Central District Seattle

A Seattle man charged this month in connection with a slaying almost three years ago is wanted on a $1 million arrest warrant.

Jymaika Hutson, a gang member who goes by the street name "Tiger-6," was charged with first-degree murder and rendering criminal assistance on March 1. Prosecutors did not release details about the charges when they were filed because they didn't want Hutson to be tipped off, an agency spokesman said.

Hutson, 31, was linked to the April 28, 2007, shooting of Tyree Lee, in

Seattle police are asking for the public's help in locating the man suspected of gunning down Tyree Eugene Lee Sr. outside of his fiancee's Central District home in 2007.

Seattle Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating Jymaika S. Hutson, 31. He is described as

 

His future's so bright, he needs shades

6′ and 180 pounds with a deformed left eye. He may also go by the moniker “Tiger 6″ or “Tiger.” He has been charged with first degree murder in an April 2007 homicide in the Central

-- From Times staff reporter Sara Jean Green:

Seattle police have closed 23rd Avenue South at South Massachusetts Street due to a roll-over crash involving three vehicles.

The first 911 call came in at 4:39 p.m. and the Seattle Fire Department's technical-rescue team is now working to free one person trapped in a vehicle, said department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen. Two people have suffered minor injuries; three other people are hurt but it's not yet known how badly, she said.

A King County juvenile probation officer has filed a federal lawsuit against the Seattle Police Department after, the suit alleges, she was accosted by three Seattle police officers during an incident in the Central District in 2008.

According to the suit, Gaston—who, court filings say, has worked in juvenile court for about 12 years—dropped one of her juvenile clients in the Central District after taking him clothes shopping in September 2008. Minutes later, the court filing says, Gaston received

Corey Louviere, a Fine Arts teacher and Janet Woodward, a Librarian, both at Garfield High School, have won a $10,000 grant from Qwest to curate an exhibit on the history of the Central Area in Seattle.  Here is a summary of their winning grant proposal:

An ambitious photo exhibit project will engage Louviere and Woodward’s classes in an exploration of the history and culture of Seattle’s Central Area. Garfield High School, built in 1922, is one of manyhistorical landmarks whose providence depicts a long, community narrative they plan to research. Students will document the multi‐cultural topography of the area, where six bus lines converge, and therich diversity of its neighborhoods, commercial and community centers speak to the unique character ofthe area’s people and urban lifestyle.

In a series of field trips, students will photograph specific scenes, take notes and interview residents. Each student will select his or her best image for the exhibit and prepare statements that interpret the photograph and...

 Corey Louviere, a Fine Arts teacher and Janet Woodward, a Librarian, both at Garfield High School, have won a $10,000 grant from Qwest to curate an exhibit on the history of the Central Area in Seattle.  Here is a summary of their winning grant proposal:

An ambitious photo exhibit project will engage Louviere and Woodward’s classes in an exploration of the history and culture of Seattle’s Central Area. Garfield High School, built in 1922, is one of manyhistorical landmarks whose providence depicts a long, community narrative they plan to research.Students will document the multi‐cultural topography of the area, where six bus lines converge, and therich diversity of its neighborhoods, commercial and community centers speak to the unique character ofthe area’s people and urban lifestyle.

In a series of field trips, students will photograph specific scenes, take notes and interview residents. Each student will select his or her best image for the exhibit and prepare statements that interpret thephotograph...

After six hours of trying to make sense of U.S. Census data, I was confused and close to tears. I was also hungry—a deadly combination. There is a reason, I reminded myself, that I am a food writer and not a statistician. It was clearly time to stop, step away from the computer, and eat some Ethiopian food.

It had all started with what I thought was a relatively simple question: What is the fastest growing immigrant group in Seattle? I wanted to find out. And then I wanted to eat their food. So I

After six hours of trying to make sense of U.S. Census data, I was confused and close to tears. I was also hungry—a deadly combination. There is a reason, I reminded myself, that I am a food writer and not a statistician. It was clearly time to stop, step away from the computer, and eat some Ethiopian food.

It had all started with what I thought was a relatively simple question: What is the fastest growing immigrant group in Seattle? I wanted to find out. And then I wanted to eat their food. So I

CDNews reader SW emailed us and asked:

Can you tell me what the story is with the vacant lot across from Grocery Outlet?Just curious, wondering about gardening there. 

That vacant lot on the southwest corner of the intersection there is owned by Marty Liebowitz of The Madrona Company. He's a neighborhood developer who's work you'll probably recognize in the Bowling Green apartments in Madrona, or the Yesler Mews development in the 100 block of 22nd Ave.

Marty also owns the old green apartment building next door, and has plans to build a new mixed-use development on the property. Like many large projects, it's currently on hold pending an improvement in the credit markets. We ran into Mr. Liebowitz at a meeting a couple of weeks ago, and he said that while there's no certain start date, but he's hopeful that things will improve in the second half of this year.

Anyone with ideas for the property in the meantime can contact Marty at his website:

http://www.madronacompany.com/millermews1.htm

23rd Avenue is a mere 42 feet wide, yet is packed with four vehicle lanes for its entire length. Few other four-lane roads in Seattle are so narrow, and many two lane roads, such as Broadway, are 10 feet wider. The brave pedestrians that walk alongside it are passed by speeding cars just a few feet away from the sidewalk.

But that could all change within the next two years, as the city will be studying the possibility of allowing parking along 23rd during off-peak hours, reducing the street to two lanes of travel for much of the day.

The study was prompted by a request from the Montlake community, and it will examine the entire length of 23rd between Cherry Street and Roanoke (23rd Ave becomes 24th on the way down to Montlake). The study is planned to begin in 2011, and could be implemented in 2012 if the study's results are supportive of the change.

According to Jim Curtain, community liaison from the city Department of Transportation, the general rule of thumb is that any roadway that carries less than 20,000...

When Garfield High grad Will Conroy joined the Houston Rockets last month, he became the ninth player from a Seattle high school to play for an NBA team this season. This from the 25th largest city in America. Started me wondering--where does Seattle rank as far as sending players to the NBA? The answer: second. Only Chicago (13) has had more players go from city high schools to the League. Amazing in itself, but even more striking when you look at the numbers by population. There, 206 fertility

Happy President's Day from Seattle's East Precinct:

BTW - Like the scanner report? You can now follow all of our daily updates on your iPhone, via the new SeattleCrime.com app. Hear sirens on your street? It also maps 911 events and other crimes citywide so that you can find out what else is going on around you. It's very cool, and totally free, so get it today at the iTunes app store.

Three years ago, sisters Rahwa and Asmeret Habte, purchased Hidmo at 20th and Jackson in the CD. According to Hidmo’s bartender, Hidmo was then “sort of a Hood bar” and home to some unwelcome behavior in the neighborhood. But since the Habte sisters took over, Hidmo has transformed into an important center of culture and community—not just in the neighborhood, but for all of Seattle.

Today, it’s not just a great Eritrean restaurant and great neighborhood bar, it’s also a meeting place for community

One day in seventh grade, I was waiting for the #14 bus across from Washington Middle School when three teenage gang members approached this kid in my class. One gang member, who was wearing brass knuckles, suddenly punched the kid in the temple, knocking him cold.

A few teachers came out to check on the kid, who soon came to and staggered down the alley leading to Odessa Brown Childrens' Clinic, vowing revenge. No Metro security guards were there. No hidden cameras caught the scene. And so KING-

On February 10th at approximately 11:55 a.m. officers responded to a vehicle/bicycle collision near Hiawatha Place South and South Charles Street.  Patrol officers are still actively investigating this collision however, we do know that the bicyclist was transported to Harborview Medical Center by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries.  There are no other details available about this incident at this time.

On 2/10/10, at approximately 9:45 a.m., a witness/ complainant called 911 when he saw two suspects casing a home in the 800 block of 19 Av S.

He then saw 1 suspect knock on the door. When no one answered the suspect went towards the rear of the home. The other suspect stood by as a look out. 

Officers arrived quickly and apprehended the first suspect (the look out). Officers approached the front of the home and began a search for the second suspect.

Officers located the suspect in the rear of the home. He we ordered to the ground and appeared to be following instructions, when he took off running through the yards.

Officers pursued and after an extensive chase the suspect was apprehended. The suspect had burglary tools  and an empty carry bag in his possession. 

Both suspects a male 36-years-old and 54-years-old was booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Attempted Burglary.

We're about to lose a movie rental store in the neighborhood, with a corporate bankruptcy forcing the closure of Hollywood Video at 23rd & Jackson.

We spoke to a soon-to-be-unemployed clerk there this morning who said that they won't accept any rentals past next week, and a liquidation sale would likely begin tomorrow to clear out all of the stock in the store. 

Capitol Hill lost their video store last year, and this weekend we got a tip from a friend that we'd likely lose ours soon. Turns out that yesterday was the day.

The store's closure will leave a large vacant space in the 90's-era strip mall there next to the Walgreens, adding to the vacancies that include the large 2nd-floor office space that was previously vacated by Safeco.

You closest rental options are now On 15th Video on Capitol Hill and Island Video at the down in Madison Valley.

Police are investigating a bizarre burglary at a Leschi home last month after a woman reported that a number of items had disappeared from her home over several weeks.

On January 28th, police were called to a home in the 3800 block of E Superior Street to take a report. The homeowner told officers the house had been vacant while it was under construction, but when she'd been in the house over the last few weeks she had found that some of her things had gone missing or had been rearranged in the home.

-- From Times staff reporter Susan Gilmore:

The slayings of six police officers last year caused the number of deaths due to workplace violence in Washington state to rise to its highest level in more than a decade.

According to the state Department of Labor and Industries, there were 13 on-the-job homicides last year in the state, which includes the six police officers as well as seven suicides. In addition to the police officers, the deaths included retail clerks, a taxi driver, a musician and an

There was a big crowd for the East Precinct Crime Prevention Coalition tonight, with lots of crime updates, a lot of Q&A with our new city attorney, and new information on the Drug Market Initiative. We'll cover the last two as separate stories and focus this on crime updates.

Burglaries: The big news is that East Precinct commander Captain Dermody is acutely aware of the current issue with burglaries. He said that they were "driving me nuts" and that there are clear patterns as far as where they were clustered and the players who are involved, which includes thirteen main offenders and eleven juveniles. He said that many are "registered" at Garfield (i.e. maybe not attending), and that there's a problem with them being caught, released, and then reoffending. SPD is working closely with county prosecutors and their Repeat Burglar Initiative to get control of that part of the problem.

SPD is working to get county youth detention to hold on to any juvenile suspects that they catch doing anything, with a...

We've completed an analysis of crime report data from our partners at SeattleCrime.com, showing a total of 22 burglaries in the neighborhood since December 1st, totaling up to $34,761 in loses.

The big lesson is that today's burglars are after valuable electronics that they can easily resell. Laptops are by far the the most popular item. A good prevention measure is to not leave your laptops laying out when you're gone. Hide them out of sight.

Here's a summary of those events:

• 17-Dec -  1300 Lakeside Ave S -  $1,428.00Waterfront home. Got perps on video
• 22-Dec -  1300 32nd Ave S -  $2,870.00Powerbook, laptop, apple monitor
• 19-Jan -  2700 S. Irving -  $2,839.00Laptops, cellphone, xbox, camera
• 23-Dec -  800 23rd Ave S -  $10,100.00Residents out of town, returned home to find they were missing several laptops, 50" TV, jewelery, playstation
• 28-Dec -  2000 S. Norman -  $0.00Back window broken out, alarm scared them off
• 13-Dec&...

We've completed an analysis of crime report data from our partners at SeattleCrime.com, showing a total of 22 burglaries in the neighborhood since December 1st, totaling up to $34,761 in loses.

The big lesson is that today's burglars are after valuable electronics that they can easily resell. Laptops are by far the the most popular item. A good prevention measure is to not leave your laptops laying out when you're gone. Hide them out of sight.

Here's a summary of those events:

• 17-Dec -  1300 Lakeside Ave S -  $1,428.00Waterfront home. Got perps on video
• 22-Dec -  1300 32nd Ave S -  $2,870.00Powerbook, laptop, apple monitor
• 19-Jan -  2700 S. Irving -  $2,839.00Laptops, cellphone, xbox, camera
• 23-Dec -  800 23rd Ave S -  $10,100.00Residents out of town, returned home to find they were missing several laptops, 50" TV, jewelery, playstation
• 28-Dec -  2000 S. Norman -  $0.00Back window broken out, alarm scared them off
• 13-Dec&...

The below sketch depicts the suspect wanted in a sexual assault that occurred during the early morning hours of January 10th in the 100 block of 24th Avenue.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call either 911 or the Seattle Police Sexual Assault Unit at 206 684-5575.  Those wishing to remain anonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637).  Your text message should include “TIP486” to ensure proper routing. If a tip leads to an arrest and the filing of charges, callers may qualify for a cash reward of up to $1000.  Calls are taken 24 hours a day.

On January 10th just before 5 a.m., East Precinct patrol officers were dispatched to the 100 block of 24th Avenue  to a report of a woman screaming.  Officers contacted the adult female victim and learned that an attempted robbery/sexual assault had just occurred.  An area check for the suspect was immediately conducted, but with negative results.  During the attack, the victim suffered a small cut or scratch on her right pinky finger.  She declined medical aid.

This case was forwarded to the Sexual Assault Unit for further investigation.  During a subsequent interview with the Sexual Assault detective assigned to the case, the victim disclosed that the suspect had actually sexually assaulted her. 

The suspect is described as a Latino male in his 20’s, 5′8″ tall, weighing 180 pounds with a stocky build.  At the time of the attack, he was wearing a gray knit cap, a gray hooded sweatshirt and baggy white nylon basketball shorts with a gold stripe that hit...

Happy MLK Day!

The big MLK Day rally, workshops, and march will again be hosted at Garfield High School. Here's the full schedule of events:

• 9:30-10:45am - Choose from a wide variety of workshops and group discussions
• 11:00am - MLK Day Rally in the Garfield gym. The program includes music, speakers, and poetry
• Noon - March from Garfield to the Federal Building downtown on 2nd Ave. Be prepared for closed streets around the neighborhood, including big stretches of 23rd and Yesler.

We'll be there with live coverage of the march, so check back with us later in the day.

From King5.com:

Police are keeping students inside Washington Middle School in Seattle this afternoon after 911 received a cell phone threat from a man threatening children.

Seattle School District spokesperson Theresa Whipple says a cell phone trace put the location of the call somewhere near the school at 2101 S. Jackson Street.

Traffic and pedestrians are also being blocked off in various directions around 19th & Jackson. More as we get it here at and CentralDistrictNews.com.

On January 13th at approximately 4:20 pm,  patrol officers from the East Precinct responded to a report of a “road rage”/property damage disturbance in the 100 Block of 28th Avenue.  Officers arrived and were contacted by the victim/witness.  She pointed out a man on the corner with several other people as being the suspect.  Officers attempted to contact the suspect, but he was extremely hostile and refused to comply with the officer’s orders.  Several of the man’s friends and family members were also present, threatening and taunting officers.  Several officers were required to take the suspect into custody as he was actively resisting arrest.  Once he was in custody, officers were able to determine what had led up to the call.  The victim stated that she was driving her car about 20 minutes beforehand on Martin Luther King Jr. Way when the suspect, also driving a car, drove up behind her car very aggresively and actually struck her car from behind with his car. ...

As we first reported in today's scanner, there's been a very bad car accident at 20th & Main, where a 6-year old child was ejected from a vehicle.

At the scene it appears that three vehicles were involved, including a DirecTV van. The most seriously damaged vehicle is a small champagne-colored 2-door, with significant damage to the passenger side. A child seat is also lying on the ground nearby.

We heard on the scanner that one or more people were transported to Harborview for treatment of unspecified injuries. We've placed a call to the Seattle Fire spokesperson for more details, but haven't heard back yet.

Update: Just got back from a press briefing, where SPD spokesperson Mark Jamieson said that 3 vehicles were involved, and four occupants of the most badly damaged vehicle were taken to Harborview. One adult and two children had life-threatening injuries. 

Jamieson confirmed that one child was ejected from the vehicle in a car seat which is now laying in the roadway. He said it was too early to tell whether...

Thanks to a tip from reader Brenda, we checked out a new restaurant that's taken over the old MezzaLuna/Kabobish spot on Jukins. It's Charlie's Flame Broiled Burgers, and they've got a lunch & dinner menu of burgers and sandwiches and a breakfast menu with pancakes, eggs, and burritos. It opened last Thursday, after Kabobish, the previous tenant, had closed earlier in the week.

We grabbed a burger and fries today for lunch, and I can say that it's the best burger I've had in the neighborhood since CC's burgers closed years ago. Their first Yelp review gives them big props on the breakfast part too.

The owner, Daniel, told me that it's named after his brother Charlie, and that his family has run several other outlets in other states and in Guadalajara Mexico.

Charlie's is open 7am - 9pm during the week, and 9am - 9pm on the weekends.

On December 16th, at approximately 9 :52 pm, East Precinct officers responded to a 911 call from a man stating that he had just stabbed his girlfriend.  The suspect told the 911 operator that his girlfriend was in their apartment in the 300 Block of  28th Avenue South.  Patrol officers, along with on-duty SWAT officers, responded to the apartment where they located a 49 year-old female with a life-threatening stab wound to her body.  The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.  She died at the hospital from her injuries.  Gang detectives responded to the payphone in the 2300 Block of South Jackson and took the 53 year-old male suspect into custody.  The suspect was interviewed by Homicide detectives and later booked into the King County Jail for Investigtion of Homicide (Domestic Violence).  Homicide detectives will conduct the follow up investigation.

On December 8th at around 9:38 a.m., East Precinct patrol officers responded to a report of a man with a gun in the 800 block of 20th Avenue Street.  The 20-year-old male suspect had pointed a gun at his step-father, threatened him and then fled the area with a friend prior to police arrival.  Officers conducted a search of the area and located the suspect and his friend in the 2200 block of South Jackson Street.  The gun was not in his possession.

A Washington State Patrol K9 responded to assist in an evidence sweep.  The K9 successfully located a loaded 357 revolver in some bushes near where the suspect and his friend were detained.  The suspect was arrested and later booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Harassment and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.  The “friend” was arrested and booked for an outstanding Seattle Municipal Court warrant.

1. Bronx-born Richard Price writes mostly about murder and crime in New York City (his latest book, Lush Life, is about the aftermath of a random murder in the Lower East Side.) But he’s also written about Baltimore—specifically, he’s written several episodes of The Wire.

Price will be at Benaroya Hall tonight screening one of the episodes he wrote for the popular show’s third season—in which a police detective gets shot. He plans to  discuss the ideas behind the episode, including drug legalization,

On November 29th at approximately 8:44 p.m. Seattle Police received information that a person of interest in the murder of four Lakewood Police Officers was dropped off near a residence in the 3800 block of East Superior Street. Patrol and SWAT officers immediately responded and began surrounding the area. Seattle Police hostage negotiators and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office investigators also responded to the scene.

As officers began surrounding a residence that the suspect was last seen at, they were summoned by residents in the area to search other structures and dwellings for the presence of the suspect. After containment was established, negotiators continuously attempted to contact the suspect to no avail.

SWAT deployed noise and other attention-getting projectiles at the residence. Chemical irritants were also used in an attempt to persuade the suspect to exit the residence. When these devices also failed to achieve the desired result, officers deployed a robot, utilizing a camera for surveying the...

On November 29th at approximately 8:44 p.m. Seattle Police received information that a person of interest in the murder of four Lakewood Police Officers was dropped off near a residence in the 3800 block of East Superior Street. Patrol and SWAT officers immediately responded and began surrounding the area. Seattle Police hostage negotiators and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office investigators also responded to the scene.

As officers began surrounding a residence that the suspect was last seen at, they were summoned by residents in the area to search other structures and dwellings for the presence of the suspect. After containment was established, negotiators continuously attempted to contact the suspect to no avail.

SWAT deployed noise and other attention-getting projectiles at the residence. Chemical irritants were also used in an attempt to persuade the suspect to exit the residence. When these devices also failed to achieve the desired result, officers deployed a robot, utilizing a camera for surveying the...

Dominic Holden reports that everyone appears to be hunkering down for a long night in Leschi, where a man wanted in connection with today's police officer shootings may be holed up.

Seattle Police Sgt. Jeff Kappel told reporters at the scene that a house near 32nd and Yesler had been surrounded. Coffee was being delivered to officers blocking nearby intersections while overhead, a police helicopter was keeping close watch.

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Over the years, the city’s Neighborhood Matching Fund has invested in dozens of arts and cultural projects across Seattle, ranging from renovated cultural facilities to community festivals to public art.

Have a community arts project in mind but need some start-up cash? The Department of Neighborhoods is hosting free informational workshops that offer an overview of the fund. Participants will learn about revised 2010 guidelines and application forms, project proposal development and successful outreach strategies.

Neighborhoods staff will host two workshops next week: 6 to 7:30 p.m.,Tuesday, Dec. 1, at the Douglass Truth Library, 2300 E. Yesler Way, and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S. Alaska St.

A required component of the program is its match provision. For most projects, the community is required to donate cash, volunteer labor or donated services or materials at least equal in value to the cash provided by the city.

The deadline for the Small and Simple Projects...

Here's more detail on the sentencing of David Mendoza, owner of Pazzo's Pizzeria on Eastlake Avenue E.

A statement about the sentencing from the U.S. Attorney's Office is here.

Turns out Pazzo's was NOT included in the property Mendoza forfeited as part of his plea agreement. Former Mendoza property that now belongs to the feds is located in Bellevue, Tacoma and Deer Park, Wash., as well as a movie theater in Bend, Ore. According to the U.S. Attorney's statement: "Mendoza admits these properties were purchased with the proceeds of the drug conspiracy."

According to the statement, U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly told Mendoza at the sentencing:

“You truly did have all the opportunities in the world – President of Garfield High School, you got a degree, -- and then you got involved in drugs.... It’s tragic.... You don’t have anybody to blame but yourself.”

The U.S. Attorney's statement says Mendoza "was identified as the leader of a conspiracy to smuggle multiple 100 kilo loads of BC Bud marijuana into the US by...

Begin the McGinn. The Garfield High School marching band gives it up for the Mayor-Elect.

I have been covering Seattle politics for a long time, and I have to say: Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn’s victory party tonight was an unprecedented scene.

It was held at the New Holly Gathering Hall in Southeast Seattle’s Holly Park mixed-income development about seven blocks from the Othello light rail stop and no one from the consultant/ political class that’s been running this town for years showed. No one.

Who

Mayor-elect Mike McGinn's victory party near the Othello light rail station tonight was packed with at least 500 people, with more coming in the doors and someone delivering more food at 8 p.m. when I left.

The crowd was older than the group that often hung out at McGinn campaign events. The campaign volunteers were there, too, but the place was also packed with community leaders, representatives of groups that endorsed McGinn, and the curious, who turned out to see the new mayor.

They ate from

For those who still question, is this the right time for a musical about Obama? The answer is YES! The musical takes place in an Obama Campaign office in smalltown America where a group of crazed Obama supporters are trying to raise money to help make Obama the next President of the U.S.A. Sadly though, Obama does not appear in this production.

The playwright Teddy Hayes, a U.S. native, moved to London 13 years ago, where the musical debuted in March of 2009. It sold out to houses all over London.

The awesome little neighborhood pet store on Jackson Street is having a special holiday event where you can meet up with other pet owners tonight from 6pm until 9. They're taking over one of the big vacant retail spaces near their store to give everyone room to mingle.

They'll have wine and snacks for humans and beasts, a raffle for Seattle Spay & Neuter, and gift bags for dog and cat owners. Under-Dawgz Rescue will also be there to talk to anyone interested in expanding their pet family through adoption.

Immortal Dog is at 1712 S. Jackson Street.

According to Seattle police, there will be a special flag-raising ceremony to honor Officer Timothy Brenton at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Space Needle.

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Brenton was killed and fellow Officer Britt Sweeney was wounded when they were shot Saturday night while seated in their patrol car at 29th Avenue and East Yesler Way.

A procession and memorial service is planned Friday for Brenton.