White Center Now: The blog about White Center

2:51 PM: Almost two months after we brought you first word that Anthony Haroldlee Smith had pleaded guilty in the murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi last August, he has just been sentenced at the King County Courthouse downtown.

First, Judge Mary Yu heard two of the victim’s close relatives – two of the dozens who packed the courtroom, many wearing shirts with her photo on the front – speak tearfully – not “to tell (the judge) how to do (her) job,” as sister Mona Failautusi put it, as she acknowledged that God is the ultimate judge – but because they wanted to be here for “Sweetie.” Smith briefly, mumblingly apologized. Judge Yu told him she hopes he will while in prison “find some source in your life that will give you hope.” She went with the suggested sentence of 184 months in prison and three years of probation, plus restitution to be determined. More to come, including video of the entire hearing.

3:21 PM: We have added a short clip of Smith right after the hearing, as he was taken past Sweetheart’s friends and family in the courtroom.

6:24 PM: Immediately above this line, video of the entire 28-minute hearing. In addition to Sweetheart’s sister Mona, relative Tiare Faletogo also spoke to the judge, heartfelt and wrenching, bringing gasping sobs from some in the gallery. She spoke of the horror of the night Sweetheart was killed – “I did not cry that night because I couldn’t, I was numb, it was August and it felt like winter,” as family members rushed to the scene and saw Sweetheart lying dead, face down, on the street. She and Mona both asked Smith why he left that night and came back, killing Sweetheart – why he didn’t just “walk away” from their conflict. He had no answer.

1:06 PM: We’ve been checking with the King County Sheriff’s Office about an incident called to our attention by Malo’s Auto Body general manager Brad Truesdell. He e-mailed us to say he had just found out about an attack on a man named Fred – we do not usually use the full names of victims, unless they have given their consent – who he says is well-known on the local streets. Brad says Fred worked at Malo’s some time back and was known as a kind helpful person who now struggles with alcoholism. “When Fred was not drunk, he was always helping people, and the thought of him lying in a hospital dying and nothing being done or said about it really is sad,” Brad wrote.

So here’s what we have found out, from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West: It apparently happened just south of White Center, in north Burien. She says that around 11 pm last Saturday night (March 31st), in the 1000 block of SW 117th, “A person passing by saw a subject on the ground, bleeding from the face and called the police. … The victim appeared to be severely intoxicated and could not tell us exactly what happened. All he could say was that he was trying to get in his mobile home that was parked at this location when he was attacked from behind by two unknown males. He could not describe the males at all. He had no race, age, height, or clothing description. He said that after the attack they took his wallet and ran off in an unknown direction. The victim said that he never lost consciousness during the attack. He also said that there were no weapons used in the attack. The victim was treated at the scene by aid personnel and later transported to Highline Medical for further treatment. We were not able to locate any independent witnesses. There is no suspect information in this case at this time.”

Brad says he saw Fred in the hospital yesterday and “it was a sad sight to see.” If you have any information on what happened to him, let the King County Sheriff’s Office know – you can call 911.

3:30 PM UPDATE: Sgt. West says at last report, Fred was said to be in serious but stable condition.

(July 2011 photo courtesy Gill)
From our partners at the Seattle Times: Two people have been sentenced in connection with the case that sparked a raid reported here last July. Times reporter Mike Lindblom writes, in part:

… Magnolia Gin, 52, of Seattle, was sentenced to 18 months and Son Hoang Le, 35, of Bellevue, was sentenced to 24 months. They were arrested in July 2011.

Holders of food-aid cards entered Gin’s business at Asian Bubble Tea and would leave with cash. The card would be swiped at Le’s business, D.P. Northwest Halal & Asian Food. …

Concerned about safety in your community, your neighborhood? Tonight the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition invites you to be part of its next meeting:

The next Community Safety Meeting will be held this Thursday, February 23rd from 6 pm – 8 pm at the Joe Wiley Room in Greenbridge, located at 9800 8th Ave SW. We want to continue looking at ways to build our group and strengthen our community and we would love to get your input and/or suggestions.

A light meal and other refreshments will be provided.

(Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog)
The man charged with second-degree murder in last August’s White Center murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi has just admitted in court that he did it. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms that Anthony Haroldlee Smith pleaded guilty this morning as charged, acknowledging he is to blame for the deadly shooting at 15th and Roxbury in the early-morning hours of August 16th. Sentencing range is 134-234 months; KCPAO spokesperson Ian Goodhew says the “agreed recommendation” for sentencing will be 15 years. He adds, “Sweetheart’s family felt the agreement was the right thing to do to assure a conviction and have the certainty of the mid-range recommendation as opposed to him possibly receiving a lower sentence.” Smith is scheduled to be sentenced March 23rd at 1:45 pm by King County Superior Court Mary Yu.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Big turnout last night for the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s public-safety forum, first in a series of quarterly events. The 50 or so attendees identified themselves in introductions as having come from not just the greater North Highline area but also points north and south, including West Seattle and even Federal Way.

LIQUOR CONTROL BOARD UPDATE: Lt. Woodrow Perkins opened with an update on Papa’s Pub (WCN broke the news earlier this week that the pub had proclaimed itself closed). They’ve been accused of five violations, he noted, mentioning the administrative-law hearing that was reported here yesterday, next Monday-Tuesday. He says their officers have tried to contact the owner and their perception is that there’s a chance they might reopen, though that couldn’t happen if they ultimately lose their license as a result of this process. Before GAME Lounge closed, he added, two liquor violations were filed against its owners. He also mentioned the Wah Long bar in Burien, which had been hit with three administrative-law violations. There was a hearing last October; the final decision is still pending but “pretty close,” said Lt. Perkins. In Burien, Wah Long has a new owner but that new owner does not have a liquor license at this point, he said. He also was asked about effects of I-1183, mentioning that statewide, there already are more than 100 applications for licenses to sell hard liquor (grocery stores, etc.). June 1st is the transition date.

KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CHANGES: Deputy BJ Myers had mentioned this at the last NHUAC meeting, and Major Jim Graddon went into more detail, saying that KCSO is moving to a “zone command” with captains in charge, rather than the historic “precinct” style. He will remain in charge at the city of SeaTac, though, Maj. Graddon said. “It’s an efficiency thing for the Sheriff’s Office; it’s a necessary thing to do,” he noted. “We’re in a time where we have to be smarter about the way we do things.”

WHITE CENTER STOREFRONT DEPUTY UPDATE: Next, Deputy Myers reviewed current trends/happening. He says Papa’s Pub’s closing “is definitely going to have an effect on crime in the downtown area.” Meaning, he said, some types of crime “are going to move to other bars. … We’re going to other bars and seeing some of the people we’d been running into at Papa’s.” Auto thefts are running higher than usual, he acknowledged, saying detectives are monitoring whether it’s a “statistical fluke” or whether something else is going on. Deputy Myers was asked about recent robberies, including the one earlier Thursday in South Delridge – while it resembled the MO, he said there were things that led them to believe it likely wasn’t the same people. … One member of the audience reminded everyone that it’s important to report ANYTHING that happens, so KCSO knows where to focus people, and Deputy Meyers underscored that, mentioning the online reporting system too. (If you want to report something online to King County Sheriff’s Office – the link is at the bottom of this page.)

GANG BRIEFING: The main event was a presentation by Detective Joe Gagliardi from the King County Sheriff’s Office. We recorded his entire briefing on video. It includes some obscenity, and many photos – of tags, of suspects, of gang names, things we don’t usually include in our coverage here on WCN (or on partner site West Seattle Blog), but we’re making an exception for a public presentation made by a law-enforcement officer who specializes in gangs. If you want to know the difference between gang graffiti and non-gang graffiti, how those giant tags wind up on walls alongside freeways, why the demographic makeup of gangs isn’t what you would think, and whether gang activity is really pervasive in this area – just watch:

Our video stops before the Q/A, but one thing was of note during it: Det. Gagliardi said the number of gang cases dropped by almost a third when Club Evo(lucion) in downtown WC “went away,” since while it was open, “we’d have 5, 6, 7 gang cases, easily.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Dan Carew spoke about the newly convened Suburban Coordinating King County Council on Gangs. They are doing a community gang assessment to figure out what the problem really looks like – going through data including demographics, law-enforcement stats, intelligence, incident reports, school surveys, community input and resources – “what do you think should be done?” There’s a survey you can take online – and they hope you will take a few minutes to complete it:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KCGang

BLOCK WATCH: Community activist Gill Loring spoke about how it works; he’s a Block Watch captain in his area of North Highline/White Center. “You get to know people,” for starters, talking with them; as a Block Watch captain, you gather information, interact with deputies, organize the annual Night Out neighborhood event. Deputy Myers said, “It’s one of the most effective and least costly forms of law enforcement in the nation.” The deputy said he wants to “encourage the strength of our Block Watch program.” He wants to hear from everyone who is already involved in a Block Watch to make sure he has accurate information. Gill said he’s talked to people who are “scared to get started” because they’re afraid it will “take too much time” – he says that’s a myth, it does not take that much time. An attendee also offered the reminder that Block Watches can be good for more than crime prevention – it also means that in case of disaster, like an earthquake, you can more easily join forces with your neighbors to deal with the situation.

WHAT’S NEXT: NHUAC council member Richard Miller also happens to be the chair of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, and he invited everyone present to attend its next meeting, 7 pm February 21st at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge and Webster). The next public-safety forum for NHUAC will be in May; they’re hoping to have them quarterly.

What’s the truth about gangs – more active? Less active? And what are the trends for other types of crimes? What can you do to protect your home/business? Tonight’s the night that North Highline Unincorporated Area Council has organized the first in a series of public-safety forums, and you can come get some answers. Guests include King County Sheriff’s Office/Burien Police Detective Joe Gagliardi with the gang-activity overview, and updates from other law-enforcement leadership including: Captain Joseph Hodgson – and Deputy BJ Myers from KCSO, plus Metro Transit Police Chief Maj. Lisa Mulligan. Hear from them all, and bring your concerns, to North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 SW 112th.

From North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin, the agenda for this Thursday’s public-safety forum:

7:00 pm Flag Salute

7:05 pm Greeting and Introductions

7:10 pm Police Reports and Updates:
• Captain Joseph Hodgson – King County Sheriff’s Office
• Deputy B.J. Myers – White Center Store Front Deputy
• Major Lisa Mulligan – Metro Transit Police Chief

7:30pm PROGRAM:
Detective Joe Gagliardi from King County Sheriff’s Office and Burien Police Department will offer an update and current state of gang activity in North Highline and surrounding communities

8:15pm DISCUSSION:
• Community Concerns
• Block Watch Update (how to get involved)

As with regular NHUAC meetings, this forum will be held at North Highline Fire District hQ, 1243 SW 112th.

One month after 24-year-old Jason Saechao was shot and killed at Seattle Roll Bakery in White Center, we are watching the case as it proceeds through the court system. After the arraignment of 25-year-old suspect Cu Van Truong on January 12th – here’s our coverage – the next step is a “case-scheduling hearing,” which now has been postponed twice; it was scheduled to happen one week ago today, then postponed till this past Monday, and court documents from that day indicate that it’s now been postponed until early March. Reasons cited in court documentation include: Defense attorney just “substituted in” to the case on January 27th, defense has only partial discovery (the process to find out what witnesses/evidence there is), defense lawyer is going on vacation for ten days.

Talking about public safety is always timely – but in light of a few recent incidents, it’s an especially good time for a reminder that the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council is planning a forum on Public Safety in just two weeks. King County Sheriff’s Office storefront Deputy B.J. Myers has sent a reminder that it’s at 7 pm February 9th at North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 SW 112th, with the evening including:

Guest Speaker: Detective Joe Gagliardi from the King County Sheriff’s Office and Burien Police Department Gang Unit will discuss what residents of White Center should know about gangs. Det. Gagliardi is one of the region’s foremost experts on criminal street gangs and has spoken in schools, courts, and community centers throughout King County. After serving with the Fairfield (CA) Police Dept., Det. Gagliardi has been working in White Center and Burien for years, making him uniquely knowledgeable about local gang issues.

Involvement: The Block Watch program will be highlighted and residents will be encouraged to get connected.

Forum: A discussion with Deputy BJ Myers about how to keep White Center safe and feeling safe.

That’s exactly one week after NHUAC’s next monthly meeting.

9:16 PM: Thanks to those who tipped us about a major King County Sheriff’s Office presence just south of the White Center business district. Deputies were at Pawn Pros, where an employee’s spouse tells us the store was robbed tonight for the second time in less than two months, reportedly by six robbers, armed with “guns and bats.” No word of arrests so far.

10:09 PM: Channel 4 quotes KCSO as saying four men robbed the store, takeover style, and that they’re reviewing surveillance video. The TV account says one employee was hurt; our tipster’s spouse “got hit with (a) bat on the shoulder,” per the Twitter report.

12:49 PM WEDNESDAY: King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says detectives are still working on getting that surveillance video. The only descriptions of the four robbers, she says, are that they were “black males” who got away on foot, with “an unknown amount of jewelry and cash.” At least one had a gun, the others had baseball bats, and they ordered everyone in the shop to get down on the ground.

Sorry it’s taken so long, but that’s the challenge with holiday weekends … We received several questions from White Center and Highland Park about helicopter activity on Saturday night. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says today that Guardian One was up while trying to help solve a “beer theft” from the White Center Mini-Mart. No luck catching the suspect/s, though. (We are following up to seek more details about the theft.)

11:25 AM UPDATE: From Sgt. West, more information about the theft case: Deputies were on “random foot patrol” in the WC business district just before 11 pm Saturday when, according to the report, they:

…observed two males, late teen’s in age running diagonally from the SE corner of 16th / Roxbury toward the Tri-Angle Pub. One of the males was carrying what appeared to be a six pack of what I assumed to be alcohol.

Believing the nearby White Center Mini Mart at 1505 Sw Roxbury had been the victim of a beer theft, I ran to the business to check things out. Deputy kept visual contact with the two subjects who were still running north on 16th Sw from Roxbury.

As I approached the front door of the Mini Mart, the owner and clerk approached the door and pointed in the direction I observed the males running. I aske if he’d been a victim of theft, specifically beer and he said yes. Upon obtaining this information, I immediately radioed who was now in foot pursuit of the two subjects.

As the subjects ran, they dropped one 16 oz can of beer at the alley just west of the White Center Mini Mart.

I ran in the general direction of deputy and caught up with him near the 9100 block of 16th Sw; just south of Sw Henderson St within the City of Seattle.

The subjects were last seen just south of Sw Henderson St and had cut back west into several condominiums and apartment units within the block between Sw Barton and Sw Henderson Streets.

An area check for the subjects was conducted utilizing Guardian One and other foot units in the area. The subjects were not located and believed to be in one of several homes in the area.

The two subjects were described as follows:

1-Black male, late teens, 5-10, 140 wearing a black beanie, brow hooded jacket, and jeans.

#2-Unk race male, possibly light skinned black or Hispanic, 5-8/5-10, 135, black baseball cap with gold logo, black or dark colored jacket, jeans and white shoes. This subject was observed with the stolen beer in hand at time of on-view.

The second male suspect was wearing some form of hood up covering his head and face. This was determined via store surveillance system.

We’re at the King County Courthouse downtown, where Cu Van Truong has just made his first appearance to answer the charge of first-degree murder in last month’s shooting at Seattle Roll Bakery. Truong is 25 years old and accused of murdering 24-year-old Jason Saechao in what court documents describe as an argument over jewelry and romance. Family members of the victim filled two rows in the courtroom.

During this morning’s brief hearing, Truong pleaded not guilty. Famliy members gasped and sobbed upon first sight of him walking into the glass-walled-off hearing area a few yards away from where they sat. Afterward, the victim’s aunt, Maeseng Chao, spoke with the media on behalf of the family, saying that today’s court hearing was the first time she had seen the victim’s mother cry. She said that they are having difficulty understanding why this happened, but she personally has faith in the justice system. We will add video from today’s hearing when we are back at HQ.

11:11 AM: We have added two video clips – first the hearing itself, less than two minutes long, which ended with a date set of January 26th for Truong’s next court appearance. The second is Jason Saechao’s aunt’s statement outside the courtroom after the hearing.

25-year-old Cu Van Truong will be in court on January 12th to answer a charge of first-degree murder. That charge was announced this afternoon by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which says Truong shot and killed 24-year-old Jason Saechao at Seattle Roll Bakery in the 9800 block of 16th SW early Wednesday. Truong remains in jail, with bail set at $1 million. We’re reviewing court documents now for additional details beyond what was contained in the “probable cause” documents, summarized in our report yesterday following the bail-setting hearing, and will add whatever we find.

ADDED 2:29 PM: New details – Investigators say three people were there, besides the suspect and victim. The charging documents detail the story that investigators were originally told about the shooting happening in the course of a robbery. One of the witnesses said that Saechao “had been badmouthing Cu around town and that Saechao said he wanted to apologize to him for doing that. (She) said she went to the bakery with Saechao and that (another witness) was already there working. She said Cu called her and she put Saechao on the phone so he could apologize. She said Cu arrived at the bakery and that Saechao and Cu went outside and argued. She said they came in and that Cu shot Saechao. She said she initially lied about the shooting because before Cu left the bakery after the shooting, he threatened to harm anyone who said anything.”

The documents go on to say that the other witness “was called back to the scene” and re-interviewed after being told the new story about what happened. At that time, he changed his story and said it had to do with a relationship between him and the aforementioned female witness, who he had been dating while Saechao was in jail. The argument, this witness said, started with a necklace that his mother was paying for but that he said Saechao took from “as payback for being with (the female witness),” according to the court documents. When Truong showed up the morning of the shooting, documents say, he “told Saechao to ‘Give his little homie back his necklace’,” at which time the male witness reportedly told Truong to stay out of his business.

As Truong and Saechao continued to argue, prosecutors say, “Truong turned and pulled a handgun from his waistband and began shooting at Saechao. (The male witness) said it looked like Truong shot Saechao first in the leg and that he walked to the side of Saechao and shot him several more times and finally in the head.” (Court documents say the autopsy showed Saechao was shot four times.)

After detailing how the witnesses decided to make up the robbery story because Truong threatened them, the male and female witnesses told investigators that Truong had left the bakery in a ’90s 500-series white BMW.

Detectives found that car at Truong’s sister’s house, which was put under surveillance, and when three people got into it and left, it was stopped, and Truong was arrested.

Subsequently interviewed by detectives, he denied being at the bakery that morning, denied shooting Saechao, and said he doesn’t carry guns. His sister, though, said she had seen him with one about a month ago. She also said she got a phone call from one of the witnesses at 7 am that morning saying that Truong had killed Saechao. At that point, the sister said, she called her brother, who said he was in the High Point area (where he lives) and asked her to pick him up, but she said she never asked him about what the female witness had told her in the earlier call.

Truong’s record is described in court documents as three robbery convictions in 2006, a conviction for false reporting in 2006, one for residential burglary in 2003, and one for taking a motor vehicle in 2003.

Since the court documents mentioned the victim having been in jail, ostensibly recently, we checked on that: King County Jail online records show he was there for about a month, released on December 22nd, and had three other month-long stays in KCJ earlier in the year, mostly on drug charges.

4:17 PM: Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office – after a hearing this afternoon in Kent, bail is set at $1 million for the 25-year-old West Seattle man who is jailed in connection with yesterday morning’s deadly shooting of 24-year-old Jason Saechao at Seattle Roll Bakery in White Center. We aren’t identifying the suspect until and unless charges are filed; tomorrow is the deadline for the KCPAO to either file charges or let him go. We’ll be adding more information shortly from the court documents that we’ve also received in connection with the case.

ADDED 4:36 PM: The summary from those documents – which, we’ll warn you, gets somewhat graphic: Read the rest of this entry »

1:10 PM: Just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

The homicide that occurred at a Seattle bakery in the 9800 block of 16 Ave SW just after midnight was the result of a dispute that had occurred earlier in the week and was not a robbery as initially reported.

An employee of the bakery had a dispute with the victim earlier in the week. Last night the employee, the victim and several other people were at the bakery. The suspect, who is known to both the victim and the employee, went to the bakery and confronted the victim about the earlier dispute. During the argument, the suspect pulled out a handgun and shot the victim multiple times. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses initially told the police it was a robbery because they feared the suspect would come back and retaliate.

The suspect was arrested at approximately 0930 this morning in the area of SW 116 and 1 Ave SW.

King County Jail online records show a man booked less than an hour ago for investigation of homicide. We’re checking into his background. Sgt. West says the man arrested in this case is 25 years old.

ADDED 3:02 PM: According to a note shared with WCN, White Center merchants have banded together to buy flowers and make a sign of support for the Seattle Roll Bakery family, who had to get right back to work because wholesale customers are counting on their bread.

ADDED 4:13 PM: The homicide suspect booked earlier was from a different case; the suspect in this one was booked into jail about an hour ago. Online records indicate he has some criminal background, including juvenile cases; so far we’ve found auto-theft- and burglary-related charges. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he will have a bail hearing on Thursday.

ADDED 6:11 PM: The King County Medical Examiner identifies the victim as 24-year-old Jason Saechao, and says he died of multiple gunshot wounds.

12:21 AM: According to scanner information, there’s been a shooting in the 9800 block of 16th SW in White Center, one person described as having been shot in the head. The King County Sheriff’s Office is asking for Seattle Police help in the search for a man in a black mask armed with a 9 millimeter gun, last seen headed north on 16th SW (toward West Seattle). That’s all we know so far.

12:40 AM: We have a crew headed to the scene, and Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West has announced via Twitter that she is going there too.

1:49 AM: KCSO Sgt. West confirms that the victim, a man in his 20s, was killed. The shooting apparently happened during the robbery of an open-all-night business she described as a sandwich shop (listings for the address, 9828 16th SW, are for Seattle Roll Bakery, known for its banh mi sandwiches), and she says the victim was one of at least three employees in the shop at the time.

5:05 AM: TV stations are live in downtown WC for their morning newscasts. So far, no new information beyond what we had reported as of three hours ago. Sgt. West promised an update later this morning when she gets new information from detectives, who are still on the scene right now.

NOON: No new official information from KCSO; Sgt. West sent an update basically saying she’s still working with detectives to see what can be made public.

King County Sheriff’s Deputies are seeking three male suspects in what spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West describes as “a shoplift that turned into a robbery” last night. She says the three went into the state Liquor Store in the 9800 block of 15th SW, and then: “The clerk saw one of the suspects grab two bottles of liquor and exit the store. The clerk gave chase and caught up to the suspects on 14 Ave SW. A fight ensued and one of the suspects struck the clerk in the head with one of the bottles, knocking him down. One of the suspects implied a firearm but it was never seen. … Only descriptions right now are 2 white males and a black male. The black male had a black puffy coat, and black football jersey with #82.”

After the DEA search in downtown White Center earlier this week, news emerged (first reported yesterday afternoon by PubliCola) of a disturbance on Saturday night. From King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West:

On 11-12-11 at approximately 1130 pm, it looks like there was possibly a party at the GAME establishment that had a large number of youth in attendance. We had deputies patrolling the area. According to the police report, a couple of our deputies heard 2 gunshots coming from the area of 16th St between 9600-9800 blocks. The deputies went to the area where they heard the shots and saw that there were approximately 75-100 juveniles in the area. Some were coming out of the GAME establishment. The group of juveniles had separated and were posturing in the street, flashing gang signs and yelling. Deputies did not locate any victims. SPD had arrived to assist also.

(About an hour later) deputies heard several more shots, coming from the area of 15th-16th and Roxbury. It appears bullets struck the wall of the Walgreens, and a business identified as Pure Drop Water Purifier received damage to the buildings and glass at the business had been shattered. No suspects at this time.

If you haven’t already seen it on our partner site West Seattle Blog, we’ve obtained and reported on the search-warrant affidavit related to the Tuesday raid on the GAME Collective lounge in White Center.