West Seattle, Washington
23 Tuesday
As we continue to check on high-profile West Seattle criminal cases making their way through the court system – the trial for Admiral stabbing suspect Kierra Ward has been pushed to next month. Online court documents show that her lawyer requested the delay during a hearing on Friday, saying they still had a variety of work to do to prepare. So the trial is now tentatively re-set for a March 21st start, depending on what happens at the next readiness hearing (“omnibus”) on March 9th. It’s been four months since Ward was arrested and charged with assault in the knife attack on an Admiral woman who was walking with her baby. She remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $400,000 bail.
In West Seattle Crime Watch, a new vehicle-theft report today, plus confirmation that a truck stolen earlier this week has been found.
STOLEN: The 2003 red and silver Subaru Baja shown above, from Seaview, near 45th/Raymond, around 3 am today. Plate BV402O3F. Dent on the front of the hood. Call 911 if you see it.
FOUND: Back on Tuesday, we published Kevin‘s report that his red Ford F-150 truck had been stolen northeast of The Junction. Commenter Marcus subsequently reported finding it, and Kevin sent us an update that it was found in the 9000 block of 30th SW, “ransacked but OK … “They left a jumpstart, nail clipper, and a tow adapter in the truck. Stole a GPS and some change.”
No new official information tonight on last night’s shooting in South Park that left a 16-year-old boy in critical condition. No arrest reported in that case or the double shooting a week earlier. But we do know that neighbors in South Park are hoping that West Seattleites and others from around the city will join them in this quiet plea. The invitation, in English and Spanish:
In wake of the recent shootings in our neighborhood, please join your neighbors in a silent march for peace. We will meet at 7:30 pm Friday at the library [8604 8th Ave. S.] and proceed to the Chevron gas station on 14th. Bring flashlights or candles. Let’s bring the city’s attention to our neighborhood. We need additional resources. We need community engagement. We need Peace. ☮️
A raíz de los recientes tiroteos en nuestro vecindario, únase a sus vecinos en una marcha silenciosa por la paz. Nos reuniremos a las 7:30 en la biblioteca y nos dirigiremos a la estación de servicio de Chevron en la 14 avenida. Trae linternas o velas. Es importante llamar la atención de la ciudad a nuestro vecindario. Necesitamos recursos adicionales. Necesitamos trabajar como comunidad. Necesitamos LA PAZ!
A police search near Lowman Beach right now, with K-9 called out, following a reported burglary attempt. Someone called 911 to report a man using a ladder to try to break into a house in the 7000 block of Beach Drive SW, just south of Lowman Beach Park. The description just broadcast on police radio is a man in his 20s, Hispanic, black hair that’s long on top and short on the sides, a black sweatshirt and Carhartt-type pants. If you have any information, call 911.
7:23 PM: Seattle Police are investigating a shooting at 14th Avenue S. and S. Trenton in South Park. They say one victim has been rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, and that there is no suspect in custody yet. No other official details except that an officer who left a meeting we’re covering to go to the scene said that it involved “youth in our community.”
7:29 PM: Metro says Route 132 is rerouted off 14th Ave. S. (which is an arterial) because of this.
9:17 PM: 14th Avenue South is still blocked at the scene. SPD now says the victim is 16 years old and that he has a gunshot wound to the head, and that gang detectives are investigating, “processing the scene and interviewing potential witnesses.” If you have any information, call 911.
We first reported last Friday night that a former Seattle Public Schools employee had been arrested and jailed for investigation of child rape. While the accusations involved incidents at a school outside West Seattle, Denny International Middle School parents received a letter because the suspect, 40-year-old Albert Virachismith, had worked at that school at some point, and we found out about the situation when a parent forwarded us that letter. Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Virachismith with one count of child rape and one count of child molestation, alleging that he raped a child multiple times while working as an instructional assistant at John Muir Elementary School in southeast Seattle last school year. The suspect remains in jail, bail set at half a million dollars. We asked Seattle Public Schools for additional information about Virachismith’s district employment but they say Seattle Police have asked them not to release anything more while they continue to investigate.
Charges are now filed in a case that’s attracted some national attention because of the defendant’s profession. 36-year-old High Point resident Jess Cliffe is charged with one count of commercial sexual abuse of a minor for allegedly buying sex from a 16-year-old he met online. Cliffe is described as the co-creator of the popular online game Counter-Strike. He’s been mentioned before here on WSB for his work on the website Vintage Seattle, noted when he moved to West Seattle in 2008, as well as volunteer work at what was then Kitty Harbor, mentioned here in 2010.
Charging papers say Cliffe’s arrest follows an investigation dating back to last June, when detectives interviewed a 16-year-old girl who said she “began to use (an online dating site) to meet with men who offered to pay her money to have sex with her.” She identified two men, and one, police say, turned out to be Cliffe. When detectives first met with her, she told them she had discontinued her contacts with him at some point between April and June. She said they made arrangements mostly via texting and that he picked her up at an intersection near her Beacon Hill residence and drove her to his house in High Point. She said they had at least three encounters in which he paid her $300 for an hour, including one in which she said he recorded video without her consent. She said she wasn’t sure he knew her age; he told detectives he thought she was in her early 20s, and they say her profile on the website said she was 18.
After five months of investigation, the documents say, police went to Cliffe’s house last Wednesday; he agreed to meet them an hour later at the Southwest Precinct, where he is reported to have told them he was a user of multiple dating websites, but when shown a photo of his accuser, he initially said he didn’t recognize her. That changed, the charging documents say, after detectives showed him call and text logs they obtained via a search warrant – he said he only had one meeting with her; she mentioned three. When told she was 16, the documents say, he “acted as though he was surprised to learn that before saying that a person has to be 18 years old” to join the dating website, and “immediately began questioning the legal responsibilities of the website for not incorporating an effective system to prevent minors from creating (an) account.” Police subsequently arrested him, and he was booked into King County Jail early Thursday, with his bail set at $150,000 on Friday; he got out Friday night after posting bond. Next step in the case will be arraignment in about two weeks.
That’s Kevin‘s truck, a red 2016 Ford F-150 stolen this morning after 6:30 am from in front of his house, 4100 block of 39th SW [map]. License plates WA C90967F. If you see it, call 911.
We’ve learned more today about last night’s incident in which a police officer suffered a knife injury to the hand – and the suspect arrested and jailed in the case.
(Sunday night photo by Tim Durkan)
First, SPD spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson tells us the officer’s injury was not major – he was treated at a hospital and released shortly thereafter. As we reported last night, he says, it started with the officer noticing graffiti vandalism in progress on a fence at Delridge and Henderson; he pulled over and made contact with the suspect, who tried to run – a brief struggle ensued, the officer got the suspect under control, called for backup, and after another officer arrived, the suspect started fighting, and at some point the officer discovered he had a laceration to the hand. A knife was found at the scene.
Today we’ve learned the suspect is 20-year-old Jorge Cruz-Benitez, who was arrested and charged in November of last year for allegedly breaking into a Highland Park house while the people who live there – including three children – were asleep. (One of the adult residents tracked him down and widely shared his first-person story.) While Cruz-Benitez was originally held in lieu of $30,000 bail in that case, court documents show that a judge allowed him into an alternative custody program in early December after two and a half weeks in jail, and it was to include treatment for substance abuse. Along with investigation of assault, he is being held right now for investigation of violating drug laws.
(First 2 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
7:38 PM: You’ll want to avoid the Delridge/Henderson area, which is reported to be blocked right now for a police investigation, including westward to 20th SW [map]. An “assault with weapons” SFD dispatch is on the way too, for a Seattle Police officer reported to have a knife wound to the hand. More to come.
7:50 PM: We just talked with police at the scene. They tell us the officer who is hurt had just detained a suspected tagger allegedly caught in the act. The suspect, they say, became uncooperative and stabbed the officer in the hand. Not life-threatening – the officer is being taken to the hospital now. Delridge is open but Henderson is blocked just to the west. The suspect is in custody.
(Photo by Tim Durkan)
10:10 PM: We just went over to verify that investigators have cleared the scene and reopened the road, which they have. We hope to find out more tomorrow about the officer’s condition and the suspect’s status.
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Beetle:
My car was stolen this morning around 2 am- 3 am around 18th Ave SW and Elmgrove. My CCTV footage showed 2 possible males drive by in a minivan; one got out as a lookout and the other got into my car and they both drove off.
It was a gold ’95 Honda Accord lX with minor body damage to driver’s-side front panel and rear. WA license plate AYU4885. Not a fancy car but it was a reliable way to work an hour away from here. Any info if seen around the neighborhood would help greatly. I have already reported it stolen and this is the second time it’s happened … same car and location.
Call 911 if you see it.
Seattle Public Schools confirms this letter – shared with us by a Denny International Middle School parent – was sent to the school’s families tonight:
Dear Denny Middle School families:
This letter is being sent home to our families to share important information about a serious allegation and our commitment to student safety.
You are receiving this letter because the allegation is against an employee who worked or substituted at your child’s school between 2014-15 and 2017-18 school years. We have no information that anything happened in our school, but we want you to be aware.
This week, we were notified that a student at John Muir Elementary had allegedly been sexually assaulted last year by an instructional assistant. While the alleged assaults took place at John Muir Elementary, where the instructional assistant worked full time last year, the student did not tell their parents about it until last Friday. Thankfully, the family immediately contacted law enforcement.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) began its investigation over the weekend. When the District received the information on Monday, it took swift action against the alleged perpetrator, Mr. Albert Virachismith, to prevent him from being in contact with students and restricted his access to any district property until the SPD criminal investigation is complete. He is not currently working in any Seattle schools. The District also started its own administrative investigation and is coordinating its efforts with the SPD. Last night, the SPD notified us that Mr. Albert Virachismith was placed under arrest and is in custody.
The SPD advised the District that detectives may need to talk to students as they continue to investigate. SPD Detective Anthony Belgarde has been assigned to this case, and I understand he will contact families directly before interviewing any students.
This is difficult news, and we understand you will want to talk to your child about this case. We want to do everything possible to help the police conduct a thorough investigation. The SPD asks parents to avoid asking leading questions that could interfere with the police investigation. If your student indicates on their own that he or she may have been touched inappropriately, contact Detective Belgarde at anthony.belgarde@seattle.gov.
The district is preparing additional information for our school for how to talk with your children about personal safety. Other resources you can access are the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center at 888-998-6423 and Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress for information and help at 206-744-1600. If you have questions or concerns, please share your contact information with our school’s front office.
According to the King County Jail Register, Albert Virachismith, who is 40 years old, was booked earlier today and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, set at a probable-cause hearing earlier today, for investigation of child rape. We don’t have court documents from the hearing so we don’t yet know anything more about the case, aside from this district statement provided by spokesperson Kim Schmanke when we asked her about this tonight:
“Right now, our families are our priority. We are working to notify the families and staff where this individual has worked. These are disturbing allegations, and we are working closely with the Seattle Police Department. As soon as we were notified about the allegations, we barred Mr. Virachismith from taking any district jobs or being on school grounds. We are doing all we can to support a thorough SPD investigation.”
The suspect is due back in court next Tuesday, by which time a decision on charges will likely have been made.
Another case in which a West Seattle Crime Watch reader report led to a theft victim being reunited with at least some of their stolen property. You might recall the car-break-in report from Emily, who was hopeful someone might spot her stolen ski boots. And someone did – we got a message yesterday from a reader who found them, and some of the other stolen items, less than a mile away, in the underground parking garage by Bartell Drugs in Admiral. Emily now has them back and adds, “I really appreciate the effort made by the person who found the items to reunite them with me.” We hope you don’t ever have a crime to report, but if you do, once you’ve filed a police report, let us know so we can include it here – at least as a warning to your neighbors peninsula-wide, and if it was a theft, a WSB reader just might spot some or all of your stuff.
Another grab-and-run theft tops West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight:
PURSE STOLEN AT SALON: From Sue:
Tonight at approximately 6:30 pm, a male ran into this salon @ 35th Avenue [6500 block] and stole my purse. He ran out and got away in a black car. I am hoping to … have neighbors be on the lookout for a brown over-the=shoulder purse. I am sure they tossed it somewhere in West Seattle. It had everything card, gift card, credit card, library card, ID I have. I know the $$ is gone and they have tried to use my cards. I am hoping the rest was nothing to them and some good Samaritan finds some of my stuff.
Police incident # is 2018-038121.
BURGLARY: A resident in the 4500 block of Delridge Way SW called us this afternoon because her dog was missing after a break-in. We quickly published a notice on the Lost/Found Pets page, and her dog was found relatively quickly, but we thought you’d want to know about the break-in too. No details.
PROWLER: This one’s short on details too but FYI for Junction-area residents, Stephanie sent the brief clip from her boyfriend’s security system:
She says the prowler was recorded around 9:30 pm last night.
PACKAGE TAKEN: From Luke in Shorewood, who says this happened at 3:22 pm Tuesday:
Luke is in the 2600 block of SW 112th, so this is a King County Sheriff’s Office case. He adds, “He actually drove by 5 minutes before the theft while he was casing the neighborhood. Luckily FedEx is smart enough to leave packages out of sight in the carport, so the thief didn’t see those packages. USPS not so smart.”
12:40 PM: Big police search under way in an industrial area in the south end of South Park right now after two people were shot in the 9200 block of 10th Avenue S. [map] According to radio communications, a suspect is believed to have fled in what’s described as a dark-colored Toyota Camry. Traffic is being blocked on some roads around the scene. Updates when we get them.
12:47 PM: According to radio communications, both victims are men, one in his 40s, one in his 20s, and both are being rushed to Harborview Medical Center by SFD medic units.
2:01 PM: We just talked with police at the scene. They believe one person shot both men, whose injuries are described as non-life-threatening. They don’t yet have a good description of the shooter but do hope to at least have more of a description of the getaway vehicle soon. No word on a motive, either; this is an industrial area in southwest South Park.
ADDED: Above is video of the briefing we covered at the scene, with SPD spokesperson Det. Patrick Michaud.
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ANOTHER COFFEE-SHOP THEFT: Al e-mailed today to say that “a young couple” grabbed his Nook device at 4 pm Saturday in the Junction Starbucks and “ran off.” He tried to chase them but couldn’t catch up. He filed a police report – if you have any information, it’s 2018-033043. (We just checked – the two 19-year-olds charged in a purse theft at the same Starbucks two weeks earlier are still in the King County Jail.)
ADMIRAL CAR PROWL: From Emily:
Someone broke into our car last night @ Hinds SW and 41st Ave SW. They were unsuccessful stealing the car but they did grab a bag that we had left on the back seat. I’d be grateful if you could ask the WSB readers to look out for the bag (gray duffel) or its contents (Garmont ski boots, SPL book “The Midnight Line,” and random clothes).
CAR PROWL: From Kari:
Just wanted to report that early Friday morning someone rummaged through and took the contents out of my glove box and placed them on the passenger seat. They stole a coin purse. I usually lock my car and must have forgotten that night. Make sure to lock your cars because after talking to other people in West Seattle, this seems to happen often. Near Charlestown and 50th.
Four reports in Crime Watch:
SUSPECTED CAR-THEFT ATTEMPT THWARTED: SPD Blotter featured a post today about a West Seattle case from the weekend:
Officers arrested two people Saturday morning after a man saw someone trying to steal his truck from his West Seattle home.
A witness in the 7500 block of 12th Avenue SW called 911 early Saturday morning to report that a man was inside of the caller’s vehicle. The caller went on to say it appeared the suspect was attempting to steal the truck. Officer Marc Sagmoen quickly arrived and found the suspect just 75 feet from the victim’s vehicle. Officer Sagmoen stopped the 28-year-old suspect and found he was carrying a pistol in his back pocket, 2.5 grams of heroin, and shaved keys used for stealing vehicles.
Additional officers contacted a second man who was waiting for the suspect to return in a nearby car. Officers took the 29-year-old into custody for various misdemeanor warrants.
STOLEN BICYCLE: The photo and report are from Annalisa:
My husband’s bike was stolen Thursday (1/25) when our shed was broken into at our house in Highland Park. Can you please post the picture in case anyone on the blog has seen it? We reported the break-in to the police, and they suspect that the bike was used as a getaway and will probably be dumped. A number of power tools were also taken, but those are probably gone for good. The bike has sentimental value, and we would love to get it back.
FOUND BICYCLE: This photo was sent anonymously:
The bicycle was described only as having been found in Westwood and reported to police – so if it’s yours, contact them and see if you can make a match with the report you filed when it was stolen.
CAR WINDOW BROKEN: From Jeremy:
My vehicle’s rear window got smashed up in an attempted smash and grab. This happened (Sunday) morning at my townhouse, which is near Delridge and Kenyon. I had some personal property in it, but miraculously nothing got stolen.
Just wanted to put it out there so others can be on the lookout for any suspicious people or activities. If you park your vehicle outside, especially if close to or on major arterials, be sure to remove your belongings. If you see any suspicious activity in progress, be sure to call the police!
We start tonight’s Crime Watch with a followup:
STOLEN SUBARU LEGACY FOUND: An update from Liz, more than two weeks after we included her car-with-bike-inside theft on Crime Watch:
Our Subaru was found! It was parked in the neighborhood right next to the Taco Bell in White Center. Sadly, the bike was not in there. They also stole some tools, a first-aid kit, and two CD books with about 300 CDs in them. It was parked there for over a week, so somebody that lived in that neighborhood called it in.
Two new reader reports:
TRAILER FULL OF TOOLS STOLEN: From Peyton:
On Sunday, January 21st 2018, at about 6 PM, an unknown individual or individuals were caught on surveillance footage pulling into the back fenced off parking lot of La Mexicana/WestSide Baby in White Center. They then hooked up to my father Sean Sullivan’s 2004 Pace-American Cargo Trailer (Single Axel) with an orange, green, and white Ireland sticker on the back and proceeded to steal it:
Kept in this trailer, an extensive amount of Work tools and equipment that he has collected over the last 10 years as he worked to create his own company, SULLIVAN ELECTRIC LLC. The trailer was uninsured since it was used mainly for storing the larger tools and hardly ever moved …
-Trailer: Pace-american white 12ft cargo trailer single axel
-2 Bosch mac bit roto-hammer
-1 Dewalt roto-hammer
-1 Air compresser single tank
-1 brad nailer
-1 finish nailer
-1 Dewalt chop saw
-1 skill 77 worm drive circular saw
-brand new rigid vacuum
-Loose electrical wire
-1 Sawzall
-1 Milwaukee portaband band saw
-Misc hand tools & drills
-Bosch laser leveler
-misc electrical equip(boxes, fittings, conduit, etc)
If you have any information, you can reach Peyton at 425-312-4461 or Sean at 206-419-8884, or call 911.
PACKAGE TAKEN: Martyn shares this security video and reports:
Our Amazon package was stolen an hour after delivery in the Fairmount Springs Neighbourhood. Sharing to raise awareness for neighbors and highlighting the ineptitude of delivery drivers leaving packages in the middle of a doorstep when it could have easily been left to the side and out of view.
We start with two reader reports:
GAS-STATION PURSE THEFT: Mary Lou reports that someone stole her purse from her car while she was getting fuel at the (corrected location) 41st SW/Admiral Way service station. It happened in broad daylight – around 1:30 this afternoon. No surveillance video available (she asked).
PACKAGES TAKEN: Also in the Admiral area, Nate shares this security-camera video of packages being taken from his porch around quarter till 6 last night near 47th/Admiral. He says others in his neighborhood have reported thefts, too.
And from the SPD files:
ANOTHER HOLDUP: Here’s a street robbery we didn’t hear about until now – just found it while checking SPD online reports for the handful of days-later narratives posted each week. It happened around 1:20 am last Saturday (January 20th) in a parking lot near California SW/SW Edmunds. A man told police he was walking to his apartment after leaving a party when a masked man jumped out of a car, showed a gun, and demanded his phone and wallet. He threw them on the ground and the robber took them, along with his wristwatch, and got away in a white Honda Accord. After getting back to his apartment, the victim used a “find my iPhone” app to track his phone to a nightclub in SODO. Police found the white Honda Accord – which turned out to be stolen – there, but no suspect, and the phone was no longer trackable. The victim’s cards showed a purchase made at a 7-11 in the Rainier Valley area; police looked there too, and impounded the stolen car, while planning to pursue video evidence. No indication of arrests so far.
That’s Joe‘s red 2001 Honda CR-V. He just got it back from the shop last night after repairs following the theft earlier this month – reported here on January 3rd, with an update when a reader spotted it. Early today, it was stolen again, likely around 3:30 am. Same area as last time, 16th SW/SW Thistle [map]. Plate: AYU3617. Call 911 if you see it.
11:44 AM: Just published on our partner site White Center Now: The King County Sheriff’s Office is looking for 26-year-old Merle “Chucky” Buchanan, suspected in the January 6th double murder in downtown White Center, and shared these photos, saying he is “known to frequent” Seattle, Burien, and Renton:
Buchanan is described as 5’9” and 195 pounds. He is also being sought in connection with violating a domestic-violence-related court order. If you see him, call 911.
1:11 PM: We checked with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and they tell us Buchanan is not yet formally charged in the murders.
That’s Manuel‘s red 1993 Honda del Sol, personalized plates 1CARAJO, and it was stolen overnight from 47th SW and SW Othello. WSB readers have done a great job of finding stolen cars shown here recently, so keep watch for this one too, and call 911 if you see it.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
For the first time in three months, the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network reconvened at the Southwest Precinct last night – and most of the meeting could be summarized as the multiple faces of the opioid crisis:
First, a crime update from local police, who say much of the area’s property crime is tied to drugs, and people trying to get money for them; second, an emotion-stirring presentation from people who have been caught up in the crisis, mostly through family members, some of whom have lost their lives to it.
The two-dozen-plus attendees, in around-the-room introductions, listed neighborhoods all around this area, from Beach Drive to Top Hat.
POLICE BRIEFING: First up, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis talked about property crime, still our area’s most pervasive crime problem.
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