White Center Now: The blog about White Center

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.

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.

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.”

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.

(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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges against 67-year-old Ranjel Joaquin, a convicted sex offender arrested at Steve Cox Memorial Park two weeks ago. The charging documents allege that Joaquin tried to get a 10-year-old girl to go into a wooded area with him, and then exposed himself to her. The girl’s mother called 911 while following him through White Center and taking photos, but he took off as deputies arrived. A detective following up on the case circulated the photos, and a colleague recognized Joaquin from another recent incident in which he was engaging in indecent exposure. Further investigation revealed additional similar arrests, as well as an extensive multi-state history of similar offenses. Police started looking for him and found him at Steve Cox park, watching children. They took him in for questioning and eventually arrested him. He is now charged with luring, indecent exposure, and failure to register as a sex offender. Joaquin remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

No arrests yet in a shooting Monday afternoon in North Shorewood, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office. It happened just after 3:30 pm Monday in the 2600 block of SW 110th. KCSO would only say it happened “in or near a garage of a home” and that one person was shot. The area resident who sent the photo said it appeared the victim was a woman and that firefighters/medics said she was critically injured. If you have any information, the KCSO case number to refer to when reporting it is C22027189.

One week ago tonight, 64-year-old North Highline resident Dory Larsen was killed in Burien when a man driving a stolen car ran a red light and hit her. The driver who killed her, 25-year-old Mohamed Tayib, is now charged with three felonies – vehicular homicide, hit and run, and reckless driving. Charging documents say a Burien Police officer was trying to pull Tayib over when he ran the red light and hit Ms. Larsen’s car; Tayib caught the officer’s attention with screeching tires and running a red light at 4th Avenue South and 128th, continuing eastward. The officer activated his lights and, prosecutors say, was behind Tayib when he ran the 1st/128th light, his stolen Subaru Outback smashing into Ms. Larsen’s Ford Fiesta as she drove northbound on 128th. A third car was hit before Tayib pulled into a nearby gas station, where he and another man got out of the car and tried to walk away; a bystander stopped them until the officer caught up. Dispatch subsequently confirmed the Subaru had been stolen in Seattle the day before. Ms. Larsen died at the scene; no one else was seriously hurt. Tayib was booked into jail and remains there, bail set at half a million dollars. Earlier this year, he served time for a five-count conviction including residential burglary and two counts of car prowling; the charging documents say his record also includes assault, theft, hit-and-run, DUI, and speeding

Thanks for the tip. The King County Sheriff’s Office says one person was injured last night in a shooting. They got a 911 call about possible gunfire in the 10700 block of 16th SW around 11 pm; the 911 log says the call came from the Windemere Estates apartment complex. They found a victim with a gunshot wound to their arm. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center. No arrest reported – if you have any information, the KCSO incident number is C22024158.

Thanks for the tips. The big emergency response at 15th and Roxbury earlier this afternoon was because of a shooting. The King County Sheriff’s Office tells us the gunfire involved “two separate groups … possibly juveniles.” One person was injured – a bystander hit in the leg, taken to St. Anne’s in Burien for treatment. No arrests so far, but KCSO is “pursuing leads.” If you have any information, the case number is #C22023208.

(Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

The White Center Food Bank was hit by burglars over the holiday weekend. We got a tip about this on Tuesday and inquired; here’s the info we received today in response:

Over the 4th of July holiday weekend, the administrative area of the White Center Food Bank was broken into and burglarized.

We lost computers, tools, grow lights for our garden, headphones, other electronics, and more that we are still trying to sort out.

Please keep an eye out for anyone selling or dumping these items and please let us know at admin@whitecenterfoodbank.org.

This is heartbreaking for a non-profit food bank with the sole intent of serving our neighbors, but we know we will get through it with our community’s support. We are filing an insurance claim, but if you wish to support the recovery of stolen items, we have set up a ‘Theft Recovery Fund’ designation on our donation website: https://whitecenterfoodbank.networkforgood.com

12:57 AM: 1 person was reported to have been shot at the Roxbury Safeway a short time ago, and deputies quickly took a suspect into custody, reporting they had also seized a gun. No other information so far.

10:53 AM: The case was transferred to Seattle PD, after a determination that the primary scene was on their side of the city-limit line; we’ve added information from them to our coverage on partner site West Seattle Blog.

Tuesday evening, police arrested four north-end bank-robbery suspects in White Center and South Park. It was a relatively lengthy helicopter-assisted operation, and the Guardian One crew has released video this past hour showing how it unfolded.

8:28 PM: This is just developing now along 16th SW in White Center – according to emergency-radio traffic, King County Sheriff’s Deputies were pursuing a vehicle (we don’t yet know why) and, after use of the PIT maneuver, it ended with collisions reported on 16th SW – one around SW 104th and another around SW 100th. We’re on our way to find out more. In the meantime, if you have to go through White Center, avoid that stretch of street.

8:44 PM: Photo above is from the scene at 16th/100th. Road closures start there/southward. So far, we’ve learned only that this began with an incident in SeaTac. A suspect is in custody. Major Crimes detectives are responding, so this will be an active scene for some time.

9:17 PM: Added photo from 104th scene. Deputies at the scenes aren’t commenting but we just talked by phone with KCSO Capt. Tim Meyer. He says they started chasing the suspect as a “followup to an open and active investigation from a couple days ago” and that the 104th collision happened during the pursuit, with the suspect’s vehicle coming to a stop at the WC Starbucks. Capt. Meyer said two people were taken to hospitals – one to St. Anne in Burien, one to Harborview Medical Center.

9:54 PM: Going back through archived radio exchanges from the start of the pursuit, the only additional detail we can deduce is that the red pickup truck (partly seen in the photo above) is what the suspect was in, and that the deputy who started trying to pull him over recognized him from a “bulletin” that had been circulated regarding the earlier case.

Two crime reports:

ARMED ROBBERY: This was broadcast as an alert to Seattle Police as well as KCSO – a report that someone was held up at gunpoint by the White Center US Bank ATM on Friday night. Just one robber reported. No other details.

CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFTS: The photo and report are from Ron near 20th SW and SW 102nd:

I received a call from a neighbor that their catalytic converter was stolen at 2:05 AM Wednesday. I checked my cameras, and I got some pictures of the thief’s vehicle, a white SUV type, picture (above). While watching the video, I also saw them steal another neighbor’s catalytic converter. The sheriff’s office has been notified.