Licata may stall planned Woodland Park Zoo garage

City Council President Nick Licata may try to stall plans for a controversial new garage for Woodland Park Zoo.

Licata is drafting a budget amendment that would not allow the city to spend money on a 700-stall garage until the council reviews the financial plan and need for the facility.

The council unanimously approved a long-range plan for the zoo, including a garage, in 2004. At the time the city said it would pay $6.7 million of the cost if the garage is used as much as anticipated. The council might discuss Licata's amendment during budget meetings today.

Newcastle

Man's body found in ditch

The identity of a man in his 50's found slain Monday night in a Newcastle-area ditch, is expected to be released today, according to the King County Medical Examiner.

A man driving in the 9800 block of 148th Avenue Southeast, in unincorporated King County, spotted the body at about 8 p.m., said King County sheriff's Sgt. John Urquhart. Deputies believe the man died from homicidal violence, Urquhart said.

Seattle

Seattle woman cited in restaurant crash

A 60-year-old Seattle woman has been cited after police say she ran a red light and caused a crash that destroyed a Lake City Italian restaurant.

Witnesses told police that at about 8 a.m. Sunday, the woman ran the light at Lake City Way Northeast and 15th Avenue Northeast and collided with a truck being driven by an 18-year-old Bothell man, said Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

The woman then apparently lost control of her vehicle and drove about 50 feet into Toto's Ristorante Italiano, Kappel said. Nobody was hurt.

Seattle

No suspects yet in weekend violence

Seattle police are still searching for suspects in four shootings and four stabbings from over the weekend. No one was killed.

Early Saturday, three people were stabbed in a steakhouse parking lot in the 1200 block of Westlake Avenue North. The steakhouse had been hosting a Halloween party, according to police.

A 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were shot just after 1 a.m. during a University District house party. Police say it is likely they were unintentionally struck while at least two shooters exchanged gunfire in the alley.

About a half-hour later, two people were shot during a drive-by shooting in the 100 block of South King Street in Pioneer Square. About a half-hour after that a man playing a guitar was stabbed during an argument in a house in the 2700 block of East Union Street.

Seattle

Man pleads guilty in gas-theft case

A man involved in the theft of nearly 3 million gallons of gasoline from a Harbor Island fuel depot pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to charges of theft, conspiracy, money laundering and filing a false tax return.

Martin Guitard, 51, was a terminal supervisor at the depot in 1999 and 2000 and knew a code that would make the pumps not record the amount of fuel distributed.

Guitard's nephew, Andrew Cutright, 31, according to court records, used the code to fill tanker trucks without generating any record of the shipment. A third former employee, Christy Rawls, deleted data from company computers to hide the theft.

Rawls and Cutright pleaded guilty and were sentenced in July to 18 months in prison plus three years of supervised release. They must also pay restitution of $235,000 and $225,000, respectively.

Two other co-conspirators, James Ito, 46, and Neil Kikuchi, 56, pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in January.

The government alleges that between 1999 and 2004 the group was responsible for the theft of more than 2.9 million gallons of gasoline and made more than $2.9 million selling the purloined fuel.

Seattle

Man sought in bank robbery

Seattle police and FBI agents are looking for a man who allegedly robbed a North Seattle bank at gunpoint Monday evening.

At 5:28 p.m., the man pointed a gun at a teller at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union teller, said police spokesman Jeff Kappel. He fled the bank at 11100 Roosevelt Way N.E. with an undisclosed amount of cash. About an hour earlier, the man walked into Bank of America, 500 Olive Way, and tried to rob the branch by implying he had a gun, Kappel said. The man is described as white, between 35 and 40 years old about 5 feet 8 inches tall and about 185 pounds. He had blond, spiky hair, was cleanshaven and wore a navy-colored T-shirt and navy sweat pants.

Auburn

House-fire victim was Auburn man

The King County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday identified Clinton Raymond LaClair as the 20-year-old Auburn man who died in a house fire early Sunday.

LaClair died from thermal burns to 30 percent of his body and from inhaling toxic fumes, according to death investigators. His death was ruled an accident.

LaClair was alone in the house that had no working smoke detectors, Auburn fire investigators said.

Enumclaw

City to take over county fairgrounds

Enumclaw will take over the King County fairgrounds under a deal approved Monday by the Metropolitan King County Council.

The county will also give Enumclaw equipment to maintain the fairgrounds and $2 million to be used at the fairgrounds or four other properties that are also going to the city. Those other properties are Sportsman Park, Farmers Park and two pieces of agricultural land.

Mayor John Wise said the agreement will give Enumclaw the opportunity to develop tourism, in large part by developing more equestrian events.

County Councilman Reagan Dunn, R-Bellevue, whose district includes Enumclaw, said in a written statement that the deal "also ensures ... that we will continue to have a 'County Fair' in the rural heart of King County."

Spokane

Vehicle-deer hits up in state, Idaho

Motor-vehicle crashes involving deer are up by about 19 percent in Washington and Idaho, judging by claims filed with one of the largest insurance companies in the two states.

In the year ending June 30, 1,629 drivers in Washington and 724 in Idaho filed claims with State Farm for damage from collisions with deer, company spokeswoman Nancy Carpenter said. She said State Farm insures about one-fifth of the vehicles in Washington. If the company figures are representative for the insurance industry statewide, more than 8,000 crashes involved deer in the same period.

Whidbey Island

Private donors save hiking trail

A popular hiking trail next to South Whidbey State Park will become public property now that private donors have chipped in the last $26,000 needed to purchase the land.

The land abuts a section of old-growth forest in the state park and is crossed by the Wilbert Trail, which leads to some of the largest trees in the forest. Enthusiasts of the popular trail started the campaign to save it in July when it went up for sale.

Island County Commissioners approved $187,000. About 40 donors then stepped forward to make up the remaining $26,000. The state Parks and Recreation Commission pledged the remaining amount for the $383,000 property, plus closing costs.

Seattle Times staff and news services