As we reported on June 1st, a four-alarm fire destroyed the abandoned old Angle Lake School in SeaTac.

Now comes word that the fire’s origins, while a mystery for the last few weeks, was indeed arson, according to Chief Meyer of the SeaTac Fire Department.

Here’s a great Flickr slideshow of the blaze, taken by Photog “Cave Canem”:

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

The school building was constructed in the 1930s, and had been unoccupied (other than transients, who are suspected in the arson) since 2005.

SOURCE:

• KIRO-TV

Popularity: 36% [?]

SEATAC – A man died after being shot in the head during a party in SeaTac Friday night.

Officers on the scene said the shooting took place at a home in the 2600 block of South 130th Place around 9:30pm.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately clear.

The victim died at the scene, and the gunman fled before officers arrived. Investigators are now interviewing witnesses to determine, among other details, whether the shooting was accidental.

The victim’s name was not released.

The gunman remains on the loose, and a description was not available.

SOURCE:

• KOMO News

View Larger Map

Popularity: 19% [?]

A few weeks back we met a woman at the Burien Farmers Market who claimed to know a lot of things about the missing SeaTac man Nicholas Francisco, last seen Feb. 13th leaving his workplace in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.

But we don’t like to print speculation or gossip, so we didn’t go with it.

She knew that his wife had filed for divorce, and she said a few things that raised more than just one eyebrow – all before we read anything like that in the local press.

But we’re not going to print any of those speculative things here yet…sorry.

However, we will tell you that the mainstream Seattle media is reporting that Nicholas’ wife Christine, 28, has indeed filed for divorce, citing “willful abandonment that continues for a period of time” and a “history of acts of domestic violence … or an assault or sexual assault which causes grievous bodily harm or the fear of such harm” as her reasons.

Christine has a daughter, 4, and a son, 2, and is also pregnant.

More information here, and much more forum-style speculation here and here.

Popularity: 20% [?]

SEATAC – A gang member has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison on gun and drug charges after being busted for operating a fortified, booby-trapped drug-distribution compound in SeaTac.

Prosecutors say 25-year-old Israel Davis, of Bellevue, joined another man in dealing methamphetamine, as well as recruiting teens as young as 14 to get involved in their gang lifestyle.

U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced him on Friday.

The other man, Albert Barrientes, was sentenced to 20 years.

SOURCE:

• KING-TV

Popularity: 19% [?]

Every year, thousands of poor, sad, lonely dogs are abandoned and neglected.

This Father’s Day, why not help a needy dog out and make Dad happy at the same time by adopting a very unique canine named Spike:

Go to Dan The Sausageman’s website and order now, and you’ll receive a FREE 9-Ounce Summer Sausage!

CREDITS:

• Written/Directed by Scott Schaefer
• Voiceover by Henry Dardenne

Popularity: 46% [?]

SEATAC – Carbon monoxide poisoning caused nine people to be rushed to the hospital Thursday night, including three police officers assisting other victims.

King County Sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart said deputies responded to reports of a carbon monoxide leak at a home in the 4800 block of South 172nd before 9pm. They arrived to find six people who had already become sick from the gas.

Deputies learned the situation started when the driver of a taxi cab pulled into the home’s garage and left it running for an undetermined amount of time, allowing the gas to spread through the house.

A man and a woman who were inside at the time were overcome by the carbon monoxide within minutes and passed out. A third person who entered a house also passed out.

A short time later a woman and her two children arrived at the home and found the three unconscious. She and her children quickly fled the house and called 911.

While trying to help the residents, three SeaTac police officers also began to feel ill. The officers, the three unconscious people and the 911 caller and her children were all taken to the hospital.

Seven victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center and the rest were taken to Virginia Mason Medical Center. Their names are not known.

“We don’t know for sure, but it certainly looks like the three people in the house – most likely live there. The woman who came in a little later with her two kids lives in a house behind this residence,” Urquhart said.

Three of the victims are said to be in critical condition. All of the officers are said to be in satisfactory condition.

It is not known why the cab was left running in the garage, but investigators do not suspect foul play.

SOURCE:

• KOMO News

Popularity: 22% [?]

Remember back in 2005 when Ronald Whitehead, 61, was fatally shot near SeaTac while driving to work?

The killing looked like a carjacking, and Whitehead’s wife then appealed for the murderer to turn themselves in?

Turned out that the victim’s wife, Velma Ogden-Whitehead, 50, was actually the mastermind behind her husband’s slaying, hiring a friend of her son’s to hide in her husband’s trunk.

This morning, Ogden-Whitehead sobbed in court as she begged for forgiveness, but her cries were summarily rejected by a judge who called her “self defense” argument a lie.

Ogden-Whitehead attempted to justify the killing as her reaction to sexual and physical abuse from her husband of ten years. Not surprisingly, Judge Steven Gonzalez didn’t fall for this defense, telling her:

“You are the perpetrator, not the victim you claim to be. Your claims of abuse and suffering are hollow.”

The judge later sentenced her to 22 years in prison.

Full story from The Seattle Times is here.

Popularity: 15% [?]

SEATAC – The cause of a four-alarm blaze that destroyed the vacant Angle Lake School on Saturday won’t be known for two or three more days, said Terri-Ann Betancourt, a spokeswoman for the Port of Seattle, which owns the property.

A crane will be brought to the site early in the week to aid in the investigation.

The building, in the 19200 block of 28th Avenue South, erupted in flames shortly before 6 pm Saturday, requiring a massive response by local firefighters.

Crews from Tukwila, Burien, Kent, the Port of Seattle and King County Fire District 20 joined firefighters in SeaTac to battle the blaze.

The roof of the builiding collapsed about 30 minutes after the first units arrived.

The Port of Seattle bought the property a few years ago with plans to demolish the building and use the land for airport operations,” said Betancourt.

Neighbors say the building has been boarded up for several years.

SOURCE:

• Seattle P-I

Popularity: 22% [?]

Sometimes it’s fun to read the Craigslist “Missed Connections” and follow the fascinating storylines of all our rascally neighboring humanoids, and this last week was no exception.

We first found this ad on May 28th on seattle-tacoma craigslist > south king > missed connections:

How was your trip to Maui??? – w4m – 25 (SeaTac)

We met at at an airport parking place in Seatac on May 19th.

I was going to Disneyland and you were going to Maui.

You helped my daughter and I out with our luggage.

If you remember me, please let me know!

Then, a few days later, came this rather interesting rebuttal:

Hi,

You posted this for my husband.

His trip to Maui went fine, I was a day late due to a conference.

Why do you want to know how his trip went?

You must be the lady he mentioned when we were in Hilo.

He said you have a nice looking daughter and thought that you may have adopted her.

He said you stared at him plenty.

Mrs. Jake B.

Popularity: 54% [?]

SEATAC – A three-alarm fire burned through the old abandoned Angle Lake School around 6pm Saturday.

King County emergency officials said the blaze was at 19215 28th Avenue South, and required firefighting units from Tukwila, Burien, the Port of Seattle, Kent and King County.

A large plume of black smoke could be seen rising from the building.

The building is believed to be a total loss, said David Nelson of the SeaTac Fire Department.

No one was inside at the time of the blaze, and there are no injuries.

The school building was constructed in the 1930s, and has been unoccupied since 2005, Nelson said.

It is currently owned by the Port of Seattle.

SOURCE:

• KOMO News

View Larger Map

Popularity: 18% [?]