This morning, police tape still ringed the Highland Park house where four people died yesterday afternoon (WSB coverage here) – when, police say, a woman opened fire on four family members – her son-in-law and two teenage granddaughters died, her daughter survived. They have not been officially identified yet, but a family member gave their names to our partners at the Seattle Times, saying the two youngest victims were 14 and 17 years old. We checked with Seattle Public Schools to see if they were currently enrolled in any area schools; the district tells us that while they were SPS students last year, they were not enrolled this year. Police have yet to release new information today but we expect to hear the latest when they brief media at SPD headquarters downtown at 2 pm. 1:38 PM NOTE: We expect to start a new story once the police briefing starts, with text highlights as well as a live stream (hopefully from the Seattle Times).

An employee of West Seattle’s GT Towing was killed in a hit-and-run overnight, according to the Washington State Patrol, which sent a news release saying two suspects are in custody, 31-year-old and 20-year-old men:

A tow truck driver was struck and killed on the entrance ramp from Spokane Street to southbound Interstate 5 at approximately 1:15 a.m. while securing a vehicle from an earlier collision. The driver, a 51 year old male working for GT Towing in Seattle, was kneeling down at the left front side of the disabled vehicle when a southbound 2000 Ford Explorer lost control while travelling in the HOV lane. The Explorer came across all 5 southbound lanes and struck the tow truck driver. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

After colliding with the tow truck operator, disabled vehicle, and tow truck, the Explorer spun back across all southbound lanes and came to rest facing northbound in the middle of the freeway. As the tow truck driver lay mortally wounded in the right lane, the driver of the Explorer turned the vehicle around and fled the scene southbound on Interstate 5. Alert troopers located the Explorer within minutes of the collision at the bottom of the Michigan Street ramp as one of the occupants was outside urinating. …

The cause of the collision is under investigation and detectives are working to verify who was driving the SUV. It is believed that both occupants were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the collision. Vehicular homicide and hit and run charges are expected as the investigation progresses.

Thomas Qualls, the Alki man shot by police when he allegedly fired at them, was in court this morning. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe says he pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree assault (each of which has a “firearms enhancement”). He remains in jail, where he’s been since he was released from the hospital five days after the September 3rd shooting; his next court date is October 6th. (For the police narrative of how the incident reportedly unfolded, see our story from the day charges were filed.)

From Sean:

2 thieves were caught on camera breaking into cars at the 6300 block of 34th Ave SW [map] 09/17/2010 between 3:00 am – 3:15 am. They were very quiet, making sure to not shut doors and make noise, and probably were taking full advantage of the fog to further conceal their activities.

They were seen on camera heading northbound after digging through several cars on the 6300 block. If anybody has information or thinks they were victim of the same guys, they might try to contact Officer Larry Longley.

Meantime, yet another reminder – the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s next meeting is this Tuesday night, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct meeting room. Community Police Team officers, who work on ongoing neighborhood issues, are usually there as well as at least one rep from precinct leadership, and it’s one way to ask about chronic (or new) concerns.

The famous rubber-duck display by Lowman Beach Park has been targeted by vandals and thieves before, but what its creator and owner, Dr. Ron Sterling, caught in that surveillance video goes beyond what he’s documented recently: The video from late last night shows people walking up and igniting something – then captures the resulting explosion. Sterling posted about it shortly afterward in the WSB Forums:

There is a $500 reward for solid information about and apprehension and charging of the perpetrator(s). The reward will be paid at the time that a detective thinks he/she has the perp in hand, so to speak.

$500. It’s enough to make you, whoever you are, think twice about your loyalties. Might even be more if this is an outcome for felony arson and the perp does some hard time…

The explosion was loud enough that some (according to two notes we have so far this morning) thought it was a gunshot in the park. Call police if you recognize anyone in the video – 206-625-5011 is the non-emergency number. ADDED 9:36 AM: We went to Lowman for a look at the damage once it was fully light. It’s not a big charred mess, and some of the ducks survived, but if you look closely you’ll see the many damaged spots, including burned trimmings, and this big crack in the pool, with the signs telling the story:

Checking on a court appearance scheduled today for Stephen Hayes Kirk, the suspect who’s been in jail since his arrest a month ago after a wave of so-called “smash-and-grab” burglaries, we discovered prosecutors have now charged him in two of the West Seattle cases: Uptown Espresso (Delridge) on July 29th, and Luciano’s Pizza on August 8th (photo at right). Though Seattle Police and the King County Sheriff’s Office had been investigating more than two dozen of the smash-and-grabs, mostly in West Seattle and points south, he initially was charged only with three Burien cases (prosecutors have added a fourth Burien case now too). According to the additional court documentation, a man believed to be Kirk (photo left) was caught on surveillance video in both of the West Seattle break-ins; detectives already had him under GPS surveillance (detailed here) by the time of the Luciano’s burglary, which netted loot described as a tip jar with about $20 cash/coins. At Uptown, which was hit twice, the cash register was taken, and then dumped in a bank parking lot 21 minutes later – where surveillance video also caught what authorities believe was Kirk’s distinctive red truck – one in which he also was known as a customer of West Seattle Recycling, which the court papers note also was hit by a smash-and-grab during the spree. Kirk pleaded not guilty two weeks ago to the first three charges filed against him, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says he’s being arraigned on the new charges this morning. (We started reporting on the smash-and-grabs July 16th, when we got word of this one at The Swinery; police first confirmed to us August 2nd that eight West Seattle smash-grabs were all believed linked.)

1:58 PM UPDATE: KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe says Kirk pleaded NOT guilty to the new charges, with his bail increased to $150,000 (what it was for a short time after his arrest, before being cut to $25,000), and is due back in court October 4th.

Another West Seattle Crime Watch report out of the WSB inbox, this one from Kim, who thinks this case may have victims who don’t yet realize it:

At about 10 pm (Saturday) evening I witnessed 4 young men damaging property as they stumbled north along California ave just past the Blockbuster. They were knocking down signs, breaking flower pots, and grabbing things from people’s yards and throwing them on the sidewalk. I called the police and they came and apprehended the 4 young men who seemed rowdy and possibly drunk. Just thought I might pass this along so that if anyone finds any damage they can report it to the authorities. They were on the east side of California and made their way about 4 blocks north of Blockbuster (that we saw) until the police arrived. A few other neighbors saw the incident and also reported it. It’s sad that people would do such things to people’s property but it makes me happy to know that people are looking out for their neighbors and that the police arrived so quickly. Hopefully this won’t be happening again anytime soon.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch items tonight: First, just out of the WSB inbox from Todd:

A longtime West Seattle band practice facility was broken into early this morning. It is (in the 3300 block of Harbor Avenue SW). It has been home to many, many pivotal Seattle bands over the last 25 years. The Midnight Idols () room was one of the rooms broken into and the thieves took a lot of gear. Most notably:

96 black Gibson Explorer
82 black Gibson V with pinstripes
89 Jackson Rhoads Ontario custom shop
Red 01 Gibson sg special with fade finish
Some pa gear
Hartke bass amp

Any information is helpful. Please contact midnightidols@gmail.com

One other Crime Watch note: The man arrested in connections with dozens of medical/dental-office burglaries, including at least one in West Seattle, has been sentenced. 27-year-old Shane Carlson pleaded guilty last month in cases including drug-possession charges resulting from an October arrest after police spotted him casing a dental office in the 5400 block of California SW. He has a long record including 2 adult felonies and 9 juvenile felonies, plus two dozen misdemeanors. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office “Daily Docket” says he was sentenced Friday to more than eight years in prison.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports out of the WSB inbox – car vandalism and car theft (different part of the peninsula than the car-theft wave we reported here earlier this week) – read on:Read More

Remember that surveillance photo? It’s now attached to a nickname. For the first time in a long time, the FBI’s given a nickname to a serial bank robber – and blaming the “Mrs. Doubtfire Bandit” for six heists, including three in West Seattle – the latest, last week’s robbery of the Alaska USA branch in the Westwood Village QFC. From the FBI, the six holdups linked to the same person, and more information:

1. 4/5/2010 – Key Bank , 4701 California Ave SW in Seattle [WSB coverage]
2. 4/28/2010 – Sterling Savings, 224 SW 15nd St in Burien
3. 5/29/2010 – Bank of America, 10623 NE 68th St in Kirkland
4. 6/1/2010 – Viking Bank, 4022 SW Alaska St in Seattle [WSB coverage]
5. 8/7/2010 – Alaska USA, 7300 Roosevelt Way NE in Seattle
6. 8/31/2010 – Alaska USA, 2500 SW Barton in Seattle [WSB coverage]

The suspect uses a note but threatens a weapon and violence. Generally described as a white female, 5’4”, 110 lbs, thin build, 40’s, looks gaunt and sick. We call her the “Mrs. Doubtfire Bandit.” Anyone with information about this individual is asked to contact the FBI by telephone at (206) 622-0460, or e-mail at seattle.fbi@ic.fbi.gov

Here are two more photos sent by the FBI – left, from the May 29th Kirkland robbery; right, from the one in West Seattle eight days ago.