From Eric:

Just wanted to give a heads up and let people know that there was an attempt to break into our house this morning at about 11 am in the Westwood neighborhood around the 32nd and Henderson area. My wife was doing laundry and heard someone knocking on our door. She then heard some rustling around outside and looked out the window to see 3 people trying to get into our bottom window. They ran off when they saw her.

She called the police and the dispatcher said there was already a report of the people sent in. The police came and did a search. As of yet, haven’t heard anything new. I raced home to find the screen of the window they were at removed and sitting against the house. My wife said the three looked like teenagers. They were black, wearing dark hoodies.

And from Siobhan:

Last night between 12 and 1am, someone smashed the windshield on my car. It was parked in its spot in the carport. Was the only car there last night. It also looks like they tried to break my side passenger window too as there are scratch marks on it, that weren’t there before.
I have filed a report with the SPD. Talking to a friend that lives just a few blocks from me this morning, they said that the other night their neighbor had the same thing happen to their windshield and their back window.. Don’t know if it was the same person(s) doing the smashing, but thought I would let my neighbors arount the 35th Ave/Morgan area know to watch their cars.. park them in a garage if you have one.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this atrocious act of negligence.

On Saturday, May 12, an emaciated dog was found in the 9400 block of 26th Avenue Southwest. The badly emaciated dog was immediately rushed to a veterinary clinic but did not survive.

Details of where the dog had been for the last 30 days are unknown. If you recognize the dog and have seen him or know where he has been over the past several weeks please call Seattle Animal Shelter Enforcement Supervisor Ann Graves at (206)386-4288. The case number is 5319. Any information about the dog’s whereabouts is vital to helping determine the circumstances around the dog’s condition.

“To intentionally starve an animal that relies solely on you for its care is a truly heinous act,” said Dan Paul, Washington state director for The Humane Society of the United States. “Americans have no tolerance for this type of abuse against the creatures who share our world.”

Animal cruelty is a Class C felony punishable by 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

The Seattle Animal Shelter is available for field operations seven days per week, 9:15 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The phone number is (206) 386-PETS (7387).

A photo of the dog, while it was receiving veterinary care, can be seen here.

Our 1994 Dodge Caravan was stolen Sunday night from in front of our house in Puget Ridge. Dark green with purple decorative stripe, tinted windows. License # ACF0177. Apart from the usual hardships from losing a car, this van also served two handicapped individuals. Any info greatly appreciated!

Ahead, e-mail about a troubling encounter in North Admiral, plus a followup about an assault incident first reported by a commenter:

First, the e-mail from Alisha in North Admiral:

On Tuesday, 5/15 at about 2 p, at the 1500 block of 42nd SW, I was approached by two men in a maroon Grand Cherokee while taking out the recycling in the back of my home. They started yelling something at me that I couldn’t quite discern, but I perceived it threatening enough for me to run back into my back yard to grab my son and head back inside. They then pulled up to the back of my fence and continued to yell at me to come to them. I called the police and they arrived shortly after. The police told me that they couldn’t do anything about it because they didn’t specifically ask me to get into their vehicle and I didn’t hear them yell anything profane, but they did tell me that there have been several reports of metal theft in our area.

The only description that I have is of the vehicle, as I ran in too quickly to actually see the two men. Again, the vehicle was a late model maroon Grand Cherokee.

I hope this information is helpful in some way.

Finally – some information about an incident at the closed-school campus on Genesee Hill. This first came up in the comment section for our WSBeat police-report roundup earlier this week, with the commenter wondering why it hadn’t been reported publicly previously – an incident in which a teenager was reported to have been beaten up there one week ago today. We hadn’t heard about it before that comment and asked police about it; it took them a while to find a report – in the meantime, Seattle Fire confirmed they had responded to a report that a 15-year-old boy had been assaulted; their records only show that he was not taken to a hospital by SFD, but don’t show whether a private ambulance was called. Last night, when we saw him at the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, SPD Lt. Pierre Davis told us that a report on this had finally been located, and that rather than some kind of attack, it was a case of two boys having gotten into a fight; only one was still at the scene when the SFD crew arrived on the aid call.

And from Larry:

I had two packages stolen from our front door stoop on the same day. Both were supposedly delivered on May 10th from two different companies. I live on 31st between near Thistle Street.

Otherwise, Lt. Davis reported, burglaries and car prowls are “down to an acceptable low right now”; in response to an attendee’s question, he said there is still no new information to release in the Beach Drive murder of Greggette Guy two months ago. The group also heard from Heather Turner of Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims; she briefly described the many resources they offer – find them all here.

Last night, after 11:30, my girlfriend’s car was taken from right in front of our house on the 5000 block of Fauntleroy Way SW. Police have been notified and the impound has been checked.

It’s a white, 4-door, 1990 Acura Legend. The plate # is: 621UEW.

This is a very busy street and I can’t imagine no one drove by or saw anything. If you live around here be careful! Doors were locked and there’s no glass on the ground.

Be on the lookout for that red ’98 Superhawk motorcycle (photo added 12:20 pm) with an ‘I taught the Stig” sticker on its windshield, like this one:

Debbie reports the motorcycle was stolen very early this morning from the 7700 block of 18th SW – and this bicycle was left where the motorcycle had been:

If you’ve seen the motorcycle or know who the bicycle belongs to, please notify police.

Sometime last night after 5 pm and before 6 am today, my mom’s car was stolen. It’s a 1989 Toyota Camry black 4 door Front passenger hub cap missing. Parked (legally) on the street in the 6300 block of 42nd Ave SW. Impound has been checked and police report made. She just wants it back. Unemployed and just enough insurance to not get a ticket!

From Walt:

I would like to pass on some car prowls that happened on our block. 2 vehicles were broken into in the block of 42nd & 102nd, Arbor Heights neighborhood. Apparently early morning 5-9-12.

P.S. The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets next Tuesday (May 15th) at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), 7 pm, with a victims’-rights advocate as special guest.

ADDED 3:18 PM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore says the victim was in serious condition when taken to the hospital.

(WSB photo from April 22nd)
It was high noon on a sunny Sunday last month when a man walked into John’s Corner Deli at 35th/Webster, robbed the store, and got away. Now, two and a half weeks later, there’s news of an arrest – from SPD Blotter:

… Detectives received information from Yakima possibly identifying the suspect. The suspect was already in the Yakima County Jail on a different matter. A robbery detective showed the victim a photo lineup and the suspect was positively identified. The detective travelled to Yakima and took custody of the 39 year old suspect. He was brought back to Seattle where he was interviewed and then booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery. The Robbery Unit will continue to investigate this case.

Read the full SPD Blotter report here.

(WSB video of entire hearing, added 10:57 am)
ORIGINAL 8:49 AM REPORT: We are in the courtroom of King County Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque, where Brandon Chaney has been brought in, in jailhouse orange-red, to be sentenced. He is the last of four defendants to be sentenced in the February 2009 murder of lifelong West Seattleite Steve Bushaw (right). Chaney was the getaway driver the night two men shot and killed Mr. Bushaw in The Junction on Super Bowl Sunday night in 2009, in retribution for another crime in which it was “mistakenly believed,” as prosecutors put it, “that (the victim) was involved.” As first reported here one week ago, Chaney, whose case ended in a mistrial last summer, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and “felony rendering of criminal assistance.” and We will publish updates as this unfolds.

8:50 AM UPDATE: Prosecutor Jeff Baird is recapping the longrunning case, briefly, noting that the other defendants were sent to prison for murder in this “senseless and tragic,” as he describes it, case. Members of Mr. Bushaw’s family are here, and his mother will address the court, Baird says. Prosecutors are recommending the high end of the ranges for the two charges – 34 months and 14 months, to be served concurrently, plus a 36-month penalty because a gun was involved, 70 months total. Chaney would get credit for time served; arrests were made in late 2009, 10 months after the murder.

8:55 AM UPDATE: “My son was just paving his way in the world – his whole life was ahead of him,” Meg Bushaw has begun her remarks to the court, saying her life “was forever changed by this tragedy,” as has been that of her family. “Let justice be served… Only Brandon really knows how involved he was with this, and I hope he lives with this the rest of their life. I hope he knows who did the home invasion, because everyone in this courtroom knows it wasn’t our son. May he know the depth of our sorrow for the rest of his life. I hope he learns what is right and wrong … Finally today my family and I will have closure to this nightmare.”

8:57 AM UPDATE: The lead detective in the case, James Cooper, is now speaking. “We know what led to the death of Steve Bushaw,” he said, going on to say that Chaney was solely responsible for choices he made in this case, and saying that he wants him to at least get the high end. “I speak for the ones who can’t… I speak today for Steve Bushaw.” Cooper thinks Chaney should be sentenced to 120 months – 10 years – far beyond the high end of the “range.” He was followed by Chaney’s current lawyer, not the same one who represented him during the trial last year. He said neither Chaney nor any of the other three “had ‘killer’ stamped all over them,” and that in everything he read of the case’s background, it simply made no sense that this happened. Chaney spoke briefly, after his lawyer read an excerpt from a letter of apology that he wrote.

9:01 AM UPDATE: Judge DuBuque is speaking now, about the “lives shattered … a tragedy of unmeasurable proportions, the effect that this has had on the community.” She is sentencing him to the 34 months recommended for manslaughter, the 14 months recommended for criminal assistance, and the 36-month firearm enhancement, so with the first two served concurrently, that is the 70-month sentence requested by prosecutors, followed by 18 months of community custody (probation).

9:05 AM UPDATE: And after just a bit more than 15 minutes, the hearing is over, and deputies have put Chaney back in handcuffs and led him out of the courtroom. He had family members here, the judge was told, but none spoke. The other three defendants were all sentenced last year – Bryce Huber, who planned the shooting, was tried with Chaney, and found guilty of first-degree murder, sentenced to 32 years; triggermen John Sylve and Danny O’Neal, who both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder without going to trial, were sentenced to 20 and 15 years respectively. We recorded today’s hearing on video and will add it to this story after uploading it back at headquarters.

This cause comes before the Court for change of plea.

State’s motion to amend information to Count I, Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree with Firearm, and Count II, Felony Rendering Criminal Assistance in the 1st Degree.

Motion is granted.

The Court signs Order Permitting Filing of Amended Information. The Second Amended Information is filed.

Defendant is arraigned on Second Amended Information, and enters a plea of guilty. The Court inquires of Defendant, and accepts the plea. Statement of Defendant on Plea of Guilty is executed. Sentencing date is set for May 10, 2012 at 8:45 a.m.

Chaney was described as the getaway driver; he was tried last summer along with Huber, who was described as the person who planned the murder. The two men who shot at Bushaw in The Junction the night he was killed, John Sylve and Danny O’Neal, both pleaded guilty to murder. More to come.

10:26 PM NOTE: No further documents in the case have been available tonight, but we’re hoping to get them tomorrow, to find out more about the recommended sentence, for starters. (Huber was sentenced to 31 years; O’Neal, to 15 years; Sylve, to 20 years.) We’ll publish a separate followup when we know more.

ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe tells WSB they’re asking for a 70-month sentence for Chaney – that’s five years and 10 months. KCPAO also provided a court document that was not available online when we published our first report last night – it includes Chaney’s statement that “I caused the death of Steve Bushaw, by criminal negligence, I was failing to be aware of the substantial risk that death may occur because of the others’ actions and words. They were armed with pistols … Also I prevented/hindered/delayed the discovery and/or apprehension of the others – whom I knew had committed murder … by transporting them and concealing weapons.”

According to court documents, Chaney was present during the home-invasion robbery two weeks before the murder that was central to the murder motive. The victim sold marijuana, in addition to working as a longshoreman, and the home-invasion robbery happened at the home of his supplier. The robbers were said to have been on the phone with someone during the robbery, and the robbery victim believed it was Bushaw, and that he had orchestrated the home-invasion robbery. However, he was never arrested or charged, and as the case unfolded – the arrests came 10 months after the murder – police said Bushaw had not even been a suspect.

Second, police had to be called to the Youngstown Flats construction site at 26th/Dakota on Sunday night, according to the development team, when young trespassers were caught trying to climb the crane. The developers’ update says they broke through a “perimeter chain-link fence” to get to the crane, and so site security is being beefed up including “an additional barrier around the crane.”