White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

From fighting graffiti vandalism to forming block watches to learning where legal marijuana stands, about 40 people got a more-than-full serving of public-safety information last night at the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s quarterly forum.

Here’s how it went:

LIQUOR (AND MARIJUANA) CONTROL BOARD UPDATES

Tim Thompson from the Washington Liquor Control Board started off by warning he didn’t have much information about marijuana, referring to the I-502 rule-drafting process now under way (including public forums, with an updated schedule). You can get all the latest in this section of the WALCB website.

No specific current liquor cases were discussed. (If you need to contact Thompson to report a problem, 206-439-3739 or TAT@liq.wa.gov.)

Asked how privatization is going, he mentioned there are about 1,000 retailers now and still growing, at least over the next two years – “after that, we’re not sure where that’s going to go,” regarding the current restriction to spaces 10,000 square feet or more (unless it was a grandfathered ex-liquor store).

He mentioned that the trend of liquor thefts was on the wane; if you find any bottle locking mechanism disposed of – it can be tracked by matching it to the store from which it came, so contact the LCB (or other law enforcement).

MORE ABOUT MARIJUANA

What’s it like on the front lines, as a sanctioned recreational-marijuana industry forms, while the medical-marijuana industry forges forward?

Chris Cody of Herban Legends in downtown White Center said, “Up till now, it’s been very Wild West-y … I’ve done my best to be as conscientious as possible,” and he’s even been part of a coalition working on “cannabis standards and ethics,” which he says they are trying to convert into legislation in Olympia for a “more formalized system.”

He foresees that the medical-marijuana industry might go away completely as part of all this – and says that will be a shame because “if you think liquor is taxed now – ” he envisions even higher marijuana taxes.

“A lot of the places that are open now, (probably) won’t be open in a year.”

One attendee asked about testing standards at shops, saying she needs it for insomnia – she quit smoking marijuana 40 years ago “because it put me to sleep” and now that’s exactly the effect she’s looking for. She suggested that recreational users might appreciate analysis of the different strains’ contents and strength, too.

Asked where his supplies come from, Cody discussed the “collective gardens” with which they deal, and how he checks on what they use while growing.

In a wide-ranging Q/A, he was asked if major pharmaceutical companies are likely to jump into the marijuana business. He didn’t think so, unless it was reclassified at the federal level (where, despite legalization in our state and elsewhere, it remains illegal).

Overall, Cody believes, “This is going to be a boon for Washington – whether you like it or not – it’s going to bring people here from all over the world.”

Invariably, before the discussion ended, somebody asked if Cody had samples. Giggling ensued. NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin moved the agenda along.

GRAFFITI VANDALISM / “BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY”

Burien police Sgt. Henry McLauchlan, a 35-year veteran with the King County Sheriff’s Office, first marveled that he never expected to find himself following up a discussion about legal marijuana shops. He had praise for Cody trying to rationally and responsibly work through the issues.

Then – to the “broken windows theory” – the domino effect if one bit of vandalism or disrepair is left unattended to.

While examples of tagging were being shown, someone called out a certain prolific vandal’s name. “Gonna get that j*****s one of these days,” Sgt. McLauchlan laughed. He also mentioned that Facebook is a tagging-fighting tool – since the vandals “love to brag,” and the investigators know how to find what they post.

But the front-line defense is up to property/business owners:

“The only response you can have is to get it painted out as fast as possible,” he exhorted attendees. He also explained that taggers are showing off, but gang-graffiti vandals are marking their territory.

Veering off the track for a moment, he discussed the concept of responsibility – saying that gun control doesn’t seem to him a matter of how many guns you have, as long as you’re responsible and nobody else can “get their hands on them.”

Burien, for example, has an ordinance requiring people to clean up graffiti.

Some of the vandalized unincorporated-area properties photographed by NHUAC president Dobkin included the former Bernie and Boys, the former El Chalan/Wendy’s/Ezell on 16th, the old NAPA building, and some other sites in areas including Top Hat. “It just doesn’t bode well for a community,” Dobkin lamented. “And then people start (illegally dumping on the site) …” NHUAC councilmembers and volunteers have periodic paintouts, and also engage state Department of Corrections-provided crews are engaged by KCSO when possible.

What about property owners who are sent repeated letters about violations/concerns? County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who was on hand for the entire meeting, said it was complicated, once people wind up being summoned to court.

He was challenged by a community member who expressed frustration that “we’ve been putting up with this for years” (regarding the business properties) – at which point McDermott said he’s drafting a letter himself to contact the property owners (ostensibly the El Chalan site owners, listed as NB Partners LLC, which traces in county records to Mark and Tom Nickels).

Sgt. McLauchlan then recounted how he and his teams worked on shutting down muisance multi-family properties, and “It’s a nightmare.” He suggested, though, that publishing the names of the nuisance property owners might have some effect. How to go about that?

One attendee then said it was a shame that Burien annexation hadn’t passed, since that municipality has tougher laws than the county itself. Later, Sgt. McLauchlan went on to detail the difficulty of catching graffiti vandals in action. Is there another way for them to express their creativity? one person asked. One woman said she hopes to start a “White Center as an art zone.” campaign.

If you have graffiti problems – contact NHUAC for advice on how to handle it! (Lots of info on their site at northhighlineuac.org.)

DEPUTY MYERS’ UPDATES

White Center Storefront-based Deputy BJ Myers took the spotlight next. He says there’s been a high level of auto thefts for many months and one detective is now taking the lead on most of the investigations. He’s been analyzing patterns, seeing themes, and working on ways to catch the auto thieves before they steal the cars. Myers said “small groups of thieves stealing many cars” is what they believe they are seeing the most.

By the way – one way to reduce auto thefts, he suggested, is: Don’t leave your car idling while it’s warming up; one investigator “is getting tired of reading those reports!” Myers said.

Mail theft also has been high in the past month – but “we’ve also caught and identified some mail thieves,” as has Seattle Police‘s Southwest Precinct, said Deputy Myers, “so hopefully those numbers will start moving down.” In areas where are non-locking mailboxes, they’ll find “piles of mail at the end of the street,” he said.

He also shared detectives’ requests to document serial numbers on expensive items – electronics, tools, etc. Could be as easy as taking a photo of your items. And be sure to keep that photo – or the info, otherwise documented – someplace you can find it no matter what happens! And he talked about suspects who can be one-person crime waves, like someone who stole a car, then went and stole a lawn mower, and had committed about five thefts before he was caught.

“How did you catch the mail thieves?” Deputy Myers was asked. Answer: Somebody called in a tip, seeing someone looking in a mailbox that wasn’t theirs. He said that’s almost always the way it goes.

He mentioned the recent serial robberies; the robber is pretty well covered up, so it’s tough, but they’re working on it, Deputy Myers said, noting that nobody has been hurt – yet – and the heists have tended to happen late in the evening. The detectives in the Major Crime Unit are working on it. “I think we’re going to catch this guy,” he said.

BLOCK WATCHES

Burien Police Community Service Officer Nicki Maraulja brought longtime volunteers Patty and Pam to talk to the group about how Block Watches work; they are members of the Burien Citizens’ Patrol: “It starts small but has a big impact.”

They mentioned North Highline’s late Barb Peters as an example of somebody “so involved” in their local community, full of personal responsibility.

The size of a “block” for a Block Watch is not necessarily rigorously defined, the volunteers said. They talked about time-proven tacics of dealing with possible suspicious folks in the neighborhood – go up to them, talk to them, ask them how they’re doing. She also advocated setting up websites or groups for neighborhoods.

But first – be sure you have a block watch! Asked how many people in the room have one, close to half of the 40 or so raised their hands. The unincorporated area has about 25; Burien has more than 120.

One person suggested they might set a goal of doubling the number of block watches this year.

Informational booths at community events “are a great way to reach out to your neighbors,” too, the volunteers had.

If some neighbors don’t want to participate – don’t let that stop you, they urged. “Just do it.”

Officer Maraulja said, “It’s fun,” and the volunteers mentioned Night Out, getting together wth your neighbors, etc.

E-mailing her is the best way to organize a Block Watch.

“The more people you have watching out for each other, the better – don’t wait till something happens.”

FINAL WORDS

Sgt. McLauchlan said the four most important words on the topic of public safety are:

AWARENESS – it’s simple, if you’re not awareness of your surroundings, you can’t help your neighbors, you can’t help yourself.

AVOIDANCE – Be the eyes and ears (though don’t get TOO involved, and don’t confront a criminal – “that’s why you have 911.”

KNOWLEDGE – that’s a Block Watch, a Crime Prevention meeting, “a lot o things’ – including personal responsibility. (and call 911 when you see something suspicious)

PREPARATION – work together – put together Block Watches – make this work for you – if you do, “it’s going to make this a lot nicer place to be.

Thursday, May 2nd, is the next forum, location TBA, with a guest lineup topped, says NHUAC president Dobkin, by Sheriff John Urquhart.

As we first reported here and here), a serial robber has been at work in the White Center area – and further north, with last Wednesday’s holdup at the 30th/Roxbury 76 station. Today, the King County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance photos, with this information:

SUSPECT DESCRIPTION:

*Black, 35- 40 years of age, 5’11” – 6’0”, medium build
*Had darker black patch of skin under left eye
*Long, narrow face, Deep voice

The above-pictured suspect robbed four mini marts between January 11 and February 1, 2013.

His MO is to display a black semi-automatic handgun, possibly a Glock, and demand cash from the register. If you have information regarding the possible identity of the suspect, please contact the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311.

We are checking with KCSO to see if the photos are available in any higher resolution/size.

P.S. Remember that the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council’s Public Safety Forum – including an update on local crime trends, certainly including this case – is just two days away, Thursday at 7 pm at the Boys and Girls Club in Greenbridge (9800 8th SW).

3:01 AM: King County Sheriff’s Office deputies converged on the 30th/Roxbury 76 station Wednesday night, investigating a reported armed robbery. This area has had other robberies lately, on the Seattle side of the boundary – at the 35th/Roxbury strip mall, a beverage/tobacco shop was held up a week and a half ago, and at nearby Roxhill Park, two recent armed robberies were reported – with middle-schoolers the victims.

UPDATE: KCSO Sgt. Patrick McCurdy says this might be linked to other robberies in the county: They believe the same robber hit the Texaco and Zip Mart (in White Center) “within the last week to week and a half.” They think he got away in a car but don’t have a description of it yet. The robber is described as a black man in his late 30s to early 40s, medium build, 5’10”, 190 pounds, and Sgt. McCurdy adds, “In all of the circumstances, the suspect had his face covered, probably with a bandana. One of the robberies occurred in the early morning hours (around 4:00 am or so), and the other two occurred close to 10:00 PM. In all robberies, the suspect displayed a small black semi-automatic handgun.”

Though the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One – used by law-enforcement agencies besides KCSO, including Seattle Police – is in the shop, the department still has one to use if it needs to. So replied KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West when we followed up on this announcement (which included the photo above):

Earlier today, our Guardian One helicopter was preparing to respond to a burglary in progress and was damaged during the warmup phase. The pilot was preparing the helicopter for lift off. Due to an unknown cause, the helicopter became unstable on a dolly and was damaged. No injuries were reported. The FAA responded to conduct an investigation and has released the helicopter to the Sheriff’s Office for repairs. The Sheriff’s Office will also be conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident and amount (of) damage sustained.

But no, they’re not grounded, Sgt. West reassured WCN: “We do have a backup helicopter and we are still fully functional.”

We received multiple inquiries this morning about what looked like some type of SWAT operation near 12th and 107th – with a loud explosive-type sound at one point. Here’s what we were able to find out from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West: She says detectives served five search warrants this morning, including that one, plus one near the 1600 block of SW 116th in north Burien, and the other three at residences in Federal Way and Renton as well as a storage facility near Renton. Sgt. West adds: “The focus was a narcotics ring involving family members … several people were arrested, some guns and money were recovered, as well as quite a few ounces of cocaine and some heroin.” One of the neighbors we heard from says a deputy told him the explosive sound was a “flash-bang” device often used in such situations to startle occupants and assist officers with carrying out the operation safely. Sgt. West hopes to get more information tomorrow.

(SPD, KCSO cars near the scene)
Thanks to those who tipped us about Seattle Police out in force on the White Center side of 16th and Roxbury – and beyond. They’re involved right now with a robbery investigation involving the gold-buying store on the southwest corner of the intersection. Though that store is on the county side, the call apparently came first to SPD, according to King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West, who says this is all still unfolding, so full details won’t be available till later. A vehicle description went out and SPD wound up involved with stopping that vehicle in Burien, around 139th and Ambaum, where, Sgt. West says, at least two people are in custody. More later.

Less than a week after Seattle Police stopped West Seattle package-theft suspects in White Center, the King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting arrests for the same type of crime. Deputy B.J. Myers reports two people were arrested in Shorewood, in the 10700 block of 26th SW, around 9 o’clock this morning. They were seen “looking in mailboxes along 26th SW,” according to Deputy Myers, who describes them as a 31-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman. He adds:

Just before deputies arrived, the witness watched the suspects take packages from a porch and begin walking away. When the marked KCSO vehicle came around the corner, the suspects threw the packages over a wooden fence hoping they would avoid arrest. The suspects were arrested and the stolen property was returned to the owner. The US Postal Service also sent out an investigator to coordinate with KCSO. It is unknown at this time if these two suspects are involved in any other mail or package thefts.

As we reported Monday on partner site West Seattle Blog, three of the four men SPD arrested last Friday at 16th/Roxbury were released from jail the next day, while Seattle city prosecutors continue investigating that case.

FIRST REPORT, 11:31 AM: We received multiple reports of gunfire heard in the early morning hours – and finally have some information, via a reader report. A neighbor writes:

In the middle of the night last night (midnight), 4 gunshots heard in front of my house on 14th Ave SW. Cops came within minutes, helicopter circled, neighbors all outside found nothing, and we went back inside. Around 2 am, 7 more shots. This time the cops were here hiding outside, and they say it was an AK47. It hit a nearby house, and the bullets went through 4 walls before lodging in the shower.

The neighbor, who is south of 114th, says deputies have been back and report no arrests yet, but last night, the deputies said they thought the suspects had headed north, and that they believe the specific residence was targeted. We have messages out to try to find out more directly from KCSO and will update with anything we get.

UPDATE, 9:29 PM: KCSO’s Sgt. Cindi West has been looking into this for us and here’s what she reports:

About 12:02 AM, numerous residents in the 11400 block of 14 Ave SW reported hearing shots. Deputies and Guardian one responded to the area and did not locate any victims or suspects. A couple people reported hearing a vehicle speeding away from the area.

1:58 AM – more 911 calls reporting shots in the same area. Deputies were in the area and heard the shots. One house in the area was struck multiple times. At least one of the bullets went into the interior living area of the house. One person was at the house at the time of the incident. No one was injured.

At around 4:18 AM, we received two more 911 calls of people hearing shots. The callers were calling from the area of the 200 block of SW 108th and 500 block SW 106th. No reports of injuries or damage on this one right now.

We do not know what kind of weapon it was. We did not catch anyone and we will have to process the evidence recovered on the second call to see what we find. One deputy reported that he thought it sounded like a rifle.

We don’t know at this time why that specific house was hit or if it was specifically targeted.

(STORY UPDATED WEDNESDAY with information on suspect’s record)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:58 PM: A helicopter’s been seen over the area, and we believe it’s linked to a stabbing reported at 13th/100th in White Center. According to King County Sheriff’s Office via Twitter, the suspect is the victim’s son.

6:14 PM: Lots of officers – and media – there, our crew reports, including KCSO media liaison Sgt. Cindi West, so we will have updates from her shortly. She had reported originally that the victim was undergoing CPR. This is at the Unity Village complex that opened a year ago.

6:18 PM: Sgt. West (above) says the victim is dead. She is 69 years old and lived at the complex. Her 42-year-old son is the suspect; he reportedly was visiting, and Sgt. West says he is the one who called 911 to report he had stabbed his mother.

11:59 PM: The suspect has been booked into the King County Jail. A quick check of court records shows that his background includes assault and domestic-violence cases. Court paperwork is not available at this hour, though, so we don’t know if any prior cases involved his mother.

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: So far, the cases we have reviewed included guilty pleas to assaults on a jail guard and a 75-year-old landlady – these in the past few years. In the court documents for the latter case, a girlfriend was quoted as describing the suspect as “paranoid schizophrenic,” and there are other documents mentioning mental-health commitment situations.

Two men are being sought for a robbery, rape, and assault reported at a home in Top Hat, according to our partners at The Seattle Times. The two are reported to have attacked a man outside the home, then forced their way in, raped a woman, and ransacked the house before getting away. No word on the victims’ conditions; we’ll be following up with the King County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating. This is reported to have happened in the 10800 block of 6th S., which is part of unincorporated North Highline (though it was widely and erroneously reported by regional media last night as being in Burien).

Just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office:

Following a change in filing by the King County prosecutor’s office, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies will not be directed to arrest or charge individuals caught with one ounce or less of marijuana following of the passage of I-502.

Earlier today the King County Prosecutor’s Office made a prosecutorial decision to dismiss several cases of marijuana possess. “Now that the initiative has passed, and now that the Prosecutor’s Office won’t be charging the individuals, we will also not focus on behavior that will be legal under Washington State law after Dec. 6th” said King County Sheriff Steve Strachan.

There are 12 municipalities that contract with the Sheriff’s Office for police services. It remains the policy decision of the municipal attorneys and policy makers of those cities to determine how they will proceed between now and Dec. 6th. This decision only affects the deputies working in unincorporated King County.

King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says two people were reported to have suffered critical injuries in a North Burien crash early Sunday. At 9 am at SW 120th and Ambaum, she says, a green Ford Ranger failed to make the curve on northbound Ambaum near 12th SW and hit the curb, a street light pole, and tree. The victims are a 62-year-old Burien man and a 45-year-old Federal Way woman.

We got a note from Beth in Shorewood, asking about a search that her neighbors heard might involve “a man with a gun.” King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says it started around 4:30 pm when deputies tried to stop “two suspicious subjects … in the area of 117th/Ambaum. Apparently when they were attempting to pat one of them down deputies saw a gun in his waistband. The subject ran. We are looking for him. I understand we know who he is and he is NOT a convicted felon.” So that’s what the search is about. No reports of any injuries related to this.

(Photos by Patrick Sand for White Center Now and West Seattle Blog)
10:57 AM: There’s a report of a man hit by a bus at 16th and Roxbury, and police/fire crews are rushing that way. Updates shortly.

11:04 AM: Though this was originally dispatched for Seattle crews, it’s on the county side, so King County Sheriff’s Office deputies are handling, per scanner traffic.

11:19 AM: Southbound on 16th and eastbound on Roxbury are blocked. Our crew at the scene says the bus (a Route 128) was still stopped at the scene as of a few minutes ago. The man who was hit, meantime, apparently came into contact with the bus rack. His injuries are not described as major but he is being taken to a hospital to be checked out.

11:46 AM: Metro has sent an alert saying the 120 is rerouted off eastbound Roxbury because of this.

1:24 PM UPDATE: As of about 1:15, investigators still had eastbound Roxbury blocked off from 15th to 17th. Westbound is open and 16th is fully open. The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating; spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says the bus was southbound on Delridge turning left to go eastbound on Roxbury; the man who was hit, in his early 30s, was crossing Roxbury northbound southbound* in the crosswalk when the bus hit him.

*New information Wednesday from KCSO.

Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog– a bulletin tonight from King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cindi West:

30 Year old Emanuel Kozma was arrested tonight around 6:30PM in the Denny’s parking lot at S170sth and Pacific Hwy in SeaTac. He was the subject that King County Sheriff detectives chased on the 10th in the White Center area.

Detectives said he will be booked for investigation of Eluding, Assault 1, and Unlawful Possession of Firearm. The case will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for review. He was caught due to persistent work from detectives!

In the same block (11th/Roxbury) as the story we reported earlier today – though we do not know whether it’s related – there was a huge King County Sheriff’s Office response this afternoon. Thanks to everyone who texted, Facebooked, e-mailed to let us know about it. It didn’t last long – the last units were leaving just as our crew arrived. We checked with KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West who says someone called for help and the call sounded as if there might have been a gun or even gunfire involved, and that’s why there was a big response – but they determined that no gun or gunfire was involved after all. There was an arrest because something was apparently stolen from the person who called for help, by the person they called about – but investigators are still sorting out the circumstances.

A shooting incident in White Center last week has come to light via charges filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office – first reported this morning by seattlepi.com, and now we have the online court documents. They say that it happened around 1:15 am on Sunday, October 7th, in the 9600 block of 11th SW. The victim and her 9-month-old baby were asleep when bullets shattered the bedroom window – 7 of them, it was later learned, all lodging or falling within a foot of where she and her baby slept. The victim grabbed her baby and ran out of the room to call 911; relatives were asleep elsewhere in the house. No one was hit.

A King County Sheriff’s Deputy heard the gunfire from four blocks away, the court documents say, and as he drove in the direction from which he had heard it, he stopped a man and a woman, both on foot. The radio traffic at the time mentioned a getaway vehicle, so after some discussion, the two were not detained, but later information – plus the work of investigators including a K-9 team – led investigators to relocate and arrest both suspects. The court documents say the victim knew both of them and that the female suspect, 27-year-old Ebonee M. Heller, had been in a dispute with her over allegations that a friend of Heller’s had sexually assaulted a relative of the victim. The charging document say the male suspect, 28-year-old Tony D. Avery, fired the gun under orders by Heller, who he claims was going to pay him to “hurt that bitch.” Deputies found not only a 9-mm handgun but also used surgical gloves, inside out, still sweaty.

Both Avery and Heller are charged with assault, and remain in jail; his bail is set at $1 million, hers at $200,000.

The King County Sheriff’s Office (which provided the photo, via Twitter) sends word that they expect to hire 14 deputies in the months ahead, “using current resources from (the) existing budget,” according to a news release. King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Councilmembers Joe McDermott and Kathy Lambert joined Sheriff Steve Strachan for the announcement downtown. The money is coming “from current vacancies,” KCSO says, with 4 hires planned before the end of this month, 5 next month, and 5 in January.

(9/7/12 photo by WCN co-publisher Patrick Sand)
The King County Sheriff’s Office has sent an update on the case of Victoria McMullen, the woman found dead in Mallard Lake on September 7th and identified three days later. She was missing – from California, according to Sgt. Cindi West:

On September 7th around 10 AM the King County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a body found in Mallard Lake at the Coronado Springs Apartment complex located at 1400 SW 107 street in the White Center neighborhood of King County.

A witness told detectives that on Sunday the 2nd of September she had a yard sale in her front yard which is near the lake. Sometime around 6:30 to 7:00P PM she witnessed a young woman walk into the courtyard area of the apartment complex. The woman had a black and white soccer ball with her. She jumped over the short fence that encircles the pond and was playing around at the water’s edge.

The witness saw the woman dive into the water and swim towards the middle of the lake. Based on what she saw, the witness felt the girl was a strong swimmer. A short time later the witness saw the women waving her arms in the air. She was not sure if the woman was in distress or not. The woman was not yelling for help. The witness, who is elderly, contacted her neighbor and asked him to check on the woman.

When the neighbor came out to look, the woman was not to be seen. The soccer ball was floating at the far end of the pond. The witness believed at the time that the victim had gotten out of the lake.

The woman recovered from the pond was later identified as Victoria McMullen of El Cajon, California.

The victim had been married for a year, and she and her husband had a 6 month old child. The victim’s husband is in the military and had formerly been stationed in Washington State.

The victim’s father said he usually speaks daily with his daughter. When he had not heard from her for a week he called his son in-law. When they spoke the son in-law informed him that he and the victim had a fight and that she had requested he drive her to the San Diego Airport. He thought she was going to Seattle, but he did not know for sure.

The victim’s father called the El Cajon Police and requested a welfare check for his daughter at the home she shared with her husband and the baby.

On September 7th, 2012 at 6:40 PM the El Cajon Police Department conducted a welfare check at the home of Victoria McMullen. No foul play was detected and it was determined that the victim’s husband did not board the plane with the victim, and was at work in California all week.

El Cajon Police accessed the victim’s bank records and found that she had bought a Southwest airline ticket from San Diego to Phoenix and then from Phoenix to Seattle. She arrived in Seattle at 12:20 on Sunday the 2nd, the same day she was found in the lake. Debit card transactions showed her card was used at a Walgreen’s in White Center sometime after she arrived in Seattle.

King County detectives used a distinctive tattoo on the victim’s ankle to help identify her and gave them their first lead as to who she may be.

El Cajon officers investigating the welfare check/missing person case on Victoria contacted the Sheriff’s Office to confirm the identity.

Detectives said there were no obvious signs of trauma to the body. Detectives are awaiting toxicology results from the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The two candidates for King County Sheriff on the November 6th ballot came to White Center tonight and spent a spirited hour trying to win votes. They are current Sheriff Steve Strachan – appointed when Sue Rahr resigned – and challenger John Urquhart. The North Highline Unincorporated Area Council invited them for a forum-within-a-forum at tonight’s quarterly Public Safety Forum, and we have it all on video.NHUAC’s Richard Miller introduced them.

The agenda for tonight’s forum also included disaster preparedness and a crime update, delivered by White Center’s storefront deputy BJ Myers, whose 12-minute appearance is also on video. Among other things, he talked about the strong-arm robberies that led to recent arrests (as reported here):