A 61-year-old woman fell victim to a couple of purse-snatchers early Tuesday morning.

The victim told police she was walking in the 600 block of Sixth Avenue South on her way to the bus around 6 a.m. when two males walked up, pushed her over and took her black bag. The bag contained $8, a bus pass and keys.

Police did not locate any suspects

The victim was given a ride home and a bus pass by a Metro supervisor.

A police account of the incident did not provide a description of the two men.

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-- From Times staff reporter Christine Clarridge:

UPDATE: Police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with a bank robbery earlier today at a Key Bank branch.

A police spokeswoman would not confirm whether police were led to the man through a tracking device placed inside the money by a bank teller. But police did find the man a short time after the bank robbery.

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The Key Bank branch at Westlake Avenue North and Republican Street was robbed at gunpoint at about 2:30 p.m. Police said an armed man walked in and robbed a teller of an unknown amount of money, according to police. he then left on foot.

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The State Patrol is seeking witnesses to two recent traffic collisions in Snohomish County.

The first crash occurred at 9:55 p.m. Thursday in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 just north of the 88th Street overpass. The collision involved two semi-trucks and two passenger vehicles. The driver of one of the semi-trucks was seriously injured and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The second crashed occurred on Monday afternoon when a dump truck collided with a passenger car that was traveling east on Highway 522 just east of Highway 9. Three people in the passenger car were injured, one of them critically. All three occupants of the car were transported to Harborview Medical Center.

Preliminary investigation shows the car may have been stopped for an unknown reason in the slow vehicle lane when it was struck from behind by the dump truck.

The State Patrol asks that witnesses to either collision call Detective Sgt. Jerry Cooper at 360-805-1192; or Detective Curt Ladines at 360- 805-1160.

Beginning at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, the FBI, the South Sound Gang Task Force and the Tacoma Police Department began serving numerous search and arrest warrants targeting over 30 alleged members of the Hilltop Crips street gang.

The people who have been arrested or are being sought are accused of criminal conspiracy in connection with the gang's activities in Tacoma, which include attempted murder, home invasions and carjackings. According to a news release from the Tacoma Police Department and FBI, it is expected that 32 people will initially be charged with a total of 51 crimes associated with 22 specific incidents.

All those who are arrested Tuesday will appear Wednesday for their arraignment at the Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma.

Additional details will be provided by Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist, Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steve Dean at a news conference following Wednesday's arraignments.

A former bookkeeper at the King County Jail was charged Monday with 22 counts of second-degree theft for allegedly stealing money from inmates who were serving their time on work release, according to charging documents filed in Superior Court.

Investigators with King County Adult and Juvenile Detention began looking into William Findley in July 2007 after learning that a $439 money order that had been sent to an inmate did not post to the inmate's account, charging papers said. The investigation was turned over to the state Auditor's Office, which reviewed work-release money order transactions between October 2006 and September 2007.

In many instances, checks that were supposed to be listed on inmate accounts were either not recorded or listed for a lesser amount than what they were supposed to be. In all of these instances, Findley was involved, court papers said.

Investigators say Findley participated in what is commonly known as a "check for cash" embezzlement scheme, in which someone "substitutes unrecorded checks for cash in a deposit," charging papers said. Findley is accused of embezzling funds from February through August 2007, court papers said.

At the jail, Findley was supposed to be recording checks, money orders and cash coming in for inmates on work release. Investigators found more than $12,000 in checks and money orders in Findley's desk at work; the funds were never deposited in inmate accounts, charging papers said.

Findley was placed on administrative leave in November 2007 then later fired. He worked as a bookeeper at the jail for 19 years, said Major William Hayes, spokesman for the King County Jail.

"We're glad this is over," Hayes said. "Internally we have changed our process as to how we manage our inmate work release funds to ensure that this doesn't occur again."

Findley, 64, of Federal Way, will be arraigned on March 2.

Findley, who was placed on administrative leave during the investigation, has since been fired,

A man was walking in the parking lot of a Safeway store at 3215 Harrison Avenue Northwest in Olympia around 11:30 p.m. Monday when he was approached by four young males. One of the four males pulled out a knife and demanded the man's money, according to Olympia police.

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The would-be victim had surreptitiously dialed 911 on his cell phone while it was still in his pocket. When the thugs demanded his money, the man pulled out the phone and told the robbers he had dialed 911.

Sensing discretion was the better part of valor, the four young males walked away.

Police responded to the man's 911 call and located a 16-year-old boy armed with a knife. Officers also tracked down a 19-year-old man and 17-year-old boy hiding behind a nearby business. The fourth suspect managed to escape.

The 19-year-old was booked into the Thurston County Jail for investigation of conspiracy to commit robbery. The 16-year-old was booked into Thurston County Youth Services for investigation of first-degree robbery. The 17-year-old was booked into Thurston County Youth Services for investigation of conspiracy to commit robbery.

A fund has been set up to help the family of last week's fatal house fire in South Park.

Donations to the Patrick Soeun Memorial Fund can be made at any Bank of America branch, account number 43800325.

Prackserth "Patrick" Soeun, 17, died after a fire broke out in the garage attached to his family's home in the 8800 block of Fifth Avenue South just after 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1. A neighbor was able to help rescue six other family members from the blaze that destroyed the garage and burned one side of the house. Soeun's remains were later found in the charred wreckage.

Seattle police continue to investigate the cause of the fire. A damage estimate has not yet been determined.

A 36-year-old man was arrested early Monday morning after he assaulted a 63-year-old man outside an Eastlake tavern.

The two men had gotten into an argument while they were drinking at a tavern in the 2300 block of Eastlake Avenue East just before 1 a.m. The 36-year-old man got up to walk one of the tavern employees home. As he did, the older man grabbed at the female employee and followed the two of them outside and across the street.

Bad move.

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The younger man removed his belt and struck the older man twice, knocking him to the ground. The man then kicked the older man in the head. Witnesses pulled the 36-year-old off the victim.

Police responded and located the 36-year-old man a short distance away and arrested him. He was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of assault.

The victim was treated at the scene by Seattle Fire Department medics and then taken to Harborview Medical Center for additional treatment.