The News Tribune's Lights & Sirens blog provides breaking news, updates on on-going investigations and insights into other news from the Tacoma, Pierce County and South Puget Sound criminal justice community. It also gives The News Tribune an avenue to interact with readers, answer “What was that?” questions and provides a venue for readers to ask about on-going criminal justice issues and problems in their neighborhoods. The blog aims to inform, educate and, at times, entertain with weird or wacky crime news.
Stacey Mulick covers Pierce County crime and safety issues for The News Tribune. She’s worked at The News Tribune since May 1998. Contact her at stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com.
Adam Lynn covers courts as part of the Crime and Breaking News Team at The News Tribune, where he’s worked since 2003. Lynn has spent nearly half of his 21-year career chronicling criminal justice matters in Washington and won reporting awards for his coverage of serial killer Robert Yates. “The Corpse Had a Familiar Face” by renowned Miami Herald reporter Edna Buchanan is among his favorite books. You can contact him at adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com.
Brian Everstine is a night breaking news and general assignment reporter for The News Tribune. The Spokane native arrived in Tacoma in the summer of 2008 and still is adjusting to life on this side of the mountains. He has written for papers in the Tri-Cities and his hometown. Contact him at brian.everstine@thenewstribune.com.
Occasional contributers:
Database reporter Ian Demsky, ian.demsky@thenewstribune.com.
General assignment reporter Mike Archbold, mike.archbold@thenewstribune.com.
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An Orting man stands accused of beating Lily, his Doberman Pinscher, with metal bicycle handle bars because she was scared of the noise his motorcycle made, according to charging documents filed in Pierce County Superior Court on Monday.
Orting police were called to the home of Thomas T. Pettit early Sunday morning for a disturbance, possibly involving an animal, a prosecutor's affidavit says.
According to it:
They heard yelling and cursing coming from the garage and when they entered found Pettit, a hurt and confused dog and blood in several areas.
There was blood on the floor, on a tool box, tool chest, carpet and walls.
"In the alcove there was a very large smear of blood on the back wall along with a puddle of blood below the smear," the affidavit says. "There was also a large blood smear on a piece of what appeared to be a plastic part from a motorcycle."
The officers also found blood on bicycle handle bars.
They asked Pettit what happened and he said he was "upset with his dog because she did not like the sounds his motorcycle (makes) and he loves to ride his motorcycles."
He reportedly admitted to slapping her a few times and also said he may have thrown her.
Lily suffered numerous broken teeth which had to be extracted by a veterinarian.
Pettit was still being held in the Pierce County Jail Thursday on a charge of first-degree animal cruelty. His bond was set at $30,000.
For those who want to read all the grisly details, here's the .pdf of the two-page affidavit.
(Photo of a totally different dog by andrewk100.)
A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty today to one count of first-degree animal cruelty for using a bow and arrow to kill a goat last year.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Susan Serko sentenced Timothy Douglas Brown to 30 days in jail, which she converted to 240 hours of community service.
A man found the dead goat tied to a tree in the Graham area Aug. 22, according to charging documents. An animal welfare group investigated and recovered five arrows at the scene, the documents state.
Sheriff's deputies talked to a witness who told them Brown and a boy said they'd shot 50 arrows at the goat after unsuccessfully trying to sell it, according to court records.
An examination of the animal's carcass found it bled to death after being hit by at least four arrows, the documents state.
Two boys also have been charged in the case and are being prosecuted in juvenile court.
Sumner school officials plan to resume classes Friday at Lakeridge Middle School.
The school sent students home this morning after diesel fumes from a backhoe began drifting into the school's ventilation system.
The fumes didn't sicken students.
District spokeswoman Ann Cook says the school will run the heating-ventilation system tonight and conduct additional air tests Friday.
About 550 students attend the middle school.
Here's the automated e-mail the district sent at 4:22 p.m. today:
Pierce County prosecutors on Wednesday charged a 19-year-old man with one count of first-degree animal cruelty for allegedly using a bow and arrow to kill a goat last summer.
Timothy Douglas Brown has been summoned to court March 18 for arraignment.
A man found the dead goat tied to a tree in the Graham area on Aug. 22, according to charging documents. An animal-welfare group investigated and recovered five arrows at the scene, the documents state.
County deputies talked to a witness who told them Brown and a boy said they'd shot 50 arrows at the goat after unsuccessfully trying to sell it, according to court records.
An examination of the animal's carcass found that it bled to death after being hit by at least four arrows, the documents state.
The case remains under investigation and other people could be charged, prosecutors said.
Earlier today I spoke with Andrew Stringfield, an 18-year-old who says the the goat that was used for bow and arrow practice in Graham last week belonged to him.
According to him, about a year ago, a friend gave him two male goats, Billy and Bob. But they duo kept escaping and eating neighbors' flowers. So decided to give them to his dad's girlfriend's daughter's friend -- whom I'm not naming because he hasn't been charged. The young man said he'd take the goats to live on his farm.
"He seemed like a pretty good guy to give them to," he said.
But something didn't work out and the man and his friend tried to sell the goats out of the back of a camouflage 4X4, Stringfield said (and other witnesses have corroborated).
The teens sold the hornless goat to "a Samoan" for $50, Stringfield said, noting he'd called around to all the teens' friends trying to get the scoop on what had happened to his goats. The teens bragged about killing tying the other goat to a tree in the woods and killing it, he said.
"I’m pretty pissed," Stringfield said. "Those were my buddy's goats and I promised him I’d take care of them. He needs to go to jail."
The teen with the truck was arrested last Friday, but prosecutors have so far declined to file charges. The investigation is continuing the Pierce County Sheriff's Department has said.

Here's the press release from the Kent Police Department:
KENT, WA – August 26, 2008 – Dog thieves stole a litter of five purebred miniature Australian Shepherd puppies from a Des Moines dog breeder. Sue McCullough reported the theft of the ten week old puppies to Des Moines Police as soon as she discovered the theft on Saturday morning. She suspected that the two men who looked at the puppies on Friday evening had stolen the dogs. McCullough also reported this to a local television station and the story was broadcast Monday evening.
A citizen tipster called McCullough within minutes of the evening news and reported seeing dogs just like those at a neighbors home on the east hill of Kent. McCullough called the Kent Police with the information. Responding officers found three of the five puppies at that home. The dogs were identified with photographs as Australian shepherds have distinctive markings. The identity and vehicle of a possible suspect was also developed.
On Tuesday morning, August 26th a Citizen’s tip advised that the suspects vehicle was again at the home where the dogs were found. Responding Kent officers stopped the suspect as he was leaving the area. The fourth of the stolen dogs was found in the suspects vehicle.
The suspect, a 30 year old man from Seatac, was booked at the Kent Jail for 1st degree possession of stolen property. He will have his preliminary hearing on Wednesday August 27th at the South District Court.
It is believed that the fifth of the stolen puppies has been sold or given to someone in the Seattle Tacoma area. It is described as a Tri-color female, Brown coat, white collar, and tan around the eyes. This dog can be positively identified. Anyone who may know the location of this puppy is asked to call the Des Moines Police or the Kent Police.
(Photo by all your pictures are belong to us.)
Investigators are trying to figure out who tied a goat to a tree in Graham and used it for bow and arrow practice, the animal rescue group Pasado's Safe Haven is reporting.
The goat was found in the woods near 224th Street East and 58th Avenue East. The goat was wearing a collar and was probably a pet, the group said.
Padado's is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction.
I've got some calls out and will provide more information as it's available.
Here are some photos of the scene released by Pasado's.


No charges were filed today against two women arrested in connection with a Parkland dog mauling case. The investigation is continuing and charges may be filed later.
The women were arrested after a sick man who was not able to care for himself was taken to a hospital, where dog bites were discovered. Twenty five dogs were taken from the house.
Readers may remember a pit bull attack in Northeast Tacoma we wrote about in late July.
Two dogs attacked Jorgann Simonsen and Gallagher, the yellow Labrador, while they were out for a walk. Her husband Lind rode up on his bike and was able to help fight them off. All three of the Simonsen clan were injured.
The update is that everyone is on the mend -- Gallagher got her stitches out, Jorgann had hand surgery and Lind is still in a cast. But the pit bulls have still not been located, Lind told me tonight, despite impressive efforts by animal control officers.
He said they're still looking for a man on a motorcycle and a woman who helped out the night of the attack -- they may have additional details about where the dogs went.
Tacoma police animal control officers are up in Northeast Tacoma today, trying to locate two pit bulls who attacked a woman and her dog on Friday night, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.
Animal Control officers have checked their database to see if the dogs descriptions match other problem animals. (Each time an animal control officer responds to a complaint, they log the information into the database.) The search revealed no matches, Fulghum said.
The officers have received a few tips after the attack was publicized last night in The News Tribune and several Seattle television stations.
So far, the dogs have not been located.
During his bike ride Friday evening, a little voice in Lind Simonsen’s head told him to pedal harder.
He did and coming over the hill on Norpoint Way in Northeast Tacoma, he saw his wife, Jorgann, and their yellow Labrador, Gallagher, being attacked by two pit bulls.
On Sunday, Lind, 55, said he credits divine intervention for putting him at the right place at the right time to save his wife and dog from the vicious animals. As it was, Gallagher’s side was torn open, requiring 37 stitches, and both Lind and Jorgann were left with broken hands.
The Simonsens are urging anyone who saw the attack or anyone who knows anything about the two pit bulls to contact Tacoma Animal Control.
“We need to find these dogs,” Lind said. “It could be a child next time.”
Update: Ian went out an interviewed Lind and Jorgann Simonsen, who, along with their Lab, Gallagher, were injured in an attack by two pit bulls on Friday. That story appears in another post. You can read Mike Gilbert's initial post after the jump.
