Followup: Police reveal details of Monday night shootings, confirming robbery attempt/self-defense; suspect’s bail $1 million
(UPDATED THURSDAY EVENING with more information on suspect’s background and status – scroll down)
(Monday night photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
As first reported here Tuesday, friends and family of the man shot Monday night at Charlestown and Avalon, 27-year-old musician Rick Powell, on duty at the time as a driver for hire, were told Powell was defending himself during a robbery attempt – and that the man found shot minutes later on Delridge was the suspect. (Here’s our original coverage from the night it happened.) We had been asking police for confirmation and just got it. We also have heard from a friend of Powell’s, who says his surgery on Wednesday went well. Benefits are being set up to raise money for Powell – including this one.
Meantime, here’s how SPD Blotter‘s Jonah Spangenthal-Lee tells the story (followed by additional information we have researched):
A 19-year-old felon is in jail recovering from gunshot wounds and facing charges for seriously wounding another man in an exchange of gunfire during a violent robbery attempt in West Seattle …
.
Shortly after 11 pm on April 1st, a 27-year-old for-hire driver pulled his Cadillac over along SW Charlestown Street and Avalon Way SW, and stepped out of his car to smoke a cigarette.
As the victim was standing on the street, 19-year-old Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendez — released from a Yakima prison just four days earlier, after serving time for burglary and robbery — drove past the victim, and pulled down the street ahead of the 27-year-old man.
Garcia-Mendez climbed out of his car and closed in on 27-year-old, drawing a handgun, and shoving it in the victim’s chest.
Read More
West Seattle motorcade sighting: It’s training
1:32 PM: Thanks to Mary for sending a photo and word that the westbound bridge was shut down for what looked like a motorcade headed this way:
Janet then reported a sighting near West Seattle Stadium. SPD Public Affairs says nothing’s on their radar – so for now it’s a mystery; still checking!
1:43 PM UPDATE: Det. Renée Witt in Public Affairs has since confirmed – it’s training. And our crew just caught up with them and has confirmed the same:
Motorcade (escort) training happens here every so often, and we’ve published mentions over the years – but you never know; once in a while, it just might turn out to be somebody like the president of Bulgaria.
40 sales so far for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2013
Saturday, May 11, is the day this year that buying, selling, browsing, and mingling will be the order of the day for West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2013 – the ninth annual edition! It’s a fun tradition and we are glad to be coordinating/presenting it again this year; a community-building West Seattle nonprofit called Megawatt launched it in 2005, and when they shut down a few years later, we asked if WSB could take over and keep it going – this is our sixth one (already!). Anyway, you can register an individual sale, a block sale, or a business/organization/school (etc.) sale, by going here. This is the third full day of registration, which will be open for a couple more weeks – we don’t want anybody to miss out – and we’re off to the fastest start yet, with 40 sales signed up so far. We’ll continue sharing periodic updates here, but the major info links for WSCGSD are the official website and the official Facebook page.
West Seattle Thursday: WSHS musical opens; fashion x 4; more
First time all week we’ve had time to run the traditional calendar preview; today, aside from the morning traffic trouble, things are busy, but in a good way. So here are a few highlights:
‘PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE’ AT WSHS: The West Seattle High School Drama Club‘s spring musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” premieres tonight at 7:30 pm. The second standalone performance is Saturday, but tomorrow – Friday night – you can catch a special performance as part of the WSHS fundraiser “Taste of the Arts” which includes more than “just” the show – details on that are here.
WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION FASHION SPRING FLING: Four Junction fashion shops join forces again for a special evening shopping event starting at 7 pm – details in our calendar listing.
‘CIRCLE OF SINGLES’: Singles 55+ are invited to join this group leaving the Senior Center of West Seattle café at 5 pm for a trip to the Museum of Flight, where it’s free-admission night. Details in our calendar listing.
NIGHTLIFE – MUSIC, COMEDY, DJ’ING, KARAOKE, QUIZ: Listings for Duos, Benbow Room, Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), OutWest, and Terrible Beauty are in the calendar – find them here, and open any individual listing by clicking the “plus” sign on the right side of its line!
Caroline Kennedy to visit Sanislo Elementary next week
Though she has a new role on the world stage pending – a potential appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Japan – Caroline Kennedy is reported this morning to be planning to keep her date with West Seattle’s Sanislo Elementary. Sanislo librarian Craig Seasholes sends along formal word of Kennedy’s expected visit next Monday afternoon as part of National Library Week, for which she is honorary chair. Kennedy is coming to Seattle for a poetry event Monday night that isn’t in WS but will also feature Sanislo students (free but tickets required – get them here ASAP). During her visit to their school, she’s scheduled to meet with Poetry Club students. (2008 photo of Caroline Kennedy by Martyna Borkowski, via Wikimedia Commons)
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday, April 4
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:53 AM: The West Seattle-vicinity routes have no problems reported at the moment, but there’s one huge problem affecting traffic a bit farther north: A wrong-way crash has eastbound Highway 520 shut down at Montlake. WSDOT says that might last another hour or so. But eastbound I-90 is reported to be “running smoothly.”
8:15 AM: Outbound traffic is another matter – “Fed Up” says in comments that the bridge is “backed up from 35th to I-5.”
High-school baseball: West Seattle Wildcats’ 1st league loss
(LeTrey Newsome catches a fly ball)
The West Seattle High School varsity-baseball team is looking to a rematch with Nathan Hale this Friday after a road loss 9-3 on Wednesday. Thanks again to Greg Slader for the update and photos:
The varsity baseball team started off strong with a 3-0 lead through three innings. But too many walks and timely hits by Nathan Hale was too much for West Seattle as they lose their first League game.
(Sam Hellinger hits the ball)
West Seattle is now 5-3 (4-1) on the season and looks to Friday’s game for another chance against the Raiders – 3:30 @ Hiawatha.
Not too late in the year to help local schools as a volunteer!
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Fauntleroy resident Judy Pickens, who volunteers her time and talent to a variety of endeavors including local schools, continues to gather and report information on volunteer needs at West Seattle schools where the need is greatest, sharing it here periodically. Here’s what will probably be the last request for this school year.)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
A school volunteer’s greatest reward is knowing that students have an enrichment activity because you are there to make it happen. And it can happen in the spring as well as earlier in the school term. Consider one of the following ways to dip your toe in the water of school volunteering. You may find yourself back in the fall!
At Highland Park Elementary (1012 SW Trenton)
Contact stpaolone@seattleschools.org
Ongoing: Adults or high-school-aged students to support classroom teachers with tasks such as listening to students read or copying/cutting; varies by teacher/grade – your choice. Pick any hours on any day, 9 AM-4 PM.
Ongoing: Adults or high-school-aged students to support reading/math club with tasks such as listening to students read or helping with elementary match – your choice. Pick any Mon., Tues. or Thurs., 3 PM – 4:30 PM.
*************
At West Seattle Elementary (6760 34th SW)
Contact smtaylor@seattleschools.org
Ongoing: Adults to assist fifth grade with small groups and provide other teacher support. Pick any hours on any day, 10:30AM-3 PM.
Camp Long challenge-course open house Saturday: You’re invited
This Saturday, Camp Long is inviting you to an open house to celebrate its first spring with high and low elements both available via its 4-H Challenge course. The photos we’re sharing are courtesy of Sheila Brown from Camp Long, showing elements of the new Hub and Spoke high course, explained as follows:
The Hub and Spoke element is both physically and mentally challenging, consisting of high platforms, interconnected activities, routes on slim beams, wobbly steps, and swings and ropes to clutch or walk on. Trained facilitators lead participants, always harnessed in safety equipment, through the course … A hub and spoke course is built like a wheel; activities radiate from a center hub with a large platform to the outside poles, which are then connected together by other activities.
Though the construction was complete last fall, activities such as training and gearing up had to follow, and only now is it ready for use.
During Saturday’s event, 1-5 pm, there not only will be a ceremonial ribbon cutting, there’ll also be a chance for a limited number of people to try the high course, at a discount, and the low course for free – read all about the event here.
West Seattle Water Taxi: Spirit of Kingston’s debut will wait
(Tuesday photo by Don Brubeck)
The future West Seattle Water Taxi vessel Spirit of Kingston has been spotted out on at least one test run since arriving at its new home port last week. But while the King County Department of Transportation’s Marine Division was at one point expecting to launch it on the run when the 7-day-a-week schedule takes effect next week, we’re told it won’t happen quite so fast – according to KCDOT and the office of King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who chairs the county Ferry District Board, they will delay the debut a while, possibly a few weeks, for training. The spring/summer/fall schedule still launches on Monday, though – and you can see it here.
Startling reminder: SPD auto-tweets aren’t always what they seem
The WSB Crime Watch page includes the latest list of Seattle Police‘s automatically generated tweets with reported incidents and the blocks where they happened. But we have a notation right above the box: The tweets are ***NOT*** always what they seem. Here’s the latest example of what that means: We’ve been getting questions since last night about a tweet that alarmingly reads HOMICIDE, dated yesterday afternoon, with the location 35th/Charlestown.
First thing this morning, we checked with SPD, and Det. Mark Jamieson confirmed what we had suspected – that was the tweet for homicide detectives (who do investigate non-fatal cases as well as fatal incidents) returning to the scene, as we showed you in our update last night. (There was even another tweet – note the identical call number – labeled FOLLOW-UP.) We replied to the people who inquired – but since we are still getting questions, we’re publishing this in hopes of reassuring others. (The map occasionally has mistakes – a few months back, it showed the HOMICIDE icon where none had occurred – we were told that one was because of a typo in an incident code entered into the system.)
West Seattle Crime Watch: Runner reports attack, writes a warning
9:41 AM: That message in chalk in the 5400 block of California SW (map) is meant as a warning – a local woman reports being attacked while out running early this morning, and wants everyone to be careful. We got first word from a later passer-by who saw the message in chalk and e-mailed us about it; while researching to find out more, we got a call from the victim. She says the attacker came out of nowhere; she says she was not seriously hurt and did not need medical attention, but is concerned for everyone’s safety because police searching the area didn’t find her attacker. Here’s a wider view of the area:
We are following up with police, having called them even before hearing from the victim; they’re looking up the report, so we’ll add any additional information (including a description) if/when we get it.
10:09 AM UPDATE: Here’s what police say about the incident:
A woman was attacked this morning in West Seattle. Just shortly after 5:00 am, the victim was jogging Southbound on the East side-mid block in the 5400 block of California Av SW when the unknown suspect came out of the shadows and grabbed her. The man grabbed the victim’s waist, pulled her down into crouch position and fondled her genital area. The victim screamed and the suspect immediately let go and ran off Northbound and then turned East onto SW Brandon St.
The victim stated that during the attack the suspect did not say anything or react to anything she said to him. Officers arrived and canvassed the area for the suspect and any possible witnesses.
The victim declined medics.
Suspect’s description- Unknown race male, 5’9, wearing a dark colored hoodie and dark pants.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 9-1-1. Anonymous tips are welcome.
West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2013: Now registering!
So much news in the past 36 hours, we haven’t had a chance to mention here on WSB that registration is officially open for the 9th annual West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, coming up 9 am-3 pm on Saturday, May 11th. So – in case you didn’t catch the announcement on the WSCGSD website, you are hereby notified! This is our sixth year as coordinators/presenters of what we call the biggest person-to-person-recycling day of the year – hundreds of sales big and small all over the peninsula (20 are registered already). Ready to commit to a May 11th sale, the day we invite garage/yard/rummage-sale fans from all over the region to join us here in the most beautiful corner of the city? Here’s where to sign up. P.S. If you use Facebook, please consider “liking” the official WSCGSD page, which is (among other things) where you can directly share more information about your sale once the big day gets closer!
West Seattle food drives: Kiwanis on Saturday; Scouting for Food update
KIWANIS FOOD DRIVE ON SATURDAY: This Saturday (April 6th), 9 am-3 pm, is the annual Kiwanis Club of West Seattle day of service collecting food outside local grocery stores, for the West Seattle Food Bank. This year, according to the club newsletter, they will be at Metropolitan Market and PCC-West Seattle (both WSB sponsors) and QFC (we’re checking to see which one, if not both).
SCOUTING FOR FOOD RESULTS: Last Saturday, local Boy Scouts had their annual door-to-door food drive.
On behalf of one of the participating troops, Troop 282, Regina shared that photo and these words of appreciation:
Thank you, West Seattle, for all your contributions to Scouting for Food. Troop 282 collected more than 400 pounds for West Seattle Food Bank.
… which gives us another excuse to remind you that contributions to local food banks, both WS Food Bank and White Center Food Bank, count extra till the end of this month, because of the annual Feinstein Challenge (explained here).
4755 Fauntleroy Way megaproject: Southwest District Council discussion tonight; Design Review details
(The much-scrutinized “connector” between buildings, this view looking from 40th toward Fauntleroy)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tonight brings the next public discussion of West Seattle’s biggest mixed-use project ever: 4755 Fauntleroy Way, to be home to two buildings, 370 apartments, 600 parking spaces, a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market, and a TBA drugstore.
The Southwest District Council‘s monthly meeting (6:30 pm, Southwest Teen Life Center, 2801 SW Thistle) includes a panel discussion of sorts about the project, with representatives from the development team and a project opponent. (Afternoon update: The project team is no longer planning to attend.)
This is not a formal part of the approval process, but other meetings are in the works as part of that: The project is expected to return later this month to the Seattle Design Commission, whose role is to vet it before the city grants a request for an “alley vacation,” allowing public property – part of an alley on the site – to become private.
Last Thursday night, in a separate part of the approval process, the Southwest Design Review Board looked at the newest version of the project’s design, and – as reported here immediately afterward – said it wasn’t quite ready for final approval.
Ahead, how that public meeting unfolded, from the presentation, through highlights of the more than 20 people who offered comments, to the conclusion:
Read More
TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates
(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: So far, so good in today’s commute. Looking ahead – now that we’re to the middle of the week, a reminder that the northbound I-5 lane closures just south of the West Seattle Bridge will be in effect again this weekend, as expansion-joint work continues.
9:09 AM: Just in from Alison:
Just witnessed an accident NB 99 just after the ramp up to the viaduct. 3 cars. Airbags deployed in one. Two trucks were stalled and the first car slowed down. Third was following too close and too fast. Will take time to clear.
Deborra also reports the 99 backup is visible from a downtown vantage point overlooking the highway.
4:31 PM: There’s a reported five-car crash on the eastbound bridge, near 4th Avenue exit.
West Seattle Crime Watch update: 2 gunfire investigations
10:29 PM: Police are investigating a report of gunshots fired toward or near a West Seattle home. No reports of any injuries, so far. We don’t have a hard and fast address for it yet, but one caller says it’s in the vicinity of 20th and Cloverdale (map), where similar incidents were reported recently. Per the scanner, witnesses reported a car resembling a gold Taurus headed northbound on 20th afterward.
WEDNESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Not long after that report, police now say, they got a second one, just a few blocks west, in the 2400 block of SW Thistle. A man said someone fired a shot at him from a passing vehicle – details are in this SPD Blotter update, which also includes the latest on the 20th/Cloverdale gunfire report, though police say they are not sure if the two are related.
‘Nickelsville’ site future: Food Lifeline asking for public support
As the question of what will happen to the encampment that calls itself “Nickelsville,” its residents, and the government-owned site it’s on comes to a head, the nonprofit that wants to build a new facility on the site is asking for public support. Food Lifeline has been waiting to hear from city leaders whether they will help facilitate the purchase and ensuing project, or not; Mayor McGinn‘s office told WSB last week that they expected a report from the city’s finance office by mid-April. Food Lifeline spokesperson Amy Lee Derenthal says this is the “call to action” they are circulating among those interested in supporting their proposal:
Help Food Lifeline secure their chosen piece of land for the Hunger Relief Center.
Your voice in support of Food Lifeline being able to secure its parcel of land is critical to expediting the procedure. Reach out to the Seattle City Council today and let them know that you want them to declare the 10-acre site on West Marginal Way in Seattle surplus, and sell the land to Food Lifeline. The City’s plan for the property is a future storage site. Please call or email the Seattle City Council in support of Food Lifeline today.
Here is sample language for you to use when you call or e-mail the Seattle City Council:
“Food Lifeline distributes millions of pounds of food each year to help end hunger in Western Washington. Help Food Lifeline secure their piece of land to build the Hunger Relief Center by expediting the procedure for land purchase. As my representative on the Seattle City Council, I urge you to declare the 10-acre site on West Marginal Way in Seattle surplus, and sell the land to Food Lifeline NOW.
Thank you for your support of Food Lifeline.
Your Name Here”
Contact information for the council, whether collectively or individually, for this issue or any other, is on this page.
West Seattle shootings followup: Investigators return to scene; friend says it was a robbery attempt
Though Seattle Police are not formally commenting on last night’s two shootings beyond what was on SPD Blotter (same things linked in our overnight coverage), here’s what we have found out today:
Investigators returned to the Avalon/Charlestown scene this afternoon – the first place a shooting victim was reported, after people in the area heard gunshots around 11:30 last night. The investigators there today were spotted and photographed both by WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams (who took the photo above) and by your co-publishers, a short time apart while heading back to our respective HQ’s after coverage of the “Bertha” arrival. As you see in Nick’s photo, investigators were using a dog to look for evidence. It’s the same area of Charlestown as shown in WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli‘s photo from overnight:
Meantime, a friend of one of the two men who were shot tells WSB that it all started as a robbery attempt and that his friend shot the other man in self-defense. The friend asked to be anonymous, and since we don’t have official identification on either of the men who were shot, we are not using our source’s friend’s name yet either.
According to the friend, the victim was working last night, driving a car for hire – he’s also a musician – and was taking a break when the other man approached him, and the exchange of gunfire ensued. No other details of the circumstances; the friend has visited the victim in the hospital and says he is able to nod his head in response to questions but that’s about it. He says the victim is in stable condition with three gunshot wounds and is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. (The other man also is reported to still be in the hospital.) We will continue to follow up with police to see when they will be ready to say more about the case.
West Seattle traffic alert: Delridge/Thistle intersection closure
As Phase 2 of the Delridge repaving project continues, SDOT has just confirmed the plan for the next intersection closure:
To reduce impacts to the community, intersection construction is taking place on weekends, working around the clock. The next intersection closure is at SW Thistle Street from 7 pm Friday, April 12, until 6 am, Monday, April 15 at the latest.
Through traffic will be detoured, with local access maintained. Detour information will be available shortly. Meanwhile, most of the in-road work in Phase 1, between SW Henderson and SW Trenton streets, is now complete. Remaining elements include weather-dependent crack-sealing work and final roadway markings.
Urgent call for help: What WestSide Baby needs now
From WestSide Baby executive director Nancy Woodland – an urgent call for help, so they can keep helping local families in need:
Requests are up and donations of items are low at WestSide Baby. We are asking the community to do a Spring Clean and gather together as many essential children’s items as possible. We are quickly adding temporary increased collection hours and trying to come up with creative ways to make donating these things as easy as possible. WestSide Baby provides essential items to local children in need and we expect these things to reach the hands of King County children very quickly. For perspective, we could NOT fill requests for the following items last month: 46 car seats, 33 cribs, 32 high chairs and 46 strollers. This is why we need your help now! Please consider cleaning out closets at your own home or you can go a step further and act on some of the ideas below.
Our Donations Collection Center is in White Center at 10027 14th Ave. SW. We are tucked between the tortilla factory and the welder! Our regular hours for donations are 9-4:30 Mon-Thursday and Sat. 10-1. Right now we are adding hours as much as possible and our website is being updated regularly with our increases during this time of great need. TONIGHT we are open 5:30-7:30 for those really speedy responders and we will be here 10-5pm this Saturday.
Your effort will help families in crisis or those just in need of a little help right now. Terri from Child Care Resources shared, “A parent needed a double stroller; it was essential for her to have one to get her two small children to child care safely. She walks and takes the bus to get them there, and WestSide Baby was able to provide a small, fold-up double stroller for her to take on the bus. A(nother) family just moved to Seattle, and when I asked them if they had enough extra clothes to leave with their child at child care, I could just see the look of worry on their faces. WestSide Baby provided that family with a bag of clothes to help ease that stress.”
Our current critical wish list includes:
· Children’s Clothing Size Newborn to Size 12
· Car Seats – especially those > 6 years old
· Portable Cribs
· Strollers
· High Chairs
· Exersaucers
· Spring Coats
· Diapers Sizes Newborn and Size 1
· Hygiene items like diaper cream, shampoo
· Blankets
Ideas to make an impact right now
· Gather things at your own home
· Offer to pick up and launder a school Lost & Found
· Collect diapers from friends by pulling together a simple gathering – like Girls Night Out
· Help us with pick-ups from drop-sites
· Park your large truck somewhere as a temporary drop site
· Help us with an Earth Day Outreach
· Volunteer to sort or to clean up equipment
· Host a Car seat drive
· Help us reach donors outside of our drop site areas of West Seattle and Burien
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