WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Cannabis shop crash-and-grab

September 19th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news No Comments »

Thanks to Zac for the tip and photo.

Zac noticed last night that the Mr. O.G. cannabis store at 9823 15th SW had the telltale boarded-up front. We checked with the King County Sheriff’s Office this morning. They say a vehicle was used to break into the shop early Monday and the burglars left the vehicle (no description given) behind.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

CRIME WATCH: Seen any of these stolen guitars and bikes?

August 24th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on CRIME WATCH: Seen any of these stolen guitars and bikes?

That security-camera image is from a theft in which Drew says he lost $10,000 worth of guitars and bicycles. It happened in his storage unit at 125 SW 112th and he’s hoping someone might spot some of the items. Here’s a full list – with more photos – of what was stolen, including contact info for Drew and for investigators, if you have any information.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Man shot at Steve Cox Memorial Park; gunfire near Roxbury Lanes but no injuries

August 6th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Man shot at Steve Cox Memorial Park; gunfire near Roxbury Lanes but no injuries

Two overnight incidents: Just after 1 am, a man was found at Steve Cox Memorial Park with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Cory Stanton says the Major Crimes Unit is investigating. Meantime, we also asked about an incident on the North Highline Fire incident log suggesting a possible gunfire-related incident around 12:30 am near Roxbury Lanes. Capt. Stanton tells WCN, “Witnesses reported someone was seen shooting into the air. There are no reported injuries at this time. A suspect was located and booked into KCJ.”

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Store robbery

July 12th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Store robbery

A White Center store was held up this afternoon and an intensive search ensued for the robbers. We’ve been covering all this in real time on partner site West Seattle Blog because it came to our attention with the search centered on the city side of the line, but we eventually learned it had started with a White Center robbery: The Top to Bottom clothing store, 9651 15th SW, was robbed around 1:30 pm. KCSO says four people with guns were involved and got away with about $500 in merchandise. No injuries. Some of the stolen clothing was recovered in the West Seattle neighborhood a few blocks north where officers, deputies, and the Guardian One helicopter were searching for a while. Two possible suspects were detained but released for lack of evidence; this past half-hour, at least one other person was detained for questioning in White Center, but we don’t know yet how that worked out.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Parking-lot standoff

July 11th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Parking-lot standoff

9:58 AM: King County Sheriff’s Deputies are getting assistance from Seattle Police in what’s basically a parking lot standoff just south of (corrected) Bartell Drugs at 15th/Roxbury. They told us at the scene that a man who’s in a parked vehicle was making threats toward passers-by and may be armed, so they’ve closed off 15th south of Roxbury. No other info so far; avoid the area.

10:01 AM: They’re reopening 15th, but 14th will be blocked south of Roxbury.

10:15 AM: Via Twitter, KCSO describes the suspect as experiencing a “mental-health crisis.”

12:29 PM: We’re back in the area to check. The lot is still taped off, with many police vehicles. 14th SW has reopened, so this situation is now confined to the parking lot.

3:59 PM: The person has been taken into custody since our last check in the area.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

FOLLOWUP: Plea bargain for drunk, speeding driver who killed 2 people in North Burien crash

July 4th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Burien, Crime, White Center news Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Plea bargain for drunk, speeding driver who killed 2 people in North Burien crash

(Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

(WCN photo from April 2021 crash scene)

A South Delridge woman has pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide in the April 2021 crash (WCN coverage here) that killed an Arbor Heights couple in North Burien. Court documents say Irene Plancarte-Bustos, now 28, was driving drunk, going over 60 mph, with her 3-yeqr-old son in her car, when she slammed into the car carrying 35-year-old Lauren Dupuis-Perez and 38-year-old Kamel Dupuis-Perez. The impact pushed their car into the path of a pickup truck whose driver couldn’t stop before also hitting it, and orphaned the Dupuis-Perezes’ two children. After the crash on the Ambaum Boulevard “S” curve, Plancarte-Bustos drove north a short distance to the Rainbow Mini-Mart, where officers found her. She’s been in jail ever since. In the agreement, in addition to the vehicular-homicide pleas, she pleaded guilty to one gross-misdemeanor count of hit-and-run, while two felony hit-run counts were dropped. She has no record and as part of the plea bargain, prosecutors are recommending the low end of the standard sentencing range, 8 1/2 years plus an extra year for the “enhancement” of having a child in the car. The final sentencing decision will be up to King County Superior Court Judge Averil Rothrock on July 14th. Family and friends have created this website as a tribute to the victims, their work, and their legacy.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

UPDATE: King County Sheriff’s Office investigating White Center stabbing

June 26th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on UPDATE: King County Sheriff’s Office investigating White Center stabbing

11:05 AM: Big callout right now for King County Sheriff’s Deputies and medics for what’s reported as a stabbing at 15th and Roxbury. More details as we get them.

11:20 AM: Our crew at the scene reports this happened at the service station on the southwest corner of the intersection. The victim has been taken to Harborview Medical Center. A suspect is in custody (and currently on a stretcher).

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

UPDATE: Roxy’s Casino/Roxbury Lanes remains closed after triple shooting

May 29th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on UPDATE: Roxy’s Casino/Roxbury Lanes remains closed after triple shooting

As covered on our partner site West Seattle Blog starting late Saturday night, three people were shot at Roxy’s Casino. The casino and adjacent Roxbury Lanes plan to remain closed until Thursday as they continue dealing with the aftermath. WSB commenters say two of the victims are Roxy’s employees. While KCSO is saying very little about the shooting or the investigation, Harborview Medical Center says all three victims are still there, two men in critical condition, one woman in serious condition. No description or image of the shooter has been made public yet.

ADDED TUESDAY: One of the men has improved to serious condition, according to Harborview.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

CRIME WATCH: Helicopter over White Center after mini-mart holdup; car-wash assault

May 25th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, Helicopter, White Center news 2 Comments »

Two Crime Watch notes today:

HELICOPTER OVER WHITE CENTER: The King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One has been circling for a while. We’re trying to find out why and will update when we know.

UPDATE: The mini-mart on the northwest corner of 16th/107th was robbed, we’ve confirmed at the scene. We’re told the robber(s) got away with about $150. The store remains open, as does the teriyaki restaurant next door. The helicopter has since moved on.

Meantime, a reader report of a recent incident:

CAR-WASH ASSAULT: This is from the victim’s mom:

I just wanted to make readers aware that there is risk of assault at the Car Palace car wash [10450 16th SW]. Two weeks ago, my 19-year old daughter was getting coins from the bill changer at the car wash. It was about 10 am.

She was groped from behind by a man who was about 5’5″ with dark hair. He was filming himself groping her with his camera. When she yelled, he took off running. She was so upset that she unwisely leapt into her car to follow him.

She followed him in her car to a nearby street where he hid under a bush. She then called her dad, who called the police. They saw the man enter a house nearby. They waited for 3 hours for the police, or in this case the sheriff, but no one came. There is currently just one car assigned to White Center.

Last night, the sheriff’s deputy came to interview my daughter. They cannot interview the suspect until the single deputy gets a partner for safety reasons.

At the very least, we’d like to warn other women that Car Palace may not be safe when you are alone, even in broad daylight on a busy street.

Incident # C23017252. We’re checking on the KCSO staffing situation, as they recently assigned a new “storefront deputy,” according to briefings at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

CRIME WATCH: Charges filed in Top Hat gun, stolen-truck case

March 31st, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news 1 Comment »

(KCSO photos)</em>

The King County Sheriff’s Office says those guns were seized in a Top Hat case in which charges have just been filed. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 34-year-old Arthur Pessina with second-degree unlawful firearm possession and possession of a stolen vehicle. Charging documents say this all unfolded Tuesday at an apartment complex in the 11000 block of 1st Avenue SW. A deputy had gone there to investigate a threats report. That wasn’t panning out, but as the deputy prepared to leave, someone came up and told him about a backpack that had been dropped in front of one of the apartments. Inside was a semi-automatic pistol and three boxes of ammunition. Someone else told the deputy about video showing who left it there. The gun turned out to have been stolen in Kitsap County, and the deputy soon spotted the man shown on the video with it. Investigation also tied him to what turned out to be a stolen pickup truck – taken less than a week earlier from the Angle Lake transit station – in which 21 more guns were found.

The charging documents say that man was Pessina, and the deputy arrested him. He has a felony conviction and therefore can’t legally possess guns. The charging papers indicate the guns’ origins are still being investigated, so more charges might be possible in this case. For now, the jail register shows Pessina is being held in lieu of $150,000 bail, and also shows he has pending cases with charges including hit-run, eluding, and assault.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Shooting victim identified

March 7th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Shooting victim identified

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has released the name of the man shot to death in White Center on Sunday night. They identify him as 29-year-old Karel Juarez, and say he died of “multiple gunshot wounds.” He was found dead near 16th/107th around 10 pm Sunday. No word of any progress in the investigation so far.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: KCSO investigating deadly shooting

March 6th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: KCSO investigating deadly shooting

King County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating a deadly shooting. They tell WCN that someone called in to report gunfire just before 10 pm on 16th SW near SW 107th. Deputies arrived and found a man dead of a gunshot wound. A KCSO spokesperson says, “We do not have information on suspects at this time.” There was a report on Seattle Police frequencies that a “gray or red Honda” might have been associated with this shooting and was seen heading northbound. We’ll add anything more we find out.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

UPDATE: Shooting investigation in Greenbridge

February 1st, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on UPDATE: Shooting investigation in Greenbridge

11:20 PM: Police and medics have responded to an apartment complex in the 9700 block of 8th Place SW in Greenbridge. We have few details aside that they’re seeking three shooting suspects. We’ll add anything more we find out.

12:06 PM THURSDAY: We followed up with KCSO. They say the 911 call came in around 11 pm: “Deputies arrived and located a male adult victim with gunshot injuries and was transported to Harborview Medical Center. It was reported there were possibly two suspects involved in this incident. Deputies conducted a search of the area along with K-9 but were unable to locate any suspects. This case is open and active, and no additional updates are available at this time.”

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

CRIME WATCH: Roxbury 76 robbery

January 27th, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on CRIME WATCH: Roxbury 76 robbery

King County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating another robbery at the 76 station/mini-mart at 2851 SW Roxbury. As announced in a bulletin a short time ago over the Seattle Police airwaves as an FYI, five armed people robbed the station, then left in a blue sedan, last seen heading eastbound – that’s all the information we have so far.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

FOLLOWUP: Teen found dead along Highway 509 finally confirmed as homicide victim

January 23rd, 2023 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on FOLLOWUP: Teen found dead along Highway 509 finally confirmed as homicide victim

(October 7th photo by reader Mel)

Three and a half months after the discovery of a 16-year-old girl’s body along Highway 509 east of White Center, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office has released results of her autopsy. The most recent media-information list released by the KCME says Keyaleas Brewer died of “asphyxia due to strangulation” and ruled her death a homicide. When we last checked with the King County Sheriff’s Office a few weeks ago, they repeated only that it remained an “open and active case.” Back in October, as reported here, they asked for video from anyone driving on southbound 509 between the 1st Avenue South Bridge and South 112th between 5 am and 7 am on Friday, October 7th – the morning Ms. Brewer was found dead – and welcomed anonymous tips via p3tips,com or info via email at mcutips@kingcounty.gov – refer to case #C22033455.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Charges filed in 2 White Center cases

December 28th, 2022 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Charges filed in 2 White Center cases

From the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, word of charges in two White Center felony cases:

STOLEN-CAR CASE: 43-year-old Nicholas V. Renion is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle – a car in which police say they found him early the morning of December 19th. The owner of the Chevrolet Aveo had started it up outside his home in the 10000 block of 17th SW to warm it up; when he left it running and went inside, that’s when it was taken. He was able to track it via an Apple AirTag on his keychain, and within an hour, he and his parents found it parked in a lot in the 9000 block of Delridge Way SW. They notified Seattle Police, who responded to the scene, found Renion in the car, and arrested him. He’s been in jail ever since, bail set at $15,000. Inside the recovered car, the victim found a bag that did not belong to him, and the documents say:

Inside the bag, officers found five access devices in the names of three different people. A Keybank debit card and a Bank of America debit card were located in (one person’s name). A Seattle Credit Union card was located in (another name). A BECU debit card was located in the name of (the car’s owner).

Renion has a criminal history dating back 29 years, with prior convictions including stolen-vehicle possession, burglary, and assault, plus another auto-theft case currently pending. He’s already been in the King County Jail twice this fall, there for a total of 43 days, most recent release less than two weeks before the arrest in this case.

BURGLARY CASE: 39-year-old Nyakat R. Jean Pierre is charged with first-degree burglary for a November incident in the 400 block of SW 110th Lane. Court documents say she was visiting her boyfriend there while he in turn was visiting friends who live in the apartment; her dog jumped on one of the residents, woke him up, and she got into a fight with him. Police were called but did not make any arrests because it was determined that no crime was committed. She left the apartment, prosecutors say, but came back about an hour later, breaking through the front door to get in, and a melee ensued, with two residents of the apartment reporting injuries. All this eventually resulted in the charge that’s just been filed. She is not in custody.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Another armed robbery

December 4th, 2022 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news 1 Comment »

The White Center Dollar Tree store at 15th/100th was robbed tonight, according to a bulletin sent out by King County Sheriff’s Office to Seattle Police and announced by SPD dispatch. No other details so far except that the robber(s) got away in a dark-colored car. We’ll check with KCSO for more information in the morning.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Pizza holdup

November 30th, 2022 Tracy Posted in Crime, King County Sheriff's Office, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Pizza holdup

12:11 AM: We don’t have full details but King County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a reported armed robbery at Little Caesar’s Pizza on 16th SW. According to an advisory broadcast on Seattle police radio, it happened around 9:30 pm. The getaway vehicle was described as a silver sedan. Apparently no injuries, as there’s no related medical callout. The bulletin suggested it might be related to a holdup earlier in Burien. We’ll be checking with KCSO in the morning.

ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: Here’s what KCSO tells us:

On 11/29/2022 at 9:31 PM we received a call that a Little Caesar’s was robbed by three subjects, at least one with a gun. No shots were fired, nor were any employees injured.

Deputies responded and once arrived, were told that the subjects fled, with one of them possibly leaving in a silver vehicle.

This may be related to another Little Caesar’s in Burien that was robbed a few minutes earlier. Like the White Center incident, no shots were fired, nor was anyone injured.

The suspects in both incidents remain at large, and both cases remain active and open.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Suspect charged in fire outside Smoke Town

November 17th, 2022 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news Comments Off on WHITE CENTER CRIME WATCH: Suspect charged in fire outside Smoke Town

A 45-year-old woman is charged with reckless burning in the September 28th fire outside Smoke Town in downtown White Center. Documents filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office allege Evie M. Hell is the person shown in security images (including the one above) as burning cardboard grew into a fire that damaged the front of the shop. When the images were circulated, at least one King County Sheriff’s Deputy recognized Hell, saying he had seen her earlier in the evening wearing the same clothes as shown in the images. The images show the person walking away as the fire continued to grow; bystanders kept it from raging out of control before firefighters arrived. According to the charging documents, Hell has an extensive criminal history; jail records show that she spent nine days in jail in February and four weeks in jail in July and August, both in connection with burglary charges. There was already a warrant for her arrest at the time of the fire; she was arrested in late October and charged with the Smoke Town fire days later. She remains in the Regional Justice Center in lieu of $40,000 bail.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

UPDATE: Shooting in 9900 block 15th SW in White Center

November 15th, 2022 Tracy Posted in Crime, White Center news 1 Comment »

2:29 PM: Deputies and medics are responding to the 9900 block of 15th SW to investigate a shooting, They’ve found one person who has at least two gunshot wounds, A “gold sedan” might be involved. 15th SW is being blocked off. More to come.

2:56 PM: The victim was reported to be conscious. Our crew at the scene says it appears to the shooting happened right outside Hung Long Market.

The response, meantime, has led to reroute advisories for Metro Route 120.

3:29 PM: Southbound 15th has reopened.

3:48 PM: And now northbound too. As for additional information about the shooting circumstances, deputies and detectives at the scene would not comment, so we have questions out to the department’s media-relations office.

5:52 PM: KCSO will tell us only that the victim’s injuries are not life-threatening, and that no one is in custody.

AddThis Social Bookmark Button