White Center Now: The blog about White Center

A White Center entrepreneur has organized this meeting for Thursday night, and you’re invited:

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed a charge of first-degree rape against 34-year-old Israel Ramos-Islas, the man arrested and accused of picking up a 27-year-old woman in Ballard last December, pretending to be the ride-share driver she had summoned, and raping her in his car in unincorporated North Highline. From the court documents:

As documented in the certification for the determination of probable cause, the defendant posed on at least three occasions as an UBER driver. On two of those occasions he was successful in luring women, who had been drinking, into his car. In doing so, he not only isolated those women but also through his deception, learned where these women lived and then returned to their homes after the initial contact. In the present case, the defendant took advantage of (the victim’s) vulnerability due to her intoxication, kidnapped her and raped her in the backseat of his car. The defendant’s behavior can only be described as predatory.

While Ramos-Islas is charged only in the December incident, the two other incidents that are under investigation are described as having happened in Ballard and Fremot. He remains in the King County Jail, in lieu of $750,000 bail.

The Equity in Education Coalition is resuming Lunch and Learn events at Bethaday Community Learning Space in White Center with this event, “Destigmatizing Mental Health,” on Wednesday, April 17th. All are welcome – RSVP’s are requested; go here.

5 PM: Part of White Center is affected by a huge Seattle City Light outage – here’s the full map. SCL says a crash on East Marginal Way near Boeing Field is to blame – in all, more than 16,000 homes and businesses are without power.

5:25 PM: Here’s the scene near the Museum of Flight where apparently multiple poles came down:

For the first time since Seattle city government announced it would extend Camp Second Chance‘s stay at 9701 Myers Way S. at least six more months, the camp’s Community Advisory Committee meets Sunday. While the CAC is not a decisionmaking group – its members are community volunteers – the meetings usually have reps from the city and from camp operator LIHI in attendance, and there’s a community comment period for questions, concerns, etc. The meeting is at 2 pm Sunday (April 7th) in the community room on the east side of Arrowhead Gardens (9200 2nd SW).

A judge set bail at $750,000 today for the man suspected of raping a woman last December in a vehicle in the 11400 block of 5th Avenue S. The King County Sheriff’s Office said the woman had gotten into the vehicle in Ballard believing it was the ride-share vehicle she had summoned. Video disseminated earlier this week led to the 34-year-old man’s arrest.

Three days after the King County Sheriff’s Office announced that Daniel Varela was charged and being sought in a White Center stabbing, he’s been arrested. KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott just sent word of the arrest, saying an anonymous tip “stated he was seen at the Zintel Canyon Park in Kennewick. Members of the US Marshal’s Task Force located Varela sleeping in a brush area. He was arrested without incident and booked into the Benton County Jail in Kennewick.” The victim of the March 20th stabbing was discovered in a car that crashed near 17th/98th. Charging documents say it was not a random attack, that the victim knew Varela and had given Varela’s girlfriend a ride earlier that morning. Varela’s criminal history is described in court documents as including assault convictions.

Just last week, we brought you word of the plan to close 4th SW south of Roxbury for a month of work, starting today. But now …it’s been delayed:

We’re following up for details of the “utility conflict.”

Be there! Here’s what the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council will be hearing and talking about on Thursday:

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting

When: Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 7 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station at 1243 SW 112th Street in White Center
(Parking and Entrance are in the Back of the Station)

The Opportunity to Be Informed, Be Involved and Be Heard!

April’s meeting will focus on better health, both physical and emotional, in North Highline.

Health care professionals often tell us what we should be doing to live long, productive lives. The table will be turned at this month’s NHUAC meeting. Highline Medical Center wants to hear from us! Doug Baxter-Jenkins, CHI Franciscan’s Community Integration Program Manager, will present data from the latest Community Health Needs Assessment. We will have a chance to ask questions, provide comments, and suggest ideas for action to build a healthier community together. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to tell Highline Medical Center where it should focus its community health work over the next three years.

Seattle and King County are in crisis. The reasons include the trauma and effects of addiction, untreated mental health issues, and homelessness. The last month has been especially difficult in North Highline. Our first responders bear the heavy weight of dealing with the fallout. Lisa Daugaard and Kris Nyrop of the Public Defender Association will join NHUAC to discuss the LEAD® program, which King County plans to begin in North Highline. LEAD® stands for Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion. It will give KCSO a new option when dealing with low-level offenders. Officers will be able to direct low-level offenders to case-management and services such as drug treatment and housing – instead of prosecution and jail. Join us to learn more about how LEAD® may help make North Highline safer and healthier for everyone.

White Center Storefront Deputy Bill Kennamer will provide an update on what has been keeping KCSO busy in North Highline over the last month.

Then… the floor will be yours!

Knowledge is power.

Learn, share and help make North Highline a better place.

April 4, 2019 at 7 pm – Bring a Neighbor!

(WCN photo, March 20th)

A week and a half ago, we reported on that White Center crash, with a stabbing victim found in the wrecked car. Today, the King County Sheriff’s Office reports a suspect has been identified and charged – and they need your help finding him:

On 3/20/2019 at about 2:25 PM, a 55 year old man was in a minor vehicle collision with a fence and pole at the 1700 block of SW 98th in White Center. When Deputies arrived, they found the victim had been stabbed multiple times and his throat cut. The victim was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. The victim survived, but is still recovering.

The suspect in this attack has been identified by King County Major Crimes Detectives as Daniel Varela AKA “Capone,” a 42 year old man listed at 5’9 and 175 pounds.

Varela has been charged by the King County Prosecutor’s Office with 1 count of Assault 1. A felony warrant has been issued for Varela; the bail amount is 1 million dollars.

If you know of Varela’s location please call 911. Do not attempt to contact him; he is considered armed and dangerous.

Thanks to Gill Loring for the photos reminding us that the quiet moments way outnumber the not-so-quiet ones.

(Also posted on partner site West Seattle Blog)

Thanks to the texter who alerted us to signage along 4th SW south of Roxbury [map] about an impending road closure. There we found the signs you see above and below.

The county has confirmed the closure of a quarter-mile of 4th SW south of Roxbury is scheduled to start next Monday (April 1st) and provided this flyer (PDF) with details:

(WCN photo, last Wednesday)

We’ve been checking on the status of the 34-year-old man arrested after last Wednesday’s big fire near 14th/107th. At his first hearing, his bail was set at $50,000. We had checked with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office about whether he had been charged; apparently charges were not filed today because, a check of the jail register shows that he was released from jail Monday night, with the docket notation “conditional release.”

Thanks for the tips about a police search that included presence at 26th and Roxbury. We’ve learned from the King County Sheriff’s Office that a man was stabbed near 24th Place and SW 112th. The victim was being taken to Harborview Medical Center. The investigation stretched to 26th and Roxbury because a vehicle there was somehow linked to the suspect. That’s all we know so far but we’ll be following up.

Several readers asked us about a report that someone had been shot earlier today near the White Center Starbucks. The business closed early, apparently as a result.

We hadn’t heard anything about it until those inquiries so we checked with King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott. Here’s what he found out: “Around 12:35 today, we had multiple callers stating someone was riding a bike near SW 100th and 16th Ave SW and they fired a gunshot, striking another person. We arrived – didn’t find a victim or suspect. Later a victim showed up at Highline with a gunshot wound to his leg.”

You’re invited! From King County Parks:

The 3rd Annual King County Parks Teen Talent Show is coming up on Friday, March 22nd from 5-7 pm at the White Center Community Center, in Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd).

Community members interested in attending are invited to the show on Friday, March 22nd. Doors open at 4 pm and Admission is FREE.

This year’s Talent Show is once again sponsored by the Teens and Staff of the White Center Teen Program. The WCTP offers free recreational, educational and social enrichment programming to over 1400 culturally diverse participants ages 12-19 each year. The program operates five days a week, forty-eight weeks a year and provides structured recreational classes and programs, homework assistance, educational and computer resources, leadership training, volunteer opportunities, special events, field trips, and drop-in activities.

(Thanks to Gill Loring for smoke-plume photo)

3:39 PM: All that smoke south of downtown White Center is from what started as a brush fire and has spread to a building.

It’s east of 16th SW and south of 107th. No injuries reported.

3:50 PM: Still smoky. Our crew reports that 16th SW is now closed between 110th and 112th because of the smoke.

4:13 PM: Departments from other areas responded to assist North Highline FD, including Seattle.

9:22 PM: Two updates – 16th SW had reopened by the time we checked back around dusk. Also, investigators say this was arson, and a suspect is in custody – a 34-year-old man. Three firefighters were injured in what was eventually classified as a three-alarm fire.

(WCN photo)

Thanks for the tips. The big King County Sheriff’s Office response near 17th/98th is for a complicated crime scene – a car crashed and a man with stab wounds was found inside. He has been rushed to Harborview. Deputies don’t know who attacked him but they believe it happened in the course of a robbery. The victim is reported to be in stable condition.

On Tuesday afternoon, two readers reported being on Metro buses when announcements were made that they were rerouting because of “an active arsonist.” KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott tells WCN that “one male is in custody on multiple counts of arson and reckless burning” after “several fires set at bus stops and three businesses in White Center.” No further details on the case but we’ll be checking on the suspect’s status.

ORIGINAL WEDNESDAY REPORT: A bizarre and tragic incident led to the closure of 16th SW at SW 107th for a while this morning. The scene was clear before we heard about it but here’s how King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott answered our followup inquiry:

Suicide attempt, 10700 block 16 Avenue SW. Male poured gasoline on himself and lit himself on fire. A Deputy saw it and used his fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire. The male was transported to (Harborview Medical Center) in very critical condition.

We always share this in reports mentioning suicide: If you or someone you know is considering self-harm, the Crisis Connections hotline is available 24/7 at 866-427-4747.

ADDED THURSDAY: The King County Medical Examiner’s Office says the 30-year-old man died, from burns over 92 percent of his body.