West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
(WSB photos)
8:58 AM: Don’t bother trying to go to the Chase drive-up ATM at Edmunds/44th in The Junction – our photo shows what you’ll find. A texter said the ATM was taken before 6 am and that a forklift was still at the scene then (we checked with TrueValue across the street and they told us it wasn’t theirs). We are working right now to find out more from police.
9:16 AM: We couldn’t find officers in the area, though two SPD vehicles were nearby, so we went to the Southwest Precinct to ask. The desk officer told us the theft happened around 3:30 am and confirmed a forklift was left at the scene and has since been impounded; no other details yet because everyone working the case is still out. This is the second such theft in The Junction in less than a year, after the US Bank ATM heist a block away last January, also early on a Sunday morning. (added) And it’s the third in West Seattle in a year and a half, after an ATM was stolen from South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) in May 2016 and turned up in an Arbor Heights yard.
ADDED MONDAY AFTERNOON: No new information available from police yet. But we asked a regional spokesperson for Chase whether/when the ATM would be replaced; she said plans are already in the works and that it would be “later this month.”
9:07 PM: That’s Lynn‘s car – and it’s been stolen in Arbor Heights. It’s a 1993 blue Honda del Sol with license ADX 9023. Call 911 if you see it – and refer to SPD incident number 17-373378.
UPDATED SUNDAY MORNING: Lynn updates via text that Seattle Police called to say they found her car in South Park, “stripped.”
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ABANDONED, LIKELY STOLEN BICYCLE: The photo and report are from Guy:
I found this abandoned bike last night at about midnight in the alley behind our house, between 45th and 44th Ave SW, in the block between Alaska and Edmunds. With the amount of foot and vehicle traffic that goes on in the alley, I’ve brought it inside in the hope that if it was stolen, someone will see it on your site and claim it in the comments.
Or, you can e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com and we’ll connect you.
CAR WINDOW BROKEN: From Konin:
Just wanted to report that when my wife and I came home from the hospital, I noticed that my car’s driver-side window had been broken in what looks like a stolen car attempt. We had been at the hospital since September 30th for the birth of our first child and upon returning home Wednesday, October 4th, I noticed the broken window. We talked to our neighbor and said they first noticed it late Monday night, October 2nd. We live (on) 41st Ave Sw right across from the entrance to the QFC parking garage entrance/tanning place which is a pretty well-lit area with lots of hustle and bustle, and I was parked right out front of our place on the street, so it is a bold attempt at a car theft in such a public place. I think car theft because nothing was stolen, nothing was even gone through in the glove box or anywhere else, or the alarm and/or location scared the would be thieves off before they could do more damage. Just want to let you know in case anyone else had a similar occurrence and to just forewarn others that may read this story that live nearby.
For the second time this week, the principals of Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School have sent families a letter about an incident involving students walking near the campuses. Thanks to Denny principal Jeff Clark and several Sealth parents for forwarding it minutes ago:
Dear Denny/Sealth families:
It has been an exciting start to school, and with our scholars’ growing independence – particularly when they are out in the community – there may be situations that challenge their personal safety.
We want to take this opportunity to let you know that we are working with scholars to ensure they maximize their personal safety and their comfort with reporting potentially unsafe behavior. We also want to highlight an incident where students saw an inappropriate and disturbing behavior, and correctly reported it to school staff.
Today, two 11th-grade scholars were returning to Chief Sealth from Westwood Village. They were near the intersection of Cloverdale and 26th Avenue SW when they noticed an adult male exposing himself. The students immediately reported the situation to staff. Administration took immediate action and the Seattle Police Department were notified. We are very proud of how our students responded to this situation and want to encourage all our scholars to report appropriately.
At school, we continue to differentiate “reporting” from “tattle-telling.” Reporting is a responsibility when someone is hurt, in danger or in an unsafe situation. We are providing a link to some additional information that might be helpful during these discussions: http://www.seattle.gov/police/community-policing/youth-safety-tips
Please be assured that the safety and security of our students is a top priority at both Sealth International School and Denny International School. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The letter was signed by Clark and by Sealth principal Aida Fraser-Hammer.
26th SW is the path along which the city still plans walkway improvements, while 25th SW – where students reported being approached inappropriately back on Monday – is the area where they’ve been canceled pending a future development.
10:45 AM: The second suspect arrested in last month’s deadly shooting of Edixon Velasquez outside his Westwood home is now charged. King County prosecutors have charged 19-year-old Abel Linares with first-degree murder and asked that his bail be quadrupled to $1 million. More…
11:03 AM: The charging papers don’t add much to the details we published yesterday from the probable-cause documents – they reiterate that Linares was in a “dating relationship” with the first suspect arrested, 21-year-old Anna Kasparova, an ex-girlfriend of the 25-year-old victim. But the new documents say multiple people told investigators that Linares said he had shot Velasquez. His arraignment is set for October 19th.
Both suspects jailed in connection with the September 19th Westwood shooting death of 25-year-old Edixon Velasquez had hearings today:
BAIL HEARING FOR ALLEGED SHOOTER: Bail is now set at $250,000 for the 19-year-old man whose arrest was announced on Wednesday. Probable-cause documents from this afternoon’s jailhouse hearing say that police learned he was in a “dating relationship” with 21-year-old Anna Kasparova, an ex-girlfriend of the victim who is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly luring him out of his home to be shot to death. According to the documents, after Kasparova’s arrest, the male suspect confessed to an acquaintance of his that he was the man who shot Velasquez. That’s all today’s paperwork says; we may find out more after his second scheduled appearance tomorrow, by which time we also should know if he will be charged. The only record we’ve found for him is a misdemeanor theft case that’s pending in Auburn, which is where he was arrested, though documents list his “last known address” as Bonney Lake.
ARRAIGNMENT FOR ANNA KASPAROVA: The first suspect arrested in the case appeared in King County Superior Court this morning for her arraignment. According to the document filed after the brief hearing, she pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return to court in two weeks for a case-scheduling hearing. Her bail remains set at $1 million. Charging documents filed last month say she told Velasquez she needed to see him, then asked him to come out of his house and help her park her car; security video from a neighbor shows that she got out of the car and appeared to “take cover,” prosecutors say, before a man walked up to the car, pulled Velasquez out, shot him and fled. The video is reported to show Kasparova then walking up, looking down at Velasquez lying on the ground, then getting into her car and driving away, never calling for help. She was arrested the next day at her mother’s house in Burien.
Four reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ARBOR HEIGHTS BURGLARY: Thanks to Greg for word of what happened in his neighborhood late this afternoon: A burglar got away on a motorcycle after breaking into a house at 39th SW and SW 104th. Neighbors told him they noticed a blue motorcycle parked in front of the house, engine running. When they went to check it out, a man came out of the house in a jacket, gloves, and black motorcycle helmet with visor, plus three backpacks. He took off quickly. Police were called. If you have any information, Tweets by Beat says the incident number is 17-369164.
BURGLAR ON VIDEO: Duncan shared two video clips and this report:
We had a prowler Sunday night who broke into our house on the 63xx block of 41st Ave SW while we were sleeping around 1:30 am. We believe he was looking for a place to sleep because nothing was taken and because we know there have been squatters in the two vacant houses behind us. Attached are two videos that were captured by our security cameras. If anyone recognizes him, I would encourage them to reach out to the police.
The incident number is 17-366067.
STOLEN CAR: Mary Jane hopes you will be on the lookout for her car, stolen sometime overnight Monday night into Tuesday morning on Bonair Place SW in the Alki area. It’s a white 2008 Mercury Milan with tinted windows, license plates BCK4159. SPD incident number 17-367388. (UPDATE: The car’s been found.)
PUNCTURED GAS TANKS: Thanks to Jeff for this FYI – a gas-station clerk told him two customers this week have come in with punctured gas tanks, which they didn’t know about until they started their fillups. Anybody else?
(WSB photo from September 19th)
2:11 PM: Just announced by Seattle Police, a second arrest in connection with last month’s deadly shooting of Edixon Velasquez outside his home on 31st SW in Westwood:
A 19-year-old male was arrested this afternoon in Auburn by the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force. The suspect will be booked into the King County Jail after he has been interviewed by detectives. This remains an active and on-going investigation.
The first suspect arrested, Velasquez’s 21-year-old ex-girlfriend Anna Kasparova, remains jailed in lieu of $1,000,000 bail, charged with first-degree murder and scheduled for arraignment later this week. More to come…
3:06 PM: The task force is associated with the US Marshal’s Office, whose regional spokesperson tells us that investigators learned that the suspect “was associated with” a resident of an Auburn mobile-home park, and found him with others in the mobile home, then arrested him “without incident.” Still working to find out more.
9:01 PM: If you are seeing/hearing a helicopter – per scanner, Guardian One is helping look for someone who fled after a car crash near Harbor/Florida. The car is believed to have been stolen in a carjacking elsewhere in the city earlier today.
9:31 PM: The search continues, with SPD K-9 on the ground. A commenter reports Harbor is closed in the area.
9:43 PM: Search isn’t over but Guardian One has moved on.
10:26 PM: Northbound Harbor will remain closed a while because City Light has to deal with a damaged pole and the crashed car has to be towed for impounding. We haven’t found yet where the carjacking was but will be requesting the incident report for this in the morning.
9:27 AM: The West Seattle gift shop Alair won’t be open regular hours today, its manager tells us, because they are dealing with damage done by burglar(s) and have to do repairs. The break-in happened around 5:45 am today. Alair has been open 10 months at 3280 California SW. If you have any information for police, you can refer to incident number 17-367299.
11:41 AM: Alair proprietor Shandon Graybeal says the burglar(s) “took a lot” – including jewelry, purses, and her register – but she is now open for the day, until 6 pm. We’re also adding, above, a security-camera image from the burglary (though the burglar’s face is covered, maybe you’ll recognize the clothing, or …).
Thanks to the parents who just shared this:
Dear Denny and Chief Sealth Scholars and Families,
We want to share information with you regarding an incident that was reported this morning involving two of our 10th-grade scholars on their way to school. At 8 a.m. this morning, two 10th-graders, one boy and one girl, were walking to school on 25th Ave SW between Westwood Village and SW Thistle St., when they were approached by an adult stranger on foot. The man got close to the girl and made inappropriate suggestive comments to her. The man was wearing a black sweatshirt with his hood on. The two scholars did everything right — they attempted to ignore him, started walking more quickly to get away from him and went straight into the school to report it. Chief Sealth staff called the police, who responded quickly to take a statement. The police will be in the area, along with extra school staff, during dismissal and arrival times as they follow-up on this incident.
As a precaution, we are reminding our scholars about walking safety tips. We would appreciate your help by having a similar conversation at home. The walking safety advice includes:
• Pay close attention to your surroundings, avoid “automatic pilot.”
• Walk with a purpose; project an assertive, business-like image.
• Use common sense; plan your route to avoid uninhabited parks, parking lots, garages and alleyways.
• Stick to well-lit areas.
• Develop a plan before you see trouble. Crossing a street or entering a store may get you out of a potentially bad situation.
• If a car follows you or beckons you while you are walking, do not approach it. Instead, turn and quickly walk the opposite direction.
• Consider wearing clothing and shoes that you can move freely and quickly in, especially when walking or waiting for the bus.
• Carry minimal items; overloading yourself can make you appear vulnerable.
• Always plan your route and stay alert to your surroundings. Avoid shortcuts. Walk confidently. Scan your surroundings and make eye contact with people.
• Avoid walking alone at night. As much as possible, walk or travel with a friend, even during the daytime.
• Immediately report anything suspicious to trusted adults (school staff and family members).As always, thank you for your help and partnership!
Sincerely,
Jeff Clark, Principal, Denny International High School
Aida Fraser-Hammer, Principal, Chief Sealth International High School
That’s the same area where SDOT cut plans for pathway improvements, saying a developer will likely have to make them within “several years.” That will be discussed at tomorrow night’s Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Coalition meeting, 6:15 pm Tuesday at Southwest Library (9010 35th SW).
PS: While processing this for publication, we also received a copy directly from the principals.
As reported in our most-recent coverage of police briefings at community meetings – like the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network and Highland Park Action Committee last week – car prowling in our area has dropped significantly, but property crime overall remains the major problem. So this month’s newsletter from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Burbridge offers more than 20 specific suggestions of ways to deter it:
As mentioned toward the end of the newsletter, and as already previewed here, your next chance to talk face-to-face with local police – outside an emergency response! – is Wednesday afternoon at Alki Starbucks (2742 Alki Ave. SW), 2-4 pm, for the next Coffee With A Cop.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:
CAR PROWL WITH PASSPORT TAKEN: If you find an Ethiopian passport discarded somewhere in our area, it might belong to the victim of a car prowl near California/Harbor today. A cell phone was taken, too.
PORCH PROWLER: Very early this morning in Gatewood, Elizabeth spotted “a male – probably around 5’9″ or so, but too dark to further identify – in a light colored minivan stop in the middle of the 4100 block of Monroe and run to several front porches checking for mail. Appeared to be unaccompanied.”
The repeat offender arrested after Saturday night’s Riverview burglary and Puget Ridge car crash is now charged, and back in jail.
32-year-old Jason L. Bramblett got out of jail on bond after a judge set his bail at $5,000; tonight, he’s back in, with bail set at 10 times that amount, after prosecutors charged him with residential burglary, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, and DUI.
Charging papers note that Bramblett has four other burglary convictions, including the 2012 Pigeon Point case for which he recently served time in state prison (we obtained the mugshot at right from the state Corrections Department). His record is detailed in the charging document as going back into his teens:
As of September 27, 2017, the defendant’s criminal history includes: Burglary 1 (2012), Attempt Theft (2012), Theft (2010), Residential Burglary (2008), Assault 4 (2007), Taking Motor Vehicle 2 (2007), Obstructing (2006), Property Destruction –DV (2005), Theft 1 (2005), Burglary 2 (2005), Assault (2004), Assault/Harassment/MIP (2003), VUCSA (2003), Residential Burglary/Trespass 1/Theft 3 (2002-Juvenile), Taking Motor Vehicle 2 (2000-Juvenile), Malicious Mischief 1/Theft 2 (2000-Juvenile), Theft 3 (1998-Juvenile).
Today’s documents otherwise tell the same story outlined in our report on Monday – a neighbor near the burglarized house in the 7200 block of 12th SW saw an unfamiliar vehicle pull up, with a man getting out, climbing over the fence, and trying to kick in a door. The neighbor called 911 and said he was fairly certain his neighbor wasn’t home. Police arrived and saw the man carrying out a TV set, trying but failing to get it over the fence; they then found him and his green Ford sedan (registered to Bramblett) on SW Orchard. He headed westbound, and when police tried to pull him over, he briefly complied but then took off again. He then was found near 16th and Dawson after crashing his car into a parked vehicle; officers reported he seemed drunk. His car had been left running, in “drive,” with, according to the documents, “a large can of Four Loko malt liquor seen on the driver-side floorboard.”
Bramblett was taken into custody. His car was impounded and the report accompanying the charging papers say that items found inside it included a TV, a PS2 game system, two phones, and a tool kit. A name found with the tools led police to a Shoreline man who, when contacted, told police that he and his roommates had been burglarized earlier that same day. (He and his roommates have since been to the Southwest Precinct and identified some of the items, but some of what was found in Bramblett’s car, the police document says, remains a mystery.)
In addition to being held on the new charges, Bramblett is also being held for alleged violation of his probation (“community custody”). And today’s charging documents attempt to explain something that wasn’t available for our report on Monday – noting that prosecutors had asked that day for Bramblett’s bail to be set at $50,000, but the judge set it at $5,000, possibly – wrote prosecutors – lacking full details of the eluding attempt (in which, they say, he nearly ran down the officer who had walked up to the suspect’s car), and lacking full details of the 2012 burglary case, in which Bramblett assaulted a resident after kicking in a door.
From the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network‘s first meeting of fall 2017:
As everybody went around the room introducing themselves, WSBWCN co-founders Karen Berge and Deb Greer invited them to share what was happening in their neighborhoods. “We’re under siege,” declared one man from a street over Beach Drive, with concerns including car prowls. A resident of Beach Drive itself said that somebody opened his car hatch and another in his neighborhood last night – all cars with a keyless entry system, so he wondered if devices that hijack those systems might have been involved, and several attendees shared stories. Another man mentioned living in the Arbor Heights neighborhood where police had been searching for a burglar on Monday; another woman from south of Admiral said the burglar is lucky the woman whose house he tried to break into – a friend of hers – didn’t catch him.
Those were just a few of the stories. On to the rest of the meeting, starting with the SPD briefing:
9:50 PM: We’ve received a few questions about all the sirens audible to the east a short time ago (we heard them from here, too). Per scanner, a man has been shot in South Park (in the 1000 block of S. Donovan), which as you probably know, is part of the Southwest Precinct too, so many officers rushed to SP from West Seattle. We don’t know anything more about the circumstances or the victim – who’s being taken to Harborview – but police are looking for suspects, possibly in a black car.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: SPD reports that the 20-year-old victim is recovering, and has a few details in this post just published on SPD Blotter.
The photos are from Keith, who spotted “what appears to be a dumped CD portfolio” while walking his dog in Gatewood: “Further inspection shows the CD carrier has been repurposed to house technical information. This was likely stolen from a truck and discarded. I bet the owner would love to get it back.”
If you recognize these, let us know and we’ll connect you.
Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
CARS VANDALIZED: Several readers tipped us this morning (thank you) about half a dozen or so cars vandalized near 36th SW and SW Graham, with red spray paint and a slashed P, perhaps mimicking the “no parking” symbol. Chris noticed it at 7 am and called police, who said they would investigate.
That photo is from J. Boyd, who had called police later in the morning, but was told individual car owners would have to report it. J. wondered if it were some sort of parking rage, reporting that a vehicle down the street appeared to have been “booted.” (Note – we don’t usually show tagging vandalism, but this doesn’t appear to be a tag – unless you’ve seen it elsewhere?)
P.S. We now have a police-report # for this, in case you have a tip – 17-358012.
SOUTH DELRIDGE GUNFIRE: Thanks to Kim for the tip on this – while some reports of possible gunfire turn out to be fireworks, this one in South Delridge on Sunday night was verified. We requested and obtained the report narrative from SPD this morning. It says people called 911 around 7:20 pm Sunday, reporting hearing shots around 20th SW and SW Barton; a pizza delivery person told police he had seen someone standing at the intersection and firing a gun. It was caught on a nearby building’s security cameras, according to the police report:
The video shows the suspect exiting a vehicle which is parked facing .northbound, on the northeast corner of the intersection. The suspect exits the vehicle, and fíred in the direction of the vehicle, as the vehicle drove northbound on 20 AV SVü. The vehicle then continued onto Delridge WY SW. The second video shows the suspect running westbound when he drops an item, the suspect stops to retrieve the item, and continues running westbound. … The vehicle was described as a possible 2010 dark blue Chevrolet Malibu. The vehicle drove northbound on 20 AV SW and then northbound on Delridge.
The report says police found three 9mm shell casings and a black plastic cell-phone case that might have been dropped by the suspect. No injuries or property damage were reported (or found).
CAR BREAK-IN: Car prowlers are active again – a resident of Holly Court SW said that their secluded private driveway was no haven; someone broke into their truck Sunday night and stole a “laptop and bag with business checks and equipment.” It’s their third vehicle break-in in the city this year.
3:57 PM: If you’re noticing the police response in Arbor Heights right now – they’re searching for a suspected burglar. Seattle Police tell us the break-in was reported by someone who was home at the time in the 10500 block of 39th SW. A preliminary description distributed via radio communication was that of a man in his 30s, possibly “Hispanic or Samoan,” about 250 pounds, red short-sleeved T-shirt, black knit cap, dark jeans, boots, tattoo on his left forearm, possibly headed east to 35th and then north. Call 911 if you think you have any helpful information.
4:16 PM: They’re still searching – no additional information.
1:20 PM: A 32-year-old man remains in the King County Jail today after being arrested on Puget Ridge Saturday night in connection with a burglary in Riverview. We reported briefly on the incident shortly afterward, but learned there was more to the story – including a car crash before he was taken into custody – so we requested and received the police-report narrative today. We’ve also learned that the suspect has a lengthy record dating back more than half his life, including previous burglary convictions.
On Saturday night, the police report says, a neighbor called 911 after seeing a man trying to kick in the door of a house near 12th and Orchard in the Riverview Playfield area. Police arrived quickly and saw a man walk out of the front door carrying a TV set. He then went out of sight and a car on SW Orchard was seen leaving. Two officers had the car pulled over briefly, but the man inside refused to get out and took off westbound toward 16th SW. Police were sharing all this information over radio frequencies and other officers spotted the car near 16th and Brandon, crashed into a parked car (a reader later provided the photo below – the green car is the one the suspect was reported to be driving, according to the police report, and it was subsequently impounded):
The car’s owner told police they had seen a man flee toward a house in the 1600 block of SW Dawson, and they found the suspect in that house’s back yard, appearing to be under the influence – slurring his speech, with a “strong order of alcoholic intoxicants” on his breath. He also was seen, police were told, falling down some stairs at the house. Back at the burglarized house, which police report was ransacked, the TV had been left behind, near the fence.
The suspect was arrested and booked into jail early Sunday. Online court files show that his most recent felony conviction was for a Highland Park burglary in 2012; he received a seven-year prison sentence in March 2013. Previous convictions included a 2008 burglary on Pigeon Point. The county jail roster shows he was booked twice in the past two months for alleged probation violations. He is expected to have a bail hearing this afternoon, and we’ll update with its result.
5:04 PM: The jail register has been updated to show the suspect’s bail is set at $5,000.
Four reports in this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:
CAR BREAK-IN: It can happen even in a busy parking lot, like the one at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) early this afternoon. Chad reports that while his daughter ran into the store, without locking the car, someone entered it and stole a wallet left inside, with cards and cash. It’s been reported to police.
TRUCK BREAK-IN: A texter reports their truck was broken into last night while parked in their driveway near SW Edmunds and 50th SW. Stolen were a checkbook, Samsung tablet, cell phone, and sunglasses.
CAR VANDALIZED: The photo and report are from Charlie:
My wife’s rear windshield got busted sometime late last night in our carport, while my car sitting right next to it was fine. It doesn’t look like they even tried to steal anything, as the hole is too small to reach through and the instant we touched it more pieces dropped off. Our neighborhood has seen a few similar vandalisms the past few weeks. We live just up the hill from Luna Park Café, across from the large construction lot.
And one report narrative from the past week is now available on the Seattle Police website – our summary:
STORE BURGLARY: The gas-station mini-mart north of Lincoln Park was broken into around 4 am last Monday. Someone had broken a window and stolen cigarettes and lottery scratch tickets. Surveillance video recorded the break-in but the burglar – described as white, male, in a dark gray hooded jacket, carrying a dark backpack – had covered his face. He did leave behind a lug wrench and left-handed black glove, which police took in as evidence.
P.S. Next crime-and-safety community meeting is Tuesday night, when the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network resumes monthly meetings – 6:30 pm (September 26th) at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). All welcome. Here’s a preview.
Keri found this backpack in her compost bin this afternoon, on 39th SW between Dakota and Genesee: “Couldn’t find a wallet, or much to identify it. But there are some things that the owner can tell us to identify it. I’m guessing it was stolen, the thief took what they saw as valuable and then stashed it in our bin.” She took it to the Southwest Precinct this evening, so if you think it’s yours, contact police, but if you’d want to check with her first, you can e-mail us and we’ll forward your contact info.
2:42 PM: Just in from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office: 21-year-old Anna V. Kasparova is charged with first-degree murder in Tuesday night’s West Seattle shooting death of her 25-year-old former boyfriend Edixon Velasquez, and prosecutors are asking that her bail be doubled to $1 million. We’re reading the charging documents now and will be adding details as we go. More…
2:57 PM: The details in the charging documents are largely the same as those in the probable-cause documents that we reported after Kasparova’s bail hearing Thursday afternoon, saying that she had messaged Mr. Velasquez saying she wanted to meet with him at his house but did not want to come inside, and that after he went out, ostensibly to help her park her car, a man walked up to it, pulled him out, and after that man ran away and Kasparova drove her car away, Mr. Velasquez was on the ground with two gunshot wounds. The account of what was shown on a neighbor’s surveillance video, however, has a few additional details:
This video shows a black sedan drive by Velasquez’s residence two times (driving off camera each time) and returning a third time. At this time, the black sedan, without trouble, pulls into a parking spot just across the street from the victim’s residence. It remains there for approximately 45 seconds, when it inexplicably moves out of that parking spot and back into the street. The black sedan then attempts to parallel park in front of Velasquez’s residence. This new parking spot is quite large (at least two car lengths long) yet the black sedan stops partially in the street. Approximately a minute later, Velasquez comes out of his residence and walks up to the driver’s side of the black sedan. A female gets out of the driver’s seat, and Velasquez gets into the driver’s seat and appears to help park the vehicle. The female curiously walks across the street and some yards away, appearing to take cover behind a parked vehicle. Simultaneously, a male in a hooded jacket or sweatshirt and blue jeans comes into camera view and walks right up to the driver’s door of the black sedan. The male appears to open the driver’s door and pull Velasquez out of the car. There appears to be barely a struggle, as Velasquez falls to the ground (and remains there until police arrive). The hooded male runs away on foot while the female appears to calmly walk back over towards Velasquez. The timing is such that the female and the hooded male actually cross paths, neither appearing to be startled or concerned by the other. The female walks right up to Velasquez’s body, making no attempt to help him or check on his well-being. Instead, she immediately gets back into the black sedan and drives away.
The charging document offers no further information about the possible identity of the other suspect, nor about a motive. But prosecutors summarize the information above in their document as, “the defendant appears to have set the victim up for this murder, luring him out of his home with a ruse.” They argue for the increased bail by saying, “The State believes that the violent and premeditated ambush in this case, coupled with the defendant’s utter lack of remorse, is strong evidence that the defendant poses a significant danger to the community.” She is scheduled to be arraigned – the hearing at which an initial plea is entered – on October 5th.
7:38 PM: The King County Jail roster listing for Kasparova indicates that the judge did indeed grant the request to double her bail, which is now listed there as $1,000,000. In addition, there’s an indication that police do know the identity of someone else being sought in the case – a name is listed as “accomplice” on the “superform” sent with the charging documents, but there are no details about that person, no information on what role they are believed to have played, nor are they listed on the jail roster, which we’re continuing to watch. Also, a commenter on an earlier story mentioned that this GoFundMe page is raising money for memorial expenses.
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