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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Here are updates on the two fires in the City of Tacoma on Thursday night.

Crews are still investigating what sparked an apartment fire at 3931 Mason Loop Road. However, they have determined the blaze caused about $230,000 damage, the fire department reports.

Crews have confirmed that an overheated BBQ grill sparked a devastating blaze at a home at 1904 N. Proctor St, the fire department reports. The blaze caused about $485,000 to the house and detached garage.

In regards to Monday's fire at the Hillside Quickie market, crews are continuing to dig to find out what sparked that blaze. More information might be available next week.

A teenage boy was seriously injured early today when he and two friends were handling a loaded handgun and it went off inside a South End home, Tacoma police reported.

The boy, described as either 14 or 15, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment after being shot in the face.

"He's going to survive but it's going to be life altering," Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The shooting occurred about 12:15 a.m. in the 5600 block of South Park Avenue. Two teenage boys had gone to the home of another teenage friend and brought two guns with them, Fulghum said. The boys were in the basement while other family members were upstairs.

The boys were handling at least one of the guns and might not have realized it was loaded, Fulghum said. The gun went off, striking one of the boys in the face.

The other two boys took off, Fulghum said. Officers found the two a short time later in the area.

Detectives responded to the scene. They were still trying to sort through what happened. As part of their investigation, detectives will be researching where the teens got the guns, Fulghum said. It appears the guns were seized by officers.

Pierce County prosecutors have accused a 42-year-old man of robbing another man at gunpoint when the victim went to the apartment of a woman he met on a singles chat line.

Joey S. Sims is being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. He was arrested late Tuesday and charged Wednesday with one count of first-degree robbery, with a firearm enhancement.

Charging documents provide the following information:

The victim told Tacoma police he'd been on a singles chat line when he spoke with a woman who lived in the 1000 block of South 14th Street. The two agreed to meet and he went to her apartment.

When he arrived, a woman answered the door and directed the victim to the bedroom. The only other person inside the apartment was an infant, the victim told officers.

The victim was undressing when a man with a rag over his face came into the bedroom, pointed a gun at the victim and told him to get on the floor.

The robber went through the victim's pockets and took his cash, iPhone, a debit card, driver's license and bank card.

"The male told him several times that if he called police, they knew where he lived and would come to his house and shoot him," court documents state. "The male asked several times, 'How much do you value your life?'"

The robber took the victim's belongings, then gave the victim his keys and told him to leave.

The victim left and called police from a fast-food restaurant. He was too afraid to go home alone and was escorted by officers.

Officers went to the address where the robbery occurred and contacted the woman who was described by the victim. Court documents note she was initially uncooperative but eventually told officers that Sims had been in the apartment when the victim came over.

During the robbery, Sims closed the bedroom door most of the way. The woman told officers she sat on the couch with her infant son, then moved into the bathroom until the two men left. She indicated she and Sims have robbed other people.

Officers contacted Sims at his home and arrested him.

UPDATE: The woman has not been arrested in connection with the robbery. She has been identified and the case remains under investigation, Tacoma police reported.

A collision continues to block all lanes of westbound State Route 16 at Pearl Street.

Westbound traffic is routed off the highway at 6th Avenue. The crash happened at 8:20 p.m.

UPDATE: 9:20 p.m.: An Auburn Police Department pursuit ended with a crash on State Route 16, Washington State Patrol Trooper Brandy Kessler said. The officer may be injured, she said.

MORNING UPDATE: The crash was the result of a Auburn police pursuit.

Officers responded to a report of a fight with a gun at a convenience store in the city just before 7:45 p.m. An officer arrived at the scene and spotted a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident, Auburn police reported..

The vehicle didn't stop for the officer. The officer pursued the vehicle, police reported.

Officers used a technique to stop the vehicle on Highway 16 in Tacoma. Two suspects were taken into custody.

The officer's patrol car hit a guardrail after performing the technique. The officer was taken to the hospital for treatment, police reported.

"One life lost. One life wasted."

Those were the sentiments of Pierce County Superior Court Judge Frank Cuthbertson on Wednesday as he sentenced 22-year-old Tristan Ryng to two years, three months in prison for his role in the death of his girlfriend, 18-year-old India Escobar.

Ryng pleaded guilty last month to vehicular homicide in the April 2008 wreck that killed Escobar, a popular student at the Tacoma School of the Arts.

Ryng admitted to driving recklessly when he sped across a parking lot and slammed into a tree. Escobar suffered a ruptured aorta in the crash and later died.

Police contended the couple had taken LSD prior to the wreck.

The sentence imposed by Cuthbertson was the high end of the standard range, a punishment that deputy prosecutor Tim Jones called "rather embarrassing considering the loss of a life."

The victim's aunt, Kara Murphy, flew to Tacoma from Connecticut to attend the sentencing.

Murphy told Cuthbertson her niece was an "incredible young lady" who had the ability to make people feel special.

"Everybody thinks India was their best friend," she said. "We don't have her any more."

Jaime Escobar, a member of the Army, traveled to Tacoma from his assignment in Kuwait for the hearing.

Escobar testified that he and his only child were very close despite his frequent absences and that he misses her every day.

He then turned his attention to Ryng, who leaned on crutches for support. He was run down by a hit-and-run driver in November and suffered multiple injuries.

"I trusted you with my daughter," Escobar said. "Why? Because my daughter was in love with you."

He then accused Ryng of pressuring India Escobar into taking drugs and said she died because of Ryng's "stupidity."

Ryng's attorney, Robert Martin Krinsky, called Wednesday "a devastating day for Mr. Ryng."

"The love of his life died," Krinsky said.

Given a chance to speak for himself, Ryng apologized.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he said. "I'm just so sorry. That's all I can say."

Shortly thereafter, a corrections officer led Ryng away.

(This photo of the couple was posted on India Escobar's MySpace page at the time of her death).