West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
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!)
The Southwest Precinct‘s retiring Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow got quite a sendoff from the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network, as about 40 people came to its first meeting in three months to hear his parting words. The group itself was a prescient creation of local volunteers – since now that the city will have fewer crime-prevention coordinators, volunteer efforts matter more than ever.
Deb Greer, one of the group’s trio of leaders (with Karen Berge and Deanie Schwarz), put together a retrospective of Block Watch’s beginnings in Seattle, to tee off Kinlow’s memories, and tributes from a few of the attendees around the table.
But before we get to that – the crime tip of the month from the uniformed SPD rep on hand, Community Police Team Officer Jon Kiehn:Read More
ORIGINAL 5:43 PM REPORT: A suspect arrested this afternoon after an attack in Lincoln Park may be responsible for other attacks, according to Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen. He says the female jogger assaulted this afternoon was not physically hurt. After police set up containment, they caught a suspect, and Capt. Paulsen says detectives will be following up for possible ties to other incidents – including previous cases at Lincoln Park. The arrest happened around 4 pm, according to a WSB’er who says his son saw police “tackling someone” at the park around that time. (Checking our archives, an incident last August is the most recent one we’d heard about.)
6:55 PM UPDATE: There’s now a short summary on SPDBlotter, with a few more details:
On January 25th at approximately 3:50 p.m. a 27-year-old female was jogging on the waterfront trail in Lincoln Park (8000 block of Fauntleroy Way SW) when an unknown male suspect ran up behind her and attempted to tackle her by throwing his arms around her legs. The victim was able to break free and get away. The suspect fled eastbound through the park toward Fauntleroy. The suspect was apprehended by responding officers as he attempted to cross Fauntleroy. The victim positively identified the 46-year-old male suspect, who was subsequently booked into the King County Jail for misdemeanor assault.
Sexual Assault Unit detectives are handling the follow up investigation. It it unknown at this time if this suspect is responsible for any other attacks.
According to the jail register, the suspect was booked just before 6 pm; public records list him at a Gatewood address, less than a mile from Lincoln Park. We’re checking on his record.
7:08 PM UPDATE: The suspect, who we will not name until charged, has a 2005 assault charge on his record. The charge says he attacked a woman in Highland Park in what appears to have been a road-rage incident that started on Highway 509; he followed her to her home, where he pulled over, reached inside her car and hit her in the face before grabbing the cell phone she was using to call 911, and ran off. He pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 3 months in jail (with work release), according to the documents in that case, which also show he had prior convictions for assault, property destruction, and reckless driving in the mid- to late ’90s. He is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow morning.
9:32 PM UPDATE: A WSB commenter says she’s the victim from this afternoon’s incident, and writes:
West Seattle- I am the jogger who was attacked this afternoon. I was running on a trail along the upper part of the cliff. I was also surprised by the attack in broad daylight, and I had passed many people out walking their dogs. This is the only time I have ever ran with my cell phone, I recommend everyone to do this, it’s the only reason they were able to catch him. I called within seconds of it happening.
From WSB’s Katie Meyer at the King County Courthouse: Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque has just agreed to push back the trial of the remaining defendants in the Steve Bushaw murder case to June 1st. The delay was requested given what defense lawyers characterized as dramatic changes in the case once the two people who actually shot Bushaw in The Junction in February 2009, Danny O’Neal and John Sylve, struck plea bargains (as reported here earlier this month) – plus, senior deputy prosecutor James Konat also is leading the case against South Park murder/rape defendant Isaiah Kalebu, which has caused some conflicts. More details from this morning’s court session will be added here later.
One of many West Seattle cases we’re tracking through the courts is that of Thomas Qualls, the 59-year-old Alki man shot September 3rd in what police say was an exchange of fire with officers at his home. He has been in jail, with bail set at $1 million, since getting out of the hospital less than a week after the incident. While downtown today, we were in King County Superior Court for Qualls’ latest appearance, even shorter than the last; it was slated to be a hearing on whether to set a trial date (or some other option, like a plea bargain) but his lawyer won a requested four-week delay, saying they are still in the middle of obtaining and studying some complex evidence. So he’s due back in court February 22nd. He’s charged with three counts of 2nd-degree assault, with firearms enhancement.
A quick note came in this afternoon from someone sad to see a lot of folks cleaning up broken glass along 32nd SW. A different note a bit earlier, from David, told the tale:
Sometime Saturday night – Sunday morning, someone blew out at least four car windows with a pellet gun on 32nd Ave SW between Thistle and Barton St. [map] Vehicles weren’t rifled through, so it appears to be target practice from some malevolent passerby. I seem to remember a WSB article on similar crime in 2010 and hope spreading the word might heighten westsiders’ awareness of their street scene to ward off similar activity.
Speaking of heightened awareness – West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network meets tomorrow night, 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct.
We’re back at the King County Courthouse, where today’s open-court proceedings lasted less than an hour as the third week of pre-jury-selection proceedings in the Steve Bushaw murder-case trial began. (Quick backstory: Bushaw, a 26-year-old West Seattleite, died after being shot outside a Junction restaurant/bar on Super Bowl Sunday night in 2009; 4 people were arrested and charged months later, with the allegation it was a revenge plot instigated by the suspicion Bushaw was involved with robbing someone linked to marijuana dealing with which he was involved.) Today’s toplines:
*The lawyer for one of the two defendants who has pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of 2nd-degree murder, Danny O’Neal, announced his client probably will not seek to withdraw that plea. It was raised as a possibility after the other admitted triggerman, John Sylve, made a similar plea agreement, but gave a statement that apparently dramatically contradicted what O’Neal had said. O’Neal will be interviewed shortly by the other defendants’ lawyers.
*A potential witness who apparently was implicated in Sylve’s statement was subpoenaed to be in court today. He was not asked to come into the hearing, but a lawyer has been appointed for him since it is believed he might have to invoke the 5th Amendment (against self-incrimination) if called as a witness. His new lawyer will spend much of today talking with him. (We are not naming him at this point, since he is neither a charged suspect nor an official witness-to-be.)
*A lawyer for one of the two remaining defendants still set for trial, Bryce Huber, asked Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque about her intention regarding his motion to further delay the trial. She didn’t give a final opinion but said she was not inclined to grant it and that as of this point, everyone should proceed as if the jury pool will be brought in this Thursday as scheduled. Court will resume at 9 tomorrow morning.
2:46 PM: Thanks to the WSB’ers who tipped us to this via text message and WSB Forums post: The Admiral Theater is closed was closed earlier today because it’s been burglarized. Police were still there when WSB’s Katie Meyer went over a short time ago to investigate the reports. According to what she learned from Admiral staffer Sean and police, the break-in happened around 5 am – it set off an alarm but that didn’t get help fast enough to prevent the burglars from making off with what we are told was a significant amount of cash. The staffer says they don’t usually have that on hand but they had a problem with the drawer at the bank where they usually use to make night deposits, so they brought it back to the theater. So they’re closed for today – you’ll see “no movies today” on the marquee if you drive by (photo added 3:15 pm).
3:28 PM UPDATE: We’re told now that they plan to reopen later this afternoon, for the showings just before 4 pm, but are asking for exact change.
4:58 PM UPDATE: We checked with the Southwest Precinct for any additional information; Lt. Ron Smith says the preliminary report says it was a “forced entry” burglary, and that “electronics” were taken as well as cash.
The father of hate-crime-attack victim Shane McClellan was in Judge Carol Schapira‘s courtroom downtown to hear the sentence for one of his son’s attackers. Before the hearing, Tim McClellan told WSB and TV photographers in the hallway, “Today’s his birthday.” [Afterward, he spoke to the media – part of the interview is in our clip above; we’ll upload a longer clip when we’re back at HQ.]
On Shane’s 17th birthday – eight months after he was beaten and tortured for hours on a Highland Park stairway, by two men who voiced a racist motivation – one of his attackers, 23-year-old Ahmed Y. Mohamed (photo below), has just been sentenced to 69 months in prison, three months short of what prosecutors had asked for.
(Added 4:47 pm, Seattle Times photo by Greg Gilbert, used with permission)
Judge Schapira said this case is “more than a headline. .. We are here not to judge you as a person, but there are consequences for the very serious act to which you have pleaded guilty. … The offense makes no sense to me. … You are a very young man; as negative as this experience as been, as negative as being in prison will be. We hope you will put this behind you, as we all do when making very serious mistakes.”
Prosecutors had recommended the high end of the “standard sentencing range,” which would have been six years. In court, prosecutor Erin Becker said, “This robbery and the actions that occurred during this robbery went far, far beyond (the average robbery) … The (attackers) held him for hours, burned him with lit cigarettes, urinated on him … The victim was a juvenile at the time, and it seems what they were aiming at was not simply robbery.” Tim McClellan decided at the last minute that he would speak to the judge, saying, with difficulty, he “can’t imagine the duration” of what happened to his son, who he says “is doing a lot better.” (Shane was not in court.)
The lawyer for Mohamed said his client was sorry and said alcohol had something to do with it … saying it was his client’s “first experience with alcohol” and noting Mohamed had been drinking Four Loko, the subsequently banned beverage. He also talked about Mohamed, who is a US citizen, having been born in Mogadishu, Somalia, and living in refugee camps when very young. Mohamed’s mother also spoke, apologizing to all involved for her son’s actions, and talking about how he helps care for his disabled sister; he spoke for himself too, apologizing, saying he felt peer pressure to drink, but saying he knows he can become “a better man.” Family members/supporters in the gallery cried as they spoke.
The judge opened her remarks after that by saying she felt sympathy for so many of those involved. But in the end, she pronounced a sentence just short of what prosecutors wanted. Technically, it breaks down to 45 months for the robbery charge, with 12 months concurrent for the malicious-harassment charge; after that, 24 months for the weapons enhancement (a knife was used during the robbery/attack). Mohamed already has been in jail about three months, which will count against the sentence.
WSB was first to report that Mohamed had pleaded guilty to robbery (with weapons enhancement) and malicious harassment (hate crime) – it happened in December, but no one in the news media had noticed; we turned it up while combing through court records on routine followups at the start of January. The second person arrested last fall, 21-year-old Jonathan Baquiring, is in the King County Jail, awaiting trial next month on the same charges.
ADDED 2:46 PM: Tim McClellan spoke to the media after the sentencing, saying he accepts Mohamed’s apology, and that he is generally pleased with how this turned out. He says Shane is doing OK. See part of the interview in the clip we added atop this story; more to come.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – first case includes an update on a reader-reported incident earlier this week
*A watchful neighbor prevented the theft of a package from a 35th Avenue front porch on Monday. She scared off the thief, who had apparently been following a UPS truck on its route and making off with the deliveries. Followup since 1st WSB story on this: The suspect’s car was found later that day run off the road into the brush at Fairmount and Admiral Way SW. There were no keys in the ignition and no sign of the driver. Its license plate had been stolen in North Seattle, and the car, itself, had been reported stolen somewhere in Seattle on December 22nd.
*An officer driving by a construction site on Avalon Way early Monday was suspicious when he passed two men carrying bundles of pipe along the road. He became more suspicious when, after pulling a U-turn to observe the pair, he discovered that one of the men had disappeared. (He turned out to be a transient with a history of copper-wire theft, found later, out of breath, and carrying the same type of electric tape that had been used to bind the pipe bundles.) The remaining fellow’s story didn’t check out, and a grocery cart nearby was filled with a hacksaw, gloves, and welding ground cables (which contain copper). The pair was interviewed and released from the precinct pending location of a victim.
Nine more summaries ahead:Read More
No injuries were reported, but a trail of destruction was left behind by one driver along 26th SW in North Delridge late last night. This morning, you can still see not only damaged vehicles (photo below) but also where the car hit signs, from a traffic circle to a corner (above) [2:10 PM NOTE: In comments, neighbors say the traffic circle, with the bent sign in the background, bore the brunt of last night’s street damage, and the tire tracks etc. at right are from a previous crash].
One neighbor, Ruby, relates a firsthand account from her partner, who saw the whole thing:
She had just parked her car and was trying to retrieve her bag from the passenger side of the car when she heard a car coming down the street at a very high speed. (She guessed around 50 mph). She honked several times in an effort to say ‘slow down!’, and the car blew past her, launched itself over the traffic circle, wrecked into the Telecom truck, and hit a van on the opposite side of the street. She ran after the car trying to get a plate and thinking the car would eventually just stop because it had so much damage…. But it didn’t… it kept going and hit several more cars before the driver abandoned it somewhere south of the park.
A police search followed, ending with no indication of the driver having turned up (we have inquiries out again this morning to see if they ever did, and will add any information we get). Anyone who suffered damage is also urged to contact police, if they haven’t already. Ruby says they heard of at least four cars that were damaged; seven were mentioned by Chris, who tweeted about this last night.
ADDED 3:22 PM: According to Lt. Ron Smith from the Southwest Precinct, five vehicles in all have reported damage from this incident so far. He says that despite a search involving two K-9 teams, the driver and vehicle were not found, though a possible license plate was reported, so investigators are working on that.
Continuing our coverage of the murder trial in the February 2009 West Seattle shooting death of Steve Bushaw: Court is now in recess till 9 am Monday. That originally was projected as the date testimony would begin, but this case hasn’t even gotten to jury selection yet, because of an ongoing series of twists and turns among the four original defendants. Two of them have pleaded guilty in the past two weeks, but one of them may withdraw that plea when court resumes Monday. Details ahead:Read More
“Welcome to 2011!” With that, West Seattle Crime Prevention Council president Dot Beard opened last night’s meeting at the Southwest Precinct, the first WSCPC meeting in two months – and her last one as president. As the meeting began, more than 15 people were on hand, not counting three uniformed SPD reps – Lt. Pierre Davis and Community Police Team Officers Jonathan Kiehn and Ken Mazzuca – plus soon-to-retire Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow. Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen joined in time to deliver his assessment of the latest West Seattle crime trends – which included at least one surprise. That and other meeting toplines, after the jump:Read More
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)>
Today officially marked the start of the second week of murder-trial proceedings in the case of the deadly West Seattle shooting two years ago of Steve Bushaw – though the case hasn’t even gone to jury selection yet, and might not for a while, depending on how things proceed. Previously, two of the four original defendants – the two accused of actually shooting Bushaw along California SW between Alaska and Edmunds late Super Bowl Sunday night in 2009 – pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder. Danny O’Neal entered his plea eight days ago, as proceedings began; John Sylve pleaded guilty last Friday. The other two were in court today – from left, alleged mastermind Bryce Huber and alleged getaway driver Brandon Chaney:
They remain charged with first-degree murder and with conspiracy to commit murder. After a brief session this morning, King County Superior Court Judge Joan DuBuque recessed court until 1:30 this afternoon to review some of the information that had emerged; the afternoon session was even shorter, and she recessed the case until 9 tomorrow morning. While there were many twists in this morning’s open discussion involving lawyers, the prosecutor and Judge DuBuque, the most noteworthy one involved the statement given by Sylve as part of his plea agreement. It was indicated that his statement might conflict with the one that the other confessed triggerman, O’Neal, gave days earlier. And that, the prosecutor said, might change the deal to recommend the low end of the sentencing range for him. We’ll find out what’s next when court resumes tomorrow morning.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports out of the WSB inbox tonight. First one is about a truck-trailing package thief; second a quick note about an attempted break-in. Read on:Read More
Three break-in reports for West Seattle Crime Watch, plus one potential-prowler sighting that football fans might want to know about, all from the WSB inbox – read on:Read More
The first week of pre-trial motions and discussions in West Seattle’s Steve Bushaw murder case started with a guilty plea, and ended with one. Our partners at the Seattle Times report tonight that, four days after Danny O’Neal, one of two accused triggermen, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, the other one – John Sylve – struck the same plea bargain. Here’s the Times story. This happened during what was supposed to be a recess in the case until next Tuesday; when proceedings resume then, two defendants remain – alleged mastermind Bryce Huber and alleged getaway driver Brandon Chaney, both still charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the shooting of Bushaw outside Talarico’s in The Junction on Super Bowl Sunday night in February 2009. The documents from today’s announcement are not in the online files yet, so we don’t have full details of the latest plea agreement.
(Seattle Police investigators with the wrecked Buick on Sunday morning – rescuers had cut its top off)
Throughout the week, we’ve received notes from people living near the scene of the 47th/Charlestown crash that led to a major power outage early Sunday (original WSB coverage here), wondering how the two people in the car were doing. Though they originally were described as having life-threatening injuries, we have just learned from Harborview Medical Center that the passenger, a 31-year-old woman whose hometown is not listed in the police report, is out of the hospital. The driver, 23-year-old Mohammad Nema of Burien, is still at Harborview but is now in satisfactory condition – and he is charged with vehicular assault as well as domestic violence. According to the charging documents, the passenger was his estranged girlfriend, who had two protection orders against him linked to an assault allegation in early December. The charging papers don’t say why she was with him on Sunday morning, but they say:
… the defendant was speeding well in excess of the posted speed limit. He failed to maintain control of his car and crossed the centerline and began rotating clockwise as he skidded 133 feet. He then left the road and slammed broadside into a utility pole. The force was sufficient to break the pole which caused a power outage in the neighborhood. There was enough energy left to propel his car an additional 52 feet until the car eventually came to a stop. Both the defendant and (passenger) were unconscious. Both suffered at least fractured pelvises. …
A bottle of open, mostly empty tequila was found wedged between the defendant and his driver’s door. Blood alcohol results for him are pending. Preliminary collision reconstruction shows he was speeding at least 48 mph and that does not even take into consideration the energy to break the pole. The analysis indicates he was traveling freeway speeds when he lost control.
When Nema gets out of the hospital, he will be booked into the King County Jail, with bail set at $100,000, according to online records. Court documents say he has a record of citations and charges including driving the wrong way on a one-way street, possessing an open alcohol container in a car, speeding, and driving without liability insurance.
If you’ve long been involved with the Block Watch program in West Seattle – or know someone who has – there’s a special call out for you tonight, from the WS Blockwatch Captains’ Network, looking ahead to its next meeting – which also extends a special invitation to those wanting to say farewell to retiring Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow (here’s our Tuesday report on his impending retirement):
What’s the History of Blockwatch in West Seattle? Are you part of the history? Do you know part of the history?
When: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 6:30-8
Where: SW Precinct 2300 S.W. Webster (Delridge & Webster)
Agenda: 6:00-6:30 Socializing and networking during setup
6:30-7:00 WSBWCN news and updates, crime prevention tip of the month
7:00-8:00 History of Blockwatch in West Seattle with Benjamin Kinlow
Open forum for sharing historical information, blockwatch stories and thanking Benjamin.
8:00-8:30 Socializing & networking during teardown.Featured speaker: Retiring Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Kinlow
The topic of our January meeting is focused on the history of block watch in West Seattle. Benjamin Kinlow who has many years of experience in blockwatch will regale us with his stories of how things used to be, how they have evolved and talk about some highlights of his career. We invite everyone in West Seattle who has participated in blockwatchs over the years to come say goodbye to Benjamin, hear about the history of blockwatch and bring their blockwatch stories to share. Especially if you have stories relating to working with Benjamin and how he has helped you with your blockwatch it would be great to send him off to retirement with a few stories he might have forgotten!
We are trying to round up historical memorabilia and/or photos of blockwatch history in West Seattle that we could scan and put in a slide show so if you have something please get in touch. E-mail: wsblockwatchnet@gmail.com or call 206-424-0040 and leave a message.
That shot from a West Seattle bank robbery last April (WSB coverage here) was one of the most-discussed bank-robber photos we’ve run … as the robber’s gender seemed to be in doubt. Today, Seattle FBI spokesperson Special Agent Frederick Gutt confirms to WSB that a suspect held for a bank holdup in Kent may be the so-called “Mrs. Doubtfire” robber, suspected in a string of stickups around the region. She is a 53-year-old resident of Des Moines, arrested for robbing an Alaska USA credit union branch in Kent two days ago, according to Special Agent Gutt. We reported last September that one suspect was likely responsible for 6 heists, 3 of them in West Seattle, starting with the April 2010 KeyBank robbery in The Junction (the others are listed here), though the list has now grown to 11, according to the FBI. (Hat tip to seattlepi.com for what appears to be the 1st report on the arrest.)
(Wednesday photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Following up on Wednesday’s 44th SW incident involving two dogs shot by police responding to a domestic-violence call, we had a few questions for the Seattle Animal Shelter. Regarding the dogs’ breed, SAS director Don Jordan told WSB, “DOA dog = Lab. Injured dog = Bulldog mix. These match the licenses we have on file.” Had his officers dealt with them before? “Slight history of welfare checks, leash-law violations, and menacing behavior,” replied Jordan: “Citation for LLV + Menacing in 2008. Eight impounds between these two dogs in 2008 and 2009.” We also asked about the condition of the surviving dog. According to Jordan, it was “stabilized at West Seattle Animal Hospital then transported to (a clinic) for overnight observation. We were putting the owner in contact with (the clinic) so they could determine what they wanted to do with the dogs leg – i.e. amputation, plates/screws or ultimately euthanasia.” The newest information from police, released last night, said the dogs were “on top of” the woman they ultimately arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, and that they charged the officer who opened fire.
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Monday afternoon, officers were alerted to an auto theft in progress on Pigeon Point. The thief managed to drive off at high speed northbound on 18th SW. Moments later, a citizen called 911 to report that a pickup truck had crashed through his fence in the 4800 block of 18th and that the driver had fled into a neighboring ravine. Officers were able to recover some items of clothing, as well as several tools typically used by car thieves, but they didn’t find the thief. (The K-9 trail went cold at the 4800 block of Puget Way SW.) The crashed pickup truck, registered in Wyoming, was a stolen vehicle that had been reported to Seattle Police.
*One effect of recent rains proved tempting to a man in his twenties in the area of Fauntleroy and SW Concord. He has been seen loitering, hiding in bushes, and rocking signposts in the rain-softened ground, causing them to break and tilt at angles. Description: He is white, and on Saturday, he was seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, had a bandana covering his lower face, and rode a razor-type scooter.
Five more summaries ahead:Read More
We’re continuing to follow the case of the four people charged with murdering 26-year-old Steve Bushaw in The Junction two years ago. On Monday, just as the trial was about to begin with pre-jury-selection proceedings, one of the two alleged triggermen, 29-year-old Danny O’Neal, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, second-degree murder. The official document from Monday’s hearing is now available, and there’s an update to O’Neal’s potential sentence: After prosecutors recommend the low end of the 123-220-month “standard range,” whatever the judge decides will have 60 months added to it for the “firearm enhancement,” meaning he faces a minimum of 15 years.
Meantime, the remaining three defendants, Bryce Huber, John Sylve, and Brandon Chaney – all still charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder – returned to court this morning. No additional plea bargains so far, prosecutor James Konat told Judge Joan DuBuque, but they are still in negotiations, and the lawyers asked for a few more days to keep talking. The judge gave them until Tuesday morning, which is when the pretrial proceedings will resume if there is no resolution to the case this week (next Monday is a holiday). It’s alleged that O’Neal and Sylve shot Bushaw after talking with Huber, who met up with him at Talarico’s that night and went outside with him just before the shooting; Chaney is the alleged getaway-car driver. The motive: Huber allegedly suspected Bushaw of involvement in a home-invasion robbery targeting a friend; police have said there was no evidence linking Bushaw to that case.
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