Arraignment of DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (UPDATE)

April 9, 2013 by 31 Comments

On Wednesday, April 10, Judy and Dennis Schulte’s memorial services will be held in Russiaville, Indiana at 7 PM EDT, in the gymnasium at Western High School.

On Thursday, April 11, Mark W. Mullan will be arraigned on two charges of vehicular homicide and two charges of vehicular assault in Seattle, Washington at 8:30 AM PDT, in Courtroom 1201 at the King County Courthouse.

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What follows are the details of the Monday, March 25 multi casualty incident at 33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street taken from the Seattle Police Department’s case investigation report.

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Northeast Seattle resident Mark Mullan, 50, was driving his black 2012 Chevy Silverado pickup westbound on NE 75th Street just after 4 PM on Monday, March 25, when the vehicle struck four pedestrians crossing 75th at 33rd Avenue NE.

Just prior to that time, Judy and Dennis Schulte (68- and 66-years-old, respectively) were crossing NE 75th Street at 33rd Avenue NE northbound with their 33-year-old daughter-in-law, Karina Ulriksen-Schulte, and their 10-day-old grandson, Elias. Ms. Ulriksen Schulte was carrying her newborn son in a sling-style carrier across her body.

Witnesses accounts suggest that Ms. Ulriksen-Schulte was crossing 75th just ahead of Mr. and Mrs. Schulte, but reversed her course in the roadway as she noticed Mr. Mullan’s vehicle approaching.

Approximately 12 feet from the north side of the intersection, the right front corner of Mr. Mullan’s vehicle struck all four pedestrians.

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Mrs. Schulte was thrown some 70 feet from the area of impact. She and her husband died of their injuries at the scene.

Ms. Ulriksen-Schulte and her infant sustained life-threatening injuries and are still in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center.

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Mr. Mullan brought his vehicle to a stop an estimated 150 feet west of the collision site.

During questioning by officers, Mr. Mullan claimed that he did not see the family crossing NE 75th Street in front of this vehicle because of the sun. He also said that he did not attempt to stop his vehicle until after he “felt the bump.”

Preliminary analysis of sun angle positions (from the horizon and Mr. Mullan’s heading) are listed in the case report, as well as a initial speed calculation of Mr. Mullan’s vehicle of within 10 MPH of the posted speed limit of 30 MPH.

Mr. Mullan admitted to officers at the scene that he had consumed alcohol prior to the incident. A responding DUI/DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) officer witnessed several signs of impairment, including intoxicants on his breath and bloodshot, watery eyes. Furthermore, upon testing Mr. Mullan with several standard field sobriety tests, the DUI-DRE officer described Mr. Mullan’s impairment as “obvious.” A breath test at the scene indicated a breath alcohol level of 0.22.

As a condition of his guilty plea for a December 2012 DUI incident, Mr. Mullan was ordered to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicle (the same black 2012 Chevy Silverado pickup). No such device was found in his vehicle at the scene on March 25.

Mark Mullan was arrested without incident and booked into King County Jail. His bail is set at $2.5 million.

We will update this post on Thursday morning as Mullan enters his pleas to the charges of two counts vehicular homicide, two counts vehicular assault, and one count reckless driving.

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Mark Mullan, left, the repeat drunk driver accused of killing an Indiana couple and critically injuring their daughter-in-law and infant grandson at a Wedgwood intersection, is arraigned Thurs., April 11, 2013, in Seattle on two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault. At right is Mullan's defense attorney Jesse Debow. Judge Ronald Kessler is at center. Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times

Mark Mullan (left), Mullan’s defense attorney Jesse Debow (right), and Superior Court Criminal Judge Ronald Kessler (center), at Mullan’s arraignment hearing on Thursday, April 11. Mullan pleaded not guilty to all counts. Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times


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UPDATE (8:58 AM): Mark W. Mullan has pleaded NOT GUILTY to all counts.

The next step for prosecution and defense is the case setting, which is scheduled for May 23.

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Filed Under: Crime, Events, Northeast Seattle, Photos, Ravenna, Seattle Fire Department, Updates, Wedgwood

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (UPDATES)

April 7, 2013 by 17 Comments

What follows is a compilation of the ways that neighbors and local businesses have helped the Schulte family since Monday, March 25.

We do not claim to know every story of giving surrounding the days and weeks after the tragedy, but this post is our attempt to list as many as we can.

If we’ve left anything out, feel free to leave your stories of kindnesses and thanks in the comments below.

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During the last week of March, in the first days after the tragedy, local businesses stepped in and donated food to the family:

  • Grateful Bread (7001 35th Ave NE) donated sandwiches, salads and soup on March 28.

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  • Eat Local (nearest location at 503 Broadway E on Capitol Hill) donated six meals to the family on March 28.
  • When we found out that Karina’s birthday was on March 28 (mentioned by Schulte family friend Adrienne Bergman on one of the medical fundraiser sites for the family), we contacted Trophy Cupcakes (Northeast Seattle location in University Village). They graciously and swiftly donated a dozen cupcakes, which we were able to get to the family at Harborview Medical Center that day.

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  • Cafe Javasti (8617 35th Ave NE in Wedgwood and 8410 5th Ave NE in Maple Leaf) donated pastries and coffee for breakfast on March 29.

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After the first few days of meals were covered by local businesses, Wedgwood resident Jess Creach set up a site for the Schultes at Take Them a Meal. People interested in helping the family with food can sign up for a specific date and meal (lunch, snack, dinner), which can be delivered in advance to the Sand Point Community United Methodist Church for pick up.

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At the time of this writing, the meal calendar for the Schultes was full through April 27. So far, 61 different people have signed up.

You can still sign up, too, if you’d like.

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By the time we contacted the manager of Sand Point Metropolitan Market (5250 40th Ave NE), Mark Marsh, on Thursday, March 28, his store had already contributed flowers to the memorial site and food for after the prayer vigil.

On Friday, March 29, his store began taking donations at their checkstands from community members. Marsh told us on the morning of Friday, April 6 that the total amount donated by community members at their checkout stands so far is $7,434.00. This total does not yet include the $1,000 that Metropolitan Market will also be donating on top of that.

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With the hope of reaching $10,000, the store will continue taking donations at the registers for one more week, until Friday, April 12.

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Thank you to Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Car Free Days, Eckstein Bikes, the Wedgwood Community Council, the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, and anyone else who helped organize the Memorial Walk on Monday, April 1.

Thank you to the Seattle Police Department for closing off roads and providing an escort during the walk. And thank you, Mayor Michael McGinn, for attending.

Thank you to the Wedgwood Top Pot Doughnuts location for supplying participants of the Memorial Walk with doughnuts and coffee. And thank you for the use of your property as a gathering, starting, and ending point for that walk.

Furthermore, Top Pot, thank you for walking, too.

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Wedgwood Top Pot manager Jennifer Surbaugh and one of the owners of Top Pot, Mark Klebeck, on the walk.

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Other local fundraising:

  • The Wedgwood Safeway (7340 35th Avenue NE) donated a gift card for $100 on March 28. Also, thanks to  Bridgette in the floral department for donating buckets and food for flowers left at the memorial site.
  • The employees at the Wedgwood QFC (8400 35th Ave NE) made a donation to one of the funds for the family set up at the Wedgwood branch of HomeStreet Bank on March 28.
  • The Van Gogh Coffeehouse (8210 35th Ave NE) donated all their tips from Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30, for a total of $786.48.
  • Thank you to the (as of the publishing of this post) 989 people who donated $59,492 to the medical fund for Karina and Baby Elias that friends of the family Adrienne and Brett Bergman set up.

UPDATE (11:12 AM): We’ve been told by Per Johnson that the online amounts for the funds at HomeStreet Bank are only the online totals. “There have been a ton of people who have donated in-person to the tune of $5000,” Johnson says.

We’d also like to thank the staff of the Wedgwood Branch of HomeStreet Bank for all of their assistance.

UPDATE (1:38 PM): We’ve learned that the Wedgwood Drama Studio also donated money to the Schulte family. You can read about the studio’s mission here.

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Bike to Bryant was started around 2007 by parents of Bryant Elementary students. The group’s goal is to encourage families to walk and/or bike to school together on a more regular basis.
This year’s big spring ride, scheduled for Friday, March 29, was almost canceled, in light of the tragedy. But organizers went forward with the ride and turned it into a moving memorial to the Schulte family. One hundred and fifteen riders participated. A moment of silence was observed at the start, and $106 was collected for the Karina & Elias Ulriksen-Schulte Medical fund.
Also, the Seattle Police Department provided an escort for the group, and closed down 35th Avenue NE during the ride to school.
Police closed down 35th Ave NE for the annual Spring Bike to Bryant Elementary ride. Photo by Car Free Days, used with permission.

Police closed down 35th Ave NE for the annual Spring Bike to Bryant Elementary ride. Photo by Car Free Days (carfreedays.com), used with permission.

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Thank you to National Barricade (6518 Ravenna Ave NE) for donating use of some of your street signs (a pair of SLOW DOWN and yellow pedestrian signs) at both the east and west ends of NE 75th Street (at approximately 27th and 34th Avenues NE).

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Thank you to the community members who attended the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association Spring Community Meeting on Tuesday, April 2. And thank you to the officials who attended or participated in some way, including (alphabetical by last name):
Rachel Cormier Anderson (City Attorney’s Office)
Nancy Bolin (View Ridge Community Council)
Tim Burgess (Seattle City Council President, mayoral candidate)
Dongho Chang (Seattle Department of Transportation)
Sally Clark (Seattle City Council President)
Captain Robin Clark (North Precinct, Seattle Police Department)
Rebecca Deehr (Mayor’s Office)
Dr. Beth Ebel (Harborview Medical Center)
Senator David Frockt (46th Legislative District)
Beth Goldberg (Mayor’s Office)
Peter Hahn (Seattle Department of Transportation)
Beth Hester (Mayor’s Office)
Gina Iandola (HomeStreet Bank)
Sherri Kokx (Eckstein Middle School)
Officer Eric Michl (North Precinct, Seattle Police Department)
Sergeant Dianne Newsom (North Precinct, Seattle Police Department)
Representative Gerry Pollet (46th Legislative District)
Tom Rasmussen (Seattle City Council)
Sergeant Don Smith (North Precinct, Seattle Police Department)
Peter Steinbrueck (mayoral candidate)
Eileen Whalen (Harborview Medical Center)
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Thank you also to the staff of the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, the respective board members of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association and Wedgwood Community Council, and Jenny Frankl with the Department of Neighborhoods for help making the meeting happen.

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Thank you to the two women on 33rd Avenue NE who, very late on the night of Tuesday, March 26, worked together to scrub NE 75th Street clean with soap and water, and their own loving hands.

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Thank you to the three neighbors on 33rd Avenue NE who made the two white crosses for Judy and Dennis Schulte at the memorial site, added on Friday, March 29.

Thank you to the sixth grade class in one of Seattle’s middle schools who wrote a card for the family.

Thank you to Lacia Lynne Bailey for taking on the role of caretaker for the memorial on the corner of 33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. Thank you for respecting every last flower petal, slip of paper, and stuffed animal left at the site, in honor of the victims.

Thank you to Judy’s Truffle, for being such a comforting (and fuzzy) presence at the memorial site, hugged and cried upon by countless people.

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And finally, some thank-yous from the Schulte family, conveyed through Lisa Schulte (wife of Mike Schulte, a cousin of Dan).

Here are some thank you’s the family would like mentioned locally!!

Addy and Brett Bergman (set up the donation site)
Pastor Cathy and Sand Point Community United Methodist Church
The awesome neighbors and dear friends of the family including Daniel and Jennifer, Trevor, Felipe and Indre
Seattle Fire Department and EMTs
Seattle Neighborhood Greenways walk coordinator
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Wedgwood/Ravenna Community, Jess Creach, Per Johnson (Wedgwood Community Council) & Rebecca Nelson (Ravenna Blog)
Harborview doctors and nurses
Seattle Children’s Hospital (Karina’s work)
Colehour and Cohen (Dan’s work)
Sand Point Metropolitan Market
All the incredible people who have donated time, money, food etc.

Lisa has acted as the main point of contact with the family during the last two weeks, and we (and other community members and organizations) are very, very thankful for her and the role she has played.

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Filed Under: Businesses, City Council, Crime, Events, Food, Fundraiser, Mayor's Office, Memorials, Northeast Seattle, Photos, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Restaurants, Sand Point Community United Methodist Church, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, University Village, Updates, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

Key Bank near 35th Ave NE and NE 73rd St robbed (yet again); suspect in custody (UPDATE)

April 3, 2013 by 15 Comments

Just as we were writing up the rollover collision this morning at 12th Ave NE and NE 75th St, followers on twitter started reporting from seven to nine Seattle Police patrol cars heading up east NE 75th St.

Sent at 11:25 AM:

They were responding to a robbery at Key Bank at 35th Avenue NE and NE 73rd St. Again.

Good news is: A suspect was arrested in the University District, near 9th Avenue NE and NE 42nd Street.


View Key Bank robbery in a larger map

UPDATE (12:01 PM): Update from the Seattle Police Department Blotter:

Just after 11:15 am, a masked man walked into the Key Bank at 73rd Avenue NE and NE 35th Street demanded money, and fled the bank.
Eighteen minutes later, police had tracked the suspect to the University District (using high-tech gadgets AND old-fashioned sleuthing!) and arrested him near NE 42nd and 9th Avenue NE after a brief foot chase.
Officers will likely be around the Wedgwood and University District scenes for some time as they search for evidence.

Suspect was described as a masked, white male, age 20-30, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and black and yellow shoes. He displayed a small gun at the bank before taking off.

 

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Ravenna, Seattle Police Department, University District, Updates, Wedgwood

RBCA community meeting on crime/NE 75th Street (LIVE COVERAGE)

April 2, 2013 by 17 Comments

Our live coverage of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association Spring Community Meeting will be posted below starting around 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 2.

You may download the agenda here (62 KB Microsoft Word document). Or refer to the abridged version posted below:

7:00 PM:  Moment of silence (Lead by Virginia Gunby, RBCA Board Member, Transportation Committee Chair)

7:05: Welcome (Sarah Swanberg, Outgoing RBCA President)

March 25 vehicle/pedestrian double fatality collision on NE 75th Street

7:10: Traffic & pedestrian safety, DUI enforcement & prosecution

  • Seattle Police Department
    • Captain Robin Clark, North Precinct
    • Sergeant Don Smith and Officer Eric Michl
  • Seattle City Attorney’s Office
    • John Schochet, Deputy Chief of Staff
    • Rachel Cormier Anderson, Criminal Division Attorney
    • Jana Jorgensen, North Precinct Liaison

 7:30: Report from Harborview

  • Eileen Whalen, Executive Director, Harborview Medical Center
  • Dr. Beth Ebel, Director, Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center

7:50: NE 75th Street improvements

  • Dongho Chang, Chief Traffic Engineer, Seattle Department of Transportation
  • Peter Hahn, Director of Transportation

 8:20: RBCA business

  • Sub-committees to address traffic, safety, DUI issues in Ravenna-Bryant
  • Election of RBCA officers

8:40: Q and A with local leaders

City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen
Rebecca Deehr, Mayor’s Office
Senator David Frockt

Filed Under: City Council, Crime, Live Coverage, Mayor's Office, Meeting, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

Meeting between city, neighborhood representatives yields NE 75th St improvement plan

April 2, 2013 by 9 Comments

In the early afternoon of Monday, April 1, before the Memorial Walk for the Schulte family, neighborhood groups, pedestrian/bicycle safety advocates, and staff from Eckstein Middle School, gathered at Eckstein (3003 NE 75th St). They met with representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the Mayor’s Office, and the Seattle Police Department and discussed plans to improve the safety of NE 75th Street.

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The Mayor’s Office met with SDOT several times throughout the last week, and developed a list of planned improvements and actions for NE 75th Street (4 KB PDF; presented to the assembled groups that afternoon), including:

• Installing a flashing school zone beacon on Northeast 75th Street in front of the school

• SDOT will begin the process of evaluating and potentially installing a school zone speed camera on Northeast 75th Street

• The crosswalk at Northeast 68th Street and 25th Avenue Northeast will be remarked with fresh and highly visible paint

• The intersection of Northeast 68th Street and 25th Ave Northeast will be evaluated for a traffic signal

• SDOT will install new pedestrian countdown heads [crosswalk signs with timers] at 75th Street Northeast and Northeast 31st Street

• SDOT has already installed pedestrian countdown heads at 75th Street Northeast and Northeast 35th Street

The timeline for these improvements shows a tentative completion date of August 2013 (just before Seattle Public Schools are back in session for the 2013-1014 school year).

Read more about the planned street safety improvements on the Mayor’s blog, here.

Filed Under: Construction, Crime, Eckstein Middle School, Mayor's Office, Meeting, Northeast Seattle, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, Traffic, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS)

April 1, 2013 by 14 Comments
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Walkers gathered under the swaying palms of the Wedgwood Top Pot before setting out.

Seattle Police Department officers wait to escort everyone down local streets. Local traffic was blocked as the group walked to and the memorial site.

Seattle Police Department officers and their rides wait to escort everyone down local streets. Local traffic was blocked as the group walked to and the memorial site.

 

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Pedestrian and cyclists, young and old, the sighted and the blind all participated, and fueled up with coffee and doughnuts beforehand, provided by Top Pot.

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This walker in orange was one of three I noticed walking with a white cane. She is pictured with her ASL interpreter (the woman in orange is Deaf-Blind).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (1 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (2 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (3 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (4 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (5 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (6 of 6).

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A cameraman films the start of the walk on 35th Avenue NE.

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The group walks west on NE 73rd Street, after turning off 35th Avenue NE.

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Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn (center, light blue shirt) walks with Schulte family members down NE 73rd Street.

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More walkers heading down NE 73rd Street.

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Here the group is shown walking north on 33rd Avenue NE, taking the approximate route the family took on Monday, March 25. On the left side, Lacia Lynne Bailey, Judy’s Truffle (the baby goat), and some Schulte family members and friends stand where Bailey chatted with the Schultes one week ago. She was the last person to speak to the family before they attempted to cross NE 75th Street.

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More walkers heading up 33rd Avenue NE, to the memorial site.

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33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. Some family members stand together on the right, behind the main crowd.

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Bailey talks to Dan Schulte, husband of Karina and father to Elias, who are both still at Harborview Medical Center. They are flanked by a female neighbor from the immediate area and two of Dan’s cousins.

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Members of the Schulte family, gathered in front of the memorial. Hundreds of neighbors and complete strangers have stopped by throughout the week to pay their respects, Bailey told us. She has been tending the site daily ever since people started leaving flowers, notes, or other tokens after the tragedy.

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One of the Seattle Police Department officers who escorted the walkers to and from the memorial site looks on.

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“Look out for pedestrians.”

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After spending some time at the memorial, the walk heads back to the starting point, heading east on NE 75th Street, before heading south down 35th Avenue NE.

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Mayor McGinn talks with Dongho Chang,(Chief Traffic Engineer for the Seattle Department of Transportation) at 33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street.

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Before starting down NE 75th Street with his family, this dad said to his small son, “This is the one time we’re walking in the street, buddy.”

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Mayor McGinn with Bailey, and Judy’s Truffle. Bailey has added to the baby goat’s original name in remembrance of Judy Schulte.

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My thoughts, from Sunday, March 31:

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Filed Under: Crime, Eckstein Middle School, Families, Food, Kids, Mayor's Office, Memorials, Photos, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, Traffic, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

Community meeting on Tuesday to address crime, NE 75th Street safety issues (UPDATES)

March 31, 2013 by 1 Comment

The spring community meetings of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA)  are used to elect new board members, inform the community about any local, recent concerns, and perhaps have a guest speaker from the City Government.

The RBCA Spring Community Meeting this Tuesday, April 2, will feature officials from at least six City departments, including the Seattle Police Department, the City Attorney’s office, and Harborview Medical Center. The meeting will take place in the gymnasium of the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center (6535 Ravenna Avenue NE) from 7-9 PM.

Our LIVE COVERAGE of this event will be HERE (page will go live on the afternoon of April 2 prior to the meeting.)

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 The list of confirmed attendees includes (via the RBCA homepage):

  • Council Member Tom Rasmussen will be coming with Eileen Whalen, Executive Director of Harborview Medical Center and Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center.
  • From the Seattle Police Department, North Precinct Captain Robin Clark will be there to introduce Captain Mike Nolan from the SPD Traffic Section.  DUI enforcement experts will also be on hand to answer any questions/concerns the community may have.
  • Dongho Chang, Chief Traffic Engineer from the Seattle Department of Transportation will be there to address improvements that can be made to NE 75th.  The Director of Transportation Peter Hahn will also be in attendance.
  • Members of the law department from the City Attorney’s Office will attend to discuss the prosecutorial side of DUIs.
  • The Mayor’s office will also be on hand, should you have questions for him.
  • Gina Iandola, Homestreet Bank’s Wedgwood Branch Manager will also be there should you want to donate funds.  You can read more about ways to donate on Wedgwood Community Council’s website.

The Mayor’s office staff members attending include:

  • Beth Goldberg, City Budget Director
  • Beth Hester, Director of Public Affairs and Management
  • Rebecca Deehr, Mayor’s Office lead on their Road Safety campaign and on the new school road safety initiative

Everyone is welcome to attend. We also expect a large number of Wedgwood Community Council board members and neighbors to attend.

We have spoken with the staff at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center about the meeting, and have been told that the gymnasium will be in use up until the 7 PM meeting start time. Neighbors: Please come prepared to be patient and/or help set up some of the approximately 200 chairs available for seating.

UPDATE (Monday, April 1): Senator David Frockt (D) representing the 46th District is also scheduled to attend.

The agenda order appears to be: SPD and the City Attorney’s Office, then CM Rasmussen, Senator Frockt, and Harborview, and then the Department of Transportation at the end.

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Also, to further inform the officials attending Tuesday’s meeting, you may want to contact them in advance with your questions and concerns (or later, if you still have questions/concerns):

[NEW] Senator David Frockt (D), 46th District: (206) 729-3225 and email form

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, Transportation Committee Chair: (206) 684-8808 and tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov

Eileen Whalen, Executive Director of Harborview Medical Center: (206) 744-3036

Dr. Beth Ebel, Director of of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center: (206) 744-9430 and bebel@uw.edu

North Precinct Captain Robin Clark: (206) 684-0850 (N. Precinct front desk) and Public Information Officers (206-684-5520)

[NEW] Sergeant Dianne Newsom, North Precinct Community Police Team supervisor: (206) 684-0794 and dianne.newsom@seattle.gov

[NEW] Sergeant Don Smith, Traffic Section supervisor, Seattle Police Department

[NEW] Officer Eric Michl, Traffic Section/DUI Squad

Dongho Chang, Chief Traffic Engineer from the Seattle Department of Transportation: 206-684-5106 and dongho.chang@seattle.gov

Peter Hahn, Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation: 206-684-5000 and peter.hahn@seattle.gov

City Attorney’s Office: 206-684-8200 (Civil main phone number), 206-684-7757 (Criminal main phone number), kimberly.mills@seattle.gov (Communications Director)

Beth Goldberg, City Budget Director: (206) 233-7115 and beth.goldberg@seattle.gov

Beth Hester, Director of Public Affairs and Management, Mayor’s Office: (206) 684-3493 and beth.hester@seattle.gov

Rebecca Deehr, Mayor’s Office lead on the Road Safety Initiative: (206) 233-2662 and rebecca.deehr@seattle.gov

Filed Under: City Council, Civic Envolvement, Crime, Mayor's Office, Meeting, Ravenna, Ravenna-Bryant Community Association, Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, Seattle Department of Transportation, Seattle Police Department, Updates, Wedgwood, Wedgwood Community Council

Memorial to the family at NE 75th Street grows (PHOTOS, UPDATES)

March 26, 2013 by 11 Comments

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Stopped by NE 75th Street and 33rd Avenue NE around 5:15 on Tuesday afternoon. Took some pictures of the growing monument of flowers, notes, and candles. Talked with some neighbors and reporters. Watched a lot of cars go by.

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“We hope you get the chance to graduate.”

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Peace be to the memory of the grandparents.

And may the young family find the strength they need in the weeks and months to come.

 

UPDATE (Wednesday, March 27): Lacia Bailey, who lives across the street from the memorial site, has been acting as caretaker of the items left under the bright yellow forsythia at the corner of NE 75th Street and 33rd Avenue NE. Here are some photos she took of the site this evening:

 

UPDATE (Sunday, March 31): On Friday, we stopped by again.

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Filed Under: Crime, Eckstein Middle School, Memorials, Photos, Ravenna, Updates, Wedgwood

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (UPDATES)

March 26, 2013 by 15 Comments

The 50-year-old man arrested at the scene of Monday’s multiple casualty incident at NE 75th Street and 33rd Avenue NE was booked into King County Jail that night on investigation of vehicular homicide.

Police speak with the driver of the pickup involved in a fatal vehicle-pedestrian accident near Eckstein Middle School in North Seattle on Monday. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)

Police speak with the driver of the pickup involved in a fatal vehicle-pedestrian accident near Eckstein Middle School in North Seattle on Monday. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)

The suspect, driving a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck westbound on NE 75th Street, allegedly struck four pedestrians as they crossed the arterial at 33rd Avenue NE just after 4 PM. Two were pronounced dead at the scene by Seattle Fire Department staff. The other two were transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

The busy arterial was closed between 31st and 35th Avenues NE for hours while the Seattle Police Department’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives processed the scene.

King County Jail records show that the suspect was previously booked into jail on December 27, 2012 for a DUI-related charge. He was released on January 7, 2013. Then, on January 14, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence in Snohomish County. He was released on $10,000 bail.

Other news outlets have released the suspect’s name, but is Ravenna Blog policy to not name suspects until they have been formally charged with a crime.

The bail hearing for the suspect is scheduled for 2:30 PM today in the King County Jail’s Courtroom 1. We will add information about that hearing here, when it comes in.

UPDATE (2:45 PM): Seattle P-I reporter Casey McNerthney is in the courtroom for the bail hearing, reporting that he suspect has waived his right to appear.

Bail is set at $2.5 million. KOMO reporting that the prosecution was asking for $2 million.

UPDATE (3:15 PM): More information from the bail hearing.

Prosecutors said the suspect was driving with a suspended license, and his blood alcohol level was measured as 0.22 after the incident. The legal limit in Washington state is 0.08.

It is possible to continue to drive in Washington state with a suspended license,  if the person gets a restricted license called an Ignition Interlock Driver License (IIL). A device is installed in the driver’s vehicle that requires a breath test before the vehicle will start. It can also require additional “rolling retests” while the vehicle is being driven.

The suspect did not have this device installed in his truck.

Here’s McNerthney’s full story on the incident and the suspect.

UPDATE (Wednesday, March 27): The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s website says, “A second court appearance is scheduled [at the bail hearing on Tuesday] for March 28, which is also the deadline for a charging decision.” The Daily Docket goes on to say that the Court has found probable cause to charge the suspect with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault.

UPDATE (Sunday, March 31): On Thursday, March 28, Mark W. Mullan was formally charged with two counts of Vehicular Homicide and two counts of Vehicular Assault (all felonies). Mullan is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, April 11, at the King County Courthouse, Courtroom 1201.

We will have a full post on the suspect and these charges later in the week (first week of April).

UPDATE (Tuesday, April 9): Our post with the details of the incident is now up, here.

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Eckstein Middle School, Photos, Ravenna, Seattle Police Department, Traffic, Updates, Wedgwood

Details of local purse snatcher’s arrest; arraignment on Thursday (UPDATE)

March 13, 2013 by 7 Comments

We’ve obtained a copy of the charging documents filed on Friday, March 1 against Robin McDougall-Treacy, the area man arrested after stealing a woman’s purse and thought to have robbed five other individuals, at knifepoint.

McDougall-Treacy will be charged with robbery in the second degree for the Tuesday, February 26 attempted robbery of a woman in Roosevelt. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 14, and we will there to cover it. (UPDATE BELOW.)

Seattle Police Department investigators are also working on linking McDougall-Treacy to five other “striking similar armed street robberies” that occurred in our area between February 2 and the date of his arrest.

Here’s KIRO 7 News’ report from their 5 PM newscast that aired on Tuesday, February 26 about the arrest earlier that day:

Along with the charging documents, we also have the case investigation report, which includes the details of the burglary and arrest of McDougall-Treacy on Tuesday, February, 26.

February 26 Burglary and Arrest

At about 1:30 PM, several calls came in to 911 from neighbors in the 7100 block of Roosevelt Way NE. They reported variously that a woman had just been robbed on the street and the suspect could be seen, knife in hand, running through yards. He was described as a white male, in his 20s, with a heavy build, wearing a black hoody and a black scarf around his face.

Officers apprehended the suspect about eight minutes later in the backyard of a house on the 1000 block of NE 71st St. He was found hiding in an alcove, and had a red and black backpack with him.

A witness who had been chasing the suspect stated to officers that in the backyard of a nearby house, “he (the witness) slipped and fell, losing sight of the suspect,” who had been wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Moments later, the suspect, still running, was seen wearing a red sweatshirt.

Several witnesses and the victim herself participated, separately, in a “show-up” at the scene (to identify the suspect as the person who was seen stealing the purse and fleeing). The witnesses variously stated that the suspect was the man seen robbing the woman earlier and that his clothing (pants and shoes) matched those of the suspect.

When interviewed by an officer about the crime, the woman who was robbed explained that she had been walking down the sidewalk at approximately NE 71st St and Roosevelt Way NE when an unknown white male wearing a black hoody and jeans confronted her from behind. She felt a tug on her purse, turned around, and saw the suspect holding a knife sheath in one hand while he used the knife to cut the shoulder strap. The victim said that she and the suspect ended up on the pavement in the struggle for her purse, causing some pain to her elbow. As the suspect fled, the victim started screaming and gave chase, as did several other people (males) in the area.

The victim described her purse and the contents, which included her phone. Her phone number was dialed by a detective at the scene, which then caused a phone to ring from inside McDougall-Treacy’s backpack. However, her other stolen items and McDougall-Treacy’s black sweatshirt and knife were not found by officers in the area.

The day after his arrest (Wednesday, February 27), McDougall-Treacy’s backpack was searched and the victim’s missing items were located within, as were “a black jacket with hood, a black neck fleece gator, a black knit cap, a pair of black and grey gloves” and a three-to-four-inch silver-bladed folding knife. All of these items were placed into evidence.

The Storage Unit

When McDougall-Treacy was asked by a detective for the address of where he was living, “[McDougall-Treacy] said he could not stay at his parents’ house,” but added upon further questioning that he kept his belongings in a storage unit in the Roosevelt neighborhood. Among the items suspect had on him at the time of the arrest was a keychain that had the address and name of the storage facility on it.

When a detective called the storage facility, the assistant manager said that he was familiar with McDougall-Treacy who uses a storage unit rented out under his mother’s name. The assistant manager also said that their records indicated that the suspect had been at the facility on a day when one of the other robberies had taken place about two blocks away from the business (on Wednesday, February 20). The first robbery that day occurred at approximately 2:10 PM, and McDougall-Treacy was recorded visiting the storage facility at 2:13 PM. (The second robbery on February 20 occurred at approximately 2:55 PM near NE 65th Street and 36th Avenue NE.)

A search warrant was obtained for the storage unit which was searched the day after the suspect’s arrest. Detectives recovered “two folding knives, a black hooded sweatshirt, a pair of white sneakers and a brown purse (strap intact).” One of these knives resembles the weapon described by the victim of one of the other robberies.

Custody, Charging, and Next Steps

On Friday, March 1, Robin McDougall-Treacy was charged with Robbery in the Second Degree (for the robbery which occurred the day he was arrested) by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. Bail was set at $250,000.

At his arraignment today, Thursday, March 14, McDougall-Treacy entered a plea of not guilty to this second degree robbery charge.

McDougall-Treacy (far left) at his arraignment hearing at the King County Courthouse on Thursday, March 14.

McDougall-Treacy (far left) at his arraignment hearing presided over by Assistant Chief Criminal Judge Jim Rogers at the King County Courthouse on Thursday, March 14.

Additionally, the suspect was charged with robbery in the first degree for the robber by knifepoint that occurred on Wednesday, February 20, around 2:55 PM. The suspect entered a plea of not guilty for this charge as well.

The next date of activity in this case is a case setting scheduled for Thursday, March 28. A case setting is “an informal hearing where the prosecution and the defense have an opportunity to discuss the case.”

Filed Under: 911, Crime, Northeast Seattle, Photos, Roosevelt, Seattle Police Department, Updates, Video
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