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.

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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.