White Center Now: The blog about White Center

9:11 AM: We’re at the King County Courthouse, where Anthony Haroldlee Smith, charged with second-degree murder in the August 16th shooting of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi, has just appeared for arraignment. Two members of Sweetheart’s family were in the courthouse, but an advocate asked media reps – regional TV and radio were here too – not to photograph them. Smith has just pleaded not guilty, in a very brief hearing. The defense asked Judge Ronald Kessler to order the media not to photograph his face; the judge denied the motion, after a TV reporter (speaking for us all) pointed out that a surveillance video showing Smith (and two other, as yet not arrested, suspects) has already been widely shown.

ADDED 9:31 AM: Video of the entire hearing, picking up after the lawyers (without Smith present) made the photography-related motion, ending just before several names of witnesses were mentioned, in an order for Smith not to contact them.

By Tracy Record
Editor/co-publisher, White Center Now and West Seattle Blog

After two months of gathering petition signatures urging the King County Sheriff’s Office to restore a White Center-dedicated deputy, leaders of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council plan to present them to Sheriff Sue Rahr next week.

That’s what NHUAC members Pat Price and Christine Waldman told those in attendance Thursday night at the White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, back at its longtime location at St. James (9421 18th SW) – one of several major topics at the meeting.

When we talked recently with this area’s King County Councilmember Joe McDermott about the push to restore the deputy position, he pointed out that the ultimate decisionmaker is the sheriff herself – while McDermott and his council colleagues, as well as King County Executive Dow Constantine, craft and finalize the budget, the direct staffing and spending decisions for KCSO are made by Sheriff Rahr.

So Waldman and NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin plan to meet with her next Thursday to present the petitions, as well as lobbying the council and executive “to make sure to give her the money so she can fill that position” to get a dedicated sheriff’s deputy back to “community policing” on local streets.

If you haven’t signed the petition yet, there are copies in several White Center businesses, Waldman says, and you can sign the version posted online – just go here. As Waldman put it, the deputy in this position – like Deputies Jeff Hancock and the late Steve Cox, before – would “know what’s what, who’s the good guys, who’s the bad guys” and be “extra eyes” on the street. “We really need that in White Center.”

Read the rest of this entry »

A lot to talk about as the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meets tonight (6 pm, the former St. James Church at 9421 18th SW). It’s been nine days since the murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi at 15th/Roxbury, with one of three suspects in custody and charged so far. In addition, permit applications have been filed for the reopening of the ex-Club Evo as Club Reventón. Previously announced for the agenda, a guest appearance by the new interim principal of Chief Sealth International High School in West Seattle, Chris Kinsey (our partner site West Seattle Blog was first to interview him after the appointment was announced earlier this month). All are welcome to coalition meetings.

At the county courthouse this afternoon, leaders from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and King County Sheriff’s Office were part of a briefing about what no one seems to dispute is a resurgence in gang violence, particularly in South King County – a bonafide “gang war,” it was called.

Most of the talk before the County Council’s Law, Justice, Health and Human Services Committee focused on the shooting of 12 people at a car show in Kent one month ago, but certainly the fact a known gang member is jailed in connection with the White Center shooting death of Sweetheart Failautusi a week ago is part of the picture too (though that case was not brought up at all during the briefing).

It was more than a “here’s where things stand” briefing – it was a plea for resources to get out on the prevention end of the problem, rather than just “chasing gunfire,” as one participant put it.

Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg led off the briefing, saying there is a “war among rival Latino gangs in South King County” that is “likely to turn violent” whenever rival gangs’ members encounter each other. He also emphasized, “We have a serious gang problem … We no longer have the luxury of denying that. … Once the bullets start flying, it’s time for suppression.”

KCSO Deputy Chief Steve Strachan said, “Intervention and prevention does matter” too – though “aggressive” crimefighting and prosecution are called for as well. He said partnerships are invaluable in fighting a problem like this.

KCSO’s Det. Joe Gagliardi said that what used to be a problem in north King County has migrated south, and again reiterated that “predominantly Hispanic” gangs, “five or six” of them, are the main problem, though he cautioned, “all races are involved.” Even those who are Hispanic, he took pains to note, are natural-born citizens: “These are our children.” (That was stressed again later in the briefing – that citizens are the bulk of the problem, not illegal immigrants. And the “children” aspect was noted by Satterberg, calling it “heartbreaking” that some gang members are children of “hardcore” gang members who haven’t ever known anything else.)

Det. Gagliardi said the fights against rival gang members are “dictated by their (gang) culture,” even if they happen in “very public venues” like the Kent car show. He says gang members are coming here from Eastern Washington and California as well, sometimes because “injunctions” are in place where they used to be headquartered. (Asked later to elaborate, he said that our state’s law currently wouldn’t allow those, but it could be changed. Satterberg said those civil injunctions allow a lot of work but once in place allows police “a tool to use” in fighting gang activity.)

Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas was part of the group briefing councilmembers (the committee membership includes White Center/West Seattle Councilmember Joe McDermott). He talked specifically about the car-show incident. He talked of working with other area agencies that collectively have 20 detectives working on the problem of gang violence. They’re not just tackling the violence, but also looking at gangs as a “complex criminal enterprise” in a conspiracy mode, he said. He also mentioned a retailation shooting following the car-show incident, which involved what he called “multiple shooters.”

Chief Thomas said that the car-show investigation has a prosecuting attorney specifically assigned to it, and he thinks that would be helpful in other investigations. Elaborating on that point, at the request of County Councilmember Bob Ferguson, Satterberg agreed that it’s vital to have prosecutors support complicated investigations “from the beginning” – but also noted that a grant the county was using has just run out. “We desperately need some help,” he said, also pointing out that budget cuts have cost his staff 36 deputy prosecutors in the past 4 years. Asked if the gang-violence situation is a “crisis,” he replied, “We have an all-out war.”

It’s not just violence – Satterberg said gang members “are at the root of a lot of our property crime right now,” as younger members who might not yet be involved in dealing drugs are still involved in burglaries and thefts, for example. How much younger? The average age of gang members is 12-35, said Det. Gagliardi, but there are much older members, too. Removing the leaders as well as the active gang members is vital to making a dent in the problem, he said, as is educating parents about how to recognize the signs that their children might be involved with gangs. (Councilmember Kathy Lamberg suggested that perhaps videos could be put on YouTube to assist with teaching parents what those signs look like.) Overall, regarding prevention/enforcement, “this is not an either/or,” said Chief Strachan. Added PA Satterberg, “It’s a battle for the hearts and minds of young people.”

And it’s a battle that’s really only just begun, Satterberg said: “We’re at the beginning.”

COUNCIL SIDE NOTES: Councilmember Julia Patterson said, “This issue is very personal to me – (the car show shooting) happened in a mall where I shop at … I could have been there.” (She’s not on the Law and Justice Committee, but joined the meeting especially because the shooting happened in her area.) Councilmember Reagan Dunn said he’s going on a Gang Unit ridealong tomorrow.

Gang rivalry is alleged to have sparked the fight that led to the deadly Tuesday shooting of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi in White Center. That’s according to documents released by prosecutors after a bail hearing for the 25-year-old man arrested on Wednesday in Highland Park in connection with the murder. His bail was set at $1 million; the suspect waived his right to appear in person, so was not there. Next step in the case will be a King County Prosecuting Attorney decision on filing charges (Monday is the deadline), and of course two suspects remain at large – as the King County Sheriff’s Office noted in its official confirmation of the arrest. From the probable-cause documents, here’s what KCSO says happened after deputies heard gunshots and found the victim dead in the street:

… Detectives interviewed Sweetheart’s friends and learned that in the fight disturbance, Sweetheart and her friend had been in a physical altercation with a male who was later identified as [suspect] and his two friends. During this fight, a gun fell out of [suspect’s] waistband. The gun was recovered by one of [suspect’s] friends and the fight was over. [Suspect] had allegedly yelled “It’s not over, bitch, I’ll be right back” at Sweetheart. [Suspect] did return 36 minutes later with his two friends. [Suspect] then yelled ‘Bitch! F*** you!’ as he pulled out his handgun. [Suspect] reportedly did fire his gun three times and struck Sweetheart in the back of her head. …

As reported here and on partner site West Seattle Blog last night, a suspect is in jail in connection with the Tuesday morning shooting death of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi. This morning, the King County Sheriff’s Office has officially announced it via this news release:

Yesterday afternoon at around 4:30 PM, a 25-year-old man was arrested for his role in the White Center homicide that occurred early Tuesday morning.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, along with members of the TAC-30 SWAT team and the Gang Unit all assisted in the peaceful apprehension of this suspect at his home, which was not far from the shooting scene. The identification of the suspect was made through deputies and detectives that work the White Center area, along with tips generated through the release of the surveillance footage.

“The citizens and business owners of White Center were upset to hear of this tragedy in their area,” according to Major James Graddon, Commander of the Sheriff’s Office West precinct. “They have been working hard with us for many years to improve public safety in their neighborhoods. This incident will ultimately be resolved through the continued support of the community and the efforts of the deputies and detectives.”

There are still two suspects outstanding in this incident. Any information that the public may have on any of the three suspects is still needed. Tips may be phoned in to (206) 296-3311 or 9-1-1.

The King County Sheriff’s Office looked up WC crime trends in response to questions raised by the overnight murder. This is the only homicide so far this year – and the May 2010 shooting nearby, mentioned here earlier, was the only one last year. But overall calls for assistance are way up – read on for the information from KCSO: Read the rest of this entry »

Photo and report from WCN/WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz:

The 23-year-old victim’s name was Sweetheart, according to her cousin, Faatamalii Savea, who mourned Sweetheart at the memorial set up at the sidewalk berm outside of Bartell Drugs at 15th/Roxbury.

She told me “Sweetie” lived in the West Seattle neighborhood of High Point. Sweetie’s mother died of alcoholism four years ago; her father died in a car accident last year in downtown Seattle. She is survived by one sibling, a brother and a large extended family.

She also said Sweetie had an alcohol problem, which the family tried to help her with as much as they were able and that aside from that, she was a good person who lost a lot in the past few years. Sweetie, according to her cousin, could usually be found hanging out at the transit centers in WC and Burien.

For the latest on the investigation, see our report from this morning.

(UPDATED 11:42 AM with official news release from KCSO; scroll down to read it)

ORIGINAL 2:14 AM REPORT: Two TV stations have tweeted that there’s been a deadly shooting near the Bartell Drugs store in White Center. Here’s a photo from our friends at KING 5, which shows numerous King County Sheriff’s Office units on the scene. We are on our way to find out more.

2:32 AM UPDATE: Added a photo from our crew on the scene. 15th is blocked off, right in front of the drug store – the victim’s body is in the middle of the street. Media crews, including ours, have been told that someone from King County Sheriff’s Office will be out to provide official information.

2:50 AM: Patrick Sand, at the scene for White Center Now/West Seattle Blog, says Roxbury traffic is not affected, but deputies are putting up even more “crime scene tape” around the Bartell store. 15th is blocked from Roxbury to the DSHS building.

3:05 AM: We and the other media crews at the scene have just been briefed. Information thus far: The victim is a 22-year-old woman, not identified publicly yet. The first call received by KCSO was about a fight; deputies responded, checked it out, talked with the people involved, who said everything was OK. But deputies stayed close by, then while walking about a block away, heard shots just after midnight – and found the body. They say they have not found a weapon so far and have not arrested anyone; they know some of the people involved in the original scuffling, so they’re scouring the streets for them. They also said the victim was “known to (KCSO)” but would not elaborate on how or why, except to say she and her friends often hung out in that area. We have the briefing on video and will add it here when our crew gets back. This, by the way, is not far from the scene of the deadly shooting in May 2010.

4:01 AM: We’re adding a few more photos from the scene; also, here’s the briefing by Deputy Travis DeFries. Our apology for the video quality – this is therefore more valuable for hearing what he has to say, than seeing it!

We’ll continue following this up and will add new information as it emerges through the morning.

11:41 AM: Here’s the official news release from Deputy DeFries. Note that the victim’s age has changed to 23; otherwise, the details are mostly the same. Deputy DeFries also notes he is gathering WC homicide/violence stats for release later.

A 23-year-old female is dead and detectives are working leads in a shooting incident that occurred overnight in the White Center area of King County.

This morning, at about 12:20 AM, deputies were called to the area of SW Roxbury St. and 15th Ave. SW by a passing witness for a fight disturbance. When deputies arrived they met with a small group of females, including the now deceased victim of the shooting. Deputies were told that the disturbance was minor and that the other group, which consisted of 3 black males, had left the area. The group of women declined to speak further about the incident.

Deputies stayed in the general area and began to walk on foot to increase their visibility and to try to prevent further violence from erupting. Just before 1:00 AM these deputies heard several gun shots coming from the area of the original disturbance. When the returned they found the victim laying in the middle of 15th Ave. SW with at least one gunshot wound. Witnesses said that at least 2 of the original 3 black males had returned and one then fired on the victim. The suspects then fled the scene on foot.

At this point, no suspects are in custody and no weapon has been recovered. Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit are investigating. We have not been able to rule out if this was gang-related or not. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit will be assisting, as needed.

News release just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

Deputies found evidence of illegal dog fighting, including four pit bulls in unincorporated King County last weekend. One man was arrested in conjunction with the investigation.

The incident began on July 23rd about 3:00 AM. Deputies were called to a complex of duplex apartments in the 10600 block of Aqua Way South. Some of the units are empty and some occupied. A resident in one of the units heard footsteps in a unit that was supposed to be empty and called 9-1-1.

When deputies arrived they saw a man run from the supposedly empty apartment towards the rear of the complex. As deputies searched for the man, they went into a vacant apartment and found large quantities of both fresh and dried blood on the floor and walls. They also found two “bite sticks” typically used to pry open the mouths of fighting dogs to release the bite.

While searching for the man who ran, deputies came across two pit pulls secured to railings in a walkway. One appeared to be injured and was quite lethargic.

Deputies found an occupied apartment near the chained dogs and learned their suspect was in a back bedroom and possibly armed. When he refused to come out, the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team was called. After more negotiation, the man surrendered.

Two additional pitbulls were found in the apartment. All four were turned over to King County Animal Control.

The 26 year-old suspect was booked into the King County Jail on a felony arrest warrant for Escape from Community Custody. He is a convicted felon, including convictions for promoting prostitution, robbery, and felon in possession of a handgun. At this time he is still in jail.

Detectives believe the apartment unit was used for illegal dog fighting, and based on evidence recovered, prostitution activity as well.

The investigation of this incident is continuing, and charges are likely.

The monthly meeting of the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition is set for tonight, 6 pm, White Center DSHS building (upstairs) – your chance to hear about the latest trends, voice your current concerns, and join with other community members to make a difference.

12:35 PM: Thanks to Gill for the photos of law-enforcement officers at Asian Bubble Tea, 9835 16th SW. The officers in the photo are city of Seattle and state officers, but according to our friends at KING 5, this is all part of a string of raids around the region today, targeting alleged crimes including illegal cigarette sales. (UPDATE: Alleged food-stamp fraud is also being targeted here by federal investigators, according to KING’s update.) The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is leading the operation, which it describes as “a multiagency law enforcement operation conducted today involving the execution of multiple search warrants pertaining to the illegal trafficking of contraband cigarettes in Seattle and areas of Western Washington.”

ATF plans a media briefing shortly, and we expect to have more information after that.

ADDED 1:24 PM: Click ahead for the full text of the ATF news release: Read the rest of this entry »

Just in from Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff’s Office:

A Sheriff’s deputy suffered a severely broken wrist while chasing and trying to arrest a suspected drunk driver. The deputy went to the hospital and the driver escaped.

The incident occurred about 12:30 AM this morning (June 15th) in the White Center neighborhood of unincorporated King County.

The patrol deputy tried to stop a 1993 Cadillac DeVille for possible drunk driving. The car, with four people on-board, took off and refused to stop for lights and siren from the police car.

The chase lasted only a couple of minutes before the car suddenly pulled over and the driver took off running. However the deputy was hot-on-his-heels and managed to grab hold of his jacket. The man turned suddenly and the deputy went to the ground, fracturing his wrist. The suspect kept running. The other occupants of the vehicle were interviewed and released.

The deputy has been with the Sheriff’s Office for three years and is 52 years old. He was treated at Valley Medical Center and released.

The suspect is as a black male in his 30’s about 5’ 10” and 130 lbs. If anyone has information they are asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 or 9-1-1.

Our partners at the Seattle Times report that Vernon Walker, charged in the 2003 White Center murder of Darreion Roche (backstory here), is now in custody in Seattle, after years behind bars in Canada, fighting extradition. Walker was 18 years old when he allegedly shot and killed Roche following an argument that may have been related to drugs.

Joe lives in White Center and uses the Myers Way Park-and-Ride, which is in Seattle city limits. Earlier this week, his car was stolen from the P/R, and he asked if we would send out an alert to be on the lookout for it. Before we got a chance to publish it, he found out that his car had been recovered – on Delridge Way SW, across the street from the vacant Boren Middle School building. He said it’s “in pretty good shape … the stereo and car battery are gone but the windows and tires are still intact.”

Just in from WCN contributor Deanie Schwarz – More than 20 law-enforcement vehicles rushed to help a King County transit deputy after an attack attempt around 9:45 pm in White Center. A KC Sheriff’s Office supervisor told Deanie that the deputy tried to make a routine traffic stop, pulling over the vehicle in a business parking lot at 106th/16th. As the deputy approached the vehicle, the driver threw it into reverse, gunned it, and tried to run over the deputy, according to the KCSO supervisor. Deanie says the call for backup brought cars from Seattle, Burien, and Sound Transit as well as the Sheriff’s Office. The deputy wasn’t hurt; one arrest is reported, and three more people were detained for questioning.

Received a notice indicating the monthly meeting is on tonight as usual – 6 pm, White Center DSHS building between 14th and 15th SW just south of Roxbury, second floor. No agenda mentioned so far (we’re checking).

We have the court documents this morning in a case first reported last night by seattlepi.com – two suspects charged with drug violations in connection with what authorities call a “drug house” in the 10400 block of 8th SW. The charges are filed against 51-year-old Charles Whitney Nelson and his 54-year-old brother Vance Mclay (aka Martin Nelson).

According to court documents, the King County Sheriff’s Office first got a complaint about the house in August 2008; the suspected drugs were heroin and meth. They checked on the area and “contacted” people from time to time, including surveillance and two arrests in December 2008; after that, the court documents say, activity “declined” – till early 2010. June 30th of last year was a pivotal date, according to the charging papers; a deputy and detectives parked nearby, watched comings and goings, and started stopping and arresting people. Then they discovered a three-year-old boy was in the house, grandson of Charles Nelson. Checking inside, the KCSO team found what they summarized as “overwhelming filth, dangerous drugs and paraphernalia” and took the child into protective custody. They talked to Nelson and Mclay, who acknowledged the drug activity and promised to clean things up. They didn’t, according to numerous subsequent visits by law enforcement that are detailed in the court papers, and a raid last December netted 13 arrests.

Each brother faces two charges resulting from the court documents summarizing countless KCSO visits. King County Jail records show that Charles Nelson was in jail for a little more than one day after the mid-December raid; he has been jailed twice since then, once for about a day for a public-nuisance charge, once for half a day for criminal trespass. Mclay (Martin Nelson) also spent one day in jail after the mid-December raid, and half a day since then for criminal trespass. Both are reported to have criminal records going back into the ’80s.

From the King County Sheriff’s Office – a long-awaited program has launched:

The Sheriff’s Office has launched online reporting for a variety of crimes, suspicious circumstances, and traffic complaints.

The service is available to citizens living in unincorporated King County, as well as the 12 communities that contract for police services from the Sheriff’s Office. That’s over 500,000 people.

However, citizens who still want “human contact” can do so by telephoning the Sheriff’s Office Communications Center at (206) 296-3311. A deputy will come to the door if preferred.

➢ All emergencies must still be reported to 9-1-1!

“This new reporting system was developed for the convenience of folks who may not want to call in or wait for a deputy”, said Sheriff Sue Rahr. “It just gives citizens another option”, she added. Due to budget cutbacks, wait times for deputies in unincorporated King County have increased for incidents that are not emergent, Rahr said.

In addition, the new program allows crime victims to print a copy of their report which can be sent to their insurance company, if needed.

Some of the many crimes that can be reported through the Sheriff’s Office web site include vandalism, car prowls, thefts from vehicles or yards, identity theft, nuisance phone calls, as well as thefts of mail and bicycles. Burglaries and car thefts still require a visit from a deputy, but follow-up information after the initial report can be sent via the new system.

Reports of abandoned vehicles, suspicious activity, narcotic activity, and chronic traffic problems such as neighborhood speeding can be reported using the on-line system.

The link to view the complete list of what can be reported and other criteria is at www.ReportToSheriff.org.

On-line reporting and resource information is also available in Cambodian, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. By calling the Sheriff’s Communication Center, callers can be linked with a live translator for other languages.

Today the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged “Green River Killer” Gary Ridgway in the murder almost 30 years ago of Becky Marrero. She grew up in White Center, as noted here last Christmas. Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg writes in “The Prosecutor’s Post”:

Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) charged Gary Ridgway with Aggravated First Degree Murder for the death of 20-year-old Becky Marrero, whose remains were found in December of 2010 by three teenagers exploring a steep ravine near Auburn.

Marrero’s remains were discovered within 100 feet of an area that had been thoroughly searched by members of the King County Sheriff’s Office’s Green River Task Force in 2003. Ridgway had directed the Task Force to that area, among many others, during the five months he was interviewed by the Task Force. An exhaustive search of the area was conducted, but only the remains of another victim, Maria Malvar, were found at that time.

Ultimately, Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of Aggravated First Degree Murder in 2003. The plea agreement required Ridgway to plead guilty to the original seven charged counts and any and all future cases where his confession could be corroborated by reliable facts revealed by the investigation.

Ridgway confessed to killing Becky Marrero in 2003, but was unable to provide details of the crime. The PAO determined that there were not sufficient supporting facts to warrant a charge at that time. Prosecutors expect Ridgway to plead guilty to Marrero’s murder under the plea agreement.

This is not a death penalty case because it falls squarely within the agreement made in 2003. Seeking the death penalty would not only be difficult, it would be impossible under the agreement. When Norm Maleng made the difficult decision in 2003 to trade the death penalty for the truth about unsolved cases, he had cases like this one and families like the Marrero’s in mind.

Becky Marrero’s family was finally able to bury her after a church service this past weekend. They finally have answers. They have provided a proper burial, and with these charges and anticipated guilty plea, they will have achieved some level of justice for Becky.