West Seattle, Washington
25 Sunday
(WSB photo from 47th/Charlestown investigation scene, January 9th)
The driver charged with vehicular assault in the 47th/Charlestown car-vs.-pole crash earlier this month is out of jail – but wasn’t supposed to be, and a warrant is out for his arrest. So confirms Commander William Hayes of the King County Jail, though he tells WSB they are still investigating how the mistake happened. You might recall that after the crash on January 9th, 23-year-old driver Mohammad Nema and his passenger – an estranged girlfriend who had a protection order against him – both wound up in the hospital. She got out a few days later, but he was still in the hospital when we followed up on January 14th – that’s when we reported that, after investigators determining that he had been driving under the influence, prosecutors charged him with vehicular assault/domestic violence. We kept checking the King County Jail Register for signs that he was out of the hospital and in jail – and then suddenly discovered a few days ago that he was listed as having been in jail for about an hour on January 16th, with the release reason listed as “error”:
Trying to find out who could tell us how that happened, we finally spoke this afternoon with Commander Hayes, who says he doesn’t know – in situations like this, patients are supposed to be transferred to county custody before getting out of the hospital, and apparently Nema wasn’t – the arrest warrant filed yesterday says simply that he “left Harborview.” (The brief notation from January 16th was apparently a mistaken “booking in absentia”). Cmdr. Hayes hopes to have more information on the investigation by the end of the week. We’ll be checking on that, and we’ll keep watching to see if Nema turns up in custody; at the time of the crash, he had a Burien address.
In case you aren’t on Facebook or Twitter, where we have been talking about this for going on four hours now: Our server-management company WiredTree, historically wonderfully reliable for the years we’ve used them, has been dealing with a “denial of service attack” that took down many of the sites who run on its servers. For at least an hour, that meant no one could get into our site; then at some point, we noticed some people were starting to get in, and finally figured out that access had been restored for everyone but Comcast users. We switched immediately to our Qwest access and got right in. Not sure why that happened – the folks at WiredTree have been working frantically to figure out how to get around the attack; perhaps they had to block Comcast. Checking the logs again, it appears Comcast users ARE now starting to get through, so hopefully this means everyone’s access is restored.
Though we had no direct technical control over this, we of course apologize – as a 24/7/365 news service, we are committed to absolute reliability, and have taken many other steps toward achieving that, but this is a new one, so we’re exploring how to set up redundancy that would kick in immediately if anything like this (or another server problem) happened again. Thanks for your patience and support! We’ve got a few more stories in the hopper that had been waiting for things to normalize, so back to the news …
To “educate our membership,” as board chair Dave Montoure put it, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce invited them to come learn about the potential benefits of the Highway 99 tunnel – a project the Chamber has officially endorsed. Dozens of members filled a community room at The Kenney to hear from a pro-tunnel panel – Port Commissioner John Creighton, Manufacturing Industry Council‘s Dave Gering, and South End Advisory Group member Vlad Oustimovitch, who also was a member of the original Stakeholders’ Advisory Group that reviewed multiple alternatives before the tunnel became the “preferred alternative.” Above, our video of the first half-hour of their remarks and Q/A. Each panelist listed what they considered the most appealing aspects of the tunnel; a common theme was the fact it can be built without shutting down the existing viaduct. They fielded a variety of questions, including concerns about the tunnel’s capacity, which they contended tends to be underestimated.
The audience included more than just curious lunchgoers; it also included WSDOT‘s project leader Ron Paananen and tunnel opponent Elizabeth Campbell, whose group Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel plans to submit its initiative petitions to the city next week. As for the tunnel’s official status, it’s still under environmental review.
New development tonight in the wake of yesterday’s Lincoln Park attack and arrest. Tonight police have gone public with that sketch they say was made because of an attack in the park last December. They want to hear from anyone and everyone who not only might have had a suspicious encounter in the park, but anyone who might have been subject to “unwanted touching” elsewhere in West Seattle. As we reported earlier today, the man arrested yesterday, 46-year-old Duane Starkenburg, is currently charged only in one incident – and police are working hard to see if there are others he might be responsible for. Here’s their full update.
MONDAY MORNING NOTE: Starkenburg’s entry on the jail register now suggests he’s being held without bail – we’re checking on that – and adds “investigation of indecent liberties.”
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One month ago, we broke the news of a new development plan for the northeast corner of 35th/Graham (map), site of a recent cleanup/excavation project. Seattle Housing Authority confirmed they were pursuing a townhome/live-work development rather than the large mixed-use building, with apartments and ground-level retail, proposed back in 2008. At the time, SHA told us they would have more information this month – and that additional information has just beenmade public. It’s in a news release on the SHA website, which overall addresses two different High Point developers. The portion explaining 35th/Graham identifies the prospective buyer:
… Intracorp is in the final stages of negotiating an agreement with Seattle Housing to purchase the vacant lot at 35th Ave. and (SW) Graham St. Over the next three years, Intracorp expects to build up to 90 townhomes along with some neighborhood retail.
Thanks to everybody who called/texted/e-mailed to ask about a police response earlier this afternoon in the Lafayette Elementary/West Seattle High School area. It’s taken a while to assemble the information from multiple sources, but now the Southwest Precinct has filled in the blanks. From Lt. Ron Smith: The original call went out as “man with a gun” in the WSHS vicinity just after 12:30 pm. The accompanying description matched someone officers saw walking with others on SW Lander (near Lafayette). They saw one person putting something behind a recycling bin; police stopped the group and found what appeared to be a black handgun behind the bin. Lt. Smith says, “The handgun was a pellet gun painted black to appear like a handgun. When questioned, the suspect observed placing the weapon admitted to hiding the weapon.” The investigation didn’t stop there – police discovered that suspect and “another male” were believed to have robbed someone at a nearby bus stop, asking for a cell phone and a wallet, and taking a pack of cigarettes from a victim’s pockets. Lt. Smith says they found evidence of more victims – and now they are investigating to see if this has anything to do with car prowls and a stolen vehicle that was foundin the same general area. For now, two male juveniles are in custody, for investigation of robbery.
P.S. Here’s the SPD Blotter version of all this, published a few hours after our story.
In the middle of a day full of very-serious stories, and before the impending sunset (looks promising!) renders these photos REALLY old news, we wanted to share two pictures of the amazing sunrise. Thanks to Cormac M (top photo) and Susan R (next photo) for sharing!
More news to come …
(WSB photo of the view yesterday from behind the “ecology blocks” at the bottom of the sliding Beach Drive slope)
A few followup notes since our report yesterday on the City Council Transportation Committee‘s briefing about the repeat slides in the 6000-6200 block of Beach Drive SW: We have obtained from the City Attorney’s Office a copy of the lawsuit that was filed in 2009, after, they allege, the upslope property owner was failing to comply with city code. We couldn’t find it online, but they responded to our request by sending a scanned copy; see it here. Meantime, we have learned that the meeting with neighbors and city officials tonight, mentioned during yesterday’s hearing, is closed to the media, but at least one participant is promising a summary. The other “next step” mentioned at the council committee hearing, a closed “executive session” to discuss where the legal fight stands, is tentatively scheduled for February 22nd.
(added 12:56 pm, :30 from this morning’s hearing; this courtroom has glass between defendants and spectators/media)
We are at the King County Jail, where 46-year-old Duane Starkenburg has just pleaded not guilty to an assault charge stemming from the Lincoln Park jogger attack first reported here yesterday afternoon. Because of his criminal history, as noted in our story from last night, the judge agreed with the city’s request to set his bail at $25,000. His lawyer says Starkenburg just accidentally tripped the victim and tried to apologize, “but she sprinted off.” Also defending him, in a brief interview outside the courtroom with us and multiple TV news crews, his mother Lois Starkenburg, who said her Army-veteran son, currently unemployed, wouldn’t do something like that. His next hearing is set for early February; if he does post bond, he is under orders to stay away from the victim – “I don’t know her,” he assured the judge – and out of Lincoln Park. As for other charges, that will be up to city and county lawyers to review; right now, he is charged only in connection with what happened yesterday, though a similar recent incident was mentioned briefly when the city was arguing for the $25,000 bail.
Side note that we discovered while researching this story; the family is connected to a tragic crime that made regional news 20 years ago. Duane Starkenburg’s parents, longtime West Seattleites, are also the parents of Kimberly Starkenburg, shot dead in 1990 in a multiple-shooting case for which an already-convicted killer named Charles Corliss was found guilty. That case was NOT discussed in the courtroom – it came up while we were researching Duane Starkenburg’s background last night.
Back to this case: The judge allowed video in the courtroom and we will add ours as soon as we are back at headquarters.
We have two accounts of this incident early today in which a watchful neighbor is being lauded for alerting police to a crime in progress – first, from Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Rasmussen:
At about 5:30 this morning a neighbor noticed a white box van parked in the driveway of a vacant house in the 5400 block of 18 SW and also saw what they thought were flashlights flickering inside the house. The neighbor call the police and our officers responded and contacted two subjects, a husband and wife from South Seattle. Officers were able to determine that the suspects didn’t live in the house and were attempting to take the woodstove from the home. The officers also noticed a large number of what appeared to be new items in the van that had Home Depot stickers on them. When the suspect’s story about the items didn’t add up, the officers were able to contact the manager of the West Seattle Home Depot. He identified the two individuals as persons who had tried to take the same items from his store yesterday. He was able to verify that the items were now missing from the store and had not been purchased. Both subjects were arrested for the burglary of the house and the theft from Home Depot.
We’d like to recognize the neighbor who noticed something out of place and called the police and encourage folks to do the same if they notice things that are out of place in their neighborhoods.
ADDED 12:07 PM: Here’s a neighbor’s account, received a bit earlier – the neighbor asked to be anonymous:
A crime report hot on the heels of your good reporting of Benjamin Kinlow and his send-off last night: (reporting this in case anyone e-mails you to ask you why there were 5 police cars at a house in the Puget Ridge neighborhood this morning:)
This morning, around 5:30 or so, 911 was called when a van backed up the driveway to the garage of a house that has been vacant for the last month. the 911 call was made when people were observed walking through the house with flashlights. after a quick description to the 911 dispatcher of what was happening, 3 police officers arrived within minutes. after a little while, 2 more police officers arrived to assist, and according to one officer, items stolen elsewhere were identified in the van. …
Obviously this is proof that reporting suspicious activity is effective and the police are responsive- thank you to SPD.
And thank you to everyone who shares crime reports – whether an arrest happened or didn’t – with WSB and therefore with tens of thousands of your peninsula neighbors. Here’s how to contact us, 24/7. (But when it’s crime, always call the police first!)
(Kate Witt in “Emilie,” opening tonight at ArtsWest, photo by Michael Brunk)
Must just be the day for new names. Highland Park Action Committee is expected to talk about theirs — and vote on new leadership – when they meet at 7 tonight, in the Highland Park Improvement Club building (12th/Holden) … Listen and, if you feel like it, read, too, during the monthly PoetryBridge gathering at C&P Coffee Co. (WSB sponsor), 5612 California Ave SW, 7-9 pm, more at www.poetrybridge.net … Got Seattle Public Schools questions/issues? West Seattle’s School Board rep Steve Sundquist has a community chat 11 am-12:15 pm at Delridge Library … It’s “Social Security 101,” free, at The Kenney, 6 pm, just RSVP to 206-937-2800 … At ArtsWest in The Junction, it’s opening night for “Emilie,” running through February 20th (tickets available online), and meet playwright Lauren Gunderson after tonight’s show … And various road closures just outside West Seattle continue tonight; see the SODO and West Seattle sections here … Much more on the WSB West Seattle Events calendar!
(Photo courtesy Donna Ryan)
When West Seattle Junction-based photographer Donna Ryan decided her 4218 SW Alaska kids’ store/natural-light-portrait studio space needed a name, she launched a contest. More than 400 entries came in, according to Donna, who has just chosen the new name and is announcing it today. However, it wasn’t from among those 400, though she says they inspired her “to think about my own childhood and favorite stories … and I just could not let go of my favorite story ‘The City Mouse and the Country Mouse’. Of course, growing up in the city and without a car, I literally had the world at my feet and definitely identified with that city mouse. I have a fresh, urban take on fashion and portraiture and I take great joy in watching all the little toddlers scuttling around the Junction, but more importantly, I really love the meaning on another level – the resourcefulness of the city mouse …” And so, her business becomes … City Mouse Studio and Store! Since nobody won, Donna says she’s donating the prize to WestSide Baby on behalf of everyone who entered. P.S. Besides the new name, she says City Mouse has new merchandise too – edible finger paints from Wee Can Too just came in, and Baby Soy (half-soy/half-cotton) clothing arrives next week.
As Seattle Public Schools gets ready to revise its transportation plan for next school year, it’s launching a new round of meetings, and there will be one in West Seattle. It’s set for 6:30-8 pm Wednesday, February 8, at Denny International Middle School (8402 30th SW). You can see what’s being proposed by following the links from this page on the district website.
12:11 PM UPDATE: The district just sent word they have to move the location of this meeting – it will be at Chief Sealth International High School instead.
Since the now-pre-leasing Link in The Triangle is among our newest sponsors, we’ve received/reported plenty about its attributes. But this glowing attention-getter is something we just happened onto without warning – spotted it peripherally while driving Fauntleroy Way the other night, then before we could even investigate, we got a tip from Kevin, and photos from Christopher Boffoli (who found the lighting reminiscent of the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History).
Link is along 38th between Fauntleroy and Alaska, in the final construction phase and expecting move-ins to start in March.
In case you missed Tuesday night’s special safety presentation at Denny International Middle School, our video has the main event in its unedited entirety – 35 minutes on cybersafety, presented by a local expert: Stefanie Thomas from the Seattle Police Department, where she is a victim advocate with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Think you know everything about the online do’s, don’ts, and dangers? You might want to watch, just to be sure. (As noted here in our preview, the event was presented by the Denny PTSA.)
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