The Seattle Times: The Blotter

Fire damages home, destroys car in Shoreline

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:23:02 PST

Improperly discarded smoking materials are suspected of causing a fire this morning that damaged a Shoreline home and destroyed a car.

The fire started in a garage in the 800 block of Northwest 193rd Street around 11:30 and spread to the house. A couple and their two adult daughters smelled smoke, went outside and saw the garage fully engulfed in flames.

About 20 Shoreline firefighters and crews from the Northshore Fire Department battled the blaze.

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The fire destroyed a car and spread to a family room and kitchen of the house. The owners of the home were taken to a hospital as a precaution to be treated for smoke inhalation.

No damage estimate was immediately available.

Shots fired, man wounded at closing time in Pioneer Square

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:30:03 PST

Police this morning arrested a man in connection with a shooting near Occidental Park with at least one victim.

At around 2 a.m., police were monitoring bar-closing time in Pioneer Square when someone fired 10 to 15 gunshots in a parking lot next to Occidental Park. When the firing stopped, officers searched the parking lot for victims and suspects, but came up empty-handed.

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Shortly after the shooting, a King County sheriff's unit stopped a vehicle fleeing the scene and found a gun in the vehicle. One of the passengers in the car told deputies that another passenger was one of the shooters.

The car's occupants were detained and brought to the precinct. Police obtained written statements placing the identified shooter at the scene. The suspect was booked into King County Jail for investigation of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The car's other occupants were released.

At 3:46 a.m., Valley Medical Center notified Seattle police that a male had come in claiming he had been shot outside bar in Seattle. Officers responded to the hospital, but the victim became uncooperative and changed his story. He claimed the wound had nothing to do with the Pioneer Square shooting. The victim's condition was not immediately known, police said.

Man pistol-whipped, robbed at Seattle motel

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:14:02 PST

At least two men pistol-whipped and robbed a man early this morning at a motel in the 2200 block of Aurora Avenue North, according to Seattle police.

At 1:50 a.m., officers responded to the motel after someone called to report a group of armed men. When officers arrived the men were gone, but the caller led police to the victim.

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The victim told police that he had been in his room with the caller and his girlfriend and had walked outside to have a smoke. As he walked down the stairs, he heard someone say, "There's one of them" and was confronted by at least two men, one of whom had a handgun. The armed man struck him several times with the handgun. The victim also believed he was pepper-sprayed.

The victim was then robbed of his own handgun -- he has a concealed-weapons permit -- two magazines for the handgun, his wallet, cell phone and keys.

The victim managed to get back to the room of his friend. The assailants then tried to get inside the room, but were not successful.

The victim could not provide descriptions of the men who assaulted and robbed him.

Unusual accident with tow rope sends pedestrian to hospital

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:02:03 PST

A pedestrian was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries yesterday after an unusual traffic accident involving a tow rope.

The accident happened at about 10:41 a.m. near Renton Avenue South and 62nd Avenue South. A GMC pickup driven by a 43-year-old man was towing a 1993 Toyota Camry driven by a 45-year-old man, using a nylon rope as a tow cable. The two vehicles were traveling southeast on Renton Avenue South approaching 62nd Avenue South just as a 44-year-old pedestrian was walking across 62nd in an unmarked crosswalk.

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The driver of the GMC turned right onto 62nd, but the Camry did not make the turn and continued going straight. The pedestrian's legs got caught on the tow rope. The pedestrian fell to the ground, striking his head on the pavement.

The pedestrian was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

Both drivers were interviewed by police and released from the scene. Police said they did not appear to be impaired. The investigation is continuing.

Sketches: Two men sought in attempted abduction in Redmond

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:34:03 PST

REDMOND POLICE SKETCH

Sketch of driver of minivan

The Redmond Police Department has released these sketches of two men involved in the attempted abduction of a 14-year-old girl on Wednesday afternoon.

The girl was standing on the corner of Avondale Road and Northeast 90th Street when a light blue van with two men pulled up alongside her. The passenger said to the girl, "Come here" several times.

When the man opened his door and attempted to grab her, the teen turned and ran in the opposite direction as the van sped off. The girl worked with authorities this afternoon to create sketches of the passenger and driver.

The passenger is described as a Hispanic male in his early 40s with a heavy build, dark "tanned" skin tone, and black hair. He stands is 5-feet-6 to 5-feet-8 and has a pointed nose with a bump in the bridge of his nose.

The driver is thought to be a Hispanic male in his mid- to late-40s with a thick build, "messy" black hair, double chin, wrinkles, and dark "tanned" skin.

They were driving a light blue mid-to-late 1990s minivan.

Anyone with information on the men or their vehicle is asked to call Redmond
police at 425-556-2584.

REDMOND POLICE SKETCH

Sketch of passenger in minivan

Crime Stoppers offers reward in singer's slaying

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:55:02 PST

Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound poster.

Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound has created this poster in hopes of generating tips to the slaying of Paymela Faye Long. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information in the case.

Long's body was found in her burned-out Bremerton-area mobile home Oct. 31. Her death has been ruled a homicide. Long was a country siner, formerly of the ensemble Whatta Band.

Bad day for this bungling burglar

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:21:02 PST

Talk about a bad day.

Seattle police this morning arrested a suspected burglar after he set off an alarm and was spotted leaving a business with an armful of stolen merchandise. To cap off his day, the man was then taken to the hospital after he suffered an adverse reaction to what police described as too much wine and cocaine.

At 6:35 this morning, officers responded to a burglar alarm at a business in the 1400 block of 18th Avenue. A witness reported that someone was inside the store.

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When officers arrived, the witness told them he saw a man leave the store through a broken window. A description of the man was sent out to other officers and within minutes a man matching the description was spotted near 15th Avenue and Spring Street.

The man was arrested and positively identified by two witnesses. The stolen property was recovered.

Police said the man was then transported to Harborview Medical Center when all the excitement, coupled with his cocaine and wine cocktail, got to him.

Once he's released from the hospital, the man will find lodging awaiting him at the King County Jail.

Family of alleged cop-killer 'horrified' by local band's T-shirt

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:03:02 PST

A T-shirt featuring the image of murder suspect Christopher Monfort has angered his family.

When the mother of murder suspect Christopher Monfort and other relatives learned today of a T-shirt featuring an image of the 41-year-old man, blood spatter and a Seattle police badge - all underneath the words "Deliver us From Evil" - they were angry.

As news of the shirts surfaced on local blogs today, Suzan Monfort and other relatives, who have maintained a low profile since Christopher Monfort's arrest on Nov. 6, felt they had to issue a comment, said Monfort's lawyer, Julie Lawry.

"The family is horrified by these T-shirts and is greatly concerned about the impact of this glorification on the family [sic] of Officers Brenton and Officer Sweeney," the family wrote in a statement released to The Seattle Times.

Monfort could potentially face the death penalty for allegedly killing Seattle police Officer Timothy Brenton on Oct. 31. Monfort remains at Harborview Medical Center after being shot by police. His family says he is paralyzed.

A local punk band created the T-shirt because "we like this guy and back his actions," according to a Web site, which is selling the shirts for $13.

Police and prosecutors declined to comment on the T-shirts.

The band also could not be reached for comment

Brenton, 39, and rookie Officer Britt Sweeney were seated in their parked patrol car in the Leschi neighborhood shortly after 10 p.m. Oct. 31 when Monfort pulled up next to them and opened fire, charging papers said. Brenton died immediately and Sweeney, who managed to return fire and call for help, suffered minor injuries.

Monfort is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, but sources say the hearing will likely be postponed because he is still not well enough to leave the hospital.

San Juans murder-suicide started in Bellevue

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:24:44 PST

Detectives have pinpointed a time and place in the murder of Sammamish music teacher Rhan Rha, who was found strangled on Aug. 12 on a powerboat in the San Juan Islands.

Bellevue police say they have evidence that Albert Carl Beutler, who Rha had been dating, strangled the 39-year-old woman around 2 a.m. Aug. 12 at his condo in Bellevue. Beutler then took her body with him to Seattle and the San Juan Islands, where investigators tracked him down on a powerboat.

Beutler shot and killed himself as investigators pursued the boat off of Orcas Island, police said, and Rha's body was found on the boat.

Police and the U.S. Coast Guard started looking for Beutler after he sent a text message to a friend claiming he killed his girlfriend, police said.

Bellevue police have taken over the case from the San Juan County Sheriff's Office. The murder is the second one for the city this year. There were no murders in 2008 or 2007.

PHOTO: Police seek missing elderly man in Everett

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:19:09 PST

EVERETT POLICE PHOTO

Police say Harold "Hal" Ersett Higgins hasn't been seen since he left his assisted-living facility this morning.

The Everett Police Department is seeking the public's help in locating a 97-year-old man who wandered off from an assisted living home in the 3900 block of Colby Avenue at about 7 this morning.

Harold "Hal" Ersett Higgins is described as about 5-feet-6, 150 pounds, with brown eyes and gray hair, balding on top. It's unknown what he was wearing when he left. However, he typically wears a coat and hat. He is most likely walking with a brown walking cane and is bent over slightly at the waist.

Anyone who sees Higgins is asked to notify law enforcement by calling 911 or the Everett Police Department TIP LINE at 425-257-8450.

UPDATE: Reward offered in White Center hit and run

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:19:03 PST

UPDATE: The Discover Burien Association is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the driver involved in this hit and run.

The King County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident on Tuesday that left a man in critical condition.

A 36-year-old White Center man was in a crosswalk at 16th Avenue Southwest, and Southwest 106th Street, around 5:20 p.m. when he was struck by an SUV or pickup. The driver slowed but did not stop and was last seen driving south on 16th.

The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition.

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A driver's-side outside mirror was found at the scene. There should also be damage to the left front fender.

The vehicle is believed to be maroon and either a Chevrolet or GMC. It is one of the following models:

GM or Chevy full-size pickup 1988-1989
Chevy Blazer or GMC Jimmy 1992-1994
Chevy Suburban 1992-1999
GMC Yukon 1992-1999
Chevy Tahoe 1995-1999

Anyone who may have information on the vehicle is asked to call the King County Sheriff's Office at 206-296-3311 or 911.

Hatchet-wielding man breaks into house, leads cops on chase

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:04 PST

Kirkland police this morning arrested a man who broke into a home in the 13100 block of 107th Place Northeast and threatened the occupants with a hatchet before leading police on a chase that ended in Seattle.

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At about 3:15, the man broke into the house using the hatchet. The man threatened the home's occupants, who retreated into a bedroom and locked themselves inside.

The man, who police say was the brother of one of the home's occupants, took off in a car and was spotted by Kirkland police driving on Interstate 405. The officer tried to pull the man over but he refused and led the officer on a chase.

The pursuit went south on I-405, continued west on Highway 520 and then south on I-5 to the West Seattle Freeway. Officers from the Clyde Hill Police Department, State Patrol and Seattle Police Department assisted in the pursuit. After the suspect exited the freeway, he was stopped on Sixth Ave South in Seattle by the a State Patrol trooper who used a PIT maneuver.

The man was arrested booked into the Kirkland Municipal Jail on numerous felony charges.

With friends like these ...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:20:40 PST

Two items in today's Bellevue Police Department blotter made us take notice:

A woman in the 9600 block of Southeast Seventh Street reported to police that she believes an acquaintance of one of her "longstanding friends" stole a ring while they visited her house four to five weeks ago. She estimated the value of the loss at more than $4,000.

And another woman, living in the 5400 block of 116th Avenue Southeast, tells police she thinks a friend of her granddaughter has been burglarizing her home for the past few months. She reports more than $10,000 worth of items have been stolen.

Man assaulted with bat, robbed near First and Pike

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:49:02 PST

A man was assaulted and robbed early this morning by three men armed with a baseball bat, police said.

The victim was walking back to his hotel from a restaurant on Queen Anne around 2:30 a.m. when he was attacked in a parking lot near First Avenue and Pike Street.

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The victim told police he was struck with a baseball bat and didn't see the assailants' faces. One of the men tried to take the victim's cell phone, but the victim was able to kick the man in the face.

The three men fled with the victim's wallet. A citizen saw the victim about 20 minutes later and called police. The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.

Bicyclist charged in accident that left child hospitalized

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:26:02 PST

A 32-year-old bicyclist accused of running over a 6-year-old boy near Pike Place Market on Friday, leaving the child hospitalized with serious facial injuries, was charged today with vehicular assault and hit and run.

Seattle police say that Rafael Araneta passed several cars and rode through a red light when he struck the child, who was in a crosswalk, court charging documents said. Araneta fell off his bike, but climbed back on and tried to ride away, police said. Witnesses chased after him and held him until police arrived, charging papers said.

The boy, his father and brother were crossing at the intersection of Pike Street and First Avenue around 6:40 p.m. when the boy was struck, charging documents said. The child was taken to Harborview Medical Center with a fractured jaw. His jaw had to be wired shut, court papers said.

Upon his arrest Araneta told police "he was scared ... and that he didn't know what to do," charging documents said. Police said that Araneta's bike didn't have brakes or a headlight, charging papers said.

Araneta later told police that he saw the red light and saw a man in the intersection, but thought he could make it safely through, charging papers said. Araneta will be arraigned on Dec. 2.

No new attorneys for woman accused of killing six relatives

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:17:02 PST

SEATTLE TIMES FILE PHOTO

Defense attorney Lisa Mulligan, left, talks to her client Michele Anderson, right, as Anderson departs a hearing last month in King County Superior Court.

A King County judge this morning turned down the request of Michele Anderson to have new attorneys appointed to represent her in her murder case. Anderson is charged with killing six members of her family on Christmas Eve 2007, a crime she has told The Times she committed.

Late last month Anderson, 31, told King County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ramsdell that she wanted new lawyers because she claimed her current attorneys were dishonest and unqualified. This is the second time since her arrest that Anderson has spoken out against her legal counsel.

Anderson and her former boyfriend, Joseph McEnroe, are accused of fatally shooting Anderson's parents, Wayne and Judy Anderson, during a Christmas Eve gathering at their home. When her brother Scott Anderson and his wife, Erica, and their children, ages 5 and 3, arrived later that evening, they aslo were shot, prosecutors said.

In court this morning, Ramsdell heard from Anderson and her attorneys, Lisa Mulligan and Hal Palmer behind closed doors. Relatives of the slain family, prosecutors and attorneys for McEnroe waited in the hallway.

When the courtroom was re-opened, Anderson snapped at Mulligan and said "I want you to leave." Ramsdell then announced that Mulligan and Palmer would stay on the case; he sealed all testimony given during the closed hearing out of concern it might damage the public defenders' strategy.

McEnroe also attended the hearing but said nothing to Ramsdell. Last month, Anderson announced in court that she wanted King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor James Konat to drop charges against her former boyfriend, saying she alone was responsible for the slayings.

Anderson, who in the past told The Times that she killed her family and should be executed, asked that Konat charge her with kidnapping for forcing McEnroe to participate in the slayings.

Konat said he does not plan to alter the charges.

If found guilty, the two defendants face only two possible sentences for the six counts of aggravated murder: execution, or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors say the pair will likely will be tried next year.

King County cops issue 143 citations during seat belt patrols

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:53:03 PST

King County cops wrote 143 violations during special nighttime patrols that targeted seat belt violators between Oct 23 and Nov. 8.

In addition, they also caught 16 speeders, four cell-phone law violators and made one arrest on a felony warrant and two arrests on misdemeanor warrants. They also issued 10 citations to uninsured motorists and 17 for driving with a suspended/revoked license.

The patrols were conducted by law enforcement agencies in Auburn, Black Diamond, Kent, Maple Valley, Renton, SeaTac and the King County Sheriff's Office. The extra patrols were funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Bail lowered for Clearly Lasik co-founder in murder-for-hire case

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:27:03 PST

-- From Times staff reporter Jennifer Sullivan:

A judge this morning agreed to lower the bail for Dr. Michael Mockovak from $3 million to $2 million despite protests from the man he is accused of plotting to have killed.

Mockovak, co-founder of Clearly Lasik laser eye-surgery centers, is accused of trying to hire a Russian mafia hit man to have two men killed, including his partner and Clearly Lasik co-founder Dr. Joseph King.

In court this morning Mockovak pleaded not guilty.

King was seeking to have his former business partner, and former brother-in-law's, bail raised to $15 million said King's lawyer Anne Bremner.

After the hearing, Bremner said her client is frightened by the accusations and will have to hire private security if Mockovak is freed. King lives only a few doors from Mockovak in Newcastle.

"It's been a terrifying three days for us. Our family is very afraid," King said after the hearing.

But Mockovak's attorney, Colette Tvedt, argued that the bail was too high. Standing next to her client, who was shackled and dressed in red King County Jail scrubs, Tvedt said bail should be lowered because Mockovak has "very limited personal assets" and no criminal history. She told Superior Court Judge Palmer Robinson that Mockovak doesn't pose a flight risk, even though Clearly Lasik has offices across Canada.

Mockovak's father, mother, sister and other supporters were in court today. They all declined to talk after the hearing.

On Monday, the 51-year-old co-founder of the laser eye-surgery centers was charged with two counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. In charging papers, Mockovak is portrayed as angry, desperate and willing to pay more than $100,000 to have King and former company President Brad Klock killed.

Mockovak noted that King's $5 million life-insurance policy listed either Mockovak or Clearly Lasik as beneficiaries, charging papers allege.

Mockovak solicited an employee who had immigrated from Russia to arrange the slayings, according to the charges. That man reported Mockovak's scheme to the FBI, which began watching Mockovak and recording his conversations, charging papers allege.

Initially, Mockovak's bail was $1 million, and he posted bond on Saturday and was released. But after charges were filed Monday the bail was increased to $3 million.

To view the charging documents, click here.

Daily News: New firefighter gets badge and bride-to-be

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:30:03 PST

Newly minted firefighter/EMT Gavin Rogers not only received his permanent badge in front of 100 people during a ceremony Sunday night -- he got engaged.

Rogers picked the ceremony, which marked the end of the one-year probation for a half-dozen Jefferson County firefighters, to pop the question to girlfriend Kara Spray, according to the Peninsula Daily News.

During the ceremony, family members walked in front of the crowd one by one, opened small boxes holding the new badges and pinned them to the chests of the firefighters. When it came time for Spray to pin Rogers, she opened the box to find an engagement ring, the Daily News reports. Rogers dropped to one knee and asked Spray to marry him.

She said yes.

Rogers, 27, said Spray, 25, has been with him through his probation with the East Jefferson County Fire and Rescue, through five years of trying to get hired as a full-time firefighter and through a numerous jobs before that, according to the Daily News.

Edmonds man dies when pickup slams into his van

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:20:03 PST

-- From Times reporter Sara Jean Green:

A 63-year-old Edmonds man died this morning from injuries he suffered in a three-car collision that occurred while he was waiting at a red light, according to Edmonds police.

The man was driving a van that was stopped behind an eastbound pickup, driven by a 57-year-old Edmonds man, at a red light on 220th Street Southwest at 76th Avenue West, said Edmonds police Sgt. Mike Blackburn. Both vehicles were in the inside lane and another vehicle, driven by a 63-year-old Edmonds woman, was stopped in the outside lane, he said.

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Just after 9:30 a.m., another eastbound pickup, driven by a 68-year-old Edmonds man, slammed into the back of the van and pushed it into the rear of the first pickup, Blackburn said.

The van's driver was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died from his injuries, Blackburn said. The driver of the pickup that hit the van suffered non-life threatening injuries and was also taken to Harborview, he said. The other pickup driver was treated for minor injuries. The woman driver wasn't injured, Blackburn said.

Detectives are still investigating the cause of the collision, said Blackburn.

No good Samaritan for this woman

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:04:03 PST

Where's a good Samaritan when you need one?

A woman tells Bellevue police she left her wallet on the top of her car Thursday while she was at a Chevron gas station in the 3700 block of 150th Avenue Southeast.

Someone found the wallet and ran up charges on her credit cards totaling more than $3,000.

Police: Would-be ninja impaled by metal fence

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:36:52 PST

This never would've happened to Bruce Lee.

Seattle police say an intoxicated 25-year-old man, who told officers he believed he was a ninja, was impaled on a metal spike Monday night after a failed attempt to jump a 5-foot fence.

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Around 11:15 p.m., officers responded to the 600 block of Seventh Avenue after a 41-year-old man called police to say he had been assaulted, said police spokeswoman Renee Witt. Officers arrived and found the impaled would-be ninja, Witt said.

It turns out the older man, who was heavily intoxicated, tried to go into a sports bar in the 600 block of King Street, Witt said. The younger man, who isn't a bar employee, barred the man from going inside-- and an argument between the two men escalated into a fight.

At one point, the men chased each other in the street, she said.

In an attempt to get away, the younger man "thought he'd basically be able to jump over this fence, and he didn't quite make it," Witt said.

As a police account of the incident notes, "Clearly he was overconfident in his abilities."

That's when the older man called police to say he'd been assaulted.

As police arrived to search for a suspect, one officer heard the 25-year-old's screams and found him stuck on the fence with the metal spike jutting out from his buttock, Witt said. The man was bleeding profusely.

He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, she said. Questioned at the hospital, the man told police he believed he was a ninja.

Since the two men "were in the middle of the street, chasing each other around," Witt said officers determined neither man would be arrested on suspicion of assault.

Traffic alert: Downed tree closes Juanita Drive in Kenmore

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:09:02 PST

Crews from Kenmore's Public Works Department are working to remove a tree that fell on power lines over Juanita Drive at Northeast at 163rd Street. Detours are in place.

Puget Sound Energy has also responded, but it wasn't immediately known if there are any power outages. The city gave no estimate of when the street might be opened.

High winds overnight forced down numerous trees and caused several power outages in the region.

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Alert issued after Sunday robbery on UW campus

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:09:02 PST

University of Washington police have sent out an alert to students, faculty and staff about a robbery on campus on Sunday.

At approximately 6:15 p.m., three students walking north on Cowlitz Road toward Terry-Lander Hall were approached by two men. One of the men pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at the victims and robbed them of their laptop computers and other personal property, according to the alert.

A woman, who appeared to be serving as a lookout near the intersection of Lincoln Way and Cowlitz Road, yelled at the robbers to hurry. The robbers and the woman then fled.

Officers searched the area but didn't locate the robbers.

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Man shoots himself during traffic stop in Lynnwood

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:32:03 PST

Lynnwood police say a 33-year-old Everett man is in critical condition after he shot himself in the head during a traffic stop last night.

Police say the man was stopped by police in the 20500 block of Highway 99 just after 11:30 p.m. last night when he placed a gun under his chin and pulled the trigger.

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A couple hours earlier, the Everett Police Department had alerted local law enforcement agencies that a suicidal man was reportedly driving in the area. A Lynnwood police officer saw a car matching the man's vehicle on Highway 99 and called for assistance. The officer pulled over the car in a business parking lot.

The driver exited the vehicle, faced the officer and shot himself. Lynnwood Fire Department medics transported the man to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Lynnwood Police are still investigating the incident.

Man charged with slaying at homeless camp

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:35:03 PST

A Seattle man arrested for allegedly killing another homeless man on Nov. 4 been charged with second-degree murder.

Warren Chapman, 43, is accused of attacking Jeffrey Eike at a transient camp in South Seattle. A worker mowing the grass along Airport Way South discovered Eike's body, Seattle police said

Residents of the camp told police that a man known as "The Grizz" had attacked Eike, according to charging papers filed last week in King County Superior Court. Chapman was known around the camp by the nickname.

When police arrested Chapman he was at a nearby gas station drinking with his girlfriend, charging papers said. Officers searched Chapman and found Eike's Department of Licensing identification card and a debit card issued to people receiving state assistance, charging papers said.

Chapman told police that he and Eike got into a fight after Eike hit his girlfriend. Chapman's girlfriend told police that Eike never hit her, charging papers said.

Chapman, who will be arraigned on Nov. 23, has three prior convictions for assault.

'Suicidal' man surrenders after SWAT team surrounds home

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:52:02 PST

A Seattle police SWAT team surrounded a home at North Street 143rd and Stone Ave North last night after a man who was said to be suicidal had barricaded himself inside.

Police responded to the home around 6:30 p.m. after receiving reports the man had access to several firearms. Police hostage negotiators were able to reach the man by cell phone and he agreed to leave the house.

He was taken into custody. Police found a loaded .45-caliber handgun inside the home.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.

PhinneyWood.com: Winds topple tree onto two homes

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:24:02 PST

High winds toppled a part of a tree onto two houses in the 100 block of North 78th Street around 3 this morning, according to our news partners at PhinneyWood.com. Luckily, no one was hurt.

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Two people who live in one of the homes tell PhinneyWood they heard "a crack and a crash."

The National Weather Service says high winds are expected in the region today and tonight.

Kitsap Sun: Trial begins for teen charged with $12 million arson

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:25:03 PST

The trial begins today for a 17-year-old boy charged with the July 27 arson that destroyed Arnold's Home Furnishings in Bremerton, resulting in $12 million in damage, the Kitsap Sun is reporting. The boy is charged as a juvenile with first-degree arson and could face between 25 and 32 months in juvenile detention if he is convicted.

The Kitsap Sun -- like The Times -- does not typically name criminal defendants who are charged as juveniles.

The judge in the case ruled Friday that alleged statements the boy made to police about the fire will be admissible at his trial. The statements, including alleged confessions, were "voluntary and reasoned decisions," Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Leila Mills said, according to the Sun.

Mills ruled that detectives properly issued the suspect his Miranda and juvenile arrest warnings and that he was provided ample food and breaks during the interrogation. The actual questioning lasted about five hours.

The suspect was 16 when he was arrested Sept. 10 in Belfair.