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SEATTLE — Seattle police arrested a driver accused of hitting a woman and then driving off from the North Beacon Hill neighborhood during the Monday morning commute.
The 32-year-old woman was hit while in a marked crosswalk, and police told KOMO that she suffered a very serious head injury.
Seattle police responded to the crash near Beacon Avenue South and South McClellan Street at around 7:30 a.m. Monday.
Investigators said the collision propelled the woman through the air. Seattle police said she is hospitalized in intensive care.
Police officers said the person who hit the woman was driving a white Ford Mustang. Investigators obtained video showing the driver of the white Mustang turning right and hitting the woman in the crosswalk.
Detectives in the Seattle Police Department Traffic Collision Investigation Squad arrested a 65-year-old man Monday afternoon.
Detectives interviewed the driver and booked him into the King County jail for Investigation of felony hit-and-run. Officers impounded his white Ford Mustang to be searched for evidence.
A witness told KOMO that maybe the sun blinded the driver, but others in the neighborhood told KOMO News how dangerous that intersection can be.
“I think particularly here, it's hard for people to kind of see around the corner,” Brita McAuliffe said outside the family business, Perihelion Brewery.
Both officers and firefighters provided immediate aid to the woman, and she was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
“It's not uncommon for us to hear like tires screeching. I mean, it's been consistently busy and pretty consistently lots of close calls,” Karin Paulsen said.
Paulsen said someone died in the same intersection back in 2016, when they first did their build-out at Perihelion.
In that case, a driver following the same turn pattern that witnesses described this time hit and killed a person. That driver in 2016 did stay and cooperate with the police.
The Beacon Avenue South corridor is in the midst of getting a series of safety upgrades to advance the city's Vision Zero, to have no traffic-related deaths.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) told KOMO that they're working to make that area and the entire city safer for all travelers.
With all the growth in the North Beacon Hill neighborhood, changes in the Beacon Avenue South and 15th Avenue South corridor includes:
Repaired sidewalks
New APS pedestrian push buttons
Concrete-protected bike lanes
Post-protected bike lanes
New bike signals
New bus stop islands
42 new curb ramps. When this project is complete, people who use wheels will be able to safely travel from Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge to S Spokane St.
SEATTLE — An ordinance aimed at enhancing safety measures at Seattle nightlife venues is now awaiting the mayor's signature after receiving unanimous approval from the Seattle City Council.
The legislation mandates that after-hours businesses implement updated training protocols, including video surveillance, the presence of at least two security guards, and a written safety plan.
During the council meeting, a speaker expressed frustration over the ongoing safety issues, saying, "I am tired of adding another name to the list of people who have died at these establishments. So let's take this action. So that we say no more."
The ordinance was passed with an amendment requiring that enforcement data be shared with the council to assess the effectiveness of the legislation.
City officials said so far this year, there have been 18 shootings linked to nightlife, typically occurring in the 2 a.m. hour. The latest one happened at the Capri Hookah Lounge in Rainier Beach, ending in two deaths, including a patron and a security guard.
EDMONDS, Wash. — Edmonds police are asking for the public's assistance in identifying a man involved in a felony road rage assault that occurred in February.
The suspect allegedly pepper-sprayed another driver following a confrontation near 220th Street and Highway 99.
The victim, Cory McCord, described the incident's aftermath, saying, "I'm totally immobilized at this point. I'm just in a total amount, crazy amount of pain. I almost don't even know what's going on, you know. My mouth is full of chemicals; I can't breathe. Yeah, it was really bad."
Police have released a short video and a still image of the suspect in hopes of generating tips from the public.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Edmonds police.
LACEY, Wash. — Federal investigators provided an update on the status of their investigation into a targeted attack that led to the explosion of a Tesla electric vehicle supercharger station in Lacey earlier this month.
“We're treating this as if it's presumptively domestic terrorism. We don't know the motivation behind this but if it is a terroristic motivation then we would expect somebody to potentially do this again,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Herrington during a press conference. “In this case, it was property damage, but what we would really hate to see is if somebody were injured or even killed in one of these incidents, if it were to continue."
The FBI was joined by ATF Seattle and the Lacey Police Department on Tuesday afternoon to update the case.
The charging station blew up just after 1:30 a.m. on April 8. Investigators released video surveillance of a suspect walking up to the charging station near the Target at 665 Sleater Kinney Road Southeast. The man can be seen carrying what appears to be a plastic bag.
Around that same time, officers with the Lacey Police Department started receiving reports of a loud boom at the electric vehicle charging station. Initial reports indicated an explosion was involved, although it’s unclear if this was started by a fire or if a device was used. Broken pieces of the charging station could be seen scattered across the parking lot.
There were no reports of anyone being injured, but the damage to the charging station was extensive. Investigators said the suspect “may have injuries consistent with being near an explosion or intense heat, such as a concussion, burns, or shrapnel injuries.”
The suspect is described as a white man, between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet, 2 inches tall who “walks with a unique gait, including a slight limp with his right leg kicking out,” according to the FBI. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a dark jacket with a hood, gray pants, and a face covering.
The incident is being investigated as a federal arson case. It is considered a targeted and intentional act of vandalism.
Vandals have gone after Tesla vehicles in other recent incidents around Washington state and the country. Someone set fire to a Tesla in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood last month. A few weeks before, half a dozen Cybertrucks had swastikas scrawled across them in the Lynnwood area. A Tesla charging station was also spray-painted in Centralia.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has become a controversial figure in the federal government as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has called for sweeping layoffs of government workers.
The FBI is asking anyone in the areas around the Target and Kohl’s stores in the South Sound Center – including areas along the Chehalis Western and Woodland Creek Trails – to review their doorbell and security camera video that may show the suspect walking in the area or getting in or out of a vehicle between the late evening of Apr. 7 and the early morning hours of Apr. 8.
“We're looking for photos or videos taken around the South Sound Center, including the Target and Kohl's stores, the Chehalis Western and Woodland Creek trails, or any location on the trails in the Lacey and Olympia area," Herrington said.
Additionally, a potential witness is being sought. A 2016 to 2019 Tesla Model X was at the charging station moments before it exploded. It is gray or dark gray, and the vehicle’s on-board systems may have captured images that could help the case.
“This vehicle is not believed to be involved in the incident, but the driver will be a potential witness to the events that evening,” Herrington said.
Anyone who may recognize the man, has any information related to the arson, or has video of the suspect is asked to contact the FBI’s tipline by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov. Residents can also call the Lacey Police Department with any information at 360-459-4333.
Investigators have also created a digital media tipline for the public and potential witnesses to upload videos, photos, or any media that may help with the investigation.
BELLEVUE, Wash. — A 43-year-old rideshare driver was arrested last week, accused of groping a teenage girl during the drive to her home.
Martin Njoki is a Kenyan national in the US on a work visa. His pregnant wife and five children live in Kenya. Njoki is charged with indecent liberties and unlawful imprisonment.
The incident happened on the morning of Feb. 17 when the 16-year-old victim took a Lyft home from her boyfriend’s house in SeaTac to her home in Bellevue. Charging documents say Njoki was her rideshare driver.
Court documents from the King County Prosecutor’s Office said when the girl went to get into Njoki’s car, she accidentally opened the front passenger door and saw the driver’s belongings on the seat. Njoki moved them and said it was OK for her to sit there.
He chatted with her for most of the ride back to her house, and when they got closer to her Bellevue home, he said, “Do you kiss and tell?”
She laughed it off but then he asked her if she would kiss him.
The victim told Njoki she had a boyfriend and needed to get home. Once they were a few blocks from her house, Njoki stopped the car and began making advances toward her, forced her to put her hand on his crotch, groped her, tried to kiss her, and pulled her away when she tried to open the locked car door and leave, charging documents said.
After pushing him off, she managed to get out of the car and report what happened.
Bellevue police are now looking for anyone who remembers experiencing unwanted sexual advances by Njoki during a rideshare service.
Police said Njoki drove a Mitsubishi with Washington license plate number CBM2456.
Potential victims can call 911 or the department’s non-emergency line at 425-577-5656.
Njoki remains in jail on $150,000 bail.
THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — The body of an 82-year-old woman reported missing under "suspicious circumstances" in Tenino has been found.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said Marcia Norman’s body was found buried underneath a new shed in Olympia and was “partially encased in concrete.”
Norman was reported missing on April 4 after her family said they had not heard from her since around 6:30 p.m. on April 1. Both of her vehicles were also found parked at her home.
During the investigation, detectives with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office identified Norman’s handyman, Jeffrey Zizz, as a person of interest after learning he had dinner with her on the evening of April 1.
The sheriff’s office said Zizz fled the state, which violated a previous sentencing condition on an unrelated sex offense. He was taken into custody at a motel in Missoula, Montana, on an unrelated charge.
During the investigation, detectives discovered Zizz had built a shed at an “unrelated property” in Olympia on the day Norman was reported missing. Investigators obtained equipment to move the shed on April 9 and found human remains “partially encased in concrete” while excavating the ground below where the new shed had been built.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office confirmed the remains discovered were Norman on April 10.
Investigators traveled to Missoula on April 13 and extradited Zizz to Washington state. The sheriff’s office said he is currently being held in Thurston County jail on a no-bail hold on a child molestation sentencing violation while investigators continue gathering evidence.
The sheriff’s office said Zizz remains a person of interest in the case and that detectives “are continuing to work closely with both the Thurston County Prosecutor’s and Coroner’s Offices.
BREMERTON, Wash. — Two women from Bremerton face federal charges alleging they stole mail and used it to infiltrate the personal and financial lives of hundreds of people in Washington.
In total, the U.S. Attorney’s office alleges 278 victims lost a combined $620,000 over the five-year fraud of Heather Marquis, 36, and her fiancée, 33-year-old Emily Vranic.
“The two of them were entirely subsisting their lifestyle on identity theft, bank fraud, wire fraud,” said Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore. “They would intercept the mail, take out some personally identifying documents, and use those to then create profiles about their victims.”
According to charging documents in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma, the couple fell onto the radar of Bremerton police in October 2024 during an auto theft investigation involving bogus car titles and registrations.
Police executed a search warrant at the couple’s home on Dill Way in Bremerton and quickly discovered a massive trove of documents linking the couple to identity theft and bank fraud, according to a federal complaint.
Bremerton police contacted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) in Seattle to investigate the origin of the documents.
“They had simple bank statements, all the way up to credit cards, checks, and really any financial documents that you might get in the mail,” Postal Inspector John Wiegand told KOMO News.
One victim told USPIS that his mail had been stolen on a regular basis and he noticed there seemed to an increase in mail, including credit card applications and voter registration packets. The man also said his driver’s license had been renewed without his knowledge or permission.
Investigators later discovered that there were 16 cases involving Vranic and Marquis fraudulently obtaining other people’s driver’s licenses and having them sent to their home, according to the charges.
Another victim told police her Lowe’s credit card was stolen in the mail, activated, and then used to make thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases. Prosecutors allege they obtained store surveillance video of Vranic making the transaction.
“These two defendants in particular seemed very confident, even arrogant, about their ability to inflict this type of harm on people,” Cantore said.
Cantore added that many of the federal crimes occurred while the couple was under supervision for state criminal charges.
“It’s scary because it seems so easy,” Cantore said. “That’s the part that’s terrifying – it feels so simple.”
Vranic was arraigned and released from custody last week.
Marquis appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday. She remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac ahead of a trial, which is scheduled for June.
Statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington:
“With an estimated 278 victims, these defendants left a broad swath of damage across Kitsap and Mason Counties,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The Bremerton Police Department and Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office did important work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to identify victims and trace the financial harm they suffered in this case.”
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud are punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two years in prison for each count to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case.
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.