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.