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• Dead women found: A pair of Seattle Police officers made an awful discovery Wednesday night when they found two women dead of apparent drug overdoses inside a Capitol Hill apartment. According to the SPD report on the incident, police were called to the 12th Ave residence Wednesday afternoon but the officers didn’t arrive until just before 8 PM to check out why one of the women wasn’t responding to a family member’s phone calls. The officers arrived to find the door to the unit unlocked and a rancid smell in the hallway. Inside, police found a horrible scene:
  Police say the residence was “clean and organized” and reported that there were no signs of forced entry or any indication of a physical struggle inside the apartment. “No notes were located in the apartment indicating that the death was a suicide,” the SPD report concludes. Homicide detectives documented the scene and the King County Medical Examiner was investigating the deaths. Initial findings indicated the women had been dead for about two days. A small dog found inside the apartment was taken to the Seattle Animal Shelter. UPDATE: King County Health officials have issued a warning regarding cocaine “contaminated with acetylfentanyl”:

  This week, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted autopsies on two women who apparently died from cocaine that may have been contaminated with acetylfentanyl. These findings are preliminary, but Public Health officials are concerned enough to issue a public alert about the overdose danger even before the confirmatory tests are conducted.

  “Cocaine users need to be aware that acetylfentanyl-laced cocaine can kill quickly when snorted or injected. There is no way to know whether cocaine is laced with acetylfentanyl, so the best prevention is to avoid use of cocaine altogether,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County.

  The last known acetylfentanyl death in King County was in 2015. Acetylfentanyl is not the same as the more commonly known fentanyl. Acetylfentanyl is 5 times or more stronger than heroin and stronger than prescription fentanyl. Acetylfentanyl is not prescribed but is synthesized in clandestine laboratories. The opioid antaganost naloxone (Narcan) can help to reverse an overdose from acetylfentanyl, but higher doses may be needed compared to heroin.

  The two people who died inhaled (snorted) and did not inject the cocaine. Health officials suspect that the two women were exposed to the same batch of drug and that these deaths do not represent two separate incidents. No additional information about the two deaths is available. Health officials are trying to learn where the drug may have been acquired and if other drugs may have played a role. Public Health will release more information as it is uncovered.

  UPDATE 6/6/2016 11:15 AM: The Seattle Times reports the Medical Examiner has identified the women who died as Sara Valenzuela, 36, and Maria Paschell, 49. The Times say the investigation reveals the women died May 30 but the cause and manner of their deaths remain pending toxicology reports. The apartment where the women died was Valenzuela’s residence, according to the Times.

• Baton robbery: A man was beaten and robbed of his backpack early Friday morning on E Olive Way. According to East Precinct radio, the male victim was attacked in the 1700 block of E Olive Way around 2:30 AM by a man wielding a baton-type weapon. Police searched for the suspect but could not locate the attacker described as a white male in his 30s, around 5’9″ with a mustache and wearing a beanie, a dark blue hoodie, and jeans. He was last seen headed westbound on E Olive Way. Seattle Fire was called to the scene to treat the victim. SPD is investigating.