The King County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a white, 1990s-model 4-door BMW 5 Series car (see reference photos above of a similar vehicle) driven by the suspects in a shooting that left an 18 year-old man dead on Wednesday night.

As our sister site The B-Town Blog reported, the incident occurred about 11:30pm on Wednesday, June 24th. The victim was in the back seat of a car that was southbound on Military Road South. Four friends were with him in the car. A second vehicle began following the victim’s car but turned off at South 140th. As it did, several rounds were fired and the man was hit.

The men drove straight to Highline Medical Center in Burien, and the victim collapsed in the entrance to the Emergency Room. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

The dead man is believed to be from California and was in the area visiting relatives.

If anyone recognizes the vehicle or has information on the shooting they are asked to call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hours) or 911.

According to the King County Sheriff’s Department, an 18 year-old man was shot in SeaTac last night around 11:30pm, and subsequently died at Burien’s Highline Medical Center.

The victim was riding in the back seat of a car that was southbound on Military Road South. Four friends were with him in the car. A second vehicle began following the victim’s car but turned off at South 140th; as it did, several rounds were fired and the male victim was hit.

The men drove straight to Highline Medical Center and the man collapsed in the entrance to the Emergency Room. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

The dead man is believed to be from California and was in the area visiting relatives.

All the people in the victim’s car were male and in their late teens or early 20s.

There is no description of the suspect vehicle, and no apparent motive for the shooting.

The City of SeaTac will be hosting its FREE, annual International Festival beginning this Friday, June 26th through Sunday, June 28th at Angle Lake Park.

The festival will include:

• A grand parade
• A family fun run
• Skateboard competition
• Model-hydroplane race
• Craft and food vendors
• Children’s play area and more

FRIDAY, JUNE 26th:

“Under the Lights 5″ 5th Annual Skateboarding Competition
Valley Ridge Park, 4644 S. 188th St.
6:00 p.m.: Registration
7:00 p.m.: Contest
Click here for more information!

SATURDAY, JUNE 27th:

10:15 a.m. ~ Family Fun Run, approximately one mile and follows the same route as the parade. A medal will be given to all registered finishers. No registration fee. Register by calling the SeaTac Community Center at 206.973.4680 by Thursday, June 25th. Or register the day of event at Valley Ridge Park. For information call 206.973.4680.
10:30 a.m. ~ Grand Parade begins at Tyee High School and travels west on S. 188th St., then proceeds southbound on 33rd Ave. S. traveling through Angle Lake Park and finishing at the Alaska Airlines parking lot (download/view Parade Map PDF here).
12:00 p.m. ~ Teen Idols (Song & Dance routines)
1:00 p.m. ~ Kane Mathis (Traditional Mandinka Music)
2:00 p.m. ~ Jimmy Free – African Allstars (A fusion of world music)
3:00 p.m. ~ Tor Dietrichson – Mambo Cadillac (Salsa & Latin Jazz)
4:00 p.m. ~ Smilin’ Scandinavians (Polka music)
5:00 p.m. ~ Show Brazil (Brazilian Music & Dance)
6:00 p.m. ~ James Whetzel (Indian fusion music played on a sarod)
7:00 p.m. ~ Kris Orlowski Band (Jazz & Goth – This unusual combination delivers an edgy roots-rock mix)

SUNDAY, JUNE 28th:

12:00 p.m. ~ Chris Patin Band (Jazz incorporated with R&B, Blues & Latin music)
1:00 p.m. ~ Vicci Martinez (Folk Rock, Blues & acoustic music)
2:00 p.m. ~ Kellee Bradley (She’s been compared to Karen Carpenter & Sheryl Crow, but she has a sound all her own)
3:00 p.m. ~ Rhys Thomas – Juggle Mania (Juggler)
4:00 p.m. ~ Cory Wilds (Blend of Rock, Blues & Jazz)

A variety of ethnic and cultural bands from around the Pacific Northwest will also perform throughout the weekend.

“With more than 83 languages spoken throughout the city, SeaTac is a growing, vibrant and diverse community,” said Todd Cutts, Assistant City Manager. “The International Festival is an annual tradition to really kick off the summer and celebrate that diversity together.”

Festival Hours are as follows:

• Friday, June 26, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Craft and food vendors will be open throughout the festival.

Please consider bringing a donation of canned or nonperishable food, diapers, toilet paper, soap or pet food to the SeaTac Domestic Violence Task Force tent to benefit Highline Area Food Bank.

Admission to the festival is free. All events will take place at Angle Lake Park, located at 19408 International Boulevard in SeaTac. For more information and a full schedule of events, please call (206) 973-4680 or visit the website at www.ci.seatac.wa.us/park/seinternationalfestival.htm.

We recently met up with him at a local farmers market for a get-to-know-you chat.

“I’m an agent for change,” said Ross, who is in his fourth term in the Washington State House of Representatives, and worked at Microsoft for 17 years.

“I have the skills to make things happen.”

We asked Ross to talk about former Executive Ron Sims, namely the thing Sims did best while in office, and that which he did not do so well.

“You’d have to include the council in on my answer,” Ross responded. “They really work together. I’d say that they put us on the map environmentally in a positive way.

“But over the years the executive and council showed a lack of attention to financial reality.”

We asked what experience not commonly known about him would suggest he is ready to run the state’s largest county.

“Not many people know this, but I spend time now and again helping Habitat for Humanity,” he said, referring to the group that helps build houses for those who otherwise might not be able to afford one.

“I like to frame. If I can swing a big hammer, I’m happy.”

A hint of the style of a Hunter Administration?

“No,” Ross said with a laugh. “It’s just how I build homes for those who need them!”

Primary Election day is August 18th. The two candidates with the most votes advance to the General Election in November.

For more information on the Ross Hunter campaign go to: www.RossHunter.com.

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During the City of SeaTac’s recent annual City Council retreat, both the Mayor and City Council received a mid–year update of the city’s economic status and the news is encouraging.

“While not immune to the wider economic downturn, the City’s fiscal position is strong even though some important revenues sources have declined,” said Mayor Ralph Shape. “Despite the bad news of the national economy and the challenges facing many municipalities in our region and around the country, the benefits of fiscal prudence and careful planning over many years are helping the City of SeaTac weather the storm.”

The City was able to trim nearly a million dollars of general fund expenses this year without reducing services to residents or businesses. The City has also identified investments that can be delayed, as needed, until revenue levels return to normal.

“Even better news may be on the horizon,” said Craig Ward, SeaTac’s City Manager. “Years of a strategic investments, low taxes, and careful grooming of our economic opportunities have positioned us well to maintain our budgets and recover more quickly from this downturn than many other cities.”

Recent investments in public facilities, roads and parks have developed an infrastructure that will support more private sector investments, as the City still sees taking place new airport–oriented developments, light rail stations, and residential neighborhoods.

The City of SeaTac was incorporated in Feb. 1990, and is 10 square miles in area and has a population of 25,230. SeaTac is a vibrant community, economically strong, environmentally sensitive, and people-oriented. The City boundaries surround the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, (approximately 3 square miles in area) which is owned and operated by the Port of Seattle.

According to the King County Sheriff’s Department, two women were attacked Sunday night (June 21st) by four young persons using a pit bull as a weapon.

The oldest suspect was a 15 year-old girl. The youngest was 11.

The incident began Sunday evening around 6:30pm in the 13300 block of Des Moines Memorial Drive in SeaTac (map below).

A 63 year-old Seattle woman stopped her car when she saw four kids repeatedly kicking a pit bull dog. She thought the group might need some assistance. However the oldest in the group, a 15 year-old girl, told the women to mind her own business, then tried to pull the woman from her car.

The woman got out the car and was immediately attacked by the girl who repeatedly punched her on the head and back with closed fists. One of the boys in the group ran over with the dog who began biting her. Eventually the four ran off with the dog.

The victim had bruises from the hitting and puncture wounds from the dog to her hand and thigh.

All this was witnessed by a 41 year-old Seattle woman, who followed the group to nearby North SeaTac Park. When the 15 year-old figured out they were followed, she walked up to the woman and head-butted her, then threw punches to her head and body.

Next the dog joined the fray and became increasing violent as the rest of the group egged the dog on. The woman suffered serious bite injuries, including wounds to her head and face, as well as serious gashes and puncture wounds to both arms. Her left forearm was flayed open and the bone could be seen.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the four nearby, still with the dog. All were taken into custody without incident.

The 15 year-old girl was injured by the dog in the melee, and her foot was injured from repeatedly kicking one of the victims.

All four suspects were released to their parents, as the 15 year-old needed medical attention.

The suspects are 15, 13, 12, and 11 years old respectively. All are boys except for the 15 year-old.

Deputies turned the dog over to Animal Control.

Sheriff’s detectives will likely file felony assault charges against at least the 15 year-old.

View Larger Map

Over the past year, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America, including the California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events worldwide. During Hurricane Katrina, Amateur Radio – often called “Ham Radio” – was often the ONLY way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer “hams” traveled south to save lives and property.

When trouble is brewing, Amateur Radio’s people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications. On the weekend of June 27 – 28, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with the Highline area’s ham radio operators and see for themselves what the Amateur Radio Service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the USA will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called “Field Day” is the climax of the week long “Amateur Radio Week” sponsored by the ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and backyards around the country. Their slogan, “When All Else Fails, Ham Radio Works” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms without the use of phone systems, internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 30,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.

“We hope that people will come and see for themselves, this is not your grandfather’s radio anymore,” said Allen Pitts, W1AGP, of the ARRL. “The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded. And besides that – it’s fun!”

In the Highline area, the Highline Amateur Radio Club will be demonstrating Amateur Radio at Marvista Park, 4th Avenue SW and SW 200th Street in Normandy Park on June 27th and 28th. They invite the public to come and see ham radio’s capabilities and learn how to get their own FCC radio license before the next disaster strikes. The Highline area includes Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, SeaTac, and Tukwila as well as the North Highline unincorporated area.

There are over 650,000 Amateur Radio licensees in the US, and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies, all for free.

The public is most cordially invited to come, meet and talk with the hams. See what modern Amateur Radio can do. They can even help you get on the air!

To learn more about the Highline Amateur Radio Club, go to http://highlinearc.cfsites.org. To learn more about Amateur Radio, go to www.emergency-radio.org.

Monday afternoon (June 15th) a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of area residents who are upset with Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway against the Port of Seattle, claiming that noise and vibrations from aircraft are over and above what the Port has promised.

The class action lawsuit claims that as the runway was being developed and built, planning documents stated that it was to “only be used as an alternate runway to reduce delays in bad weather.”

Lawyers from the firm Pfau Cochrain Vertetis Kosnoff, PLLC contend that the port mislead residents to believe that the statement in the documents would be followed. However, since the runway’s opening, the plaintiffs claim that the port is now using the third runway for both departures and arrivals, bad weather or not, and at all hours of the day.

The third runway is currently being used more due to the re-construction of the first runway, which is supposed to last through the summer. Lawyers say that a statement on the Port of Seattle’s website claims that the FAA, which maintains control over all runways, will not restrict the use of the third runway.

The lawsuit is seeking damages for lowered property values and also to prohibit airplanes from using the third runway on weekends and between 10pm and 9am on weeknights.

The suit also intends to restrict planes from flying lower than 1,500 feet above the plaintiffs’ homes and only allow no more than one plane to fly over their neighborhoods per hour.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Residents Plan To Sue Port Of Seattle Over 3rd Runway
• Third Runway Litigators Will Meet April 19th
• Re-Construction Of Runway Begins At Airport
• SeaTac Airport’s Third Runway Opens

On Tuesday, June 9th, Sea-Tac Airport will close its Cell Phone Waiting Lot for about a month in order to replace it with a location nearly double in size.

The new location, just north on Air Cargo Road, will create nearly 100 spaces for vehicles, doubling the size of the current lot. It is expected to open in early July.

The closure will allow the modification of the new lot with barriers, striping and signage.

The Cell Phone Waiting Lot is a free service from The Port of Seattle that allows drivers to wait up to 30 minutes in the lot until arriving passengers have deplaned, collected luggage and called to be picked up outside of Baggage Claim. Drivers must stay with their vehicles.

Please be aware there is no parking or waiting allowed on the airport roadway shoulders at any time.

The alternative for drivers who normally use the Cell Phone Lot is to use the Hourly Parking at the Terminal Main Garage, which charges $2 for 30 minutes.

For more information on Sea-Tac Airport’s parking options, visit their website here.

Jeffrey C. Sullivan, US Attorney for the Western District of Washington announced Friday (June 5th) that five people have been arrested in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme that allegedly cheated area banks and property sellers out of more than $18 million.

The five arrested include:

• HUMBERTO A. REYES-RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a Tony Reyes, 42, of Federal Way, Washington
• ALEXIS IKILIKYAN, a/k/a Haikanush Ikilikyan, 29, of Auburn, Washington
• WILLIAM S. POFF, 37, of Marshall, Michigan
• MICKI S. THOMPSON, 54, of Tacoma, Washington
• MARIO A. MARROQUIN, 38, of Kent, Washington

All have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud and Money Laundering. The conspirators obtained financing from banks and, in some cases, also from sellers who were convinced to extend private loans for a portion of the purchase price. These private loans, which were not disclosed to the banks, as well as a web of fictitious rental companies, allowed the conspirators to obtain loan proceeds far beyond the value of the assets securing those loans, and beyond their ability to pay.

“This complex investigation uncovered a group of real estate professionals who manipulated home sales for pure profit while some of the properties went into foreclosure and innocent private citizens were defrauded,” said Leigh Winchell, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Office of Investigations. ICE will continue to use its unique investigative authority to uncover illegal financial transactions in an effort to stop this type of fraudulent activity.”

According to the detailed indictment, both REYES-RODRIGUEZ and ALEXIS IKILIKYAN worked as both licensed real estate agents and mortgage loan originators. ALEXIS IKILIKYAN’s ex-husband, WILLIAM S. POFF was a licensed notary and worked as a loan originator.

MICKI S. THOMPSON was an employee of Great American Escrow who acted as the closing officer for many of the fraudulent sales. Between 2005 and 2008, the conspirators used straw buyers to purchase and resell properties, obtaining more than 80 loans totaling more than $18 million. The conspirators submitted a variety of false information to the banks such as employment, income, citizenship status, assets and liabilities. The conspirators also submitted false appraisals and created fictitious companies that were allegedly doing repair work on the properties. Money at closing would go to these entities that, in reality, had done no work on the property. Defendant MARIO A. MARROQUIN headed fictitious repair companies and acted as a straw buyer.

In this scheme, the conspirators did not just damage banks and financial institutions. Innocent sellers were harmed when they agreed to loan the buyer a portion of the purchase price, to be paid back over time. The sellers did not know that the conspirators had already obtained 100 percent financing from commercial lenders. When payments were not made and properties fell into foreclosure, and then were sold for less than the total of all loans secured by the property, the sellers holding private notes were left with nothing.

The indictment alleges there were fraudulent mortgage transactions in communities across the Puget Sound region:

• SeaTac
• Des Moines
• Tacoma
• Seattle
• Puyallup
• Spanaway
• Auburn
• Bellevue
• Renton
• Lakewood
• Fircrest
• Kent
• Pacific
• Issaquah

Those arrested in the Seattle area were scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court Friday afternoon at 2:30pm.

The conspiracy and money laundering charges are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Vogel and Darwin Roberts.

More information available here.