Judge orders coroner to change ruling on state trooper's death

KOMO-TV STAFF

A judge has given the Lewis County coroner 10 days to remove the word "suicide" from the death certificate of former Washington state trooper - or else.

"Fail not to obey at your own peril," says a court order issued Friday by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks.

In 1998, trooper Ronda E. Reynolds was found dead in her home of a single gunshot to the head. Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson ruled her death as a suicide at the time.

But in 2008, a KOMO investigation highlighted evidence and opinions from experts who believed that Reynolds did not take her own life.

In November 2009, after reviewing the evidence, a jury unanimously decided that coroner Wilson was wrong when he called the death a suicide.

The jurors based their decision on a number of inconsistencies in the case, including the position of the gun and the trajectory of the bullet, which did not match a finding of suicide.

But Wilson said he wouldn't change Reynolds' death certificate, and left the issue in the judge's hands.

Judge Hicks issued a ruling Jan. 9 that requires the coroner to remove "suicide" as the cause of death.

The judge's latest order requires Wilson to "reconsider all of the information and evidence available" and issue a new cause of death within 10 days."The jury found that your determination of 'suicide' is inaccurate," the judge's order says.

Under the latest ruling, the cause of death can't be suicide unless the coroner uncovers new evidence that outweighs the evidence considered by the jury.

The order does not require the coroner to list the cause of death as "homicide," but the jurors who reviewed the case had no doubts about it.

Jury forewoman Angel Hubbard said everyone on the jury thought the cause of death was homicide.

"I can say unanimously for all of us - we even talked about that - that we definitely felt it would not, it should not be undetermined, but (move) more towards homicide," said Hubbard.

Nevertheless, Hicks granted a request from Wilson's attorney, John Justice, that jurors' written speculation about the case being a homicide be stricken from the record.

Reynolds' mother Barb Thompson has been fighting ever since 1998 to remove the stigma of suicide from her daughter's name after the lead detective in the investigation outlined a number of inconsistencies in the case.

But she acknowledges that her fight may not be over. Wilson still has the opportunity to appeal this decision.

Former Bellevue salon owner sentenced for fake Botox injections

By BELLEVUE REPORTER

A U.S. District Court judge on Friday sentenced former Bellevue beauty salon owner Xin He to 13 months in prison for injecting customers with phony Botox and Restylane that scarred several clients.

He, 46, of Issaquah, ran the Natural Beauty Salon at 11004 NE 11th St.

U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechmanon Oct. 30 found He guilty of one count of misbranding of a drug and two counts of receipt and delivery of an adulterated device.

He injected a Snohomish woman with counterfeit Restylane in 2004, according to federal prosecutors. The client's face became inflamed, causing her to seek treatment from a dermatologist, prosecutors said.

He is not a doctor or a licensed health-care provider, which means she cannot administer prescription wrinkle-removing drugs like Botox and Restylane.

The state Health Department ordered He to stop administering the counterfeit substances in 2006, but she injected a Bothell woman with fake Restylane in April 2008. That client's face became hard and swollen, causing her to undergo plastic surgery.

Federal agents arrested He Aug. 25 in a crackdown on unlicensed cosmetic treatment practices.

Beauty Life, a salon owned by Jenny Duan, has taken the place of Natural Beauty.

This article was originally published in the Bellevue Reporter on January 15, 2010.

KOMO-TV STAFF Police are looking for three suspects after a man was killed and another injured in a shooting at a Federal Way residence on Sunday mor

KOMO-TV STAFF

Police are looking for three suspects after a man was killed and another injured in a shooting at a Federal Way residence on Sunday morning.

Police responded to the scene, in the 30800 block of 20th Avenue South, at about 4:30 a.m. after receiving a report of an altercation and gunshots.

Two victims were found inside the residence when officers and medics arrived, said Raymond Bunk of the Federal Way police.

One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and is expected to live.

Both victims are from the Renton area, Bunk said. Their identities were not immediately available.

Three suspects fled from the scene after the shooting and remain at large.

Police are looking for the three, described as Hispanic males in their 20s and 30s.

Maple Valley police officer hit by car while responding to fake kidnapping call

By DENNIS BOX
COVINGTON REPORTER

A Maple Valley police officer was hit by a car at about 5 p.m. Tuesday during the investigation of an apparent kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy, which turned out to be a hoax.

The 22-year-old officer was transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. He was released later that night.

According to an e-mail from Sgt. John Urquhart, spokesman for the King County Sheriff's Office, the incident began because the boy had received an "F in math."

Urquhart wrote the boy ran away from home because his parents were "getting on him over grades."

After running away, the boy made up the kidnapping story.

The officer was on the scene in the 18600 block of Maple Valley Highway for the kidnapping report when he was struck by a 2008 Ford Taurus driven by a 47-year-old Issaquah man. The driver was not injured and has not been cited for an infraction.

Urquhart added King County detectives interviewed the boy extensively and his story began to make less and less sense.

At about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday the boy confessed to his parents and they called the sheriff's office.

According to the sheriff's office the officer struck by the car is very sore today and will require some follow-up treatment.

He has been with the King County Sheriff's Office for two years.

This article was originally published in the Covington Reporter on January 13, 2010.

Attempted murder suspect arrested in Arizona

By NAT LEVY
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND REVIEW

After six weeks on the run from federal and local law enforcement, attempted murder suspect Edward Mark Olsen turned himself in in Arizona Friday evening.

Bainbridge police searched for the suspect following an incident on Nov. 29 when Olsen, recently paroled from a California prison, allegedly broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend, doused her and their 12-year-old son with lighter fluid and threatened to set them on fire.

A police press release said local officials have worked with the FBI and U.S. Marshals since the incident to track the suspect. Evidence placed him in Florida, Nevada and California before Olsen, 49, called police in Chandler, Ariz. Olsen informed the police that he had several felony warrants for his arrest and wished to turn himself in.

Olsen submitted to police without incident. He is being held on charges of attempted murder, burglary and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

This article was originally published in the Bainbridge Island Review on January 9, 2010.
Nat Levy can be reached at nlevy@bainbridgereview.com.

Neighbors shocked by murder-for-hire plot

KOMO-TV STAFF

This Pierce County community is in shock after learning that a Boeing employee has been accused of hiring a hit man to kill his wife.

The man who claims he was hired to kill the wife turned to police - who stopped the alleged plot.

But stunned neighbors are still reeling, and news of the unusual crime has some in utter disbelief.

"It's like, 'What the heck is going on around here?' I don't know," says one neighbor, Tanya Wooten.

Says another neighbor, who asked not to be identified: "I'm amazed and bewildered. I mean, we just would have never expected that. They seem like very nice people."

The "nice people," who live on a quiet gravel street in Bonney Lake are now at the center of a murder-for-hire plot.

Police say the husband, Daniel Fiscus, paid a would-be hit man $5,000 to kill his wife - and then make it look like an accident.

"That close to home, it concerns me," says one neighbor. "I mean, I had no idea. He never came off as that type of person."

Police allege that Fiscus wanted to collect on his wife's insurance policy. But Fiscus has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

And his wife says she was "living in constant fear" that her "aggressive and hostile" husband might harm her in divorce papers filed in mid-November.

One month later, investigators say, Fiscus sought out a hit man and paid him, and that man came forward to police.

"I mean, that's pretty serious accusations that are made against him. That's pretty scary stuff," says one neighbor.

Daniel Fiscus is currently being held in the Pierce County jail on $5 million bail.

His wife reportedly went to an undisclosed location after the couple separated. She told the courts it was because she feared for her life.

Fiscus has no prior criminal history.

Suspected meth lab on Vashon explodes, officials investigate

By VASHON-MAURY ISLAND BEACHCOMBER

King County Sheriff's officers are investigating a Vashon property to see whether residents were manufacturing methamphetamine there, following an explosion Monday morning that leveled a backyard shed at the home.

At 7:25 a.m. Monday morning, neighbors heard a loud boom — an explosion coming from a large outbuilding located in the backyard of the woodsy property suspected of drug manufacturing, according to officials.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue personnel responded to the scene and quickly doused the flames that had engulfed the storage building, which was approximately 20 feet square. All that remained after the fire was a 20-foot square pile of badly charred debris, hardly recognizable as having once been a building. No structural timbers or walls stood intact, and it was evident from the degree of the structure's demolition that Monday's explosion must have been a powerful one.

The residence, a rental home in the 24400 block of 129th Avenue S.W., had long been suspected of drug activity, said those who live nearby.

County records show that in 2006 the house was declared contaminated with dangerous chemicals used to make methamphetamine and was cleaned up and decontaminated in 2007.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive illegal stimulant drug that can be made by combining household or industrial chemicals. The drug, a federal Schedule 1 controlled substance, can be smoked, inhaled or injected, and its production and use is on the rise in rural areas, according to National Public Radio.

The manufacture of methamphetamine leaves behind a stubborn coating of toxic residue that is harmful to those who come in contact with it, according to the Meth Lab Cleanup Company, which serves Washington and other states.

After the home's 2007 cleanup, those who lived nearby had hoped the unsavory neighborhood saga would come to an end. But the drug activity had resurfaced in the past couple of years, according to residents' reports.

Neighbors had set up a "neighborhood watch" to keep tabs on the home, which they worried was a hotspot of illegal activity.

"It was a drug house for years," said Emma Amiad, who lives a few thousand yards from the home near Wax Orchard Road on southwest Vashon Island.

People had often been seen coming and going from the home, but little was known about its residents, said neighbor Chris Robison.

"A lot of people were concerned about it," he said. "It's always a question of what's going on there — and all the activity sounds like drug activity. ... You know what your neighbors are doing when you live on a dead-end road."

Neighbors had contacted police to discuss their suspicions about the blue manufactured home in the woods, but it was Monday's explosion that opened the door for law enforcement officials to investigate the property thoroughly.

On Monday afternoon, a squad of sheriff's officers stayed out of the rain in a mobile evidence processing lab truck, awaiting a search warrant for the house and adjoining property, said Lance Dauber, a King County Sheriff's sergeant with the hazardous devices and materials team.

"We are investigating a possible meth lab, and we've certainly found signs of it," he said. "We found a couple items commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine."

He cautioned that there was much still to investigate at the scene and that it's possible the items that had been found were not used in drug production.

Fire investigators and hazardous materials specialists planned to comb the property late Monday after receiving a warrant to search it, Dauber said.

The cause of the explosion was not yet apparent, he said.

The residents of the home appeared to be on the run, Dauber added. A neighbor reported seeing three people fleeing from the property just after the explosion occurred on Monday.

The Beachcomber was not able to contact the residents of the rental home or the property's owner, a man who, according to county documents, lives in Auburn.

Because the fugitives may have had burns or other injuries due to their proximity to the explosion, the King County Sheriff's officials instructed Vashon Health Center to enter lockdown mode on Monday morning, barring the doors and letting patients in one at a time, said Tina Isakson at the health center.

"We just wanted to make sure nobody wound up here with burns or something obviously from that scene," she said late Monday morning, after the center exited lockdown mode and returned to normal.

"We're still on alert," she added.

For neighbors, Monday's explosion and ensuing investigation may provide some relief to residents surrounding the suspected drug house.

"We're all hoping this will bring some resolution," said neighbor Rebecca Graves.

"Meth is a very bad toxic material," Amiad said. "This sort of thing shouldn't be tolerated."

This article was originally published in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber on January 4, 2010.

UPDATE: Marshal gives description of Coupeville pharmacy armed robber

By JENNY MANNING
WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES

Police have issued a description of the man who robbed Linds Pharmacy and Drug at gunpoint at 10:20 a.m. Monday in Coupeville.

In an email press release sent Monday afternoon, Coupeville Town Marshal David Penrod described the robber as approximately 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds. He was wearing a dark colored hooded jacket or sweatshirt, dark colored jeans, a black mask, and brandished a silver handgun.

Deputies with the Coupeville Marshal’s Office were on scene within one minute, closely followed by the Island County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies conducted an extensive search of the immediate area, but were unable to locate the suspect.

Coupeville deputies, Island County Sheriff's deputies and State Patrol troopers' vehicles flashed their lights along Main Street, Highway 20 and Broadway Avenue in an effort to set up a perimeter around the pharmacy.

"You've got to plug up the holes you know you have," said Lt. Evan Tingstad with the Island County Sheriff's Office.

Coupeville schools were locked down for more than an hour while deputies checked the areas surrounding them.

There were eight people in the store at the time of the robbery, including a pharmacist, two pharmacy assistants, two technicians and three college students who were helping with store inventory, general manager Adam Lind said. No one was injured during the robbery.

"The crew is a little shaken up," he said.

The man cleared out the pharmacy's supply of OxyContin, a highly addictive prescription pain medication.

"He took everything we had on the shelf in every strength," Lind said.

Investigators dusted for finger prints and lifted a shoe print the robber left after he vaulted over the front counter on his way out, Lind said.

The pharmacy remained open after the robbery and continued to filled prescription requests by customers who seemed unaware of the morning heist.

Law enforcement officials are continuing to investigate the incident and review the store's video surveillance system.

"The suspect is still at large and the investigation is being conducted by the Island County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Coupeville Marshal’s Office," Marshal Penrod wrote in the press release.

A Skagit County Sheriff's Office search dog and handler were initially called in to help with the search effort. The unit was called off because officials couldn't find anything to give the animals a scent trail, according to Island County Sheriff Mark Brown.

During the lock down, Coupeville Elementary School kids were kept in classrooms and the windows were blacked out. The exterior doors were locked at the high school and middle school. The district lifted the lock down at 11:45 a.m.

Anyone with information regarding the crime should contact Detective Sgt. Mike Beech of the Island County Sheriff’s Office, 678-4422, or call 911. Anonymous tips may be left with the Island County Tip Line at 679-7319.

More details about the lockdown and the reported robbery to follow.

This article was originally published in the Whidbey News Times on January 4, 2010.

Jenny Manning can be reached at jmanning@whidbeynewstimes.com.

Snohomish deputy shoots, kills man in Bothell

KOMO-TV

BOTHELL -- A Snohomish County sheriff's deputy fatally shot a man during an altercation at a Bothell apartment complex early Thursday.

Police spokesman Robert Goetz did not say exactly what prompted the deputy to fire or whether the other man was armed.

Investigators said the incident began as a domestic dispute between a man, his daughter and the daughter's boyfriend just after 1 a.m. Police said the three lived together at the Archstone Northcreek apartments in the 20200 block of Bothell-Everett Highway

"It's not clear what happened inside the apartment," Goetz said.

When the deputy arrived, he found the man, the boyfriend and another man in the parking lot.

Some sort of altercation ensued and the deputy fired, hitting the boyfriend, who died on the way to a hospital.

"Something happened in that parking lot - some sort of disturbance - confrontation between the deputy and that individual. And shots were fired by the deputy, striking this male and killing him here at the scene."

The victim's name has not been released.

The deputy was not injured and investigators are still trying to piece together exactly what happened. Neighbors reported having heard yelling and gunshots being fired.

"The other male that was outside when the deputy arrived is a witness. He's a pretty key witness," Goetz said. "Once we have an opportunity to interview this independent witness we should have a more clear picture to provide to you."

That third man later told investigators that felt threatened by the boyfriend, and felt his life was in danger.

Goetz said the dead man's girlfriend is pregnant and was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Her father was also taken to a hospital to be treated for a stab wound to the face.

Detectives expected to be at the apartment complex for several hours collecting evidence and interviewing the people involved.

Investigators said the deputy is a 2-year veteran of the force and worked in law enforcement in the years prior. They said he had not discharged his weapon in public prior to Thursday's incident.

Authorities say survivalist is suspected car thief spotted in Bellevue

By JOSHUA ADAM HICKS
BELLEVUE REPORTER

Federal and state law-enforcement agencies have identified Bradley Steven Robinett as the man who jumped from a stolen Honda Pilot and avoided arrest after troopers spotted him at the Eastgate Park and Ride Nov. 24.

Robinett is believed to be armed at all times and possibly equipped with body armor. He is also known to be a survivalist who runs 3 miles per day, according to the State Patrol.

The Honda Pilot that authorities last saw him in was rigged with a curtain that snapped to the roofline to conceal his presence. The vehicle was reported stolen from the Portland area and bore a set of plates stolen in Vancouver, Wash.

Bainbridge Island police had a run-in with Robinett on Sept. 12, when they spotted him with another stolen Honda Pilot bearing stolen plates. Officers recovered a stolen handgun and stolen body armor in that case.

The State Patrol suspects Robinett was casing a bank when troopers spotted him at the Eastgate Park and Ride.

Robinett has an outstanding felony warrant for escape and unlawful possession of a firearm. The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Washington State Patrol, and Bainbridge Island Police are among the agencies now looking for him.

The State Patrol says Robinett is probably living in stolen vehicles or outdoors in a secluded area.

This article was originally published in the Bellevue Reporter on December 30, 2009.
Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at jhicks@bellevuereporter.com.

Man arrested after brief standoff in Sea-Tac bathroom

KOMO-TV STAFF

A man was arrested Friday evening after barricading himself in a rest room at Sea-Tac International Airport.

The incident did not cause any evacuations or flight delays, port officials said.

The man entered a small one-room family restroom in the airport just after 6 p.m. and refused to come out.

He told Port of Seattle police that he had a gun and wanted to fly somewhere but didn't have a ticket.

Airport officials shut down the south checkpoint, which is located behind the international flights ticket desk, and re-routed passengers through other checkpoints while negotiators spent more than two hours trying to convince the man to come out.

The restroom was not located near any gates, and there was only one door, so the man had no access to any other location.

The man was arrested about 7:45 p.m., but it was not immediately clear how police got the man out of the bathroom.

Officials said he was never armed.

Bainbridge couple suspected of stealing and selling $20,000 of merchandise

By BAINBRIDGE REVIEW
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND REVIEW

Bainbridge police are searching for a couple who stole upwards of $20,000 from a partially furnished home they rented.

Police said soon after the tenants moved to the home in September, they held a garage sale, selling many of the items in the house.

Police valued the items stolen and sold, which include a 50-inch television and entertainment center, at $20,000. Police said the pair owed the property owners more than $31,000 in past due rent and utility fees, as well.

The two moved out of the home on Dec. 16 and are believed to have left the state, police said.

Before they moved out, the suspects accessed a storage closet containing personal items belonging to the home's owners.

Police said the pair has been suspected of similar thefts in other communities.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Bainbridge police at 842-5211.

This article was originally published in the Bainbridge Island Review on December 21, 2009.
Bainbridge Review can be reached at editor@bainbridgereview.com.

Guilty plea to rape

By JESSIE STENSLAND
WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES

A 29-year-old man is facing five years in prison for raping a teenaged girl at a party in Oak Harbor about three years ago.

As part of a plea bargain, Michael Davis pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court Nov. 16 to rape in the third degree. He was originally charged with second-degree rape.

A sentencing hearing has been set for Jan. 7. Under the terms of the plea bargain, the deputy prosecutor and defense attorney will recommend a five-year prison term, which is the maximum under the standard sentencing range.

Davis was serving time in a Nevada prison when he was charged with the crime in August.

The officer who investigated wrote in her report that the 15-year-old girl was at an Oak Harbor home with Davis and two other people March 18, 2006. The girl passed out from consuming alcohol. She regained consciousness to discover that Davis was having sex with her, but then apparently passed out again.

Davis spoke to the detective and denied that he had sex with the girl, but DNA evidence taken from the girl’s underwear closely matched Davis’ DNA profile.

Davis’ criminal history includes convictions for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, forgeries and car theft, court documents state.

This article was originally published in the Whidbey News Times on December 22, 2009.
Jessie Stensland can be reached at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com.

Undisguised robber flees Chase Bank in Kingsgate after holding up teller with knife

By CARRIE WOOD
KIRKLAND REPORTER

Police are searching for an armed suspect who in plain view robbed the Chase Bank in the Kingsgate neighborhood Monday and fled on foot.

Making no attempt to hide his face, the suspect passed a demand note to the bank teller and showed that he was armed with a knife at 12:40 p.m. Monday.

According to Mike Mellis, a King County Sheriff's Office detective, the suspect "demanded a certain amount of money that we usually don't see and designated a certain amount of time that he promised to pay it back in."

He received an undisclosed amount of cash from a single teller drawer and fled on foot. No get-away vehicle was seen, King County officials said.

The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-40s or older, approximately 6 feet tall and thin to medium build.

Please contact 911 or King County Sheriff's Office dispatch at 206-296-3311 with information regarding this suspect’s identity.

Earlier this year, the same Chase Bank, located at 14400 124th Ave. N.E., was robbed on four separate occasions.

"That guy was caught and is currently in jail awaiting disposition of his case," Mellis said, noting the suspect in custody is believed to be responsible for all four robberies. In Monday's robbery, he said the suspect "is just another guy doing what they all seem to do."

This article was originally published in the Kirkland Reporter on December 22, 2009.
Carrie Wood can be reached at editor@kirklandreporter.com.

Mom involved in Little League dispute sentenced

By MATT PHELPS
KIRKLAND REPORTER

The Kirkland mom, Jodi Scheffler, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old boy following a Kirkland Little League baseball game last May had charges reduced to disorderly conduct Nov. 24. As a result, Scheffler's sentence was deferred to one year probation and she was ordered to attend anger management counseling. Scheffler was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300 within 90 days to the mother of the boy, Michelle McLaughlin, who has since moved to Redmond. Scheffler also had to write a letter of apology to the boy and pay $513 in court fees and fines.

The judgement brings to a close one of the most ugly incidents in the Kirkland American Little League's history and an event that gripped the nation earlier this summer.

Scheffler, 41, was arrested and booked at the Kirkland Police Department for fourth-degree assault of a child after the alleged assault that took place following a baseball game at Everest Park on May 2.

Witnesses said that Scheffler's son mouthed off to one of the coaches and was told to sit out the rest of the game.

After the game, Scheffler allegedly approached a 12-year-old boy on the opposing team and his brother when she noticed they were taunting her son, according to police documents. The squabble then escalated as Scheffler called the 12-year-old "white trash" and told him to "shut his mouth," grabbing his chin and shoving him backwards, the boy told police.

The boy told police Scheffler "hurt him" and he was "scared she was going to slap him."

This article was originally published in the Kirkland Reporter on December 4, 2009.
Matt Phelps can be reached at mphelps@kirklandreporter.com.

26-year-old man dies of gunshot wounds

By RENTON REPORTER

A 26-year-old man died of wounds Friday suffered early in the morning in the 4200 block of Southeast Third Street, according to media reports.

Renton Police officers responded to a report of a fight involving gunshots at about 1:16 a.m., according to Renton Police Commander Floyd Eldridge. Suspects had fled the area in a vehicle and three male subjects in their mid 20s were taken into custody a short distance from the scene.

Witnesses indicated that a fight broke out in the front yard of a residence and as the three men were leaving, one of them fired a handgun from the vehicle striking the victim, according to Eldridge. Police, fire and medics were called to the scene.

The 26-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the abdomen was transported to Harborview Medical Center with life threatening injuries. The Renton Police Department Investigations Division is continuing to investigate this incident.

This article was originally published in the Renton Reporter on December 4, 2009.

Former Kirkland Mayor's son, daughter-in-law killed in car accident

By MATT PHELPS
KIRKLAND REPORTER

The son and daughter-in-law of former Kirkland Mayor Bill Woods were killed Sunday when the car they were in was struck by a drunk driver on Highway 9 in Marysville. Tom (57) and Hilda Woods (62) were with neighbors Melissa (48) and Brad Agerup (54) in their Hyundai Azera when a 2005 Ford Explorer going an estimated 40 mph ran a stop sign near the intersection of 108th Street Northeast and Highway 9, striking the vehicle. All of the occupants in the Azera were killed on impact and were residents of Snohomish.

The Woods also leave behind three grown daughters and two grand-children. The two couples were returning home after visiting the Silver Reef Casino in Whatcom County.

The driver of the Explorer has been identified as Matthew C. McDonald, 27, of Snohomish. The man admitted to police on the scene that he had consumed eight beers and submitted to a breath sample that yielded a blood-alcohol level of 0.123 percent. He is being investigated for four felony charges including vehicular homicide. McDonald initially fled the scene of the accident but returned a short time later. The legal limit is 0.08 percent. McDonald was initially taken to Providence Everett Regional Medical Center for minor injuries but then booked into Snohomish County Jail for investigation of four felony charges. A judge set his bail at $1 million on Monday.

A passenger in the Ford Explorer was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

McDonald was not the only person at the scene arrested for DUI. A 48-year-old investigator with the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's office showed up to the scene of the crash smelling of alcohol.

This article was originally published in the Kirkland Reporter on December 2, 2009.
Matt Phelps can be reached at mphelps@kirklandreporter.com.

Police hunting man who doused Bainbridge mother and son with gasoline and threatened to set them on fire

By BAINBRIDGE REVIEW
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND REVIEW

A California man remains at large this morning after fleeing from a Bainbridge Island home where he attempted to light on fire the bed of a woman and her son early Sunday morning.

Bainbridge Police Lt. Sue Shultz said Monday that law enforcement officers continue to search for Edward Mark Olsen, 49, who is being sought on charges of attempted murder and residential burglary after entering the home of a 39-year-old woman at John Adams Lane and Wyatt Way at around 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Schultz said Olsen is believed to have relatives living in Kitsap County.

According to police, the victims awoke to Olsen, the woman's ex-boyfriend, pouring gasoline on their bed and threatening to ignite the fuel with a lighter he held. The woman and her 12-year-old son fled the apartment to a nearby apartment complex and called police. The suspect fled before officers arrived, police said, but left the gasoline container and lighter at the scene.

Shultz said the woman and her son were treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and have been moved to an undisclosed location.

A police press release said Olsen had broken into the victim's vehicle and used the garage door opener to enter the residence.

Shultz said Olsen had a lengthy criminal record in California, including spending two years in prison for being convicted of "threatening a crime with the intent to terrorize." After his release, he faced charges of parole violation and also served time for assaulting the victim, according to Shultz. Olsen was released from prison in October 2009.

Police said Olsen, who is a wanted parolee at large from California, located the victim on Bainbridge Island and assaulted her two weeks ago at her home. The victim did not report this assault because of her fear of Olsen, who continued to contact and threaten the victim, police said.

Olsen is described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, 210 pounds, with short gray hair and a mustache.

Shultz said Olsen should be considered a threat to the community and anyone knowing of his whereabouts should call 9-1-1 immediately.

This article was originally published in the Bainbridge Island Review on November 30, 2009.
Bainbridge Review can be reached at editor@bainbridgereview.com.

Coach who raped player avoids prison

By JESSIE STENSLAND
WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES

Island County Chief Criminal Deputy Colleen Kenimond was very disappointed that a former North Whidbey soccer club coach who raped a teen player won’t be going to prison.

Jeovanni Camacho, Jr., a 34-year-old Oak Harbor resident, pleaded guilty in Island County Superior Court Sept. 28 to three counts of child rape in the third degree.

At a hearing Wednesday morning, Judge Alan Hancock allowed Camacho to be sentenced under the state’s Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative, also known as a SSOSA, which allows first-time offenders to avoid prison by going through sex offender therapy.

A SSOSA is a complicated process. Hancock sentenced Camacho to five years in prison, but suspended all but a year of the sentence. That means he’ll spend a year in the county jail.

Afterward, Camacho will have to complete a three-year sexual deviancy treatment program. If he doesn’t comply with treatment or a long list of other conditions, Camacho could be sent to prison for the remainder of the suspended sentence.

At the sentencing hearing, Kenimond recommended that Camacho received the maximum sentence of five years in prison, which she felt was lenient. On the other hand, the Department of Corrections and the victim felt that a SSOSA is appropriate.

Kenimond wasn’t pleased that the judge agreed with the more lenient recommendations.

“It wasn’t just the child, he violated the community. He was a soccer coach,” Kenimond said in an interview after the hearing. “Where are our girls safe?”

Kenimond pointed out that Camacho admitted to the Department of Corrections that he had sex with the girl “more than 50 but less than 100 times” during a year-long period, beginning when she was just 14 years old. Camacho was the girl’s soccer coach and became a friend of the family.

Community Corrections Officer Helen Desmond completed a pre-sentence investigation after Camacho pleaded guilty to the three counts. The reports states that Camacho started having sex with the girl in March of 2006, unbeknownst to her parents. He sneaked into her room at night, picked her up from summer school to have sex with her and even raped her when she was supposed to be at her high school homecoming.

The girl’s parents and therapist tried to stop her contact with Camacho, but he bought her a cell phone and continued to sneak into her room.

The affidavit of probable cause states that the girl was initially reluctant to talk to police about the abuse, but she realized the inappropriateness of Camacho’s behavior after going through in-patient treatment out of state.

Camacho said he fell in love with the girl and even asked her to marry him, Desmond wrote in her report.

Camacho also admitted to viewing child pornography on two occasions, the report states.

The victim, who is now 18 years old, traveled all the way from California to speak at the sentencing hearing.

According to Kenimond, the girl repeated that she has a hard time not blaming herself for what happened. She asked the judge to order Camacho to undergo treatment in lieu of a long prison term.

This article was originally published in the Whidbey News Times on November 27, 2009.
Jessie Stensland can be reached at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com.

First Hill slaying victim was hip-hop artis

KOMO-TV STAFF

The victim in a deadly Friday night shooting on Seattle's First Hill was identified by family members as Max Gasoi, a 21-year-old founder of an indie hip-hop music label.

Police said Gasoi was found shot on the street less than a block from St. James Cathedral, in the 800 block of Ninth Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Friends and family said Gasoi was a local hip-hop artist who had started his own label, So Hood Records, and had received his business license only a few days ago.

Friends said Gasoi and others had recorded an album that is slated for release next month.

He also was the father of a 5 1/2-month-old baby girl, Kiyomi.

Police and medics responded to the shooting scene at about 9 p.m. Friday, where they found Gasoi lying in the street.

Witnesses on the scene said they heard several shots - possibly three - being fired.

"I heard like a firecracker or a gunshot, about three times," said Normita Smith. "And I looked and I said, "Oh baby, someone got shot."

Police cordoned off a black Nissan Maxima parked near the body, but its involvement in the shooting was not immediately clear.

With guns drawn, investigators began a search of the area for the gunman, who remains on the loose. A description was not available.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately clear, but police are calling the incident a homicide. Detectives are interviewing witnesses and canvassing the scene for additional clues.

Law enforcement protests county cuts

By JESSIE STENSLAND
WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES

Island County commissioners spread the pain around in identifying preliminary budget cuts this week to solve a $1.2 million deficit, but now they are taking heat from law-and-justice officials.

Island County Sheriff Mark Brown has taken the fight to the people with an open letter to the citizens.

“I am convinced that our county commissioners have been unable to realize what our citizens and my employees already know; law and justice are the most essential functions of government which is mandated by law and should not be competing for funding with non-mandated entities or organizations,” Brown wrote.

Nevertheless, it appears that the sheriff will be able to avoid laying off deputies.

Nearly all of the county departments that receive current expense funds, except the jail and the smallest departments with nothing much left to reduce, were hit with cuts under the proposal. The majority of departments were cut by 4 percent, while most law-and-justice departments were hit with 4.5 percent reductions.

The arguments over the budget problems have centered on the issue of mandated versus non-mandated services. Services such as law enforcement and tax collection are considered mandated under state law, while programs like parks, senior services and WSU Extension are more discretionary. Some officials feel that the county has no business funding the non-mandated programs at the expense of core services during tough economic times.

On the other side, the commissioners have made large cuts in most of the non-mandated programs, but they refused to do away with their support altogether in order to protect the most vulnerable and the long-term quality of life in the county.

The sheriff’s office, the prosecutor and the patrol deputies’ guild reacted Wednesday to the budget reductions with statements criticizing the decision.

“The board has clearly expressed its preference for using taxes to fund non-governmental functions over those that can only be performed by government,” Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks wrote.

Then on Thursday, the county commissioners responded with a press release defending the budget.
“Looking back at what will soon be a total of $5.2 million worth of cuts over two years, the county has protected public safety and law enforcement, which, to this point, was cut the least,” the commissioners wrote.

In an interview, Dean said the sheriff, prosecutor, courts and juvenile courts were hit with 4.5 percent reductions this time around because they were cut the least in two other rounds of budgeting chopping in the last year. County funding to WSU Extension, for example, was cut in half. Including the current reductions, the commissioners will have cut a total of $5.2 million from the $22 million current expense budget over the last year because of the recessionary impacts.

Before cutting, the commissioners halved the $1.2 million deficit by using $200,000 in reserve funds, changing to an accounting method that reimburses the general fund at a high level, and transferring an additional $100,000 in road funds to the sheriff’s office.

The remaining $630,000 deficit will have to come from cuts. The reductions could mean up to 15 full-time positions would be lost countywide if officials balance the books solely in slashing wages and benefits.

“I’m pretty certain we are going to get around cutting that many people,” Dean said.

While most departments are facing a 4 or 4.5 percent cut, three funds were reduced by much more. The contracted animal control officers and the animal shelters run by Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation were cut by 10 percent. Senior services was cut by 12 percent. The fund for the impaired driving panels was reduced by 60 percent.

In response to the sheriff’s letter, Dean said he’s confident the budget reduction won’t affect the safety of residents.

“I’m 99 percent sure the sheriff will come up with a way that will avoid cutting deputies,” he said. “The sheriff is a genius at finding ways to make it work.”

Indeed, Brown agreed Thursday that he should be able find a way to cut expenses without laying off deputies. The 4.5 percent reduction in the sheriff’s department was only applied to the cost of salary and benefits, which amounts to $188,500. The jail avoided any reductions at all.

But while deputies may not face layoffs, Undersheriff Kelly Mauck said one idea under consideration is to cut the Dave Hollet’s position as director of emergency management, which is within the sheriff’s office. A deputy could take on his responsibilities.

Also, Mauck said they may reduce the staff in the records and civil division, as well as controlling costs for overtime and gas.

“It’s better to let paperwork pile up then to slow down a deputy’s response to 911 calls,” he said.

Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks said his department is penciled in to lose $58,000. He said he may ultimately have to lay off a deputy prosecutor, though he has a six-month “grace period” before a cut must be made because a federal stimulus grant funds a position.

Banks and Brown were among the six elected officials who presented the commissioners with a letter demanding that they take certain actions to balance the budget, including cutting funds to all non-mandated services first. Dean said the letter didn’t fall on deaf ears, but he felt couldn’t slash Meals For Wheels and such programs that offer a lifeline to the most vulnerable.

“As a draft, I think this is the most responsible thing we can do ...” he said. “This is the best we can do. I think this holds us together.”

But the law and justice officials argued that he’s missing the point. Simply put, Mauck said the non-mandated programs won’t go away if the county funding is stripped. The programs have other sources of funding and options for generating more revenues. While the commissioners cut the county’s contribution to senior services by 12 percent, it’s only an overall 2.4 percent reduction to the agency’s bottom line.

“We know that this is not easy for the non-governmental groups and the holders of the private contracts. The bottom line is we need to get back to the basics and provide the core services that are required by law,” Darren Crownover, president of the patrol deputy’s guild, wrote in a letter to the commissioners.

Though the preliminary cuts have been made, the discussion is sure to continue. A meeting to discuss the budget with county employees is set for 4:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30.

This article was originally published in the Whidbey News Times on November 20, 2009.
Jessie Stensland can be reached at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com.

Three stabbed in downtown altercation

KOMO-TV STAFF

Three men were stabbed Friday night in downtown Seattle by a man who reportedly told them, "You messed with the wrong (expletive)."

Police responded to the scene, at Third Avenue and Spring Street, at about 8:50 p.m., where they found a man with a stab wound to the abdomen. The other two victims had fled.

The stabbing victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. He would provide no information to officers.

Eventually the two other stabbing victims showed up at Harborview and said they had been stabbed in the same area as the first victim. One of those two victims claimed all three victims had been together when they were assaulted.

Gang unit detectives questioned the men and learned that two of the victims were suspected gang members.

But on further investigation, detectives said this was not likely a gang-related incident. Instead it appeared that the three victims may have confronted a man who felt the need to defend himself.

One witness claimed the man with the knife shouted, "You messed with the wrong (expletive)," during the attack.

A search of the area turned up no trace of the knife-wielding suspect.

Three shot near SoDo nightclub

Three people were shot early this morning near a night club on First Avenue South.

By Susan Gilmore

Seattle Times staff reporter

Three people were shot early this morning near a night club on First Avenue South.

According to Seattle Police, officers responded about 1:45 a.m. to numerous calls of shots fired behind the 1900 block of First Avenue South in the Sodo area. Dozens of cars and people were fleeing as the callers were talking to the 911 operators.

When officers arrived, witnesses pointed out two vehicles they said were possibly involved. Two people were arrested for warrants and weapons violations, but it appeared neither were involved in the shootings, said police.

Three victims showed up at Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. One man was shot in the leg and groin, one man was grazed on the neck and a woman was shot in the jaw. All of them appear to also be uninvolved bystanders and didn't see who shot them.

A number of casing, three different calibers, were recovered from the intersection of Walker and Occidental Streets. Police said windows to local businesses and parked cars were broken.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com

Methamphetamine shuts down another Oak Harbor business

By JESSIE STENSLAND
WHIDBEY NEWS TIMES

The Island County Health Department temporarily closed down the Acorn Motor Inn in Oak Harbor Tuesday after testing showed methamphetamine contamination in a room and hallways.

The motel is the fourth business in the Oak Harbor area that have been shut down and posted with “unfit for use” orders over the last year because of meth contamination.

Carl Seim, drug enforcement officer at the Oak Harbor Police Department, said investigators had reason to believe there might be meth contamination in the motel after conducting controlled buys of the illegal drug. A confidential informant notified police that people were smoking meth inside rooms.

“Our main concern was public safety,” Seim said. “We were concerned about unsuspecting adults, and especially adults with children, who are renting rooms in the place.”

Seim explained that the Oak Harbor police rented a room in the motel two weeks ago. They asked employees at the county health department to take swabs on surfaces in room 222 to check for residue from the drug.

Health Department Director Keith Higman said employees also were able to take swabs in hallway areas, which are open to the public. The department has a grant to fund testing for meth contamination of buildings and automobiles.

Laboratory results confirmed contamination in excess of the state methamphetamine cleanup level of 0.1 micrograms per 100 square centimeters in all areas tested.

Lt. John Dyer with the Oak Harbor Police said officers helped health department employees post the “unfit for use” order and evacuated the building without any problems.

Guanlin Wang, the owner of the motel, will have to go through the expensive process of getting the building decontaminated by a certified cleanup specialist. He could not be reached for comment.

The first step, Higman said, is for the contractor to create a written work plan to reduce the contamination. After the work is completed, the health department may require additional testing to verify that the contamination is below the state standard. The property owner must pay for all the work.

Higman said the laws regarding meth contamination were originally drafted to deal with the hazards associated with clandestine labs. But health officials have learned in recent years that serious contamination can also result from meth smoke or incidental contact from meth users.

According to the “unfit for use” order, exposure to meth may cause symptoms similar to those experienced by meth users.

“Methamphetamine use or exposure can cause periods of high energy, rapid speech and breathing, increased body temperature, and increased blood pressure,” the order states.

In the last year, the county health department shut down three other businesses because of meth residue. The Island County Sheriff’s Office raided a North Whidbey car dealership in March and seized a large amount of meth. Environmental health specialists discovered the contamination after testing the O&J Sales office and several cars. The business is now closed.

Two neighboring businesses were also affected by the alleged meth use associated with the car lot. The health department temporarily shut a dance studio and a thrift store for cleaning because testing revealed contamination. The residue came into the businesses through a ventilation system from an attached unit used by employees of the car lot.

In regard to the Acorn Motor Inn, Seim said police officers have heard rumors about meth dealing at the motel for a long time, but they never had any proof until recently. He hypothesized that the inexpensive motel at the corner of Highway 20 and Barrington Drive may have been popular with drug dealers because a side door allowed people to come and go anonymously.

The controlled buys of meth at the Acorn Motor Inn led to the arrest of 23-year-old Michael “Cupcake” Koepke on suspicion of possession of meth with intent to deliver. The investigation was a joint effort between the police and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Seim alleged that Koepke was one of the biggest meth dealers on the island.

This article was originally published in the Whidbey News Times on November 13, 2009.
Jessie Stensland can be reached at jstensland@whidbeynewstimes.com.

Suspected drunk driver in head-on collision

by TRAVIS PITTMAN / KING5.com

Posted on November 12, 2009 at 10:25 AM

AUBURN, Wash. – State troopers believe an Idaho man may have been drunk when he collided head-on with a car on State Route 18, sending that driver to the hospital early Thursday morning.

The Washington State Patrol says at about 3:15 a.m., a 2001 Toyota Tacoma was being driven erratically on northbound Interstate 5 near Federal Way. A witness followed the truck as it exited onto SR 18 and then onto Weyerhaeuser Way.

Troopers say the pickup then got back onto SR 18, but was headed eastbound in the westbound lanes, headed down Peasley Canyon toward Auburn. The truck collided head-on with a 1993 Subaru Legacy, driven by a 42-year-old Auburn man.

Both drivers were taken to Harborview Medical Center. The Subaru driver had serious injuries. The driver of the Toyota, a 25-year-old Soda Springs, Idaho man, had minor injuries.

The pickup driver is being investigated for vehicular assault. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the collision.

All lanes of westbound SR 18 were closed at the scene for about two hours while troopers investigated. Both vehicles were crushed in the accident.

Bellevue woman accused of raping daughter's boyfriend

KOMO-TV STAFF

BELLEVUE -- Police here have arrested a woman for allegedly raping her daughter's 14-year-old boyfriend.

The 32-year-old woman, who was arrested Thursday at her home for investigation of second-degree child rape, has not been charged.

Police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate said the crime allegedly occurred at the woman's home and was brought to the attention of police last month by state Child Protective Services workers.

Details of the alleged crime and CPS case were not available.

Investigators expect to send the case to the King County Prosecutor's Office later this week, Iafrate said.

Kent police identify shooting victim as Lt. Gov. Brad Owen's son

By DENNIS BOX
COVINGTON REPORTER

The Kent Police Department confirmed the victim in a shooting incident in Kent is 37-year-old Mark Owen, son of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen.

Mark Owen is listed in satisfactory condition at Harborview Medical Center.

The 63-year-old suspect, a manager at Kent Body and Paint located at 831 5th Av. S., where the shooting occurred, is also at Harborview after turning the firearm on himself.

According to a Kent Police Department statement, the man is alive, but has life-threatening injuries.

The released also stated Lt. Gov. Owen has been fully cooperative with the investigation and is at Harborview with his son.

Kent Police Chief Steve Strachan stated in the release, “Although there is never any reason or logic for violence in the work place, we are diligently investigating the circumstances that led up to this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lt. Gov. Owen and his family at this very difficult time."

An earlier release from the department stated the shooting occurred at 2:30 p.m. today.

When officers arrived at the scene they found Mark Owen with a gunshot injury to the arm and abdomen.
Officers found the 63-year-old man about one block away. According to the release the man had shot himself in the head.

Both suspects were treated at the scene by the Kent Fire Department emergency medical personnel and transported to Harborview Medical Center.

This article was originally published in the Covington Reporter on November 9, 2009.
Dennis Box can be reached at editor@maplevalleyreporter.com.

Crooks posing as cops rape fast-food worker

KOMO-TV

TACOMA. -- Crooks who have masqueraded as police officers and kidnapped and robbed fast-food restaurant managers in the past month struck again Sunday, but this time, police say they've elevated their crimes to rape.

A Lakewood Wendy's Restaurant employee was on her way home from work around 2:20 a.m. Sunday when she was pulled over by a vehicle with red-and-blue flashing lights, said Lauren Wallin with the Pierce County Sheriff's Office's CrimeStoppers program.

Two armed robbers handcuffed her boyfriend and placed him in the trunk of his car, then demanded her keys to the restaurant.

The woman didn't have keys to the restaurant, and after realizing this, the robbers took the victim into a fenced, wooded area in the 1900 block of East 56th Street in Tacoma and raped her, Wallin said.

The rape victim, whom KOMO News has chosen not to identify, said the thieves then "told me if I say anything, they are going to hurt me and my family."

"And that's scary. They know where I work, they know where I live," she said. "Just scared to know that there are people like this out there. I didn't do anything. I don't even know who they are."

The victim said she doesn't understand why the thieves followed her instead of robbing her at work.

"Why would they do that? Why would they go that far? If they really needed money, they could have gotten me right then and there," she said.

But that's not the way these thieves work, according to investigators. Sunday's incident was the fourth time the robbers have struck in a similar manner in the past month.

In all incidents, restaurant managers in Pierce County were pulled over by a vehicle with red-and-blue flashing lights shortly after closing and leaving their restaurant. Two unidentified suspects wearing bandannas over their faces then approached the victims' vehicle, flashed guns and handcuffed the victim.

In the previous three incidents, one of the robbers drove the victim back to the restaurant and forced the victim, at gunpoint, to unlock the doors, open the safe and hand over the cash.

Another robber then picked up the first suspect in a getaway car, detectives believe.

The previous three kidnapping/robberies occurred:

* 2:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, Burger King on Mountain Highway in Graham.
* 3:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, Wendy's on Hosmer Street in Tacoma (attempted robbery)
* 12:40 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, McDonald's on Steilacoom Boulevard in Lakewood

"The robberies are bad enough. It's scary for everyone involved fortunately they haven't turned deadly," said Tacoma Police Det. Mark Fulghum.

The men have used vehicles described as a dark, newer SUV and an older black Honda with tinted windows, with red-and-blue lights on the dashboard.

During the robberies, the pair have been wearing dark hooded sweatshirts, dark hats, bandannas and gloves, and have been armed with handguns.

The kidnappings and robberies are being investigated by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, Lakewood Police and Tacoma Police.

A reward of $1,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and charges filed for the robbers in this case. To contact police, call 253- 591-5959. All callers will remain anonymous.

Seattle Police Officer killed October, 31 2009

Male prostitute testifies judge paid him to have sex

By KEITH ELDRIDGE and KOMO-TV STAFF

(Editor's Note: This story contains explicit material.)

TACOMA -- A young, self-admitted prostitute testified Monday that he was paid to have sex with a Tacoma attorney who has since been elected a Pierce County superior court judge.

Michael Hecht is charged with soliciting a prostitute and making a death threat.

The judge and his attorney have stated there are good reasons why Hecht was driving around Antique Row -- he was an antique lover. But Joseph Pfeiffer testifiedthe reason Hecht drove around was to have sex.

Pfeiffer is one of two star witnesses for the government, and the fate of Hecht rests on whether the jury believes Pfeiffer when he says he was paid to have sex with Hecht 8-10 times.

Pfeiffer says he would hang out on Antique Row and Hecht would come and pick him up in his car. He claims the two would go to a law office in north Tacoma where they would have sex after business hours.

"As you sit here today, do you remember what sex acts occurred that first time you were with the defendant at his law office?" the prosecutor asked Pfeiffer.

"Masturbation and oral," Pfeiffer replied, adding they would do both acts to each other.

Pfeiffer says he was with Hecht as the two went looking for Joseph Hesketh, another male prostitute who claims Hecht made a death threat against him. But in court Monday, Pfeiffer didn't mention the death threat, saying only that Hecht was angry.

Pfeiffer says at one time, he changed his story to say the sex wasn't for money, but now says that was a lie. The state hopes to wrap up its side of the trial Tuesday, when it's Judge Hecht's turn to present a defense.

Man arrested in hammer attack

KOMO-TV

Authorities have arrested the man accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's house and attacking her with a hammer.

King County Sheriff spokesman John Urquhart said Milord Gelin was arrested while boarding a Greyhound bus in Eugene, Ore.

Gelin, 33, is accused of breaking into the home of 41-year-old Laurie Williams around 3:30 a.m. Monday and beating her with a hammer while she was sleeping.

Two neighbors called 911 after hearing her screams for help, Urquhart said.

The suspect allegedly stole the woman's SUV and was gone before deputies arrived at the Kirkland home.

Williams was taken to Evergreen Medical Center to be treated for severe injuries.

"She's very bruised. She's on heavy sedation," said Joe Bryant, the victim's brother-in-law.

Family members said Williams ended a 3-year relationship with Gelin a few months ago.

"My sister-in-law had just purchased a new home, a home he was not a part of," said Bryant. "And it was that nice new home that she hasn't even had a housewarming for that he broke into and tried to murder her this morning."

Gelin and Williams lived together in a house near the Big Finn Hill neighborhood last year. Former neighbors said the two were a solid couple who showed no signs of problems.

Man arrested in hammer attack

KOMO-TV

Authorities have arrested the man accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend's house and attacking her with a hammer.

King County Sheriff spokesman John Urquhart said Milord Gelin was arrested while boarding a Greyhound bus in Eugene, Ore.

Gelin, 33, is accused of breaking into the home of 41-year-old Laurie Williams around 3:30 a.m. Monday and beating her with a hammer while she was sleeping.

Two neighbors called 911 after hearing her screams for help, Urquhart said.

The suspect allegedly stole the woman's SUV and was gone before deputies arrived at the Kirkland home.

Williams was taken to Evergreen Medical Center to be treated for severe injuries.

"She's very bruised. She's on heavy sedation," said Joe Bryant, the victim's brother-in-law.

Family members said Williams ended a 3-year relationship with Gelin a few months ago.

"My sister-in-law had just purchased a new home, a home he was not a part of," said Bryant. "And it was that nice new home that she hasn't even had a housewarming for that he broke into and tried to murder her this morning."

Gelin and Williams lived together in a house near the Big Finn Hill neighborhood last year. Former neighbors said the two were a solid couple who showed no signs of problems.

Men want out of selling magazines, get beat with baseball bats, golf clubs

By SABRA GERTSCH

TACOMA -- A meeting of magazine salesman at a hotel room on Monday night ended with two in the hospital and six others in jail.

Investigators say trouble began after the group gathered at a room at the Best Night Inn in Tacoma.

When two of the men announced they wanted out of the magazine-selling operation, they were beaten with baseball bats and golf clubs.

The attackers ran off, but just blocks away, police stopped a white SUV that didn't have its headlights on.

Police grew suspicious when one of the men inside the car lied about his name. When officers found that same person was armed with brass knuckles and a gun, all six men in the car were taken into custody.

What's more, the state Attorney General's Office says the men were not selling magazines.

Order forms for a company called Fresh Start Opportunities were found in the hotel room. Just a few weeks ago, the attorney general issued a second warning about a door-to-door scam involving a company by that name.

Fresh Start claims to give young adults a fresh start on life with the money consumers pay for magazine subscriptions. But people across the country reported getting no magazines for their donations ranging from $50 and $800.

The two victims' conditions were not known. The six men who were arrested have been booked into the Pierce County Jail.

'River Rat' robber trapped, jailed

KOMO-TV

A man suspected of being the notorious "River Rat Bandit," who has committed at least 18 armed robberies from Oregon to the Puget Sound, was arrested in Pierce County after he was identified through a fingerprint, police said.

An accomplice also was arrested in Portland, Ore., after he was implicated by the suspected bandit.

The River Rat Bandit is believed to be responsible for at least 18 armed robberies of banks and check-cashing businesses from late July until early October from Portland to Kent, netting an estimated $100,000.

In most of the bank robberies, the robber has displayed a black handgun and demanded cash. In several cases he leaped onto or over the teller counter to reach the money.

Police gave him the "River Rat" name because the robberies have taken place on both sides of the Columbia River. They say he is a 32-year-old Bonney Lake man with ties to the Portland area. His name was not immediately released.

Two of the robberies and one attempted robbery took place in Puyallup.

On Friday, detectives identified a fingerprint from one of the Puyallup robberies and staked out a residence near Bonney Lake that was associated with the suspect.

Surveillance units spotted the suspect at about 7:45 p.m. Friday as he arrived at the residence in a vehicle belonging to his girlfriend.

A Pierce County SWAT team apprehended the suspect on two arrest warrants for three counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery as he was about to leave the residence in a vehicle at about 9:15 p.m.

He was later booked into Pierce County Jail.

During questioning by detectives, the suspected bandit implicated a possible accomplice who lives in the Portland area.

On Saturday afternoon, officers followed the suspected accomplice as he drove from Vancouver to Portland. He was arrested without incident near Northeast 138th and Halsey on an arrest warrant for five counts of robbery.

The suspected accomplice is a 35-year-old Portland man and is currently being held in the Multnomah County Jail.

Joining the Puyallup Police Department in the investigation were the FBI, the Auburn police, the Bonney Lake police, the Clark County Sheriff's Department, the Kent police, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the Portland Police Bureau, the Puyallup tribal police, the Vancouver police, Metro SWAT team and Pierce County SWAT team.