Baby-sitter arrested in toddler's death

Police have arrested a baby-sitter after the death of a toddler in the Seattle area.

King County Jail records show the woman was arrested for investigation of child assault and booked on Wednesday. She was denied bail because she entered the country illegally, according to jail records.

The toddler, 2-year-old Oscar Rios, died on Wednesday, according to the King County Medical Examiner's office, which is investigating the cause and manner of the child's death. No details were available Sunday.

Everett

K-9 units search for assault suspect

Snohomish County sheriff's K-9 units searched an area Sunday morning for a 31-year-old man who was suspected of assaulting an ex-girlfriend after entering her Everett house while she slept.

Capt. Kevin Prentiss said the incident occurred at about 6:10 a.m. The suspect apparently had a key to the ex-girlfriend's house, entered the room where she was sleeping and held a knife to her stomach, Prentiss said. The woman suffered scratches but didn't require medical attention, he said.

Anchorage

"Papa Pilgrim" dies at jail

A man who called himself Papa Pilgrim and was embraced by land-rights activists, after he drove a bulldozer across the national park encircling his land, has died in an Anchorage jail.

Robert Hale, 67, moved his large family to Alaska in 1998 and eventually settled on private land within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. In 2003, he bulldozed 14 miles of derelict road through the park, saying he needed the bulldozer to fetch supplies for his 15 children.

The National Park Service cited him for violating federal regulations, and land-rights supporters rallied behind Hale, who claimed to be a devout, self-guided Christian.

Hale kept his family isolated from outside influences, including churches. But his family broke with him in 2005 and reported that he had beaten and raped a daughter for years and kept other family members in line with violence and psychological torture.

Hale eventually pleaded guilty to rape, assault and incest.

He was sentenced in November to 14 years in prison.

At his sentencing, Hale's lawyer said he had received treatment for advanced cirrhosis, diabetes and blood clots.

Seattle Times staff and news services