News release from Valley Regional Fire Authority.

At 7:53 a.m. Valley Regional Fire Authority responded to a reported building collapse and gas leak at 530 West Main St. in Auburn. First arriving units found a residence that had partially collapsed. The collapse of the structure caused a rupture of a gas line that supplied the residence. Firefighters isolated and evacuated the immediate area until Puget Sound Energy arrived. Puget Sound Energy personnel stopped the gas leak and secured power to the residence. The residence was under reconstruction and unoccupied at the time of the collapse. There were no injuries.

Southbound Interstate 5 traffic exiting to 54th Avenue in Fife is backed up this morning on the off-ramp to the mainline due to a truck fire, the Washington State Department of Transportation reports.
The left lane of the off-ramp is open but the right lane remains blocked due to a dump truck fire.
The Washington State Patrol and fire are on scene. A tow truck is en route.

A 41-year-old Sumner man is in critical condition following a one-car crash late Sunday night on Highway 162 south of Sumner, the Washington State Patrol reported today.

Martin E. Schuler was driving northbound on the highway at 96th Street East at Alderton about 11:15 p.m. when he lost control of the car while attempting to pass another car, WSP said. The car hit a fire hydrant, two concrete dividers and a telephone pole.

A passenger in the car, Lisa M. Prime. 41, of Puyallup, was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma in serious condition.

An update on the condition of both people wasn’t available today.

Prime was wearing a seatbelt but Schuler was not, the State Patrol reported.

The highway was closed in both directions for nearly four hours, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation

Alcohol apparently was a factor in the accident, according to the State Patrol.

Lights & Sirens has changed blogging systems and the URL. Please go here to check out the new site.

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Federal prosecutors have charged a 36-year-old convicted bank robber with holding up a North End bank branch last month.

Ezekiel T. Black is being detained at the federal detention center in SeaTac. He's been charged federally with one count of bank robbery for the July 6 holdup at Key Bank, 3917 N. 26th St.

The bank branch was robbed about 3:20 p.m. July 6. The bandit approached a teller and whispered, "This is a robbery. Remain calm," according to court documents. The robber fled after getting cash.

Tacoma police released to the media surveillance photos of the robbery suspect.

During the investigation, Black was developed as a possible suspect. He was contacted July 24 at his home and arrested after a short foot pursuit, charging documents state.

The Key Bank teller, Black's Department of Corrections community corrections officer and Black's girlfriend identified Black as the man in surveillance photos from the Key Bank robbery.

At the time of the Key Bank heist, Black was on federal probation for a previous bank robbery conviction. There also was a warrant for his arrest out of Texas.

Crews are working to put out a van that's on fire on Highway 512 at Pioneer Avenue.

Both lanes of westbound Highway 512 and one lane of eastbound Highway 512 are blocked for the activity. The eastbound off-ramp to Pioneer Avenue also is closed.

Firefighters and troopers are on the scene.

UPDATE at 8:15 a.m.: One lane of westbound 512 and the eastbound lane of 512 are back open. The eastbound off-ramp also is open to traffic.

The right lane of westbound 512 continues to be blocked.

UPDATE: All lanes are now open and the burned van has been removed from the scene.

Lakewood police have released a photograph of a man believed to the husband of a woman suspected of scamming several Hispanic families out of nearly $140,000.

The man went by the name Jose Fernandez when he got a business license to lease storefront space in the 8600 block of South Tacoma Way. However, investigators have now determined that the California identification he presented for the license was false.

Police believe he's the husband/accomplice of "Señora Monica," who claimed she was able to cleanse money of evil. Several families gave her money to cleanse and when they showed up for their final session Sunday at the store Botanica Centro de Consultas, Señora Monica was nowhere to be found.

Lakewood police are now searching for her and her husband. They might be driving a white Chevrolet Suburban with California license plates and a gray Honda Civic-style car. They also are believed to have three boys, ages 3 to 15.

Investigators ask anyone who knows the real identity of "Jose" or "Señora Monica" to contact them at 253-830-5000.

The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center in Tacoma has received a national award for its continued dedication to supporting domestic violence victims.

The National Criminal Justice Association presented the center with the Outstanding Criminal Justice Program Award at a three-day conference in Bellevue. The annual conference ended Tuesday.

The national association honors four programs each year. The programs are selected by experts "as innovative criminal justice programs that showcase promising practices to address critical crime-related issues in their communities," according to a Pierce County press release.

"It is truly an honor to receive this award," said Susan Adams, director of the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center. "It is a testament to the women and men working at the Center on behalf of clients and in pursuit of justice. This award belongs to each and every one of them."

The Pierce County and Tacoma City councils will present proclamations to the justice center next week to recognize the award.

The center, named in honor of the slain wife of former Tacoma Police Chief David Brame, opened in December 2005. Brame killed his wife, Crystal, and then fatally shot himself in 2003.

The center is a one stop resource for domestic violence victims. Last year, 2,654 clients and 863 children visited the center to receive help in getting civil legal and protection orders, housing and other assistance. Another 3,137 people were helped over the phone.

The center, which can be contacted at 253-798-4166, is a collaboration by Pierce County and the City of Tacoma. The center's operates on funding from Tacoma, Pierce County, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and the federal government.

Lakewood police are searching for a woman who promised to cleanse the money of at least seven Hispanic families but stole it instead.

The families were supposed to have their final session with Señora Monica on Sunday night at a small store in the 8600 block of South Tacoma Way, Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said. But she never showed and now the families are out nearly $140,000.

Detectives have discovered much of the information on the business license for the store - Botanica Centro de Consultas - is false. They're working to identify the man who got the license and Señora Monica, Hoffman said.

No arrests have been made.

The victims told Lakewood police they met Señora Monica at the nearby swap meet or heard her advertisements on a Spanish-speaking radio station, Hoffman said. She advertised that she could help with "all your problems."

On her business card, Señora Monica listed her services as: Reads cards, reads palms, performs cleansings, interprets dreams, reunites loved ones, sexual deficiencies, cures nervous disorders, employment problems, alcoholism and drug addiction. "Don't suffer anymore. If you can't have children, call me," the card reads. "Performs spells, counterspells and love spells."

Some victims had Taro card readings with Señora Monica and decided to have her cleanse their money. Some of the sessions occurred with the victims at the store on South Tacoma Way.

The victims had set up a final meeting Sunday night during which they would receive their cleansed money and would pay a gratuity - whatever they felt was appropriate - to Señora Monica, Hoffman said.

"Señora Monica never showed up," Hoffman said.

Investigators have learned a man got a business license and paid cash in June to rent out the storefront on South Tacoma Way. The store also sold candles, incense and other items, Hoffman said.

A closed sign now hangs on the door.

"All the information on the business license has proven to be false," Hoffman said.

Detectives don't have a last name for Señora Monica. She's described as Hispanic, 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet tall and 130 pounds. She has long black hair.

Anyone with information on Señora Monica's identity or whereabouts is asked to call Lakewood police at 253-830-5000.

Pierce County has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a federal lawsuit brought by the parents of a man who committed suicide in the jail.

The county admitted no fault in reaching the settlement with Ralph Close and Laura Larson, according to documents filed this week in U.S. District Court.

Close and Larson sued in January, claiming the county should have done more to supervise the incarceration of their son, James Robert Close.

The 30-year-old Sequim resident died June 16, 2006, shortly after being booked into the jail for investigation of bank robbery.

His parents claimed county jailers did not adequately monitor their son even though his history of mental illness and previous suicide attempts were noted on his booking sheet.

Close used a bed sheet to hang himself in his cell.

Local clergy and others will gather Friday for a brief, spiritual ceremony in honor of a man killed in a hit-and-run crash last week in Puyallup.

The Moment of Blessing ceremony for Ryan Seward, 46, begins at 11 a.m. in the 2800 block of Ninth Street Southwest in Puyallup.

Seward, a career Coast Guard officer, was killed the evening of Aug. 4 when an SUV struck his motor scooter. Prosecutors have charged a 56-year-old Puyallup man with vehicular homicide. Puyallup police have said alcohol appeared to be a factor in the wreck.

Associated Ministries host Moments of Blessing to cleanse the scenes where people are killed in Pierce County. The sites are marked with bamboo poles laced with the names of homicide victims and the dates of their deaths.

The Auburn Police Department has been re-accredited by a commission that evaluates how law enforcement agencies stack up against national policing standards.

Chief Jim Kelly announced today the re-accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

The department was accredited in 1997. It's evaluated by CALEA every three years to see how it complies with more than 350 professional standards.

"The Auburn Police Department is proud to be recognized as an Internationally Accredited Agency and looks forward to continuing to provide the Auburn community with highly professional law enforcement services," Kelly said.

During accreditation, CALEA officials inspect every aspect of a police department, from files to internal policies and policing practices. They interview employees, do ridealongs and meet with community members.

Law enforcement agencies voluntarily seek accreditation from CALEA.

A crash is blocking the right lane of eastbound Highway 16 on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the state DOT reports this morning,

The crash was reported at 10:20 a.m.

Troopers are on the scene. A tow truck is on its way.

UPDATE: The crash has been cleared and all lanes are now open to traffic.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged a 27-year-old man with several crimes after a high-speed pursuit and foot chase near the South Hill Mall on Saturday.

Timothy James Levens was charged Monday with possession of a stolen firearm, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, felony elude, obstructing a peace officer and possession of marijuana. He's being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Levens told officers he had robbed a drug dealer's home to get revenge on the man.

Court documents provide the following information:

Officers were dispatched Saturday to a recklessly driven vehicle. Officers spotted the vehicle swerving in and out of traffic. The officers tried to pull over the car and it went into the parking lot for a home improvement store in Puyallup.

The car stopped and the officer got out of his patrol car. The vehicle then took off, reaching speeds of 60 to 70 mph in the parking lot, passing in front Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

"Police observed numerous vehicles haphazardly pull to the shoulder and observed shoppers jump out of the way of the eluding vehicle," charging documents state.

Officers didn't follow the car through the parking lot but once the driver left, officers pursued him.

About a half-block from the lot, the driver stopped and ran through a yard. He jumped a fence into an apartment complex. An officer chased him on foot and caught him.

Officers found a large amount of cash - nearly $1,200 - rolled together and stuffed inside the man's right sock. The man, identified as Levens, repeatedly told officers he'd robbed a drug dealer's house because he believed the drug dealer slept with Levens' girlfriend while Levens was in jail.

Levens told officers he stole several guns, drugs and cash from the dealer.

"He was low on money and decided to seek revenge by stealing from this drug dealer," charging documents state.

Officers could see cash in the vehicle. They spotted a rifle in an open bag in the back. Officers got a warrant to search the car and seized a shotgun, two pistols, ammunition, marijuana and cash.

One of the guns had been reported stolen.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that lands a wanted homicide suspect in jail.

Last week, prosecutors charged Antwone Goolsby, 32, (pictured here) with first-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in the death of James Smith Jr. A national warrant was issued for his arrest.

Smith, 37, was fatally shot early Wednesday in the 4500 block of South Puget Sound Avenue. Court documents state that a woman with whom Goolsby has two children told him that Smith and two others made disparaging remarks.

Goolsby, who's nickname is "Jody," is 6 feet tall, weighs 165 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. He's been known to frequent Tacoma and Seattle. Investigators said he's involved in gang activity and was recently released from prison.

Goolsby was sentenced to more than four years in prison for his role in a series of takeover-style robberies in Pierce County in 2004. He'd pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery.

"He has extensive violent criminal history, and is considered armed and extremely dangerous," the Crime Stoppers flier states.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to Goolsby's arrest. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Reach Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959. Confidential tips also can be submitted to the Tacoma Police Department here.

Residents in the Park Avenue neighborhood are in a battle. The enemy: gang graffiti.

Over the weekend, volunteers gathered to paint over gang graffiti on more than 70 properties that were tagged on National Night Out.

"Almost all of them were covered," said Brad Allen, coordinator of the Park Avenue Neighborhood block group.

It was the second time in recent weeks where gang members had spray painted properties in the neighborhood, which goes from South 56th to South 64th streets, South Yakima to Pacific avenue. The first round of gang graffiti appeared on 50 properties in a 24-hour span July 23.

Crews had painted over most of the graffiti when a second round hit Aug. 4, the night where neighbors ban together to fight crime issues such as this.

The second time, Allen said the vandals hit any time of surface - vehicles, garages, garbage cans, sides of homes.

"Anything in their way got hit," Allen said.

Officials suspect rival gangs are battling over turf. Their canvass is the flat surfaces within the 35-block Park Avenue Neighborhood. Allen said a recent police crackdown on gangs on the East Side also might be pushing the activity into his neighborhood.

"They are pushing this way to see what's going to give," Allen said.

An emergency graffiti clean up was scheduled Saturday.

"Some properties have already been covered but we need to get ALL of the graffiti covered immediately if we are going to have any success in winning the graffiti wars," Allen wrote in an e-mail. "Covering the graffiti NOW is the only way to send a message to the gangs we will not put up with this in our neighborhood. Otherwise, more graffiti will follow, which leads to more serious crime: more frequent drug dealings, more frequent burglaries, and even more violent crimes such as drive-by shootings."

Photos are courtesy of Allen.

DuPont police have arrested two teens suspected of burglarizing two homes and stealing from parked cars over the past two months.

The investigation began Friday morning when a detective responded to a burglary in the Hoffman Hills area, DuPont police reported. As he was leaving the area, he spotted a newer model Audi occupied by two men. The detective ran the license plate and discovered the car had been reported stolen.

The driver tried to elude the detective. At one point, the occupants stopped the car and fled, police reported.

Officers from DuPont, Lakewood and Steilacoom located and arrested the two 17-year-old boys on suspicion of being in possession of a stolen car.

During an interview, the two reportedly admitted they had gone back to the area to get more property from the house. They also said they'd committed 15 thefts from parked cars and burgled two homes.

During search warrants, officers recovered another stolen vehicle, three guns and 73 stolen items, police reported.

Officers are returning the property as the owners are identified.

The teens, both of whom live near Olympia, were booked into juvenile detention.

Opening statements are expected Monday in the jury trial of a Gig Harbor police sergeant accused of filing false police reports.

Matthew Dougil (seen here) is charged with two felony counts of perjury and one misdemeanor count of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant.

Prosecutors allege the 11-year veteran of the Gig Harbor force lied in police reports he filed as part of a drug investigation that resulted in two people being convicted.

Those convictions since have been vacated, and the city paid $45,000 in damages to a third man who was ordered to attend drug court as part of the case.

Investigators contend in court documents that, among other things, Dougil wrote in an official report that police searched a confidential informant who was used to buy drugs from the men when in fact the informant was not searched prior to the transaction.

The supervisor of the prosecuting attorney's office drug unit later told colleagues he would not have prosecuted the men had he known Dougil was alleged to have lied on the reports, according to documents filed in the case.

Dougil's attorney, Brett Purtzer, has said his client is innocent and intends to present a vigorous defense.

Testimony before Superior Court Judge Rosanne Buckner is expected to last about a week.

Two men accused of dragging a bull behind their car last month near Auburn were charged Friday with second degree animal cruelty by the King County Prosecutor’s Office, according to a story posted today by KIRO TV.

Witnesses of the July 5 incident claim Jonas Ambrister, 75, and Terrance Neff, 57, dragged a bull they said was stubborn, an estimated 894 feet along South Star Lake Road in Auburn.

When Sherriff’s deputies pulled over the car, they found that the bull had a rope tied around its neck that was attached to the car. When they examined the bull they found scrapes and cuts along the shoulder and legs and that the back hoofs were bleeding and “almost flush with the bull’s legs.” Deputies also found dried blood and scraps along the 894 feet of roadway.

When questioned about why they were pulling the animal with their car the men said the bull was stubborn and that this was the only way they could transport it to another pasture.

According to the King County Sheriff’s incident report, Arnbrister and Neff told deputies that they didn’t think they were doing anything wrong and dismissed the injuries deputies pointed out to them saying, “Oh that’s nothing.”

Witnesses told deputies that they saw the car moving at a walking speed but that the bull was resisting, placing both legs in front of him and swinging his head side-to-side attempting to free himself from the rope. Another witness said that they saw the bull on lying on its stomach and being dragged at one point.

King County Animal Control was called to the scene and took the bull to a veterinary clinic where they gave the bull pain medications and treated its injuries. One vet said that the bull’s injuries were not life threatening but that the bull sustained wounds on all its legs and had many abrasions and burns.

Ambrister and Neff’s arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 21.

Multiple people reporting that a container ship apparently snagged a whale while on its way to the Port of Tacoma.

The whale's carcass is either beached or floating off Alexander Avenue.

We've got calls out to port officials, Tacoma police and NOAA fisheries.

UPDATE: Port spokeswoman Tara Mattina reports that a security officer spotted the whale this morning near the south end of the Blair Waterway.

Port officials have contacted the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA fisheries and Cascadia Research about the carcass.

Initial indications are that the animal may be a fin or sei whale.

Spokesman Brian Gorman of NOAA fisheries said it appears to be a 20 or 25 feet long, probably a calf.

Crews on tugs bringing the container ship, Ever Uranus, into port reported seeing the whale snagged on the ship this morning, Gorman said.

A necropsy team is being dispatched to examine the carcass, Gorman said.

There are indications there are bite marks on the whale, possibly from an Orca attack, he said, although that has not been confirmed.

"Of course, we won't know whether the whale was dead or alive when it was struck until our team has a chance to examine it," Gorman said.

It is not unusual for ships to strike whales occasionally, Gorman said, although fins and seis generally are not victims of ship strikes.

Mattina said the port is making arrangements to have the whale towed, possibly to McNeil Island, for further examination.

"It is unusual to see either of those whales in Washington state," Gorman said.

Both fin and sei whales are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, he added.

UPDATE 2: Mattina reports the whale has been towed out the port now.

The party is ending.

Pierce County Sheriff Marine Services Unit deputies will begin “educating” boaters about the new “underway only” rule on Fairweather Cove – also known as Party Cove – in north Lake Tapps that goes into effect this weekend.

“We are not going to write tickets right away,” said Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer. “We will have signs made and putting information out there about the new rule.”

The new rule bans motorized vessels from anchoring, drifting or tying together in the cove located between Tacoma and Driftwood points. The move essentially will make the cove a "no parking" zone and will remain in effect until Aug. 31, 2010.

If boats have to keep moving, partying together will be difficult.
The hope-for outcome is that party rafters will get used to the designated rating area along Dike 4 near the Pierce County Park.

Troyer said anyone who ignores a first warning will be ticketed. The fine is $123.

As of Friday, the new rule wasn’t yet posted on the Sheriff Department’s Web site under watercraft regulations.

The new rule is the latest effort to address party problems at the Lake Tapps cove that have had cove residents up in arms over the noise and other problems for the past six years.

In 2005 the county prohibited "rafting" - tying or otherwise connecting boats together - except at a designated area at the north end of the lake. Last year it boosted the fine for rafting to $615.

Cove residents said the rafting law didn’t stop the practice or the partying and urged a more pro-active approach. A number of years ago the county required boats to remain underway in a nearby cove.

Opponents say the designated Dike 4 rafting area subject boats to rough water. Others fear the rule will push boaters to other coves on the lake.

This Seattle Times story is interesting.

Should Pierce County try something like it?

A 38-year-old Tacoma man with a history of gang activity was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison Friday for dealing Oxycontin, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.

Ronald Flemings pleaded guilty in April to one count of possessing Oxycodone with intent to distribute.

Agents arrested Flemings in October after setting up a drug buy with him in Federal Way, according to a news release issued by federal prosecutors.

Flemings previously served time for murder and assault and has ties to multiple gangs, the release stated.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisca Borichewski told District Court Judge Marsha Pechman that Flemings has "shown a pattern of violence intertwined with drugs that threatens the safety of the community."

A Red Cross spokeswoman said one adult and three children were displaced Thursday night by a house fire in Parkland.

One adult and three children were affected by the fire, on the 14000 block of Yakima Avenue South, Red Cross spokeswoman Karen Kim said.

UPDATE: 9:39 p.m. There was no fire, but the residents of the house came home to see it full of smoke and called crews out at about 8:20 p.m.

The cause was not available Thursday night.

Firefighters are still mopping up today at a home near Puyallup where an early morning fire destroyed a home and took the life of the family dog.

A man who was house-sitting for the owners and asleep in the house was able to escape without injury, according to Stephanie Glass, spokeswoman for Central Pierce Fire & Rescue.

Central Pierce responded to the fire about 3:15 a.m. and found the home engulfed in flames and the roof partially collapsed. The house is located in the area of 135th Avenue and 169th Street Court East.

The owners of the home who were on vacation out of state were notified of the fire and are on their way home, she said.

Glass said the man who was staying at the house woke up and heard the fire. He ran to neighbors who called 911.

The family dog, Ollie, a black Labrador, was missing after the fire and was found dead later by firefighters, she said.

Glass said firefighters were able to save three restored vintage cars from the garage. Damage is estimated at $350,000.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. She said it appears the fire started outside in on the back side of the house.

(Photo courtesy of Central Pierce Fire & Rescue)

A woman who convinced nearly two dozen Tacoma-area residents to file false income-tax returns has pleaded guilty to a federal charge.

Deborah S. Satcher pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to one count of false claims conspiracy.

Satcher faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she's sentenced Oct. 23, according to court records.

Her husband, Darryl Satcher, pleaded Friday to two counts of false claims and faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 fine. He, too, is to be sentenced Oct. 23.

Federal prosecutors contend in court records that Deborah Satcher recruited 22 people to file false returns in order to claim refunds for which they were not entitled. She also helped prepare the returns and collected a fee for her work, the records state.

Between 2004 and 2006, Satcher helped submit claims for refunds totaling more than $130,000, according to court documents. Darryl Satcher was convicted of filing two false claims during that time, the records state.

"When the individuals who defendant Deborah S. Satcher had recruited received refunds issued by the IRS, they typically paid defendant Deborah S. Satcher an agreed upon fee of between $200 and $1,000," a federal indictment in the case states.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged a 32-year-old man with first-degree murder in the shooting death of another man early Wednesday morning in Tacoma.

A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for Antwane Goolsby, who also is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors contend Goolsby shot and killed James William Smith, 37, in the 4500 block of South Puget Sound Avenue about 12:40 a.m.

Goolsby attacked Smith because he allegedly made disparaging remarks to a woman with whom Goolsby has two children, according to court documents.

Goolsby is alleged to have donned a ski mask before confronting Smith on the street, the documents state.

Witnesses told police the gunman "grabbed victim Smith's coat and shot at him, numerous times," according to charging documents.

Emergency crews are on the way to the scene of a plane crash near County Park in Eatonville.

According to radio traffic, two passengers were able to get out of the plane and are trying to signal authorities with an emergency beacon.

The plane's pilot is on the phone with dispatchers and using a GPS device to direct crews to the scene.

UPDATE: 9:03Pierce County Sheriff spokesman Ed Troyer said the pilot ran out of gas. There are no injuries.

A 20-year-old man was arrested Wednesday afternoon for reportedly robbing a bank in downtown Auburn and running from officers.

At about 11:30 a.m., the man walked into the Key Bank at 15 Auburn Ave., and used a note to demand money from the teller. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Within about 10 minutes, responding officers spotted the suspect. As they tried to contact the man, he ran. He was arrested east of downtown and the money was recovered. He is being held in the Auburn jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery.

The Tacoma Fire Department posted the following:

At 2:42 a.m. today, Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) responded to a reported residential fire at 2508 S. 76th St.

The first arriving engine company found a fully involved detached garage fire with extension to a second separate garage a crossed an alley.

Crews controlled the exposure fire and protected the nearby houses initially and then concentrated their efforts on the main garage fire.

The storage of numerous automotive parts and flammable liquids contributed to both the intensity and the degree of difficulty in extinguishing the main garage fire.

Approximately 27 firefighters battled the blazes.

The fire damaged two garages and several collectible automobiles. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is suspicious in nature and Tacoma Police Department has been called in for further investigation.

A 56-year-old Puyallup resident is under arrest in connection with a hit and run fatality collision that occurred Tuesday evening in Puyallup thanks to a witness who followed the driver from the scene.

Puyallup police responded to a report of a motor scooter versus SUV collision in the 2800 block of 9th Street Southwest shortly after 7 p.m.

A Puyallup police officer and a witness at the scene attempted life saving measures on the 46-year-old man who was thrown from his motor scooter in the head-on collision, according to Puyallup police spokesman Lt. Scott Engle. Central Pierce Fire & Rescue also responded.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, he said. The Pierce County medical Examiner identified the man as Ryan Seward of Puyallup.

Engle said another witness followed the driver of a Ford Explorer that hit the motor scooter and called 911.

Engle said officers were able to intercept the Explorer and arrest the driver in the 400 block of 17th Street Northwest, about three miles from the location of the collision.

The man was booked into the Pierce County Jail for investigation of vehicular homicide and felony hit and run, police said.

Engle said the initial investigation indicates the Explorer crossed the centerline of the roadway and struck the Vespa motor scooter.

Alcohol also is believed to be a factor in the collision, he said.

The Vespa was southbound on 9th Street when it was struck.

The Puyallup Police Department’s Major Collision Response Team and the Washington State Patrol Major Accident Team are conducting a joint investigation of the incident.

A 37-year-old man was shot and killed early this morning in South Tacoma during some kind of gathering, Tacoma police report.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner identified the man as James Smith of Lakewood.
Police responded to reports of shots being fired in the 4500 block of South Puget Sound Avenue near South 47th Street at about 12:45 a.m., according to police spokesman Andrew Hankins.
Hankins said police found a man who had been shot and called the Tacoma Fire Department. Medics pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Hankins said there was some kind of gathering at the location that apparently precipitated the shooting.
“We don’t know what prompted the shooting,” Hankins said.
The identity of the victim was not available this morning.
No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting. Investigators are interviewing people who were at the scene, he said.
Investigators blocked South Puget Sound Avenue with crime tape shortly after they arrived. The street wasn’t reopened until after 9 a.m. when the body was removed, Hankins said.

Federal Way Police on Tuesday arrested two suspects wanted for the weekend shooting death of a man at a convenience store, and have issued a warrant the for last one.

Jesse Amaya, 18, is being sought for investigation of homicide in connection to the shooting at a 7-Eleven store.

Amaya and two other men were driving through the store parking lot when a verbal altercation began between them and a 32-year-old man, Federal Way Police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said. One of the three men fired one shot, killing the man, and they fled in a silver 2002 Honda Accord.

The gun was not recovered during the arrests of the two men.

Amaya is described as 5-foot-5, 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is a resident of Pomona, Calif., and has reportedly has gang affiliations both in California and Washington.

A spilled load has reduced eastbound Highway 16 to one lane near Pearl Street, the Washington State Department of Transportation reports.

The spill blocks the center and right lanes. Traffic is getting by using the left lane.

The spill occurred about 3:20 p.m. and no estimate was given when the lanes would be re-opened.

The Washington State Patrol and WSDOT maintenance are on the scene.

Federal Way crews had to deal with a small lake that formed on Pacific Highway South this afternoon after a two car collision broke a water hydrant.

Kirsti Weaver, spokeswoman for South King Fire & Rescue, saw the two cars crashed at about 1 p.m., causing one to slam into a hydrant at the intersection of South 348th Street.

The man found beaten last month at a Lakewood motel died Monday at a care facility in Cowlitz County.

The 79-year-old man, identified as C.H. Armstrong was sharing a room with 37-year-old Bryan Lee Stetson at the Gloria Motel on South Tacoma Way for several days.

Police and medics were called to the room on June 12 and found Armstrong with bruises around his eyes, arms and torso. His hands were discolored, he had open wounds on his arm and his skin was torn and bleeding. He was hospitalized and went into cardiac arrest.

He had been staying in a Hospice care facility in Cowlitz County, where he had family, Lakewood Police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said.

Stetson was arrested last week in Bakersfield, Calif., and charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault. A witness at the motel told police Stetson said he had a fight with Armstrong. The witness went into the room and saw Armstrong unable to get up, and reported what she saw.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office will do an autopsy this week and prosecutors will then decide whether to change the charges against Stetson to homicide, Hoffman said.

Just a heads up to all you faithful readers - and those who like to send me "What was that" questions - I'll be off the rest of the week. I will not be answering e-mails.

If you have questions, direct them at Adam Lynn, our courts reporter, or Brian Everstine, our night reporter.

I'll be back Aug. 10.

Stacey

Tacoma police detectives are thanking a man who helped them catch a bank robbery earlier this year.

The department gave George Rodkey a Certificate of Merit today for his efforts April 27.

According to detectives, Rodkey was inside Key Bank, 1120 S. 11 St., when it was robbed. The robber left the bank and got into a vehicle.

Rodkey followed the robber outside and got the license plate number of the getaway vehicle. He provided the information to officers.

Officers found the vehicle and arrested the two occupants, one of whom tried to run from officers, police department.

"Due to the diligence of Mr. Rodkey, who went beyond the level of being a simple witness to the robbery, a dangerous bank robber and his 'getaway driver' were arrested and taken off the street," the department citation reads. "For his invaluable assistance, the Tacoma Police Department is proud to present George Rodkey with the Certificate of Merit."

Tacoma police detective Tim Griffith said the department doesn't normally want citizens to put themselves in danger. However, Rodkey's information "made a huge impact," Griffith said.

"It isn't often that we encounter citizens willing to take such a dramatic step to help," Griffith said. "The people of Tacoma should be grateful that there are people like Mr. Rodkey living here."

Pierce County prosecutors have charged three men in connection with a home-invasion robbery south of Roy last week.

Prosecutors allege two of the men - 25-year-old Myron Romeo and 20-year-old Richard Weisenbach - went into the home and tied up both residents, according . The third man, 29-year-old Travis I. Calloway, is suspected of driving the getaway car. Investigators have said they believed the men might robbed the wrong people.

The three were charged with first-degree robbery with a firearm enhancement, unlawful possession of a firearm, theft of a firearm and felony harassment with a firearm enhancement.

Court documents provide the following information:

The victim told deputies he and his wife were in bed when a man appeared in the doorway and pointed a gun at them. The man, later identified as Romeo, wore a camo-style helmet, dark pants, black hi-top shoes and rubber gloves.

The robber threatened to kill the husband and wife several times and indicated he was serious as evidence by the rubber gloves. The robber directed the husband to pull the phone cord out of the wall, then used a phone charger cord to tie the hands and feet of the wife. The robber also shoved a sock in her mouth.

A second robber, identified as Weisenbach, wore a dark scarf over his face and used the light of his cell phone to look around the living room.

The robbers forced the husband to open his safe, then took a metal cash box. The husband was then forced to lie on the floor and his hands were tied behind his back with cords.

Weisenbach was reportedly talking on his phone and, at one point, told someone on the other end, "Turn around and come back," court documents state.

The robbers took a gun, the victims' laptop, prescription pills and savings bonds, then fled.

The victims managed to get free and called police.

A deputy spotted a car whose occupants matched the general description of the robbers. The driver, identified as Calloway, told deputies he didn't know anything about a robbery. Romeo appeared nervous and kept looking at the floorboards, where deputies spotted white pills.

A deputy asked Calloway if he could look inside the truck and Calloway agreed. The deputy spotted two army helmets and a flack jacket inside. The deputy ordered Calloway to the ground at gunpoint.

"Look, I didn't do the robbery," he reportedly told the deputy. "I was just giving them a ride."

Deputies took all three into custody. Beside the jacket and helmets, deputies found a small metal box, black computer case, small revolver and semi-automatic handgun in the trunk. They also found a cellphone and dark-colored rag on the ground outside of the passenger door.

A crash blocked the intersection of northbound State Route 7 at Highway 512 in Parkland for about 15 minutes this morning.

Crews cleared the crash just after 6 a.m. Troopers, medical aid and firefighters responded to the scene.

No more information was available.

Tacoma Police are looking for three men who stole another man's car in a Hilltop apartment parking lot.

The man was waiting in a white 2001 Chevrolet Impala, with 22-inch chrome wheels, at the Summer Tree apartments when three men walked up to him at about 8:45 p.m. Two had handguns. They forced the driver out and drove away.

The car's license plate number is Washington 940-THC.

One man is discribed as a 6-foot black man in his early to mid 20s, with a medium build, a black beanie, a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. No description was available for the two other men. One had a silver handgun, the other had a black one.

WSDOT photos

A rollover crash is blocking all lanes of southbound Interstate 5 at Thorne Lane in Lakewood.

Washington State Patrol, state Department of Transportation crews and fire crews are on the scene. The crash happened at 5:25 p.m.

Update: 6:29 p.m.: All lanes are now open.

Federal Way police arrested a woman suspected of stabbing a man this morning.

Officers were called to the 900 block of Southwest Campus Drive just before 10:30 a.m., police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said.

Officers discovered a man and woman had a dispute. The woman was taken to the King County jail and the man was transported to St. Francis Hospital for treatment of non-lifethreatening injuries, Schrock reported.

The man had been injured in the arm.

Tacoma police have arrested two people in connection with the shooting death of a 27-year-old man in May.

The 24-year-old man and woman were booked into Pierce County Jail early Sunday. He was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder, first-degree assault and a state DOC hold. She was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and first-degree assault.

Tacoma police arrested the pair during an overnight traffic stop. No more details about the arrests or how investigators tied them to the death of Jonathan Ragland were immediately available.

Ragland was shot in the head and killed May 31 during a driveby shooting. He had been driving one of the involved cars, which crashed at South 74th and Oakes streets. His backseat passenger also was injured. A frontseat passenger was not injured.

The two arrested in the homicide are expected to make their first court appearances this afternoon.

UPDATE:
Prosecutors charged Johnny Morris III and Keidra Marie Lewis each with first-degree murder and first-degree assault in the case. They allege that Lewis drove the car from which Morris fired the fatal shot.

Another man riding with Ragland was injured in the shooting.

Not guilty pleas were entered on the defendants' behalf at their arraignment in Superior Court this afternoon. Judge Kitty-Ann van Doorninck ordered each jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.

It's almost that time of year again - National Night Out.

This year's 26th annual event is Tuesday night. Local neighborhood organizations and cities are gearing up for events intended to get people out of their homes in an effort to fight crime. Block parties will be held so neighbors can chat and get to know one another.

In Pierce County, 128 parties have been registered with Safe Streets. Of those, more than 75 will occur in the City of Tacoma.

"National Night Out has much more than a one-night impact; it brings people together at the 'picket fence level,'" Safe Streets Deputy Director Steve Jewell said in a press release. "We realize that it is a key strategy for building and maintaining an extensive network of neighborhood block groups throughout Pierce County. The evidence is clear that neighbors who value knowing their neighbors will build communities that care for each other, and ultimately help to make Pierce County a friendlier, more welcoming place to live."

For a list of the National Night Out events registered with Safe Streets, click here.

The City of Fircrest is gearing up for its annual celebration. The event, sponsored by the Fircrest Police Department, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Fircrest Community Center, 555 Contra Costa Ave.

A "Dunk A Cop" booth, sidewalk drawing contest, vehicle displays, a fireworks show and visits from Ronald McDonald, McGruff and Scruff, Keystone Kops, Big Foot Clown Alley, Vince and Larry will be among the activities.