported.
A woman driving a sedan near the summit crossed into the opposing lanes of traffic and collided head-on with a Volkswagen bug, Pratt said.
While the driver of the sedan was easily extricated, the driver of the bug, a 27-year-old woman, and a male passenger in the sedan, were trapped in the wreckage. Firefighters had to cut both victims out of the vehicles.
Both were said to be in critical condition and one later died, but Pratt was unclear which of the victims was deceased.
The highway was closed in both directions for several hours after the collision to allow troopers to investigate.
P-I REPORTER
A woman involved in a fatal head-on collision Friday night has been arrested for investigation of driving under the influence.
Washington State Patrol trooper Cliff Pratt said the woman suffered a broken ankle in the crash, but was booked into the King County Jail after treatment.
"She didn't even know her ankle was broken," Pratt said.
The collision happened around 10 p.m. on state Route 18 near the Tiger Mountain Summit, the State Patrol reported.
A woman driving a sedan near the summit crossed into the opposing lanes of traffic and collided head-on with a Volkswagen bug, Pratt said.
While the driver of the sedan was easily extricated, the driver of the bug, a 27-year-old woman, and a male passenger in the sedan, were trapped in the wreckage. Firefighters had to cut both victims out of the vehicles.
Both were said to be in critical condition and one later died, but Pratt was unclear which of the victims was deceased.
The highway was closed in both directions for several hours after the collision to allow troopers to investigate.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Registered sex offender sentenced to 17 ½ years in prison in child porn case
A registered sex offender from Des Moines was sentenced today to 17 ½ years in prison for possessing hundreds of images of child pornography...
By Noelene Clark
Seattle Times staff reporter
A registered sex offender from Des Moines was sentenced today to 17 ½ years in prison for possessing hundreds of images of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik sentenced Kenneth Gouin, 49, to near the 20-year maximum for the offense "for the safety of whatever community Mr. Gouin is released into," he said. Gouin's twin brother, Kevin Gouin, was sentenced in 2006 to 37 months in prison for possession of child pornography for the same incident.
The brothers' sister-in-law alerted Des Moines police that her adolescent son had seen child pornography on the computer the brothers shared, according to testimony and court records. Police found hundreds of printed images and numerous CDs and floppy disks containing child pornography.
Kenneth Gouin admitted he had acquired child pornography via the Internet. He told police that he had saved the images on his computer for years, and that he would regularly spend eight hours a day on the computer, according to court papers.
"He has molested children in the past, and his recent criminal conduct using the most graphic of photographs of child sexual molestation for his own sexual gratification fixes him on the very slippery slope leading to a return to actual molestation when the images no longer suffice," prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.
Kenneth Gouin, who holds Canadian citizenship, fled to Canada following the search and was extradited in October. He was convicted in a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Seattle in March.
He will likely be deported after he serves his prison sentence in the U.S., according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Kenneth Gouin was previously convicted of molesting children between November 1986 and January 1987. Kevin Gouin held no prior convictions, said Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.
Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com
By Noelene Clark
Seattle Times staff reporter
A registered sex offender from Des Moines was sentenced today to 17 ½ years in prison for possessing hundreds of images of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik sentenced Kenneth Gouin, 49, to near the 20-year maximum for the offense "for the safety of whatever community Mr. Gouin is released into," he said. Gouin's twin brother, Kevin Gouin, was sentenced in 2006 to 37 months in prison for possession of child pornography for the same incident.
The brothers' sister-in-law alerted Des Moines police that her adolescent son had seen child pornography on the computer the brothers shared, according to testimony and court records. Police found hundreds of printed images and numerous CDs and floppy disks containing child pornography.
Kenneth Gouin admitted he had acquired child pornography via the Internet. He told police that he had saved the images on his computer for years, and that he would regularly spend eight hours a day on the computer, according to court papers.
"He has molested children in the past, and his recent criminal conduct using the most graphic of photographs of child sexual molestation for his own sexual gratification fixes him on the very slippery slope leading to a return to actual molestation when the images no longer suffice," prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.
Kenneth Gouin, who holds Canadian citizenship, fled to Canada following the search and was extradited in October. He was convicted in a bench trial in U.S. District Court in Seattle in March.
He will likely be deported after he serves his prison sentence in the U.S., according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Kenneth Gouin was previously convicted of molesting children between November 1986 and January 1987. Kevin Gouin held no prior convictions, said Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.
Noelene Clark: 206-464-2321 or nclark@seattletimes.com
Monday, June 23, 2008
Investigators: Court system unwittingly helping ID thieves
By CHRIS INGALLS / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash. – Federal prosecutors have charged a man the KING 5 Investigators profiled last year with identity theft.
But that capture may reveal a more serious problem in the Washington state court system.
Curtis Leon Craft is charged with stealing 13 identities and about $120,000. mostly in Pierce County.
"The criminals are in the imagination business. If they can think up a way to commit identity theft. they will and they'll use it," said Social Security agent Joe Belling.
Craft is one of what the feds say is a growing number of identity thieves using legal name changes to commit their crimes.
In one afternoon, with few questions asked, a citizen can get a new name order signed by a judge and then take it to the Department of Licensing for a new identification.
"Not only are you using the courts. you're using the Department of Licensing, so you're getting legitimate agencies to assist you in committing a fraud." said Belling.
Last July. the KING 5 Investigators found more than 20 legal name changes by Craft, who used the new identities to open bank and credit card accounts. At that time, Social Security agents and King County Sheriff's detectives arrested a ring of identity thieves doing the same thing. They wrote bad checks and ran up credit cards until the accounts were closed and then started over again with a brand new court-ordered name change.
After King County courts realized what was happening. they made some changes to try and close the loophole. Pierce County has not made any changes. but a spokesperson says that system does do a background check on the criminal history of those who try to get their names changed.
TACOMA, Wash. – Federal prosecutors have charged a man the KING 5 Investigators profiled last year with identity theft.
But that capture may reveal a more serious problem in the Washington state court system.
Curtis Leon Craft is charged with stealing 13 identities and about $120,000. mostly in Pierce County.
"The criminals are in the imagination business. If they can think up a way to commit identity theft. they will and they'll use it," said Social Security agent Joe Belling.
Craft is one of what the feds say is a growing number of identity thieves using legal name changes to commit their crimes.
In one afternoon, with few questions asked, a citizen can get a new name order signed by a judge and then take it to the Department of Licensing for a new identification.
"Not only are you using the courts. you're using the Department of Licensing, so you're getting legitimate agencies to assist you in committing a fraud." said Belling.
Last July. the KING 5 Investigators found more than 20 legal name changes by Craft, who used the new identities to open bank and credit card accounts. At that time, Social Security agents and King County Sheriff's detectives arrested a ring of identity thieves doing the same thing. They wrote bad checks and ran up credit cards until the accounts were closed and then started over again with a brand new court-ordered name change.
After King County courts realized what was happening. they made some changes to try and close the loophole. Pierce County has not made any changes. but a spokesperson says that system does do a background check on the criminal history of those who try to get their names changed.
Motorist shot dead on I-5 near Tukwila
By GLENN FARLEY / KING 5 News
TUKWILA, Wash. - Gunfire on Interstate 5 left an 18-year-old man dead and the shooter at large.
The incident occurred at about 2:30 a.m., northbound on I-5 at the Boeing Access Road.
Police say it was no random crime.
"All we know is that the suspect vehicle followed the victim vehicle onto the freeway," said Sgt. Mark Howie. "And as they entered the ramp, the suspect vehicle took several shots at the victim vehicle ahead of him.
The other people in the car then drove the wounded driver to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died.
"I'm not sure if the victim himself was targeted, but the vehicle was targeted. There were several occupants in the vehicle," said Howie.
Police are trying to determine if this is gang related. They still don't have a suspect.
They don't believe there is any connection between the I-5 shooting and another case where shots were fired near the Seattle City limits Saturday night.
"We don't see any connection at this time," said Howie.
Shootings have happened along I-5 before. In 2005, friends on their way out to a late night snack were fired at and the two women in the car were wounded. That was a possible case of road rage.
In 2001, I-5 was shut down shortly after nine in the morning after a convertible carrying two men and a dog was shot at in what police say was a definite case of road range. The men and the dog survived.
But police say in most cases freeway shootings are not random, but are cars that are specifically targeted.
If you were a witness to this crime or have any information, you're asked to call Tukwila Police detectives at 206-431-3891.
TUKWILA, Wash. - Gunfire on Interstate 5 left an 18-year-old man dead and the shooter at large.
The incident occurred at about 2:30 a.m., northbound on I-5 at the Boeing Access Road.
Police say it was no random crime.
"All we know is that the suspect vehicle followed the victim vehicle onto the freeway," said Sgt. Mark Howie. "And as they entered the ramp, the suspect vehicle took several shots at the victim vehicle ahead of him.
The other people in the car then drove the wounded driver to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died.
"I'm not sure if the victim himself was targeted, but the vehicle was targeted. There were several occupants in the vehicle," said Howie.
Police are trying to determine if this is gang related. They still don't have a suspect.
They don't believe there is any connection between the I-5 shooting and another case where shots were fired near the Seattle City limits Saturday night.
"We don't see any connection at this time," said Howie.
Shootings have happened along I-5 before. In 2005, friends on their way out to a late night snack were fired at and the two women in the car were wounded. That was a possible case of road rage.
In 2001, I-5 was shut down shortly after nine in the morning after a convertible carrying two men and a dog was shot at in what police say was a definite case of road range. The men and the dog survived.
But police say in most cases freeway shootings are not random, but are cars that are specifically targeted.
If you were a witness to this crime or have any information, you're asked to call Tukwila Police detectives at 206-431-3891.
Man sentenced in Bellevue jewelry robbery
P-I STAFF
U.S. District Judge James Robart sentenced Sergio Santamaria, 38, of Mexico to 70 months in a federal prison Monday for the September 2007 armed robbery of a jewelry courier in the parking lot of a Bellevue McDonald's restaurant.
Santamaria and two confederates followed the courier from a Seattle hotel to the restaurant in the Factoria neighborhood, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The robbers used their van to block the courier's vehicle, pointed what appeared to be a gun at him and ordered him to turn over his wallet and keys. Then they smashed a back window and stole a pack containing about $221,000 in jewelry. All three robbers were captured after a police chase that ended off Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Brown told the court in a sentencing memo that agents had been conducting surveillance on Santamaria and others who had traveled to the Seattle area from California with the intent to commit jewelry robberies.
U.S. District Judge James Robart sentenced Sergio Santamaria, 38, of Mexico to 70 months in a federal prison Monday for the September 2007 armed robbery of a jewelry courier in the parking lot of a Bellevue McDonald's restaurant.
Santamaria and two confederates followed the courier from a Seattle hotel to the restaurant in the Factoria neighborhood, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The robbers used their van to block the courier's vehicle, pointed what appeared to be a gun at him and ordered him to turn over his wallet and keys. Then they smashed a back window and stole a pack containing about $221,000 in jewelry. All three robbers were captured after a police chase that ended off Interstate 90 near Snoqualmie.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Brown told the court in a sentencing memo that agents had been conducting surveillance on Santamaria and others who had traveled to the Seattle area from California with the intent to commit jewelry robberies.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Three dead in separate weekend shootings
Two homicides occurred in King County, one in Pierce
By BRAD WONG
P-I REPORTER
Two men died from fatal shootings over the weekend in King and Pierce counties, making a total of three gun-related homicides in the area since Friday evening.
An 18-year-old man was fatally shot Sunday morning on Interstate 5 near the Boeing Access Road, Tukwila police reported. The shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. as the man was driving northbound with friends, who were not injured.
His friends rushed him to Harborview Medical Center, where he died, police spokesman Mike Murphy said. Early Sunday, detectives did not have a description of the suspect or the person's vehicle.
In Pierce County on Saturday evening, sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic violence shooting in which they believe an 81-year-old father shot his 58-year-old son.
Deputies arrested the father and said there was a verbal and physical fight between the two men, Detective Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. They believe one shot was fired.
The shooting occurred in the 22300 block of 30th Avenue East, near Fort Lewis.
In the Friday night incident, a 21-year-old man killed at a party in SeaTac has been identified as Brandon Wilkins, the King County Medical Examiner's Office said Sunday.
A spokesman said Wilkins' death has been ruled a homicide and that he died from a gunshot wound to his head.
King County sheriff's deputies were called at 9:30 p.m. to a home in north SeaTac, said Sgt. John Urquhart, an office spokesman. The man was dead when they arrived. Urquhart said deputies initially were investigating the shooting as accidental.
He said the shooter fled the house.
By BRAD WONG
P-I REPORTER
Two men died from fatal shootings over the weekend in King and Pierce counties, making a total of three gun-related homicides in the area since Friday evening.
An 18-year-old man was fatally shot Sunday morning on Interstate 5 near the Boeing Access Road, Tukwila police reported. The shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. as the man was driving northbound with friends, who were not injured.
His friends rushed him to Harborview Medical Center, where he died, police spokesman Mike Murphy said. Early Sunday, detectives did not have a description of the suspect or the person's vehicle.
In Pierce County on Saturday evening, sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic violence shooting in which they believe an 81-year-old father shot his 58-year-old son.
Deputies arrested the father and said there was a verbal and physical fight between the two men, Detective Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said. They believe one shot was fired.
The shooting occurred in the 22300 block of 30th Avenue East, near Fort Lewis.
In the Friday night incident, a 21-year-old man killed at a party in SeaTac has been identified as Brandon Wilkins, the King County Medical Examiner's Office said Sunday.
A spokesman said Wilkins' death has been ruled a homicide and that he died from a gunshot wound to his head.
King County sheriff's deputies were called at 9:30 p.m. to a home in north SeaTac, said Sgt. John Urquhart, an office spokesman. The man was dead when they arrived. Urquhart said deputies initially were investigating the shooting as accidental.
He said the shooter fled the house.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
$100,000 bail for man who pretended he was a cop
Bail was set at $100,000 for a Vancouver, Wash., man charged with assaulting his prostitute girlfriend's client and claiming he was a cop...
By Kristin M. Kraemer
Tri-City Herald
Bail was set at $100,000 for a Vancouver, Wash., man charged with assaulting his prostitute girlfriend's client and claiming he was a cop when he tried to handcuff the man.
Jason Scott Williams, 35, pleaded innocent in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree criminal impersonation and second-degree promoting prostitution.
Williams is scheduled for trial Aug. 4.
It all started June 11 when a 67-year-old Irrigon man had a late-night rendezvous at the Clover Island Inn with a woman he contacted through an ad she posted on Craigslist. Williams reportedly was staying in the hotel room with his girlfriend, Julie Proper, but he was not there at the time.
After the Irrigon, Ore., man and the prostitute "finished their transaction," the man left the hotel only to run in to Williams outside, court documents said.
Williams "identified himself as a police officer and attempted to handcuff" the man, documents said.
The client resisted, but Williams eventually got him in cuffs, forced him into the man's car and took off driving, court documents said. "Fearing for his life, [the man] jumped out of the car as it was moving," Deputy Prosecutor Scott Johnson wrote in court documents.
The man eventually was flown to a Portland hospital with numerous injuries, including broken bones in his face and road rash.
The prostitute reportedly told police that her boyfriend likely became jealous and assaulted her client.
Williams allegedly helped his girlfriend run an Internet prostitution business.
By Kristin M. Kraemer
Tri-City Herald
Bail was set at $100,000 for a Vancouver, Wash., man charged with assaulting his prostitute girlfriend's client and claiming he was a cop when he tried to handcuff the man.
Jason Scott Williams, 35, pleaded innocent in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, first-degree criminal impersonation and second-degree promoting prostitution.
Williams is scheduled for trial Aug. 4.
It all started June 11 when a 67-year-old Irrigon man had a late-night rendezvous at the Clover Island Inn with a woman he contacted through an ad she posted on Craigslist. Williams reportedly was staying in the hotel room with his girlfriend, Julie Proper, but he was not there at the time.
After the Irrigon, Ore., man and the prostitute "finished their transaction," the man left the hotel only to run in to Williams outside, court documents said.
Williams "identified himself as a police officer and attempted to handcuff" the man, documents said.
The client resisted, but Williams eventually got him in cuffs, forced him into the man's car and took off driving, court documents said. "Fearing for his life, [the man] jumped out of the car as it was moving," Deputy Prosecutor Scott Johnson wrote in court documents.
The man eventually was flown to a Portland hospital with numerous injuries, including broken bones in his face and road rash.
The prostitute reportedly told police that her boyfriend likely became jealous and assaulted her client.
Williams allegedly helped his girlfriend run an Internet prostitution business.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Seattle police are investigating a string of rapes in the SoDo neighborhood, including two this morning.
Seattle police are investigating a string of rapes in the SoDo neighborhood, including two this morning.
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police are investigating four sexual assaults in and around the SoDo neighborhood, including two this morning.
Officers are increasing patrols in SoDo and the densely wooded area at the base of Beacon Hill, known as "The Jungle," said police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb.
"We will be proactively searching for additional witnesses and any new victims who have not reported similar crimes," Whitcomb said..
Police said it appears that at least two men are responsible for the assaults.
Officers arrested a 42-year-old man this morning in connection with a 4:35 a.m. rape. He's also suspected in another attack today at 1:48 a.m., Whitcomb said.
But police do not think he is linked to the first two reported assaults.
The first rape occurred on June 8 in the 7000 block South Spokane Street. In that incident the victim was homeless, Whitcomb said.
Police received a report of an attempted rape on June 10 in the 3200 block of 3rd Avenue South. That victim also was homeless.
This morning's attacks occurred in the 1100 block of 14th Avenue South and 1700 block of Occidental Avenue South. Both victims told police they are not homeless, Whitcomb said.
Investigators with department's Sexual Assault Unit are investigating.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Seattle police are investigating four sexual assaults in and around the SoDo neighborhood, including two this morning.
Officers are increasing patrols in SoDo and the densely wooded area at the base of Beacon Hill, known as "The Jungle," said police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb.
"We will be proactively searching for additional witnesses and any new victims who have not reported similar crimes," Whitcomb said..
Police said it appears that at least two men are responsible for the assaults.
Officers arrested a 42-year-old man this morning in connection with a 4:35 a.m. rape. He's also suspected in another attack today at 1:48 a.m., Whitcomb said.
But police do not think he is linked to the first two reported assaults.
The first rape occurred on June 8 in the 7000 block South Spokane Street. In that incident the victim was homeless, Whitcomb said.
Police received a report of an attempted rape on June 10 in the 3200 block of 3rd Avenue South. That victim also was homeless.
This morning's attacks occurred in the 1100 block of 14th Avenue South and 1700 block of Occidental Avenue South. Both victims told police they are not homeless, Whitcomb said.
Investigators with department's Sexual Assault Unit are investigating.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Former WA state employee pleads guilty to drug dealing
A former manager for the state Department of Labor and Industries faces more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to selling prescription drugs to a 16-year-old girl.
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
A former manager for the state Department of Labor and Industries faces more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to selling prescription drugs to a 16-year-old girl.
The 41-year-old man, James Loren Sanford, had enlisted his daughter's friend in a scheme to sell his pain medication at school and split the profit.
That girl's father blames Sanford for getting her hooked on OxyContin. She's now in rehab.
Sanford made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty Tuesday in Olympia to five counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 18 and to one count of involving a person under 18 in an unlawful controlled substance transaction.
He was fired in March.
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Information from: The Olympian, http://www.theolympian.com
OLYMPIA, Wash. —
A former manager for the state Department of Labor and Industries faces more than three years in prison after pleading guilty to selling prescription drugs to a 16-year-old girl.
The 41-year-old man, James Loren Sanford, had enlisted his daughter's friend in a scheme to sell his pain medication at school and split the profit.
That girl's father blames Sanford for getting her hooked on OxyContin. She's now in rehab.
Sanford made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty Tuesday in Olympia to five counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 18 and to one count of involving a person under 18 in an unlawful controlled substance transaction.
He was fired in March.
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Information from: The Olympian, http://www.theolympian.com
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Plea agreement in beating of grandfather in Wapato
A man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in the beating of his grandfather near Wapato 11 1/2 years ago.
YAKIMA, Wash. —
A man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in the beating of his grandfather near Wapato 11 1/2 years ago.
The plea agreement in the case of 31-year-old Gary Riggs was filed last week. He originally was charged with second-degree murder in the beating of 74-year-old Paul Lopez, a retired irrigation worker. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Yakima because both men were members of the Yakama Indian Nation.
Lopez died at his home outside Wapato of a torn liver after being badly beaten in January 1997. Investigators say the beating followed a bar-hopping celebration in honor of Riggs' 21st birthday.
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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
YAKIMA, Wash. —
A man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in the beating of his grandfather near Wapato 11 1/2 years ago.
The plea agreement in the case of 31-year-old Gary Riggs was filed last week. He originally was charged with second-degree murder in the beating of 74-year-old Paul Lopez, a retired irrigation worker. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Yakima because both men were members of the Yakama Indian Nation.
Lopez died at his home outside Wapato of a torn liver after being badly beaten in January 1997. Investigators say the beating followed a bar-hopping celebration in honor of Riggs' 21st birthday.
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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakima-herald.com
Man crashes into police gate, asks to be jailed
Authorities say a man drove into a security gate at the Moses Lake police parking lot, then asked to be jailed.
MOSES LAKE, Wash. —
Authorities say a man drove into a security gate at the Moses Lake police parking lot, then asked to be jailed.
Officers in the building heard the crash, went outside and saw 54-year-old Allen J. Pavese of Moses Lake backing away in a 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck.
Only the gate was damaged.
Pavese was arrested for investigation of first-degree malicious mischief, driving under the influence of alcohol and hit-and-run with property damage.
Capt. Dave Ruffin told the Columbia Basin Herald, "He wanted to go to jail. He said he did it on purpose."`
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Information from: Columbia Basin Herald, http://www.columbiabasinherald.com
MOSES LAKE, Wash. —
Authorities say a man drove into a security gate at the Moses Lake police parking lot, then asked to be jailed.
Officers in the building heard the crash, went outside and saw 54-year-old Allen J. Pavese of Moses Lake backing away in a 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck.
Only the gate was damaged.
Pavese was arrested for investigation of first-degree malicious mischief, driving under the influence of alcohol and hit-and-run with property damage.
Capt. Dave Ruffin told the Columbia Basin Herald, "He wanted to go to jail. He said he did it on purpose."`
---
Information from: Columbia Basin Herald, http://www.columbiabasinherald.com
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Woman gets 14 years for torturing grandson
By MIMI JUNG / KING 5 News
TACOMA, Wash. – A Puyallup woman continues to deny she ever laid a hand on her grandson, even at her sentencing Friday for torturing the child.
Loni Venegas was found guilty of abusing the boy, who is now 13-years old.
"I realize that, like, how I was treated there wasn't really how normal kids are treated," said the boy, who KING 5 News is not identifying.
The boy moved in with his grandparents after his mother died in a car accident, only to endure years of abuse at the hands of Venegas.
"The tragedy didn't end there because he was placed into a family where he suffered horrific and unimaginable abuse that is detailed throughout this trial," said –
The boy testified Venegas punched him, choked him and used forks to hurt him. The case was made more egregious because the Department of Social and Health Services admitted it didn't investigate claims of abuse.
At her sentencing, Venegas' loved ones asked for leniency.
"And I don't understand what's happening right now because she did nothing wrong to anyone. She's a wonderful mother," said Jasmine Venegas, Loni's daughter.
Venegas herself claimed her innocence.
"I did nothing wrong and I love him like my own, she said.
But the judge ended up giving her the maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
The boy's grandfather, Remil Venegas, is also charged in the case and is scheduled to go on trial next week.
TACOMA, Wash. – A Puyallup woman continues to deny she ever laid a hand on her grandson, even at her sentencing Friday for torturing the child.
Loni Venegas was found guilty of abusing the boy, who is now 13-years old.
"I realize that, like, how I was treated there wasn't really how normal kids are treated," said the boy, who KING 5 News is not identifying.
The boy moved in with his grandparents after his mother died in a car accident, only to endure years of abuse at the hands of Venegas.
"The tragedy didn't end there because he was placed into a family where he suffered horrific and unimaginable abuse that is detailed throughout this trial," said –
The boy testified Venegas punched him, choked him and used forks to hurt him. The case was made more egregious because the Department of Social and Health Services admitted it didn't investigate claims of abuse.
At her sentencing, Venegas' loved ones asked for leniency.
"And I don't understand what's happening right now because she did nothing wrong to anyone. She's a wonderful mother," said Jasmine Venegas, Loni's daughter.
Venegas herself claimed her innocence.
"I did nothing wrong and I love him like my own, she said.
But the judge ended up giving her the maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
The boy's grandfather, Remil Venegas, is also charged in the case and is scheduled to go on trial next week.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Suspected auto thief aims rifle at trooper
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
A state trooper took evasive action when a man in an SUV he was attempting to stop pointed a rifle at him at a Federal Way parking lot early Thursday.
The trooper was not hurt and no shots were fired, but the patrol car was briefly disabled by a flat tire, and the SUV sped off, Washington State Patrol Trooper Curt Boyle said.
State troopers, King County sheriff's deputies and Federal Way police later found the vehicle at an apartment complex, along with the rifle and some clothing. The two men who had been in the SUV got away.
The exchange happened at 12:30 a.m. in a shopping complex parking lot at South 312th Street and state Route 99.
The trooper was attempting to stop a red Ford Explorer, which was slowly driving through the lot, and could see the driver and passenger exchanging seats, Boyle said.
As the trooper pulled alongside the Explorer, the man now in the passenger seat pointed a rifle at the trooper. The trooper swerved out of the way, and that's when he hit a curb, flattening a tire.
The SUV sped off.
Officers found the vehicle, which turned out to be stolen, at the Tree Point Apartments near 18th Avenue South and South 308th Court. A K9 unit tracked down the rifle, hidden in some bushes, and two caps.
P-I REPORTER
A state trooper took evasive action when a man in an SUV he was attempting to stop pointed a rifle at him at a Federal Way parking lot early Thursday.
The trooper was not hurt and no shots were fired, but the patrol car was briefly disabled by a flat tire, and the SUV sped off, Washington State Patrol Trooper Curt Boyle said.
State troopers, King County sheriff's deputies and Federal Way police later found the vehicle at an apartment complex, along with the rifle and some clothing. The two men who had been in the SUV got away.
The exchange happened at 12:30 a.m. in a shopping complex parking lot at South 312th Street and state Route 99.
The trooper was attempting to stop a red Ford Explorer, which was slowly driving through the lot, and could see the driver and passenger exchanging seats, Boyle said.
As the trooper pulled alongside the Explorer, the man now in the passenger seat pointed a rifle at the trooper. The trooper swerved out of the way, and that's when he hit a curb, flattening a tire.
The SUV sped off.
Officers found the vehicle, which turned out to be stolen, at the Tree Point Apartments near 18th Avenue South and South 308th Court. A K9 unit tracked down the rifle, hidden in some bushes, and two caps.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Bainbridge vandals slash tires, spray-paint cop cars
By DEBORAH FELDMAN / KING 5 News
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. – High school seniors are suspected of vandalizing eight police cars early Wednesday morning on Bainbridge Island.
Vandals slashed a dozen police tires, splashed paint, and keyed the doors of squad cars -- destruction estimated at about $12,000.
The vandalism occurred sometime between 2 and 3 a.m. while most of the cars were parked at the police station.
Among the damaged vehicles are several new cars not even in service yet. In addition, the chief's car was vandalized in front of his home.
"Well its not the first time there's been damage to police cars, but I think it's the first there's been anything of this magnitude," said Deputy Chief Mark Duncan.
But the culprits left behind several clues, including shoe imprints in the paint and their class year of 2008 painted all over the place.
During their lunch hour Wednesday, carloads of high school seniors drove by to gawk at the damage.
"This is not a class prank," said Ian Powell, senior class president. "I think this reflects individuals, not our entire school or grade. I think this went way too far if this was trying to be a prank."
The school superintendent says since it was likely the work of just a few people, there are no plans to penalize the whole class.
Some residents say there may be tension because police have been cracking down on a long held tradition of Bainbridge seniors painting their graduating year on streets and intersections.
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. – High school seniors are suspected of vandalizing eight police cars early Wednesday morning on Bainbridge Island.
Vandals slashed a dozen police tires, splashed paint, and keyed the doors of squad cars -- destruction estimated at about $12,000.
The vandalism occurred sometime between 2 and 3 a.m. while most of the cars were parked at the police station.
Among the damaged vehicles are several new cars not even in service yet. In addition, the chief's car was vandalized in front of his home.
"Well its not the first time there's been damage to police cars, but I think it's the first there's been anything of this magnitude," said Deputy Chief Mark Duncan.
But the culprits left behind several clues, including shoe imprints in the paint and their class year of 2008 painted all over the place.
During their lunch hour Wednesday, carloads of high school seniors drove by to gawk at the damage.
"This is not a class prank," said Ian Powell, senior class president. "I think this reflects individuals, not our entire school or grade. I think this went way too far if this was trying to be a prank."
The school superintendent says since it was likely the work of just a few people, there are no plans to penalize the whole class.
Some residents say there may be tension because police have been cracking down on a long held tradition of Bainbridge seniors painting their graduating year on streets and intersections.
Boys accused in Lynden fire appear in cour
By ROB PIERCY and KING5.com Staff
LYNDEN, Wash. – Just two days after flames devoured a historic Lynden building, the two boys accused of starting the fire walked into court to face a judge.
Prosecutors say on Monday, one of the boys was celebrating his 14th birthday. He and his 13-year old friend went to the Delft Square Mall to smoke marijuana.
Up on the third floor they set fire to some papers in a frying pan, then set fire to a box and a shirt.
At that point, the fire got out of control. According to court papers, the boys tried to stomp it out, then tried using a fire extinguisher. When that failed, they left the building.
The two boys apparently talked with classmates about the fire, the classmates then told school security, who told police.
Court papers say one boy admitted involvement in the fire.
The fire destroyed the nearly block-long building, which has stood for 100 years.
In town on Wednesday, people were still talking about the fire and the loss.
"If it would have been during the night, we could have lost the whole downtown core," said Joel Kok.
"It's definitely sad," said Lean Hill. "There's a lot of people that are going to be struggling for a long time just because of one mistake."
The owner of an antique shop destroyed by the fire said his collection spanned 40 years, less than a quarter of it is insured and he doesn't know what he might be able to salvage.
"Everybody shopped in that store, everybody went there for everything they needed before the big malls came in," said Carol Preson, who owns a shop next door.
Smoke and water damage will keep her closed until July.
Like so many, she can't believe a piece of town history was lost to what one of the boys described to police as "messing around."
"I hope it teaches them a hard lesson, this is just not the thing they need to be doing," said Preston.
Bail was set at $1,500 for both teens. They will be arraigned next week on charges of first degree arson and first degree burglary.
LYNDEN, Wash. – Just two days after flames devoured a historic Lynden building, the two boys accused of starting the fire walked into court to face a judge.
Prosecutors say on Monday, one of the boys was celebrating his 14th birthday. He and his 13-year old friend went to the Delft Square Mall to smoke marijuana.
Up on the third floor they set fire to some papers in a frying pan, then set fire to a box and a shirt.
At that point, the fire got out of control. According to court papers, the boys tried to stomp it out, then tried using a fire extinguisher. When that failed, they left the building.
The two boys apparently talked with classmates about the fire, the classmates then told school security, who told police.
Court papers say one boy admitted involvement in the fire.
The fire destroyed the nearly block-long building, which has stood for 100 years.
In town on Wednesday, people were still talking about the fire and the loss.
"If it would have been during the night, we could have lost the whole downtown core," said Joel Kok.
"It's definitely sad," said Lean Hill. "There's a lot of people that are going to be struggling for a long time just because of one mistake."
The owner of an antique shop destroyed by the fire said his collection spanned 40 years, less than a quarter of it is insured and he doesn't know what he might be able to salvage.
"Everybody shopped in that store, everybody went there for everything they needed before the big malls came in," said Carol Preson, who owns a shop next door.
Smoke and water damage will keep her closed until July.
Like so many, she can't believe a piece of town history was lost to what one of the boys described to police as "messing around."
"I hope it teaches them a hard lesson, this is just not the thing they need to be doing," said Preston.
Bail was set at $1,500 for both teens. They will be arraigned next week on charges of first degree arson and first degree burglary.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Jail staff raising the alarm on proposed budget cuts
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
The King County Corrections Guild is taking to the air to fight proposed budget cuts that would affect county jail facilities.
Beginning Monday, 60-second radio ads paid for by the guild began to play on several Seattle-area stations, urging listeners to contact the King County Council and Executive Ron Sims to oppose cuts that are being made to balance a budget shortfall. The county is facing a $68 million deficit.
Sims is proposing $33.3 million in cuts to criminal justice agencies alone, including the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. Under the proposal, staff will likely be trimmed from Jail Health Services and alternative detention programs will be reduced.
The cuts could also force the King County Sheriff's Office to lay off 75 deputies and reduce the number of property crimes prosecuted in the courts. Sims must have a budget proposal ready for the County Council by this fall.
P-I REPORTER
The King County Corrections Guild is taking to the air to fight proposed budget cuts that would affect county jail facilities.
Beginning Monday, 60-second radio ads paid for by the guild began to play on several Seattle-area stations, urging listeners to contact the King County Council and Executive Ron Sims to oppose cuts that are being made to balance a budget shortfall. The county is facing a $68 million deficit.
Sims is proposing $33.3 million in cuts to criminal justice agencies alone, including the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. Under the proposal, staff will likely be trimmed from Jail Health Services and alternative detention programs will be reduced.
The cuts could also force the King County Sheriff's Office to lay off 75 deputies and reduce the number of property crimes prosecuted in the courts. Sims must have a budget proposal ready for the County Council by this fall.
Othello WA man dead after being hit by deputy's car
OTHELLO, Wash. —
The State Patrol is investigating the death of an Othello man who apparently fell or jumped from a car he was a passenger in and was hit by an Adams County sheriff's deputy.
Leonel Maldonado Gonzalez was killed on Saturday night.
The Sheriff's Office reports deputy Kurt Berry was following two vehicles when the vehicle in front of him swerved sharply to the left into the lane of an oncoming vehicle.
It says the deputy then saw something dark in his lane and could not avoid hitting it.
When the 24-year-old Berry stopped, he discovered it was a person.
Paramedics were called, but the 33-year-old Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers were asked to investigate the accident.
After talking with several witnesses, investigators believe Gonzalez fell or jumped from a car.
The Adams County Coroner's Office is planning an autopsy.
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Information from: Tri-City Herald, http://www.tri-cityherald.com
The State Patrol is investigating the death of an Othello man who apparently fell or jumped from a car he was a passenger in and was hit by an Adams County sheriff's deputy.
Leonel Maldonado Gonzalez was killed on Saturday night.
The Sheriff's Office reports deputy Kurt Berry was following two vehicles when the vehicle in front of him swerved sharply to the left into the lane of an oncoming vehicle.
It says the deputy then saw something dark in his lane and could not avoid hitting it.
When the 24-year-old Berry stopped, he discovered it was a person.
Paramedics were called, but the 33-year-old Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.
Troopers were asked to investigate the accident.
After talking with several witnesses, investigators believe Gonzalez fell or jumped from a car.
The Adams County Coroner's Office is planning an autopsy.
---
Information from: Tri-City Herald, http://www.tri-cityherald.com
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Noise complaint leads to police shooting
P-I STAFF
A Redmond police officer shot and wounded a man armed with a knife early Saturday.
The shooting happened at 12:41 a.m. in the 8200 block of 149th Way Northeast, Redmond police reported.
The officer, 27, was responding to a noise complaint at the residence. He arrived to find that there had been a fight and that at least one of the men involved had a knife. The officer tried to arrest the knife-wielding man, and shot him when that man allegedly threatened him with the weapon.
Redmond police did not report how many times the man was shot, nor where he was hit. He was treated at the scene before being taken to a local hospital. His condition was unavailable.
The man who was shot is a 27-year-old Redmond man.
The officer, who has been with Redmond police for two years, was placed on paid leave while the shooting is reviewed. Redmond police have asked the King County Sheriff's Office to investigate.
A Redmond police officer shot and wounded a man armed with a knife early Saturday.
The shooting happened at 12:41 a.m. in the 8200 block of 149th Way Northeast, Redmond police reported.
The officer, 27, was responding to a noise complaint at the residence. He arrived to find that there had been a fight and that at least one of the men involved had a knife. The officer tried to arrest the knife-wielding man, and shot him when that man allegedly threatened him with the weapon.
Redmond police did not report how many times the man was shot, nor where he was hit. He was treated at the scene before being taken to a local hospital. His condition was unavailable.
The man who was shot is a 27-year-old Redmond man.
The officer, who has been with Redmond police for two years, was placed on paid leave while the shooting is reviewed. Redmond police have asked the King County Sheriff's Office to investigate.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Woman shot, man stabbed outside SeaTac bar
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
SEATAC -- Two people were hurt in a melee outside a sports bar early Saturday, though investigators are still trying to determine what happened.
King County sheriff's deputies were called to the bar in the 16300 block of International Boulevard around 2 a.m. after witnesses reported hearing gunshots, Sgt. John Urquhart said.
Deputies arrived and found a woman who had been shot and a man who had been stabbed. Neither of the injuries was considered life-threatening, Urquhart said.
The two victims were unable to provide deputies with any description of the assailants, nor much detail about what led to their injuries.
The case remains under investigation.
P-I REPORTER
SEATAC -- Two people were hurt in a melee outside a sports bar early Saturday, though investigators are still trying to determine what happened.
King County sheriff's deputies were called to the bar in the 16300 block of International Boulevard around 2 a.m. after witnesses reported hearing gunshots, Sgt. John Urquhart said.
Deputies arrived and found a woman who had been shot and a man who had been stabbed. Neither of the injuries was considered life-threatening, Urquhart said.
The two victims were unable to provide deputies with any description of the assailants, nor much detail about what led to their injuries.
The case remains under investigation.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Driver charged with vehicular homicide
P-I STAFF
A 26-year-old Redmond man was legally drunk when his vehicle struck a motorcycle on state Route 202 on Monday, killing its rider, King County prosecutors said.
Prosecutors charged Kyle Dalan on Thursday with vehicular homicide. They said he only recently had his driver's license reinstated, on a probationary basis, after a 2006 drunken driving conviction.
Dalan's Geo Tracker drifted across the center line near Fall City on Monday afternoon, crashing into Mark Stolle's motorcycle. Investigators say the 74-year-old Samammish man, who tried to get out of the vehicle's path, died within minutes.
Dalan told police he'd been trying to adjust furniture he was transporting and didn't realize his vehicle had crossed into oncoming traffic, according to court documents.
Dalan remained in the King County Jail Thursday on $250,000 bail.
A 26-year-old Redmond man was legally drunk when his vehicle struck a motorcycle on state Route 202 on Monday, killing its rider, King County prosecutors said.
Prosecutors charged Kyle Dalan on Thursday with vehicular homicide. They said he only recently had his driver's license reinstated, on a probationary basis, after a 2006 drunken driving conviction.
Dalan's Geo Tracker drifted across the center line near Fall City on Monday afternoon, crashing into Mark Stolle's motorcycle. Investigators say the 74-year-old Samammish man, who tried to get out of the vehicle's path, died within minutes.
Dalan told police he'd been trying to adjust furniture he was transporting and didn't realize his vehicle had crossed into oncoming traffic, according to court documents.
Dalan remained in the King County Jail Thursday on $250,000 bail.
Police nab suspected carjackers
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police nabbed three young men suspected of taking part in an early morning carjacking.
The victim called 911 around 1:20 a.m. to report that his 1995 Honda Accord had been taken from him at gunpoint in the 7500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
Officers responding to the area soon spotted the stolen vehicle driving north on Interstate 5, and stopped the vehicle near the Spokane Street exit.
Police took three men in their 20s into custody.
Spokesman Jeff Kappel said the incident remains under investigation.
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police nabbed three young men suspected of taking part in an early morning carjacking.
The victim called 911 around 1:20 a.m. to report that his 1995 Honda Accord had been taken from him at gunpoint in the 7500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.
Officers responding to the area soon spotted the stolen vehicle driving north on Interstate 5, and stopped the vehicle near the Spokane Street exit.
Police took three men in their 20s into custody.
Spokesman Jeff Kappel said the incident remains under investigation.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Woman suffers minor injury in drive-by shooting
By Seattle Times staff
Police are investigating a drive-by shooting early this morning in South Seattle that left one woman injured.
At 3:39 a.m., a 911 call came in reporting that shots had been fired near 32nd Avenue South and South Atlantic Street, said police department spokesman Jeff Kappel.
It appears that two groups of people, in two separate cars, were arguing, he said. As the exchange grew more heated, someone from one car fired shots at the other vehicle three times.
The car that was hit sped off to a nearby residence and someone — it's not clear who — called 911, Kappel said. After officers arrived, they found the woman in the car had suffered a minor injury to her back. It's unclear if the injury was caused by a bullet or glass shrapnel, Kappel said.
Police have no description of the other car or the people inside it. Gang unit detectives are "actively investigating," Kappel said.
By Seattle Times staff
Police are investigating a drive-by shooting early this morning in South Seattle that left one woman injured.
At 3:39 a.m., a 911 call came in reporting that shots had been fired near 32nd Avenue South and South Atlantic Street, said police department spokesman Jeff Kappel.
It appears that two groups of people, in two separate cars, were arguing, he said. As the exchange grew more heated, someone from one car fired shots at the other vehicle three times.
The car that was hit sped off to a nearby residence and someone — it's not clear who — called 911, Kappel said. After officers arrived, they found the woman in the car had suffered a minor injury to her back. It's unclear if the injury was caused by a bullet or glass shrapnel, Kappel said.
Police have no description of the other car or the people inside it. Gang unit detectives are "actively investigating," Kappel said.
By Seattle Times staff
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Seattle man sentenced to 20 years for officer's slaying
By Natalie Singer
Seattle Times staff reporter
A 31-year-old Seattle man was sentenced to 20 years in prison this morning for the 1994 slaying of Seattle police Officer Antonio Terry. Quentin Ervin was serving time for a second-degree-murder conviction in Terry's slaying when the case was refiled as aggravated first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after King County prosecutors last year were given a green light to pursue the more serious charges by a state Supreme Court decision.
Ervin last week pleaded guilty to the first-degree-murder charge, and in exchange prosecutors reduced the charge from aggravated murder and dropped an attempted-murder charge.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole said his office would seek a 20-year sentence.
On June 4, 1994, Terry stopped to help Ervin and his friend Eric Smiley, whose vehicle had broken down on an Interstate 5 offramp. Terry was in plainclothes when he was fatally shot with a bullet prosecutors said came from a gun fired either by Ervin or Smiley.
"To this day we don't know who fired the fatal shot," O'Toole said after Ervin pleaded guilty.
Smiley was convicted of first-degree murder in 1997 and was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Ervin originally faced three separate charges: aggravated first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and second-degree felony murder — based on the commission of an assault during the crime.
A jury was required to deliberate each charge individually. According to the jurors' instructions, if they couldn't agree or found Ervin not guilty on one charge, they were to move on to the next, less serious charge. If they reached a guilty verdict for any charge, they were to stop.
Unable to come to a verdict on aggravated first-degree murder and then on the attempted first-degree-murder charge after five weeks of deliberation, jurors convicted Ervin in 1996 of second-degree felony murder.
But in 2002, a Supreme Court ruling known as the Andress decision nullified Ervin's conviction by throwing out the law that covered the felony-murder crime. In Andress, the justices said that an assault leading to an unintended death cannot be a murder but instead must be prosecuted as manslaughter.
The state decided to retry him on the first two charges — aggravated first-degree and attempted first-degree murder.
Information from Seattle Times archives is included in this report
Seattle Times staff reporter
A 31-year-old Seattle man was sentenced to 20 years in prison this morning for the 1994 slaying of Seattle police Officer Antonio Terry. Quentin Ervin was serving time for a second-degree-murder conviction in Terry's slaying when the case was refiled as aggravated first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder after King County prosecutors last year were given a green light to pursue the more serious charges by a state Supreme Court decision.
Ervin last week pleaded guilty to the first-degree-murder charge, and in exchange prosecutors reduced the charge from aggravated murder and dropped an attempted-murder charge.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole said his office would seek a 20-year sentence.
On June 4, 1994, Terry stopped to help Ervin and his friend Eric Smiley, whose vehicle had broken down on an Interstate 5 offramp. Terry was in plainclothes when he was fatally shot with a bullet prosecutors said came from a gun fired either by Ervin or Smiley.
"To this day we don't know who fired the fatal shot," O'Toole said after Ervin pleaded guilty.
Smiley was convicted of first-degree murder in 1997 and was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Ervin originally faced three separate charges: aggravated first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and second-degree felony murder — based on the commission of an assault during the crime.
A jury was required to deliberate each charge individually. According to the jurors' instructions, if they couldn't agree or found Ervin not guilty on one charge, they were to move on to the next, less serious charge. If they reached a guilty verdict for any charge, they were to stop.
Unable to come to a verdict on aggravated first-degree murder and then on the attempted first-degree-murder charge after five weeks of deliberation, jurors convicted Ervin in 1996 of second-degree felony murder.
But in 2002, a Supreme Court ruling known as the Andress decision nullified Ervin's conviction by throwing out the law that covered the felony-murder crime. In Andress, the justices said that an assault leading to an unintended death cannot be a murder but instead must be prosecuted as manslaughter.
The state decided to retry him on the first two charges — aggravated first-degree and attempted first-degree murder.
Information from Seattle Times archives is included in this report
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Two shot at Folklife Festival
By HECTOR CASTRO
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police are investigating a shooting that happened early Saturday evening at the Seattle Center during Northwest Folklife Festival activities.
Police reported that around 6:40 p.m. a man and woman were shot near the center's fountain, though neither person suffered life-threatening injuries.
A suspected gunman was taken into custody and a firearm recovered, police reported.
P-I REPORTER
Seattle police are investigating a shooting that happened early Saturday evening at the Seattle Center during Northwest Folklife Festival activities.
Police reported that around 6:40 p.m. a man and woman were shot near the center's fountain, though neither person suffered life-threatening injuries.
A suspected gunman was taken into custody and a firearm recovered, police reported.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Penalty urged for lewd e-mails at jail
By Nancy Bartley
Seattle Times staff reporter
Five King County corrections officers are facing three-day suspensions for passing sexually explicit videos, cartoons and photos through the county e-mail.
It's the latest in a string of sexual-misconduct offenses and medical complaints that have plagued the jail over the past few years. Jail Superintendent Reed Holtgeerts recommended the suspension for the officers, who have not been named. But before it goes into effect, they have the right to present evidence that might explain their actions.
The e-mails were found in September and a decision to discipline the employees was reached in November. The officers all work at the downtown Seattle jail, said jail spokesman Maj. William Hayes.
The jail issued a statement on the incident only on Wednesday. Hayes said it took the department time to complete its investigation.
A U.S. Department of Justice report released in November criticized the jail for not controlling infectious diseases and for exposing inmates to sexual assaults. The jail has a no-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, said Hayes.
The jail administration did not agree with the findings of the Justice Department's report, which threatened the county with a lawsuit if the jail's problems were not corrected. At least two inmates died from inadequate medical care and there were three jail suicides in the past three years that were likely preventable, the report noted.
Since then, a former inmate, Matthew Wisecarver, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging jail conditions were so unsanitary he contracted MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant infection. One inmate died of an infection in 2004. In 2003, the number of infections at the jail increased from 291 to 623.
Four King County corrections officers have been convicted of sexual misconduct and related charges over the past several years.
Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times staff reporter
Five King County corrections officers are facing three-day suspensions for passing sexually explicit videos, cartoons and photos through the county e-mail.
It's the latest in a string of sexual-misconduct offenses and medical complaints that have plagued the jail over the past few years. Jail Superintendent Reed Holtgeerts recommended the suspension for the officers, who have not been named. But before it goes into effect, they have the right to present evidence that might explain their actions.
The e-mails were found in September and a decision to discipline the employees was reached in November. The officers all work at the downtown Seattle jail, said jail spokesman Maj. William Hayes.
The jail issued a statement on the incident only on Wednesday. Hayes said it took the department time to complete its investigation.
A U.S. Department of Justice report released in November criticized the jail for not controlling infectious diseases and for exposing inmates to sexual assaults. The jail has a no-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, said Hayes.
The jail administration did not agree with the findings of the Justice Department's report, which threatened the county with a lawsuit if the jail's problems were not corrected. At least two inmates died from inadequate medical care and there were three jail suicides in the past three years that were likely preventable, the report noted.
Since then, a former inmate, Matthew Wisecarver, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging jail conditions were so unsanitary he contracted MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant infection. One inmate died of an infection in 2004. In 2003, the number of infections at the jail increased from 291 to 623.
Four King County corrections officers have been convicted of sexual misconduct and related charges over the past several years.
Nancy Bartley: 206-464-8522 or nbartley@seattletimes.com
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Man arrested after assault, car theft and South Everett chase
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
Snohomish County sheriff's deputies arrested a man this morning for reportedly attacking two people, stealing a woman's BMW and leading officers on a pursuit through South Everett.
Shortly after 7 a.m., deputies were dispatched to an assisted-living center in the 11300 block of Third Place West after a report of a man walking into the facility and hitting an employee in the face, said sheriff's spokeswoman Rebecca Hover.
The suspect left the center and went to a parking lot across the street and asked a woman to help jump-start his car. The man then pushed the woman out of the way, grabbed her keys and drove off in her BMW, Hover said.
Deputies chased the man to a dead-end street, where he jumped out of the car and ran, Hover said. Deputies set up a containment scene and brought in tracking dogs.
Around 9:30 a.m., a woman in the 9600 block of Lowell-Larimer Road, close to the containment scene, called 911 to report a strange man on her property. The carjacking and assault suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on a variety of charges, Hover said.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times staff reporter
Snohomish County sheriff's deputies arrested a man this morning for reportedly attacking two people, stealing a woman's BMW and leading officers on a pursuit through South Everett.
Shortly after 7 a.m., deputies were dispatched to an assisted-living center in the 11300 block of Third Place West after a report of a man walking into the facility and hitting an employee in the face, said sheriff's spokeswoman Rebecca Hover.
The suspect left the center and went to a parking lot across the street and asked a woman to help jump-start his car. The man then pushed the woman out of the way, grabbed her keys and drove off in her BMW, Hover said.
Deputies chased the man to a dead-end street, where he jumped out of the car and ran, Hover said. Deputies set up a containment scene and brought in tracking dogs.
Around 9:30 a.m., a woman in the 9600 block of Lowell-Larimer Road, close to the containment scene, called 911 to report a strange man on her property. The carjacking and assault suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on a variety of charges, Hover said.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Latest "groper" attack provides more clues
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
For two years, Seattle police have been a few steps behind a man they say has attacked nearly two dozen women in Beacon Hill and Rainier Valley.
But after an attack on Saturday morning in the 7500 block of Renton Avenue South, police say they might have a better line on the man they call "the groper." South Precinct Capt. Les Liggins said witnesses to the recent attack have provided sexual-assault-unit detectives with better descriptions of the assailant and the vehicle he was seen driving.
"We're very much on this," Liggins said Monday.
Witnesses to the attack around 10 a.m. Saturday told police they saw a man grope an Asian or Asian-American woman who was walking with a toddler. The woman screamed.
A witness tried to take photos of the man's car and license plate with a cellphone camera, but the suspect knocked the witness down and stole the phone, police said.
The man is described as black, about 5-foot-10, with light-colored shaving bumps on the left side of his face. Earlier descriptions were even more sketchy, and no one had previously provided a vehicle description.
Witnesses said the woman ran north with the child after she was attacked. Police have not yet spoken with her and hope that she comes forward.
Seattle police Lt. James Koutsky said this was the 23rd attack on girls and women in the area since August 2006. None of the victims, who range from teenagers to 52, has been raped or critically injured in the attacks. Most were Asian or Asian American.
Police said the man normally runs off after his victims have screamed for help. Many of the attacks have occurred at bus stops.
Police said this is the first time the man has attacked since March, and the sixth time since January. In January, the suspect grabbed and chased two girls ages 13 and 14.
The attacks have generated fear in several South Seattle neighborhoods. The Chinese Information and Service Center in Seattle has warned women about the attacks and even offered lessons on self-defense tactics. In March, when the center offered a community meeting about the attacks, more than 100 people attended.
Police are asking that anyone with information about the suspect or the most recent attack call the department's sexual-assault unit at 206-684-5575.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times staff reporter
For two years, Seattle police have been a few steps behind a man they say has attacked nearly two dozen women in Beacon Hill and Rainier Valley.
But after an attack on Saturday morning in the 7500 block of Renton Avenue South, police say they might have a better line on the man they call "the groper." South Precinct Capt. Les Liggins said witnesses to the recent attack have provided sexual-assault-unit detectives with better descriptions of the assailant and the vehicle he was seen driving.
"We're very much on this," Liggins said Monday.
Witnesses to the attack around 10 a.m. Saturday told police they saw a man grope an Asian or Asian-American woman who was walking with a toddler. The woman screamed.
A witness tried to take photos of the man's car and license plate with a cellphone camera, but the suspect knocked the witness down and stole the phone, police said.
The man is described as black, about 5-foot-10, with light-colored shaving bumps on the left side of his face. Earlier descriptions were even more sketchy, and no one had previously provided a vehicle description.
Witnesses said the woman ran north with the child after she was attacked. Police have not yet spoken with her and hope that she comes forward.
Seattle police Lt. James Koutsky said this was the 23rd attack on girls and women in the area since August 2006. None of the victims, who range from teenagers to 52, has been raped or critically injured in the attacks. Most were Asian or Asian American.
Police said the man normally runs off after his victims have screamed for help. Many of the attacks have occurred at bus stops.
Police said this is the first time the man has attacked since March, and the sixth time since January. In January, the suspect grabbed and chased two girls ages 13 and 14.
The attacks have generated fear in several South Seattle neighborhoods. The Chinese Information and Service Center in Seattle has warned women about the attacks and even offered lessons on self-defense tactics. In March, when the center offered a community meeting about the attacks, more than 100 people attended.
Police are asking that anyone with information about the suspect or the most recent attack call the department's sexual-assault unit at 206-684-5575.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Two stabbed in Central District
By AMY ROLPH
P-I REPORTER
The Seattle Police Department is investigating a double stabbing that happened in Seattle's Central District neighborhood early Sunday morning.
A call came into police about 4:20 a.m. from an apartment tenant who found a woman in bleeding from stab wounds in the doorway of his residence in the 100 block of Eighth Avenue, police spokesman Mark Jamieson said. Around that same time, someone else reported finding a man bleeding from knife wounds near the intersection of Broadway and Yesler Way.
Both of the victims were transported to nearby Harborview Medical Center with what appeared to police to be life-threatening injuries. Homicide investigators have been dispatched, Jamieson said.
"It is believed that these two incidents are connected, and it is domestic violence in nature," he said.
Police believe it's likely that the couple knows each other.
P-I REPORTER
The Seattle Police Department is investigating a double stabbing that happened in Seattle's Central District neighborhood early Sunday morning.
A call came into police about 4:20 a.m. from an apartment tenant who found a woman in bleeding from stab wounds in the doorway of his residence in the 100 block of Eighth Avenue, police spokesman Mark Jamieson said. Around that same time, someone else reported finding a man bleeding from knife wounds near the intersection of Broadway and Yesler Way.
Both of the victims were transported to nearby Harborview Medical Center with what appeared to police to be life-threatening injuries. Homicide investigators have been dispatched, Jamieson said.
"It is believed that these two incidents are connected, and it is domestic violence in nature," he said.
Police believe it's likely that the couple knows each other.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Washington State Case Law Update
Supreme Court
State v. Becklin: The court held that a trial court's response in the affirmative to a jury question regarding whether stalking could be accomplished through directing a third party to harass the victim was an accurate statement of the law, and that it was not improper for the judge to issue the answer after jury deliberations had begun, given that both parties had argued the issue to the jury. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Becklin
State v. Gatewood: The court held that officers did not have specific articulable facts indicating criminal activity observing that the defendant looked surprised as the officers passed the bus stop where he was sitting, turned his body to the right as if to hide something and then, after they had circled back to follow the defendant, observed him walking away from their patrol car. The court found that the officers conducted an impermissible speculative criminal investigation when they subsequently performed a nonconsensual seizure of the defendant, and suppressed all evidence after the stop. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Gatewood
State v. Weyrich: The Court allowed vacation of a guilty plea when the defendant had not been informed of the possible statutory maximum sentence under the plea, holding that the statutory maximum sentence was a direct consequence of the plea. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Weyrich
Division One Court of Appeals
State v. Reeves: The Court held that a notebook of photographs depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct in violation of RCW 9.68A.070 did not count as a single unit of prosecution, rather, the court adhered to prior holdings finding that the crime was a unit of prosecution for each photograph, and that prosecuting in such a manner was not a violation of double jeopardy. A copy of the decision may be found at: State v. Reeves
Division Two Court of Appeals
State v. Jones: The defendant's conviction was reversed by the Court, which found that the prosecutor had committed prejudicial misconduct denying the defendant a fair trial by improperly bolstering the credibility of the informant and the arresting officer during closing argument, improperly cross-examining the arresting officer regarding why the informant did not testify, and asserting in closing argument that the informant did not testify because he was afraid of the defendant. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Jones
Division Three Court of Appeals
State v. Bashaw: Defendant's conviction for selling methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop was upheld by the Court, which found that use of a measuring wheel was appropriate to determine the distance of the sale from the bus stop, and that the jury instruction properly required jury unanimity to impose the sentencing enhancement. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Bashaw
State v. Montes-Malindas: The Court held that the arresting officers conducted a pretextual stop when they stoped a van for driving without its headlights illuminated, despite the fact that the van had turned its headlights on prior to the stop, based on earlier observations of suspicious behavior of the van's occupants in a parking lot. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Montes-Malindas
State v. Becklin: The court held that a trial court's response in the affirmative to a jury question regarding whether stalking could be accomplished through directing a third party to harass the victim was an accurate statement of the law, and that it was not improper for the judge to issue the answer after jury deliberations had begun, given that both parties had argued the issue to the jury. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Becklin
State v. Gatewood: The court held that officers did not have specific articulable facts indicating criminal activity observing that the defendant looked surprised as the officers passed the bus stop where he was sitting, turned his body to the right as if to hide something and then, after they had circled back to follow the defendant, observed him walking away from their patrol car. The court found that the officers conducted an impermissible speculative criminal investigation when they subsequently performed a nonconsensual seizure of the defendant, and suppressed all evidence after the stop. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Gatewood
State v. Weyrich: The Court allowed vacation of a guilty plea when the defendant had not been informed of the possible statutory maximum sentence under the plea, holding that the statutory maximum sentence was a direct consequence of the plea. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Weyrich
Division One Court of Appeals
State v. Reeves: The Court held that a notebook of photographs depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct in violation of RCW 9.68A.070 did not count as a single unit of prosecution, rather, the court adhered to prior holdings finding that the crime was a unit of prosecution for each photograph, and that prosecuting in such a manner was not a violation of double jeopardy. A copy of the decision may be found at: State v. Reeves
Division Two Court of Appeals
State v. Jones: The defendant's conviction was reversed by the Court, which found that the prosecutor had committed prejudicial misconduct denying the defendant a fair trial by improperly bolstering the credibility of the informant and the arresting officer during closing argument, improperly cross-examining the arresting officer regarding why the informant did not testify, and asserting in closing argument that the informant did not testify because he was afraid of the defendant. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Jones
Division Three Court of Appeals
State v. Bashaw: Defendant's conviction for selling methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop was upheld by the Court, which found that use of a measuring wheel was appropriate to determine the distance of the sale from the bus stop, and that the jury instruction properly required jury unanimity to impose the sentencing enhancement. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Bashaw
State v. Montes-Malindas: The Court held that the arresting officers conducted a pretextual stop when they stoped a van for driving without its headlights illuminated, despite the fact that the van had turned its headlights on prior to the stop, based on earlier observations of suspicious behavior of the van's occupants in a parking lot. A copy of the decision may be viewed at: State v. Montes-Malindas
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Man charged with hate crime in taxi driver beating
P-I STAFF
A Renton man accused of using a racial slur while beating up a cab driver and stealing his wallet was charged Friday with first-degree robbery and malicious harassment, a hate crime.
Police say Tejinder S. Dhaliwal, 31, attacked driver Elias Ussuf on April 29 in Tukwila, beating the man so badly he was left unconscious.
Dhaliwal began yelling and swearing, using a derogatory racial term, when Ussuf told Dhaliwal he could not smoke in his cab, according to court documents.
Both men ended up outside the car, where police say Dhaliwal attacked Ussuf, punching him, pounding his face into the pavement, then stole his wallet.
King County prosecutors said Ussuf showed signs of a serious head injury.
Dhaliwal is set to answer to the charges Monday at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
A Renton man accused of using a racial slur while beating up a cab driver and stealing his wallet was charged Friday with first-degree robbery and malicious harassment, a hate crime.
Police say Tejinder S. Dhaliwal, 31, attacked driver Elias Ussuf on April 29 in Tukwila, beating the man so badly he was left unconscious.
Dhaliwal began yelling and swearing, using a derogatory racial term, when Ussuf told Dhaliwal he could not smoke in his cab, according to court documents.
Both men ended up outside the car, where police say Dhaliwal attacked Ussuf, punching him, pounding his face into the pavement, then stole his wallet.
King County prosecutors said Ussuf showed signs of a serious head injury.
Dhaliwal is set to answer to the charges Monday at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
Alcohol and speed blamed in fatal Eastside crash, police say
By Seattle Times staff
Alcohol and speed were to blame in the crash that killed a 30-year-old Kirkland man early Friday who lost control of his car on Avondale Road Northeast, struck several trees and landed on the side of the road, police said.
Investigators determined the man was driving more than 100 mph and not wearing a seat belt, police said.
The man was traveling south on Avondale Road in the Redmond area shortly before 3 a.m. when residents heard a crash and called 911, police said.
Police Department spokesman Jim Bove said the white Cadillac came to rest on the east side of Avondale Road along Bear Creek, facing the northbound lanes, after it had sheared off several trees and was ripped into sections by the impact of the crash.
The car left a lengthy trail of skid marks before leaving the roadway, Bove said.
"Basically, it did a 360," he said.
A baby seat was found in the back seat of the Cadillac, and investigators were concerned someone might have been ejected from the vehicle, said Bove, but a search was done and no other occupants were found.
Avondale Road has a 40-mph speed limit and was closed for more than seven hours while the investigation was conducted.
Alcohol and speed were to blame in the crash that killed a 30-year-old Kirkland man early Friday who lost control of his car on Avondale Road Northeast, struck several trees and landed on the side of the road, police said.
Investigators determined the man was driving more than 100 mph and not wearing a seat belt, police said.
The man was traveling south on Avondale Road in the Redmond area shortly before 3 a.m. when residents heard a crash and called 911, police said.
Police Department spokesman Jim Bove said the white Cadillac came to rest on the east side of Avondale Road along Bear Creek, facing the northbound lanes, after it had sheared off several trees and was ripped into sections by the impact of the crash.
The car left a lengthy trail of skid marks before leaving the roadway, Bove said.
"Basically, it did a 360," he said.
A baby seat was found in the back seat of the Cadillac, and investigators were concerned someone might have been ejected from the vehicle, said Bove, but a search was done and no other occupants were found.
Avondale Road has a 40-mph speed limit and was closed for more than seven hours while the investigation was conducted.
Judge orders competency evaluation in Carnation slayings
By Mike Carter
Seattle Times Staff Reporter
A King County judge has ordered that Michele Anderson, the 29-year-old Carnation woman accused of killing six members of her family on Christmas Eve, undergo a competency evaluation.
Anderson's defense had asked for the evaluation in a sealed motion, and had sought to close the courtroom so they could argue their case. However, Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell said Friday he would not close the courtroom, and that there would be no need anyway because he was granting the request without hearing arguments.
Anderson will be seen by two psychiatrists — one appointed by the defense, the other by prosecutors — while being held in the King County Jail.
Ramsdell said little that shed light on the behavior Anderson's defense has witnessed that has led them to think she may not be competent to stand trial. He said only that her attorneys had filed attorney-client materials under seal that "contain substantive support for the motion ... they have a reason to doubt the defendant's competency."
During Friday's hearing, Anderson attempted to pass a letter written on a sheet of yellow paper to the judge, but Ramsdell said he didn't want to look at it and returned it to her by the court clerk.
The judge explained that he was concerned the letter might contain some information that he would be required to act on — perhaps even pass on to prosecutors — and that he would rather allow the competency evaluation to take place first.
A lawyer for The Seattle Times had filed a motion Thursday opposing closure of the courtroom to the public, saying the defense hasn't publicly provided any compelling reasons to do so.
Anderson's lawyers are trying to persuade King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg not to seek the death penalty against the woman, saying mental-health problems should make her ineligible for execution.
Anderson and her boyfriend, Joseph McEnroe, are each charged with six counts of aggravated murder in connection with the fatal shootings of Anderson's parents, Wayne, 60, and Judith Anderson, 61; her brother, Scott, and his wife, Erica, both 32; and the couple's two children, Olivia, 5, and Nathan, 3, inside the elder Andersons' Carnation home.
Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times Staff Reporter
A King County judge has ordered that Michele Anderson, the 29-year-old Carnation woman accused of killing six members of her family on Christmas Eve, undergo a competency evaluation.
Anderson's defense had asked for the evaluation in a sealed motion, and had sought to close the courtroom so they could argue their case. However, Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell said Friday he would not close the courtroom, and that there would be no need anyway because he was granting the request without hearing arguments.
Anderson will be seen by two psychiatrists — one appointed by the defense, the other by prosecutors — while being held in the King County Jail.
Ramsdell said little that shed light on the behavior Anderson's defense has witnessed that has led them to think she may not be competent to stand trial. He said only that her attorneys had filed attorney-client materials under seal that "contain substantive support for the motion ... they have a reason to doubt the defendant's competency."
During Friday's hearing, Anderson attempted to pass a letter written on a sheet of yellow paper to the judge, but Ramsdell said he didn't want to look at it and returned it to her by the court clerk.
The judge explained that he was concerned the letter might contain some information that he would be required to act on — perhaps even pass on to prosecutors — and that he would rather allow the competency evaluation to take place first.
A lawyer for The Seattle Times had filed a motion Thursday opposing closure of the courtroom to the public, saying the defense hasn't publicly provided any compelling reasons to do so.
Anderson's lawyers are trying to persuade King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg not to seek the death penalty against the woman, saying mental-health problems should make her ineligible for execution.
Anderson and her boyfriend, Joseph McEnroe, are each charged with six counts of aggravated murder in connection with the fatal shootings of Anderson's parents, Wayne, 60, and Judith Anderson, 61; her brother, Scott, and his wife, Erica, both 32; and the couple's two children, Olivia, 5, and Nathan, 3, inside the elder Andersons' Carnation home.
Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Medical marijuana knocks Seattle musician off transplant list
By LORI MATSUKAWA / KING 5 News
SEATTLE – A Seattle rock musician is dying after being denied a liver transplant by the University of Washington Medical Center partly because of his use of medical marijuana.
Timothy Garon is dying of liver failure after living with Hepatitis C for decades. The medical marijuana he uses is prescribed by his doctor. However, marijuana use is considered an addictive behavior and a reason to deny a transplant.
Garon's doctor says he didn't know the prescription would affect Garon's eligibility.
"I thought it was very unfair they have these guidelines," said Garon.
Garon's son says if the UW Medical Center transplant committee had told him early on that his father needed to go through a treatment program and stay off pot for 60 days, they might have been able to pull it off, but by the time they found out, Garon was off the list. His condition had deteriorated.
"If they had started things early on six months prior to that, because he went downhill really fast, he may have had a chance," said Lennon Garon, Timothy's son. At least he would've had a chance to get on the list, he would have had a chance to get a new liver and live.
"He's not the first person that this happened to. He's not going to be the last person until these policies are changed."
While unable to comment specifically on Garon's case, the UW Medical Center said in a statement that medical marijuana is never the sole reason for rejecting a patient.
"The committee looks at the period of abstinence the candidate has demonstrated to date, efforts made to maintain this abstinence and the potential to abuse again," writes a medical center spokesperson.
With so few organs available, the UW Medical Center says patients selected are ultimately those with a reasonable chance of survival and a good outcome. In a given year, there are approximately 98,000 patients waiting for organs in the U.S. and only 6,000 donors.
Garon is the lead singer for Nearly Dan, a Steely Dan cover-band. He remains charged with manufacturing marijuana for his arrest in December at a rental home in Mountlake Terrace.
SEATTLE – A Seattle rock musician is dying after being denied a liver transplant by the University of Washington Medical Center partly because of his use of medical marijuana.
Timothy Garon is dying of liver failure after living with Hepatitis C for decades. The medical marijuana he uses is prescribed by his doctor. However, marijuana use is considered an addictive behavior and a reason to deny a transplant.
Garon's doctor says he didn't know the prescription would affect Garon's eligibility.
"I thought it was very unfair they have these guidelines," said Garon.
Garon's son says if the UW Medical Center transplant committee had told him early on that his father needed to go through a treatment program and stay off pot for 60 days, they might have been able to pull it off, but by the time they found out, Garon was off the list. His condition had deteriorated.
"If they had started things early on six months prior to that, because he went downhill really fast, he may have had a chance," said Lennon Garon, Timothy's son. At least he would've had a chance to get on the list, he would have had a chance to get a new liver and live.
"He's not the first person that this happened to. He's not going to be the last person until these policies are changed."
While unable to comment specifically on Garon's case, the UW Medical Center said in a statement that medical marijuana is never the sole reason for rejecting a patient.
"The committee looks at the period of abstinence the candidate has demonstrated to date, efforts made to maintain this abstinence and the potential to abuse again," writes a medical center spokesperson.
With so few organs available, the UW Medical Center says patients selected are ultimately those with a reasonable chance of survival and a good outcome. In a given year, there are approximately 98,000 patients waiting for organs in the U.S. and only 6,000 donors.
Garon is the lead singer for Nearly Dan, a Steely Dan cover-band. He remains charged with manufacturing marijuana for his arrest in December at a rental home in Mountlake Terrace.
Man, 21, charged in shooting after book-release party
By Seattle Times staff
King County prosecutors filed charges today against a 21-year-old Federal Way man in connection with a fatal shooting after a book-release party last month.
Lovelychild Manuel is accused of killing DeVon Guidry, 24, of Renton, after an April 13 party celebrating the release of a book about the rise of hip-hop star Dr. Dre. The King County Medical Examiner's Office said Guidry, who was among nearly 300 people who attended the event, was shot once in the head and once in the chest.
Manuel was arrested April 16 after tipsters contacted authorities to tell police his whereabouts, according to court charging papers. Manuel, who police say is a gang member, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault.
Manuel is being held at the King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
King County prosecutors filed charges today against a 21-year-old Federal Way man in connection with a fatal shooting after a book-release party last month.
Lovelychild Manuel is accused of killing DeVon Guidry, 24, of Renton, after an April 13 party celebrating the release of a book about the rise of hip-hop star Dr. Dre. The King County Medical Examiner's Office said Guidry, who was among nearly 300 people who attended the event, was shot once in the head and once in the chest.
Manuel was arrested April 16 after tipsters contacted authorities to tell police his whereabouts, according to court charging papers. Manuel, who police say is a gang member, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree assault.
Manuel is being held at the King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Seattle-area police and federal agents round up 55 wanted on arrest warrants
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
The King County Sheriff's Office announced this morning that officers from several Seattle-area police agencies as well as federal agents have rounded up 55 people wanted on arrest warrants during a special emphasis last week.
Authorities focused on 130 active warrants during the sweep titled Operation CROW (Cops Rounding Up Outstanding Warrants), said sheriff's spokesman Rodney Chinnick. Officers from 20 agencies participated in the emphasis, which lasted from Wednesday through Friday, Chinnick said.
Among the suspects arrested were four wanted in the illegal possession of a firearm, 16 in burglaries, four in robberies, 20 in assaults, three regarding sex crimes, three in identify theft and several on drug charges, Chinnick said.
Investigators are still searching for suspects who remain outstanding.
"We may be out again on a similar operation in six months or a year," Chinnick said.
During the sweep, members of the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force seized more than $11,000 in cash, a vehicle, and approximately 3 ½ ounces of cocaine and heroin packaged for distribution.
The sweep comes nearly eight months after 249 people were arrested by federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies during a Puget Sound-area roundup organized by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Seattle Times staff reporter
The King County Sheriff's Office announced this morning that officers from several Seattle-area police agencies as well as federal agents have rounded up 55 people wanted on arrest warrants during a special emphasis last week.
Authorities focused on 130 active warrants during the sweep titled Operation CROW (Cops Rounding Up Outstanding Warrants), said sheriff's spokesman Rodney Chinnick. Officers from 20 agencies participated in the emphasis, which lasted from Wednesday through Friday, Chinnick said.
Among the suspects arrested were four wanted in the illegal possession of a firearm, 16 in burglaries, four in robberies, 20 in assaults, three regarding sex crimes, three in identify theft and several on drug charges, Chinnick said.
Investigators are still searching for suspects who remain outstanding.
"We may be out again on a similar operation in six months or a year," Chinnick said.
During the sweep, members of the Pacific Northwest Fugitive Apprehension Task Force seized more than $11,000 in cash, a vehicle, and approximately 3 ½ ounces of cocaine and heroin packaged for distribution.
The sweep comes nearly eight months after 249 people were arrested by federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies during a Puget Sound-area roundup organized by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Heroin, cocaine dealer sentenced to 13 years
By Karen Johnson
Seattle Times staff reporter
A 28-year-old man who sold heroin and cocaine while attending classes at Cascadia Community College in Bothell was sentenced today to 13 years and four months in prison.
At Javier "Cookie" Sanchez-Vasquez's sentencing in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Judge Ricardo Martinez said the volume of drugs and cash found in connection to the operation was "one of the highest we've seen in federal court."
Sanchez-Vasquez was arrested April 9, 2007, when investigators found 35 pounds of cocaine and more than 22 pounds of heroine in his Kirkland home and a "stash house" he kept in North Seattle.
His arrest came after a nine-month investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force.
"The [organization's] tentacles were fairly wide, from South Seattle to North Snohomish [County] and even out to Kirkland," said Adam Cornell, special assistant in the U.S. Attorney's Office at the time of the arrests.
Investigators used a confidential informant and court-authorized telephone taps to confirm Sanchez-Vasquez as the alleged ringleader, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sanchez-Vasquez and several of his associates, who are in the United States illegally, spoke the indigenous Mexican dialect Mixteco Bajo during their telephone calls, Cornell said. Mixteco Bajo is spoken by about 1 million people and is a regional language in southern Mexico.
In a report released today, Cornell called Sanchez-Vasquez "the head of the snake," because the college student "had time to take classes at community college while his underlings were running around delivering drugs."
Sanchez-Vazquez will likely be deported after serving his prison term, federal officials said.
Three others also have been charged and convicted for their involvement in the drug ring. Wilver Mira-Flores, 27; Carlos Velazquez, 31; Rodolfo Navarro-Gomez, 28; and Ramirez Castro, 31, each pleaded guilty to various drug-related crimes last year.
Investigators seized more that $1.1 million in cash Sanchez-Vasquez had stored in a various places around the state.
Seattle Times staff reporter
A 28-year-old man who sold heroin and cocaine while attending classes at Cascadia Community College in Bothell was sentenced today to 13 years and four months in prison.
At Javier "Cookie" Sanchez-Vasquez's sentencing in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Judge Ricardo Martinez said the volume of drugs and cash found in connection to the operation was "one of the highest we've seen in federal court."
Sanchez-Vasquez was arrested April 9, 2007, when investigators found 35 pounds of cocaine and more than 22 pounds of heroine in his Kirkland home and a "stash house" he kept in North Seattle.
His arrest came after a nine-month investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force.
"The [organization's] tentacles were fairly wide, from South Seattle to North Snohomish [County] and even out to Kirkland," said Adam Cornell, special assistant in the U.S. Attorney's Office at the time of the arrests.
Investigators used a confidential informant and court-authorized telephone taps to confirm Sanchez-Vasquez as the alleged ringleader, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sanchez-Vasquez and several of his associates, who are in the United States illegally, spoke the indigenous Mexican dialect Mixteco Bajo during their telephone calls, Cornell said. Mixteco Bajo is spoken by about 1 million people and is a regional language in southern Mexico.
In a report released today, Cornell called Sanchez-Vasquez "the head of the snake," because the college student "had time to take classes at community college while his underlings were running around delivering drugs."
Sanchez-Vazquez will likely be deported after serving his prison term, federal officials said.
Three others also have been charged and convicted for their involvement in the drug ring. Wilver Mira-Flores, 27; Carlos Velazquez, 31; Rodolfo Navarro-Gomez, 28; and Ramirez Castro, 31, each pleaded guilty to various drug-related crimes last year.
Investigators seized more that $1.1 million in cash Sanchez-Vasquez had stored in a various places around the state.
By Natalie Singer
By Natalie Singer
Seattle Times staff reporter
A woman who was drunk when she drove 90 mph in the wrong direction on Interstate 5, causing a head-on collision that left one teenager dead and another seriously injured, was sentenced Friday to 6 ½ years in prison, the maximum sentence under state law.
Cerrissa Christensen, who turns 28 today, had a history of driving under the influence and had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit when police caught her after the crash that killed Bawny McQuistin, 18, and injured Eric Hillstrom, 19, both of Tacoma.
Before King County Superior Court Judge Nicole MacInnes delivered her sentence, the families of the victims spoke in court about the emotional devastation caused by Christensen, who pleaded guilty last month.
"I don't know where to start," said Sterling Smith, McQuistin's father, his voice breaking. "She walked out of the door one day, never to be seen or held again. I thought we had all the time in the world. She was my baby; she was my sweetie. I miss her terribly."
McQuistin's mother, Leslie, described her daughter as an avid reader, an A student, a snowboarder and a lover of babies, animals and foreign films, who was independent and unique. "She was just testing her wings when she was killed," Leslie McQuistin said.
Sue Hillstrom, mother of Eric Hillstrom — who said in court he has no memory of the accident or some of his life before it — said legislators have not passed tough enough laws for drunken drivers.
"The defendant has a terrible record. If someone somewhere along the line had taken it more seriously, she would not have been on the road," she said.
Christensen, who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.25 percent — well above the legal limit of 0.08 — when her blood was tested after the Oct. 9 crash, cried as she watched a video of Bawny McQuistin's life.
"I hope, someday, you can find the mercy in your hearts to forgive me," she then told the victims' friends and families.
Police said Christensen was speeding south in the northbound lanes of I-5 through Tukwila when officers pulled alongside with their lights flashing.
Other drivers were swerving to avoid her when Christensen's vehicle struck the truck being driven by Eric Hillstrom head-on, killing Bawny McQuistin. Hillstrom suffered severe head injuries, a lacerated liver, bruised lungs and a broken femur and hip.
When questioned afterward, Christensen cursed at the trooper who accused her of hitting and killing someone, charging papers said.
On Dec. 17, 2002, Christensen received a deferred prosecution for what was apparently her first DUI, on the condition she have no traffic violations, consume no alcohol or drugs and refrain from driving without a license for five years, court records show. In that case, her blood-alcohol level was 0.20 percent.
"You knew the potential of what you could do," MacInnes told her. MacInnes said she understood the frustration with the sentencing limit.
"You can't equate months and years in prison with somebody's life, but that is the only ability I have," she said.
Natalie Singer: 206-464-2704 or nsinger@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Seattle Times staff reporter
A woman who was drunk when she drove 90 mph in the wrong direction on Interstate 5, causing a head-on collision that left one teenager dead and another seriously injured, was sentenced Friday to 6 ½ years in prison, the maximum sentence under state law.
Cerrissa Christensen, who turns 28 today, had a history of driving under the influence and had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit when police caught her after the crash that killed Bawny McQuistin, 18, and injured Eric Hillstrom, 19, both of Tacoma.
Before King County Superior Court Judge Nicole MacInnes delivered her sentence, the families of the victims spoke in court about the emotional devastation caused by Christensen, who pleaded guilty last month.
"I don't know where to start," said Sterling Smith, McQuistin's father, his voice breaking. "She walked out of the door one day, never to be seen or held again. I thought we had all the time in the world. She was my baby; she was my sweetie. I miss her terribly."
McQuistin's mother, Leslie, described her daughter as an avid reader, an A student, a snowboarder and a lover of babies, animals and foreign films, who was independent and unique. "She was just testing her wings when she was killed," Leslie McQuistin said.
Sue Hillstrom, mother of Eric Hillstrom — who said in court he has no memory of the accident or some of his life before it — said legislators have not passed tough enough laws for drunken drivers.
"The defendant has a terrible record. If someone somewhere along the line had taken it more seriously, she would not have been on the road," she said.
Christensen, who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.25 percent — well above the legal limit of 0.08 — when her blood was tested after the Oct. 9 crash, cried as she watched a video of Bawny McQuistin's life.
"I hope, someday, you can find the mercy in your hearts to forgive me," she then told the victims' friends and families.
Police said Christensen was speeding south in the northbound lanes of I-5 through Tukwila when officers pulled alongside with their lights flashing.
Other drivers were swerving to avoid her when Christensen's vehicle struck the truck being driven by Eric Hillstrom head-on, killing Bawny McQuistin. Hillstrom suffered severe head injuries, a lacerated liver, bruised lungs and a broken femur and hip.
When questioned afterward, Christensen cursed at the trooper who accused her of hitting and killing someone, charging papers said.
On Dec. 17, 2002, Christensen received a deferred prosecution for what was apparently her first DUI, on the condition she have no traffic violations, consume no alcohol or drugs and refrain from driving without a license for five years, court records show. In that case, her blood-alcohol level was 0.20 percent.
"You knew the potential of what you could do," MacInnes told her. MacInnes said she understood the frustration with the sentencing limit.
"You can't equate months and years in prison with somebody's life, but that is the only ability I have," she said.
Natalie Singer: 206-464-2704 or nsinger@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Friday, April 25, 2008
Crack cocaine offenders in Western Washington get sentences cut
P-I STAFF
Thousands of crack cocaine convicts around the country -- including 29 from Western Washington -- have had their prison sentences cut since the federal government eased harsh penalties for crack that critics said were racially biased because the majority of offenders are black.
In December, over the objections of the Justice Department, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to ease the way courts meted out penalties for drug crimes to rectify disparities in the way judges have treated crack crimes versus those involving powder cocaine. Four out of five crack defendants are black, while most powder cocaine convicts are white.
The new sentencing guidelines, which took effect in March, allowed nearly 20,000 people convicted of crack cocaine offenses to seek retroactive reductions in their prison time. About 1,600 federal inmates were eligible for immediate release.
About five inmates from Western Washington have been released so far, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Whalley. He said the cases of two dozen more inmates are being reviewed to determine if they are eligible for sentence reductions.
Thousands of crack cocaine convicts around the country -- including 29 from Western Washington -- have had their prison sentences cut since the federal government eased harsh penalties for crack that critics said were racially biased because the majority of offenders are black.
In December, over the objections of the Justice Department, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to ease the way courts meted out penalties for drug crimes to rectify disparities in the way judges have treated crack crimes versus those involving powder cocaine. Four out of five crack defendants are black, while most powder cocaine convicts are white.
The new sentencing guidelines, which took effect in March, allowed nearly 20,000 people convicted of crack cocaine offenses to seek retroactive reductions in their prison time. About 1,600 federal inmates were eligible for immediate release.
About five inmates from Western Washington have been released so far, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Whalley. He said the cases of two dozen more inmates are being reviewed to determine if they are eligible for sentence reductions.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Judge declares mistrial in alleged murder-for-hire case
By Seattle Times staff
A King County judge this afternoon declared a mistrial in the second trial of a 19-year-old Des Moines man accused of killing another man in an alleged murder-for-hire plot prosecutors say was hatched by the victim's wife.
Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez declared the mistrial in Wilson Sayachack's trial after a witness who claimed Sayachack had confessed to the slaying recently came forward. Defense attorneys had asked for the mistrial so they could investigate the man's claims.
Sayachack was 16, prosecutors said, when he fatally shot Ronald Whitehead, 61, on March 18, 2005, in a slaying police said was made to look like a carjacking. He is being tried as an adult.
Sayachack's first trial ended in a mistrial on Feb. 7 after a jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquittal. Testimony in his second trial had begun on April 15.
Whitehead was driving to work when he was shot four times at South 188th Street and Eighth Avenue South near SeaTac, according to police. His body was pushed from the car.
His Ford Mustang was found two days later a few miles away.
According to charging papers, Sayachack hid in the trunk of Whitehead's car the morning of the shooting as Whitehead headed to work. Jon Ogden, who was Whitehead's stepson, was in the passenger seat.
Sayachack allegedly climbed through the folding back seat and shot Whitehead in the back of the head, charging papers say. Police say that Whitehead's wife, Velma Ogden-Whitehead, paid Sayachack $1,000 for the killing.
A King County judge this afternoon declared a mistrial in the second trial of a 19-year-old Des Moines man accused of killing another man in an alleged murder-for-hire plot prosecutors say was hatched by the victim's wife.
Superior Court Judge Steven Gonzalez declared the mistrial in Wilson Sayachack's trial after a witness who claimed Sayachack had confessed to the slaying recently came forward. Defense attorneys had asked for the mistrial so they could investigate the man's claims.
Sayachack was 16, prosecutors said, when he fatally shot Ronald Whitehead, 61, on March 18, 2005, in a slaying police said was made to look like a carjacking. He is being tried as an adult.
Sayachack's first trial ended in a mistrial on Feb. 7 after a jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquittal. Testimony in his second trial had begun on April 15.
Whitehead was driving to work when he was shot four times at South 188th Street and Eighth Avenue South near SeaTac, according to police. His body was pushed from the car.
His Ford Mustang was found two days later a few miles away.
According to charging papers, Sayachack hid in the trunk of Whitehead's car the morning of the shooting as Whitehead headed to work. Jon Ogden, who was Whitehead's stepson, was in the passenger seat.
Sayachack allegedly climbed through the folding back seat and shot Whitehead in the back of the head, charging papers say. Police say that Whitehead's wife, Velma Ogden-Whitehead, paid Sayachack $1,000 for the killing.
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