Update: Chase from White Center followed by crash, search in Highland Park

(Emanuel Kozma, suspect being sought after King County Sheriff’s Office pursuit ended at 17th/Trenton)
8:07 PM: Thanks to everyone for the notes/texts. There’s a police search under way right now in south Highland Park, including K-9 officers – scanner traffic earlier indicated a pursuit may have been involved. One WSB’er says a car wound up on its side in an alley in the 17th/Trenton area. Another tells us that an officer at the scene told her this may have started with King County Sheriff’s Office deputies to the south and crossed the line into the city with Seattle Police helping. More to come.

8:17 PM: Our crew on the scene tells us that the Guardian One law-enforcement helicopter has joined the search. 17th is closed for several blocks in the area, as are parts of other streets – we won’t be specific about them since it’s an active search situation and detailing the full perimeter could jeopardize the investigation.

8:19 PM: IMPORTANT: If you are in that area, stay inside. We have just been told that sheriffs know who they are looking for and that the suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous.

8:35 PM: Expecting more info on the suspect from KCSO shortly. Just added video clip from the scene where the car went on its side – you can hear the chopper overhead.

8:40 PM: From Sgt. Cindi West:

Around 730 tonight our gang detectives attempted to stop a vehicle driven by a known convicted felon who they believe was armed with a firearm. When the detectives attempted to stop the vehicle near SW108/15 SW the vehicle fled north toward Seattle. As detectives chased the vehicle the occupants through a handgun out the window of the car. (that weapon has been recovered)

In the area of 17th and Henderson detectives lost the car. They learned from SPD that there was a roll -over accident at 17th and Trenton. Detectives went to that location and saw that it was the vehicle they had been trying to stop. A 22 year old female was in the car and taken to Highline Hospital with minor injuries. The male,, Emanuel Kozma, fled on foot in the area. He was last seen wearing a blue shirt with cutoff sleeves and dark pants.

The photo of him is very recent and he still has the goatee. He is said to be about 24 years old and about 5’7”. He may still be armed so residents should call 911 if they see him.

8:51 PM UPDATE: Moved the photo to the top of the story and moved the scene video down a line. No new information, but if you think you’ve seen him, or anything else suspicious in the surrounding area, please call 911.

9:04 PM: Just looked up the suspect’s background. He just got out of jail at 4:30 pm for a drug-related arrest.

9:50 PM: The search has scaled back and the helicopter has moved on; no arrest, though, according to Sgt. West. The tow truck has arrived to take away the crashed car.

(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
TV crews have shown up too. Police will continue to be on alert; if you see/hear anything/anyone suspicious, again, call 911.

THURSDAY, 7:11 AM: Checked the jail register – no sign of Kozma. We’ll continue following up.

3:43 PM THURSDAY: Still on the loose. We asked Sgt. West about the circumstances of his Tuesday arrest, which was followed by his “conditional release” (per the jail register) from jail on Wednesday afternoon. She says, “He was arrested on 10/9/12 around 5:20 PM in the area of 1200 SW 102 St. There are no charges on him at this time but he was booked for investigation of VUCSA.” (That’s “Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act” – in other words, a drug charge, as we noted last night. We are checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to see if there was any documentation they had received yet detailing circumstances of the case for possible consideration of charges.)

122 Replies to "Update: Chase from White Center followed by crash, search in Highland Park"

  • WS Parent October 10, 2012 (8:18 pm)

    Is that a police helicopter flying around now?

  • deena October 10, 2012 (8:19 pm)

    Police helicopter searching

  • Mo October 10, 2012 (8:19 pm)

    Is this why there is a helicopter in White Center?

  • ghar72 October 10, 2012 (8:19 pm)

    Helicopter started about 5 minutes ago. We’re in the 17th and Thistle area. Police officer has been sitting on the corner of 17th and Thistle for over 1/2 hour, with lights flashing.

  • BeckBe October 10, 2012 (8:20 pm)

    I hear a helicopter(?) near Delridge & Holden right now.

  • me on 28th Ave SW October 10, 2012 (8:20 pm)

    That explains the helicopter overhead.

  • dee October 10, 2012 (8:20 pm)

    Police helicopter now

  • deena October 10, 2012 (8:21 pm)

    Police at cloverdale and 22nd

  • king of west sea October 10, 2012 (8:22 pm)

    Is the helicopter orbiting south of delridge and thistle involved?

  • Doc October 10, 2012 (8:22 pm)

    Can hear the helicopter overhead… Trenton blocked at delridge… lots of activity.

  • Valerie October 10, 2012 (8:22 pm)

    Gaaah, I just heard the helicopters and happened to see your Facebook post. Thanks, as always, for the timely information! [checking to be sure my doors are locked]

  • k October 10, 2012 (8:23 pm)

    Thanks for the updates!
    I knew I could find it here.

  • john October 10, 2012 (8:24 pm)

    i hear them. Typical 17th area stuff. They need to clean that area up.

  • Christie October 10, 2012 (8:25 pm)

    ok so we were at highland park walking the dog and noticed the helicopter right over our house – we basically picked up the dog and came right back home – thanks to the blog for telling us what the heck is going on – we are going to stay inside!!

  • Shane October 10, 2012 (8:25 pm)

    Any chance there is a description of who they are looking for?

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (8:28 pm)

      Shane – we are expecting something from KCSO asap. Will add as fast as I can. Also adding scene visuals shortly

  • Jodilyn October 10, 2012 (8:26 pm)

    Thanks for the update. I hear the helicopters above and checked here to see what was happening. I called my mom who is in the radius you refer to to keep her doors locked. Hope they find who the are searching for.

  • West Seattlite October 10, 2012 (8:26 pm)

    Thank you everyone for the great update.We appreciate the information and community.

  • Mo October 10, 2012 (8:27 pm)

    Is there a pic or description of the suspect? It is a bit nerve wracking having the helicopter over my house.

  • pilsner October 10, 2012 (8:29 pm)

    holy cow it is hard to go to sleep. but i feel safer now. knowing it isnt a lunatic in a helacopter.

  • cjp October 10, 2012 (8:30 pm)

    was just about to walk out and see what was up here on 17th, thanks for the tip!

  • deena October 10, 2012 (8:31 pm)

    Thanks for the updates. House is locked up.

  • Amber October 10, 2012 (8:31 pm)

    Yes, thank you WSB. We are right in helicopter’s circle, turning on all lights in the house and staying inside as suggested.

  • Christie October 10, 2012 (8:34 pm)

    we were on our street 12th and Trenton and our dog startng barking at something in the shadows – wonder it someone is hiding????

  • garden_nymph October 10, 2012 (8:35 pm)

    Another daily example why WSB is my favorite news source! Stay safe out there! Best of luck to the SPD abd Kcso

  • cjp October 10, 2012 (8:35 pm)

    for anyone with an iPhone, you can get real time scanner traffic with the Scanner911 app

  • Nick October 10, 2012 (8:36 pm)

    wsb is awesome I knew you would have info definetly still flying around

  • V! October 10, 2012 (8:37 pm)

    Thanks for the awesome coverage, WSB! It’s so great to wonder what’s going on down the street and be able to find the answer here.

  • 47% October 10, 2012 (8:37 pm)

    Thank WSB for always having all the info we need right away. Watching the helicopter circle from the front window after bringing in the dog and locking up the doors.

  • Emily October 10, 2012 (8:39 pm)

    I hope they find them soon! It’s becoming quite disturbing.

  • DC October 10, 2012 (8:45 pm)

    Thanks for the constant updates!!!

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (8:47 pm)

      Just added info from KCSO spokesperson and photo of guy they’re looking for. Sorry if you’ve had any trouble with the site, the server got briefly overloaded apparently …

  • Rachel October 10, 2012 (8:48 pm)

    Thanks for the recent update with the description- where can we see this photo? I’m so nervous with my baby in my arms and my young child asleep in the room next to me…

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (8:53 pm)

      Rachel – I have since added the photo. And have also moved it to top of story.

  • Doc October 10, 2012 (8:49 pm)

    Hoping the dogs find him soon… Id like to get some errands done tonight… lol

  • bridge to somewhere October 10, 2012 (8:49 pm)

    @Christie: you might want to call the police

  • 18th & Elmgrove October 10, 2012 (8:49 pm)

    Thanks for the posts. Just moved to the area. Going to keep this site for future use. House is locked!!

  • Amanda October 10, 2012 (8:50 pm)

    Hope they are checking Roxhill park – it’s dark there and a good place to hide…

  • k October 10, 2012 (8:56 pm)

    Seems like the helicopter is getting nearer to HP…

  • Dondul October 10, 2012 (8:58 pm)

    I live on 17th next to Cloverdale. I just got back from the scene on Trenton, between 17th and 18th. I stood at the NW corner of 17th and Trenton.

    There is a car on its side, pointed west, on the south side, over the sidewalk. A small car, about the size of an “80s Civic. It looked to me like it was in front of the house just east of the alley.

    There is a Burien police SUV across Trenton on the west side of the intersection. There is what looked like a King County police car parked on the north side of the street, opposite the car on its side. Two policemen were standing in the middle of the street, between the suspect’s car and the police car. One was talking on some device held to his ear. The other was just looking around, and had something in his hands that I couldn’t make out.

    Copter still circling.

    I loaded my pistol. The camber is empty and the safety is on, but this is the type of situation a got it for.

  • El October 10, 2012 (8:58 pm)

    I’m staying inside with locked doors and closed blinds as the crime scene is a block away and helicopter keeps circling over my block – only problem is I was supposed to pick up my gf at Westwood Village as her bus dropped her off there…I told her what was going on and to go inside a store and wait – I’m afraid to leave the house but I need to pick her up and don’t want her walking home! How will I know when it’s safe to go pick her up?

  • tk October 10, 2012 (8:59 pm)

    Think i seen this guy walking by my house about 45 minutes ago. 10th and thistle

  • cjp October 10, 2012 (8:59 pm)

    Not to play arm-chair cop, but I find it interesting that the chopper seems to be primarily over the area of the car roll over… if it the car was found at 19:30, you’d think the suspect would have moved as fast and far as he could.

    Not that I know anything at all about it, but pondering the protocols for a search like this is kind of fascinating.

  • chris hoffman October 10, 2012 (9:00 pm)

    My neighbor picked up a gun that was in a backpack, called the police, and turned it over to them. We are on 15th and Trenton.

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:01 pm)

      Good going on neighbor’s part, Chris! That may well be the one they said they recovered. But you never know if somebody has more than one which is why officers are still urging caution.

  • Steve Joseph October 10, 2012 (9:02 pm)

    Are you sure that is a Helicopter? It looks more like a Drone.

  • Erin October 10, 2012 (9:03 pm)

    This is LITERALLY right in front of my Dad’s house. They crashed into his tree / bank. A little freaked right now.

  • cjp October 10, 2012 (9:03 pm)

    *waves* @ 18th & Elmgrove from 17th & Elmgrove. Hey neighbor! Sorry you’re getting such a welcome to the ‘hood. :/ Stay safe.

    But you are right, WSB is a your hook up! Keep it bookmarked.

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:06 pm)

      Just added to the main story but for the convenience of commenters:
      .
      Just looked the suspect up on the jail register. He got out 4 hours ago after a drug-related arrest Tuesday evening.

  • Coleman October 10, 2012 (9:12 pm)

    Reminds me of Philly. I rember helicopters flying over every night looking for somebody. I thought we moved away from all that. I guess I was wrong. Still love WS. Be safe.

  • ca October 10, 2012 (9:13 pm)

    So scary I need to let puppy out and Kitty in :( hope they get quick….so close to my house

  • Steph October 10, 2012 (9:14 pm)

    The scanner app for iPhone is great. Helicopter is still flying around.

  • Trackguy1978 October 10, 2012 (9:15 pm)

    Dondul, it’s not smart to give the police cars locations. If this site is so popular, how do you know the guy they are looking for isn’t reading this site for information?

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:19 pm)

      Please as trackguy says do NOT give out various specifics. While I doubt the suspect’s checking here, you never know – it’s possible to go to google news and hit oh say police search west seattle and wind up here. Also, please do not post scanner info that hasn’t been confirmed. We are monitoring various sources and police are pursuing all KINDS of calls from folks in the area – here’s hoping one finally turns out to be him. ALSO there is always a chance someone will lay low overnight and then try to walk away, so if no arrest tonight, keep an eye out in the morning … we had a famous case of a murderer getting arrested after someone spotted him climbing out of a ravine hours later, mentioned it here, everyone yelled CALL POLICE, the person did, then someone else who had seen the comment thread spotted the guy miles away … he was arrested, jailed, charged, and pleaded guilty earlier this year. Thanks to everyone for being vigilant and safe ….. TR

  • Bean October 10, 2012 (9:17 pm)

    WE ARE LOOKING UP HIS CRIMINAL RECORDS– WHY IS THIS MAN OUT? HE OBVIOUSLY IS A CAREER CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE LOCKED UP FOR A LONG TIME… we stopped looking after page 7– weapons, assault, theft, robbery, drugs, hit and run, traffic-reckless driving, harassment, violation of no contact order, DV charges, malicious mischief.. the list goes on and on and on… IPHONE APP- CRIMINAL PAGES..

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:21 pm)

      Bean, you’d be surprised. I believe some of those were arrests, not necessarily convictions, but still – Anyone interested in what happens AFTER a suspect is arrested, come to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council next Tuesday night at 7 pm at SW Precinct, Delridge/Webster. The chief of staff for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is the special guest and he’s ready for tough questions.

  • El October 10, 2012 (9:20 pm)

    I wonder why he was let out of jail, and what he did to get chased down? It doesn’t make sense to me if they let him go why were they trying to catch him just a few hours later? Different departments of the police?

  • ec October 10, 2012 (9:20 pm)

    We’re at 17th and Thistle. Heard sirens going by a minute ago. Now the helicopter stopped.

  • Doc October 10, 2012 (9:21 pm)

    Don’t hear the helicopter anymore…

  • Moji October 10, 2012 (9:22 pm)

    I agree with Cjp.
    Wouldn’t it be nice to have the leash law breakers out for a massive dog walk right about now. Creep’s probably hiding out on the Westcrest trails. Chopper still up there, been over an hour.
    Anyway, thanks WSB for being so ON it!

  • Dondul October 10, 2012 (9:23 pm)

    Trackguy1978,

    Thanks for the safety heads-up.

    However, I thought it would be safe to say there’s police at the crashed car, I’m sure that’s not news to the bad guy. I did not mention the other police cars I saw around the neighborhood.

  • Freeda October 10, 2012 (9:23 pm)

    thank god the helicopters finally stopped… Maybe they caught him!!!
    now i can finally sleep with this horrid migrane!!

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:25 pm)

      We’re checking on whether the pullback was just because they’ve moved on, or b/c of an arrest. No indication of the latter on the scanner…

  • JC October 10, 2012 (9:25 pm)

    We’re here near Henderson and 18th, we no longer hear the helicopter outside. Anyone know anything?

  • westwood villager October 10, 2012 (9:25 pm)

    I don’t hear the copter anymore. Is it safe yet?

  • JH October 10, 2012 (9:28 pm)

    Quieter now. Guess they got him or gave up.

  • JustAnotherMom October 10, 2012 (9:29 pm)

    I’m pretty certain this guy was asking to use cell phones in front of Full Tilt earlier tonight.

  • SJ2 October 10, 2012 (9:29 pm)

    Just downloaded scanner911 for my iphone. Which scanner are you all listening to? I tried Seattle Police, Fire and EMS and don’t hear anything about this.

  • mustangshelly67 October 10, 2012 (9:30 pm)

    We have two police cars on either side of our street in the area of westwood one is a k9 unit. Makes me feel somewhat comforted the bad guy isn’t coming this way…and if he does officers are within arms reach. As always thank you officers for risking your lives so I don’t have to…

  • JC October 10, 2012 (9:31 pm)

    For the record, we really appreciate having the WSB to turn for a variety of reasons. Thanks.

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:33 pm)

      Thanks, JC. Meantime, KCSO’s Sgt. Cindi West says no arrest yet but she’ll let us know if there is one. They do tend to scale back searches after a while if they feel they’ve searched every bit of turf they can. The chopper is very helpful for that.

  • Randy October 10, 2012 (9:35 pm)

    Any more news?

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:37 pm)

      Besides Sgt. West telling us no arrest yet, and the search scaling back, my co-publisher is back at the scene now and reports that “every possible TV truck is here.” That’s all we have right now. Checking also to see if the car has been towed yet. – TR

  • eastcoastdriver October 10, 2012 (9:36 pm)

    Anyone know what is going on? The helicopter seems to be gone?

  • Mandi October 10, 2012 (9:38 pm)

    Getting closer to my place. FUN! I need to take my dog out as well.

  • cjp October 10, 2012 (9:40 pm)

    SJ2- thats the channel. Its primarily dispatch traffic channels, not intra-officer traffic or anything. You aren’t going to hear any updates about a chase from units involved for example.

    When a multi unit fire is underway however, if you get the right channel, you may hear quite a bit more communication from the site HQ unit, the various teams, who is going in, where the EMS staging is, etc.

    If there is another call reported in due to a sighting or something, you will possibly hear the dispatch call out for a unit to respond, for example.

  • Eric1 October 10, 2012 (9:42 pm)

    Yikes. Sometimes you have to give credit to criminal talent. Released at 4:30, crashes car by 7:30 (stolen 80’s Honda?). In three hours, he also obtains one or two guns (obviously forgot to wait 5 days or go through a background check). Assuming the female in the car was his GF, that was a quickie too (or he is going to wish it was if he goes back to jail). WOW….

  • We October 10, 2012 (9:44 pm)

    So, I’m just supposed to go from alert status looking our for an armed and dangerous suspect…to…well, I hope they caught him? Not cool.

  • westwood villager October 10, 2012 (9:44 pm)

    I hope that all the possible sightings are being called in.

  • Alisa October 10, 2012 (9:48 pm)

    So I live very close to all this and work downtown until 11pm… not exactly sure if I want to go home at all, walking from my car to my house is short but with only a few porch lights to brighten up a dark night and having had my house broken into a few montha ago isn’t helping my courage here. Please keep updating so I know when it’s safe(r) to go home.

  • WSB October 10, 2012 (9:49 pm)

    We – that’s just how it goes. Unsettling, yes. Officers swarmed the area by ground and by air; on the scanner, we heard them check out several reports from people thinking there might be a suspicious noise or person outside their home … so far nothing found. As I wrote earlier, might be hours later. Or he might have hopped a bus and left the area.

  • SJ2 October 10, 2012 (9:54 pm)

    Thanks cjp! I am already addicted! This is way better than reality tv!

  • Bonnie October 10, 2012 (9:59 pm)

    Why was he let out of jail?

    • WSB October 10, 2012 (10:12 pm)

      Said conditional release. I don’t know details of the case, nor even where it happened, but will check with prosecutors tomorrow. Paperwork is only available with details once charges are filed.

  • jedifarfy October 10, 2012 (10:22 pm)

    Look at us all getting united for something NOT bus related!

    I can’t believe I was so close to this and heard nothing. I went out for a quick dinner around 8, came home and heard a helicopter go over, but not hover. I didn’t hear anything until after 9. Yikes! Hopefully they catch him soon.

  • Dondul October 10, 2012 (10:24 pm)

    Eric1,

    I said the car was “about the size of an “80s Civic.” No idea as to the actual type of car.

  • ThisizSparta October 10, 2012 (10:35 pm)

    OMG, you people over react! Do you know how many convicted felons are waiting for a bus at your fave stop? Ever go out to eat in the junction or especially in white center? Geesh prolly every other person you pass has a rap sheet! Not every bad guy is a killer – if they were there would be bodies on every corner. Guy prolly just got made by the cops and didnt want to go back in at the moment. Clown cant drive and so getting chased he crashed. I dont see the big deal here – its just life in the city.

  • WSMama October 10, 2012 (10:57 pm)

    @thisizsparta
    You wouldn’t say “what is the big deal” if you were the one robbed or assulted by this guy. While every city has there share of felons and crime, it is unsettling to hear/see this on your street. I thank WSB and all comments for keeping me informed. As a parent and someone who wants the best well being for my community; I would rather over react and be proactivly prepard, than turn the other check.

  • Rachel October 10, 2012 (10:58 pm)

    Couldn’t have said it better ThisizSparta

  • wsrez October 10, 2012 (11:12 pm)

    Saw the police on Delridge while I innocently waited in a parking lot one block away for a friend to load band gear – doors wide open. Sure glad he didn’t jump in my car! Needless to say, the crime that takes place in West Seattle is NOTHING compared to larger cities like NY or Phili which some of us may have encountered. WSB, I appreciate your timely reporting and look forward to a day when the helicopters stop flying above. It’s changed – no question. You guys are great for this community.

  • Gary October 10, 2012 (11:24 pm)

    Really Sparta? Over reacting, huh? Do you have a family or anyone you care about, or dare I say, love in your life? Probably not.

    So having a guy who just got out of jail, probably armed roaming around a block from my house makes me concerned. Concerned for my family and neighbors. Things I and most people care about. Something your dumbass can’t understand.

    Keep your ignorant chicken sh-t comments to yourself.

  • old timer October 11, 2012 (12:30 am)

    So, how long is your rap sheet ThisizSparta ?
    The guy is out of jail 3 hours and has to ditch a gun before he crashes his car.
    You sure create a glib defense for him.
    One of your buddies?
    You and Rachel, what a sweet pair of neighbors.

  • Jmo October 11, 2012 (12:34 am)

    @ trackguy1978, your comment made me laugh :). Like that guy would really be like ” let’s check out the West Seattle Blog!” Funny! Anyway hope everyone is safe and have all windows and doors locked!!!!

  • RachaelB October 11, 2012 (12:59 am)

    I’m guessing this guy is going to be a no-show for his court date. Just out of curiosity, they stated the female companion was taken to the hospital – was she arrested?

  • Alisa October 11, 2012 (3:25 am)

    Sparta… I think the term I’m looking for to describe someone I imagine to make a comment like that is slightly egotistical and sociopathic… this whole inability to understand/sympathize with others thing is not helping anyone. I get that you’re not scared and you think everybody is over reacting but you’re obviously not empathizing with anyone but yourself.
    I normally don’t respond to trolls but I felt the need on this one. There are families in this area, there are women who live alone in this area, there are elderly people who live in this area, there are many many many diferent types of people who live here and not all of us feel confident that we could overpower a gun toting desperate individual if confronted by one. I’m sure you think that because of this we shouldn’t live in this area but not everyone can afford to live where we want to or where we necessarily feel the safest. Sometimes where we live just falls into our lap and we take an opportunity.
    I get that these are comments and you have the right to your opinion however I do wonder what exactly you are trying to say. That we are all whimps? That we shouldn’t be afraid of walking alone at night? That we shouldn’t live here? That we shouldn’t comfort each other, sound off to one another or help each other or support each other? If that’s what you are trying to say I do not understand why you would even take the time to post in the first place because ultimately it seems you want to give advice or an opinion but you aren’t compassionate enough to listen to others fears or even realize that your advice may or may not be helpfull or for that matter I’m not sure you even considered your entire audience.
    Many of us have lived in bigger cities with higher crime rates, and when things like this happens a community coming together to be alert and lookout for it’s members seems to always have a more likely chance of seeing justice or preventing future crimes. Just because crime is here around where we live does not mean we should just lie down and passivly accept it. It just means we need to be more of a community when it happens.

  • Eric October 11, 2012 (5:41 am)

    It’s a pretty sad day for society when someone with a rap sheet that includes: weapons, assault, theft, robbery, drugs, hit and run, traffic-reckless driving, harassment, violation of no contact order, DV charges, malicious mischief, etc. is let out of jail and within 4 hours, already has a gun in posession and is running from the law, crashes his car due to no regard for anyone else’s life in an attempt to escape, and leaves his female companion who is hurt from the car flipping over to fend for herself, is considered “no big deal.”

    When things like this are considered “normal” or no big deal by the masses, we as a society are in trouble.

  • jedifarfy October 11, 2012 (5:46 am)

    ThisizSparta, thanks for perpetuating the idea that everyone in White Center is a criminal. I doubt HIGHLY that most people I pass have criminal records. I’ve lived here my whole life. I was in White Center eating dinner while all this was happening. I didn’t feel any worry or anxiety.

    This is not an overreaction. This is a convicted felon carrying a weapon he is no longer allowed to have. He raced through busy White Center into a neighborhood, rolled his car into someone’s yard, and then abandoned the person he was with. He clearly has no regard for others and needs to be found soon before he gets desperate and hurts someone.

  • Will October 11, 2012 (6:15 am)

    Hey fellas, it’s o.k. Some people get concerned, some people don’t worry about it. You may react however you feel most comfortable. I brought the dogs in and locked the doors, left the porch light on. Some people might want to head to a friend’s house for the night. There’s no need to get personal. You’d certainly hate to go against your gut instinct and have something bad happen, so just make yourself comfortable and hope for the best.

  • Alki Resident October 11, 2012 (6:28 am)

    It amazes me how one person can terrorize a community and yet the court system keeps letting him out. His rap sheet will double in size over time too. He is a felon and can’t have guns, yet has no regard to that rule. Someday he may be shot by an innocent home owner as he tries to burgarlarize or perhaps by police. But, we will hear about him again some day. People like this will never learn nor have a conscience. Therefore don’t care about you or others well being , nor himself. For all we know, this guy left the neighborhood pretty quickly by car jacking someone. It’s a shame he had to make so many watch their backs last night and keep people from their normal lives. GREAT JOB COURT SYSTEM.

  • miws October 11, 2012 (6:30 am)

    sparta is prolly nothing more than a troll….

    .

    (But very well stated comments, by those that challenged him.)

    .

    Mike

    • WSB October 11, 2012 (6:39 am)

      I apologize – trolling is against WSB rules and we don’t usually let it stand – but there are some eloquent retorts and I hate to have to prune those too. Any time you see overt trolling, personal insults, etc., please flag us in case we missed it – editor@westseattleblog.com (which is our catch-all mailbox for everything). Thanks!

  • Will October 11, 2012 (6:42 am)

    “A 2002 study survey showed that among nearly 275,000 prisoners released in 1994, 67.5% were rearrested within 3 years, and 51.8% were back in prison. However, the study found no evidence that spending more time in prison raises the recidivism rate, and found that those serving the longest time, 61 months or more, had a slightly lower re-arrest rate (54.2%) than every other category of prisoners. This is most likely explained by the older average age of those released with the longest sentences, and the study shows a strong negative correlation between recidivism and age upon release.” (Wikipedia)

    So, roughly half go back. How would you decide which ones to hold and which ones to let go?

  • Ace20604 October 11, 2012 (7:03 am)

    Don’t inmates = $ for private jails?

  • AG October 11, 2012 (9:14 am)

    I’m pretty certain this guy was asking to use cell phones in front of Full Tilt earlier tonight.

    Comment by JustAnotherMom — 9:29 pm October 10, 2012

    JustAnotherMom – I hope you’ve called police with this information and not just put it on the blog. They need to know this sort of info as it tells them where to watch for this a-hole.

  • Justme October 11, 2012 (9:54 am)

    Let’s give em lobotomies when they’re starting their criminal journey in juvenile hall. That would sure nip this problem before it got out of hand.

    Really though, if a kid does time in juvie, there’s a 90% chance of doing jail time as an adult.

  • Joplin October 11, 2012 (10:39 am)

    Thanks Alisa. Well said.

  • cb October 11, 2012 (10:39 am)

    Didn’t someone crash into a fence about 2 months ago in the same area? I hate that there is a school and childcare centers so close to this!!! Legal system at it’s best.

  • LSWS October 11, 2012 (12:14 pm)

    I don’t think you should categorize someone as “trolling” simply because they have a different opinion than you. There was no offense to anyone in his comment.

  • buddsmom October 11, 2012 (12:29 pm)

    WSB..Thanks for the info. Heard Chops in AH for an hour, yet could not find anything on the scanner.

  • Alki Girl October 11, 2012 (12:54 pm)

    Everyone keeps asking “Why was this guy let out?!?” Well, look who you’re voting for in this state! If you actually voted people in office that had some balls, maybe they would be tough on crime and lock these guys up for a long time. People always seem to have their heads in the sand until these bad guys are in their own back yard.

  • miws October 11, 2012 (2:00 pm)

    I don’t think you should categorize someone as “trolling” simply because they have a different opinion than you. There was no offense to anyone in his comment.

    .

    LSWS, I don’t believe it was so much content, but tone.

    .

    This is very close to the homes of many people that are posting here. I have a friend that lives very close by, and another that is also relatively close by.

    .

    Sure, I’ve seen comments, a bit more so, perhaps, on other incidents involving a bad guy on the loose, that WSB has reported on, where it seemed like some of the posters were a bit over-panicky, but who are we to say how someone should react, if we are 3 or 4 miles away from where the incident went down?

    .

    This is how people remain aware; sharing info that will hopefully prevent this guy from harming anyone, and perhaps aid in catching him.

    Mike

  • bridge to somewhere October 11, 2012 (2:54 pm)

    Being “tough on criminals” is not just about elections–it’s about funding police and jails. It isn’t like our jails are sitting around empty because we’ve got liberal judges, congress people, etc.

  • DBP October 11, 2012 (2:59 pm)

    WSB: Any idea what judge turned this guy loose? Did he make bail or what? I’d be interested to know the background on that, not because I wanna razz the judge, but just so we could answer the question everyone seems to be asking, which is: Why was this guy out running loose on the town?
    .
    If you can give me an idea of where to start looking for this info, I’d appreciate it.

    • WSB October 11, 2012 (3:15 pm)

      Have been working to get those answers; will update when I have them. Jail register says “conditional release” which could mean a multitude of things.

  • bridge to somewhere October 11, 2012 (3:51 pm)

    The criminal justice system is complex, and ascribing responsibility is often a challenge to folks who are not working within that system. I’ve heard many, many misconceptions from WSB commenters in this and other posts, misconceptions like 1) the police are responsible for prosecuting, trying and eventually releasing people from jail, 2) prosecutors have absolute latitude in determining what to charge someone with, 3) judges have latitude in determining sentencing limits, 4) Seattle, King County and Washington State have infinite capacity in its court and jail system, 5) prosecutors have the ability to treat each and every case like a trial of the century, 6) it’s possible to have cops on every corner and lock all criminals away with our county/state/city budgets (which are, incidentally, all struggling to stay out of the red presently).

    • WSB October 11, 2012 (4:06 pm)

      I got one of the tidbits I was looking for – a little more about the Tuesday arrest, which happened in White Center. It was clearly not a major case – and therefore not only my radar before this, so I can’t say what happened in court – first-appearance court is often in the jailhouse, and when there is a major case, we go down there because the details of the hearing, what the prosecutor said, what the defense lawyer said, what the judge said, are not available unless you are there. I also have a question out to prosecutors about whether there is any documentation to go with the presumed bail hearing – if there is, that might include the actual police report, though it still won’t say why the judge let the guy go on conditional release.

  • JustJen October 11, 2012 (4:33 pm)

    Word, bridgetosomewhere! It makes me incredibly sad to see people write posts to the effect of “We just need more jails! Lock ’em up and throw away the key! These durn liberals jut let these criminals roam free!” and the like. As a former Harborview Psych ward counselor and mental health worker for many years, I can vouch for the reality of the downward spiral many marginalized people get sucked into – starting from where they were born, the color of skin they were born with, the income of their parents, the level of violence they were exposed to as children, etc. You can’t just fix these underlying problems of society by locking away everyone who looks or acts “scary”. I worked with many people suffering from mental illness – folks who had to be physically restrained and medicated for many hours at a time at intake. That scary naked person you saw in the news running down the highway screaming about aliens? He was probably my patient. Many stories of how folks ended up at my place of work.

    But when they finally calmed down, and we were able to take their history, it was heartbreaking to hear these stories. It was also terrible to see these folks get stabilized on their meds and have a tiny spark of hope at being able to utilize the scant resources (if any) we had available to them after they were released, only to see them fail and return again, or worse – wind up dead.

    I’m not referring to this guy in particular. Honestly, the DV charges alone make me think he could simply be an arsehole (hey – there’s a lot of those), but these blanket statements against “liberals” like me always concern me because they are just so false. People who are against the prison industrial complex don’t feel that way because we want criminals to roam free and kill you, your friends, and family. It’s a common misperception among those in the “right” against those in the “left” (though I despise these labels and wish we could see how much we all have in common as human beings!). There’s a lot of dots to be connected when you look at crime and why people commit criminal acts. There’s some pretty remarkable people trying to make a difference at the level of the children who grow up in these marginalized communities. Ending the violence really starts there. But guess what! Funding has disappeared for many of these organizations, and I can attest that both the Dems and Reps shared responsibility in slashing care for our mentally ill. Wiping out assistance for low income and marginalized populations and supporting candidates who do is a vote for increased crime, plain and simple. Eventually they may lock away all the “criminals” for life and everyone can feel safer, but I kinda doubt it.

    Just don’t close your mind to the possibilities, because there’s a lot of good people working hard to find more practical solutions.

    Just my 2 pesos. And incidentally I live in the area this man was roaming, and I, too, felt scared!

  • Carole October 11, 2012 (5:01 pm)

    He was booked “for investigation” of Vucsa..charges hadn’t been filed when he was released. Release on specific conditions is normal for a non-violent category case. That can change following charging. Prosecutor probably agreed with release., because needed more time to investigate. If you keep him in jail the clock starts ticking to a charging deadline.

  • DBP October 12, 2012 (12:30 pm)

    OK, thanks for that info WSB and Carole. Carole, if what you say is true, then the guy must not have been considered a risk for fleeing or reoffending and that’s why they didn’t hold him. Maybe that was a good call, maybe not. On the one hand, it does kind of sound like this car theft was a “crime of opportunity” as opposed to being something court could have anticipated. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy had a rap sheet involving violence or flight, something that should have tipped people off that he was a risk.
    .
    Oh well. Hindsight’s 20/20. Sometimes not even that.

  • EugeneUtopia October 12, 2012 (12:35 pm)

    @JustJen – VERY well stated. As a former police officer and resident of the Delridge/Trenton intersection, I was concerned for others in the area, though not overly worried for myself. Guys like this, who think mainly of themselves, are more likely to flee the area that stick around, or take a home/person hostage. Still, I didn’t go for a stroll that evening, just to be safe.

    Those of you that ask “why was he released”… it’s just as JustJen and others have stated. There is a fiscal limit to the amount of time we can detain or incarcerate. Elect representatives that will tax more and apply it to the correctional system and we can incarcerate them longer. This guy seems like a good candidate for the three strikes rule.

    As for lobotomizing criminals in Juvenile Detention, that’s just ignorant. I’m sure Malcolm and MLK would disagree, having come from that, and worse, situation. As a child I made a stupid choice and went to Juvenile Detention, albeit for less than a day, and I went on to be a contributing member of society.

    What it boils down to is this: everyone has their own fears, confidences and belief structure. When you go toss a blanket judgement on others opinions, you lose what makes us a community. If we lose that sense of community, we can’t band together and do what’s right for the community as a whole. As a result, people like the suspect in question (we all know he’s an offender at this point and not a suspect, but I’ll be PC about it) here end up missing whatever chance they have of being successful member of the community.

    Try to keep each others point of view in mind, only make contributions that help rather than question, take part in your local community meetings to effect a change and you’ll find things will improve. Hopefully. It’s the best you can do.

    • WSB October 12, 2012 (12:55 pm)

      Thanks, EU. Also FYI, aside from the location of the arrest, additional info so far has not been available – no referral to the prosecuting attorney’s office as of last check. (Again, for that part of the picture, I really hope folks will bring questions to the Crime Prevention Council meeting – questions for police too, about any neighborhood concerns – 7 pm next Tuesday, SW Precinct, with Ian Goodhew, a top manager from the KCPAO, the guest.)

  • Anna October 12, 2012 (5:58 pm)

    Looks like there is a chopper circling White Center again, any updates? Just flew over my house at 5:50 pm and is circling around the downtown area.

Sorry, comment time is over.