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CLARK COUNTY - A prosecutor on Tuesday promised to walk a Clark County jury through what began as a fatal car crash investigation but investigators later found to be a targeted drive-by shooting.
Branden Lombardo was pronounced dead Nov. 6, 2022, after his car veered off Northeast Fourth Plain Boulevard and crashed near the intersection of 65th Avenue in central Vancouver. An autopsy revealed the 26-year-old had actually died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to investigators.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Dan Gasperino said investigators used phone records and surveillance video to identify Yana Cook as the shooter.
In his opening statement, the prosecutor said he would ask the Superior Court jury to find Cook, 27, guilty of first-degree murder.
Gasperino said the jurors would hear from the mother and son who were driving east on Fourth Plain Boulevard behind Lombardo’s maroon Chevrolet Malibu. When the Chevrolet crashed, they pulled over to check on the driver. The son pulled an injured Lombardo from the car, who was later pronounced dead.
The jury will see hours of surveillance video over the course of the trial, Gasperino said, which captured an Infiniti SUV pull up to the left of the Chevrolet followed by an apparent muzzle flash from the Infiniti’s passenger side.
He said he would also show jurors video of the Chevrolet leaving a nearby apartment complex and being followed by the Infiniti with its headlights off, despite the 8 p.m. darkness. Cook can be seen entering the passenger side of the Infiniti, the prosecutor said.
Cook’s phone records placed him in Vancouver the weekend of the shooting and showed that he left town afterward, Gasperino said.
Cook was arrested, Gasperino said, when he arrived for a probation check-in with the Washington State Department of Corrections in Raymond.
Defense attorney Katie Kauffman asked the jury to pay close attention to the evidence, which she said would be lacking. She told jurors they would hear about an incomplete investigation, conflicting information and witnesses whom she said are biased.
The trial is scheduled to last seven days.
SPOKANE - The prosecution and defense agree that Gunnar Doughty shot 30-year-old Dylan McCorkle in the head last winter outside a Logan Neighborhood home in Spokane.
Prosecutors, however, attached a murder charge to the killing, while Doughty’s attorneys say their client fired in self-defense.
Attorneys made opening arguments Tuesday in the second-degree murder trial of the 33-year-old Doughty.
“ ‘What are you gonna do? Shoot me?’ Those are the last words Dylan McCorkle spoke before Gunnar Doughty shot him in the center of his forehead, ending his life,” Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Katherine McNulty told the jury to begin her opening statement.
McNulty said McCorkle and Doughty, who wore a suit in court Tuesday, got into an argument the night of Feb. 1, 2024, in which Doughty called McCorkle’s girlfriend a variety of bad names, upsetting McCorkle.
Shortly before 2 a.m. the next day, McCorkle, who lived two doors down from Doughty, walked the short distance to Doughty’s home on the corner of Hamilton Street and Jackson Avenue to discuss the argument, McNulty said.
McCorkle was shirtless and indicated he was high on methamphetamine when Caisha Wilmoth encountered McCorkle walking up and down the street minutes before the shooting, Wilmoth testified Tuesday. Wilmoth moved out of the Hamilton Street home a couple of months before the shooting, and Doughty had since moved in. She knew McCorkle and Doughty.
She told police in court documents she pleaded with McCorkle to walk back home and was aware Doughty was always armed with a gun. McCorkle instead walked onto the Hamilton Street property.
Wilmoth said McCorkle was calling for Doughty to exit the Hamilton Street home. Doughty, who was armed with a 9 mm pistol, eventually came outside, stepped off the porch and into the front yard where McCorkle and Wilmoth stood.
Wilmoth testified that McCorkle, who was unarmed, was about 3 feet in front of Doughty. McCorkle then asked Doughty if he was going to shoot him before Doughty fired one shot, striking McCorkle, she said.
McNulty played a 911 call disc in court where Wilmoth could be heard speaking to a 911 operator and screaming hysterically after witnessing the killing. Some of McCorkle’s loved ones became emotional and left the courtroom during the playing of the 911 call. Wilmoth, who was still on the stand, also shed tears.
McNulty said less than one minute transpired from the time Doughty stepped outside to when he shot McCorkle. Doughty then ran south on Hamilton Street, Wilmoth said.
McNulty said Doughty went to his girlfriend’s home, which is about six blocks from the shooting scene and where he was arrested less than a week later after a long SWAT standoff. Doughty barricaded himself in a crawl space during the standoff, according to police.
Law enforcement recovered a gun in the space that matched the shell casing found next to McCorkle, McNulty said.
Meanwhile, Travis Jones, one of Doughty’s attorneys, said McCorkle showed up drunk and high at Doughty’s house “to finish what he started” hours earlier. Doughty told McCorkle calmly to “come here,” trying to de-escalate the situation that morning, said Jones, citing video evidence.
Jones said McCorkle can be heard saying an expletive to Doughty and telling him he can’t disrespect McCorkle’s girlfriend. Doughty then showed McCorkle his gun to get him off his property. McCorkle lunged at Doughty with one hand out and one hand behind his back, Jones said.
Believing McCorkle was armed, Doughty shot him.
Wilmoth testified that McCorkle’s hands were up in the air before he was shot.
Jones said his client was reacting to the argument the day before and threats that this was going to be “finished later,” McCorkle and his girlfriend made to Doughty over social media. Jones said Doughty knew McCorkle was violent.
“Doughty believed he was facing an angry, aggressive, persistent threat that was probably armed at his home, that was refusing to leave,” Jones said.
Doughty pleaded guilty last week to unlawful possession of a firearm related to the shooting. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Julie McKay is presiding during the trial.
SEATTLE — An Auburn driver is facing multiple charges in connection to the deadly crash on Interstate 5 Friday, during which an SUV fell from an overpass, killing one passenger and causing several car crashes on the northbound lanes below.
Daud S. Mohamud, a 30-year-old man from Auburn, was charged with felony hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license, violation of an ignition interlock and four counts of reckless endangerment, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Mohamud remains in jail on a $100,000 bail. His arraignment is set for March 24.
Just weeks before the crash, he was charged and sentenced for first-degree negligent driving in January. He was also convicted of driving under the influence in 2020 and had another DUI charge related to drugs in 2021. Mohamud has amassed 35 traffic infractions, many for speeding, since 2013.
Last Friday, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) received a call about the crash around 10:15 a.m.
Charging documents stated Mohamud was driving a black SUV, registered to his father, with two passengers. On the state Route 599 overpass, Mohamud reportedly rammed the SUV into a barrier, which careened across all lanes and crashed over another barrier, falling approximately 30 feet onto the freeway below.
Mohamud and his two friends were on the way to pick up his sister from a Burien medical clinic when the crash occurred.
Mohamud was thrown from the car before it fell, landing on SR 599. One of his passengers, identified as 26-year-old Abdiqadir Ahmed, was ejected from the falling SUV and died at the scene. A second passenger, a 21-year-old man, was trapped inside the car and suffered severe injuries.
None of the people inside the SUV were wearing seatbelts, WSP said.
Prosecutors claim Mohamud ran from the scene once he regained consciousness. Law enforcement officers found him near the overpass and covered in blood. While speaking with troopers, prosecutors said he threw his wallet into the bushes to avoid being identified.
Mohamud denied he was driving at the time of the crash, claiming Ahmed was behind the wheel.
Mohamud was not wearing shoes when contacted by troopers but said he had been previously wearing black Crocs. A pair of black Crocs was found in the driver's side near the pedals.
WSP officials determined erratic driving caused the crash. Drugs and alcohol were not involved.
Three other vehicles that were on I-5 were involved in the collision when the vehicle fell off the overpass.
A blue Subaru hit the SUV on the freeway. A gray Tesla stopped to avoid the crash and was rear-ended by a black Toyota 4Runner. A white Acura swerved to avoid the SUV and hit the side of the 4Runner.
The driver of the Subaru was injured and taken to the hospital.
Three people were hospitalized with minor injuries, and another person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to Pat Pawlak, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority spokesperson.
LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Police are investigating after six Tesla Cybertrucks were vandalized at a Tesla dealership in Lynnwood.
According to the Lynnwood Police Department (LPD), six vehicles were vandalized with spray paint sometime between midnight and 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the dealership located at 17731 Pacific Highway.
Photos and video circulating online show multiple Tesla Cybertrucks with phrases referencing Elon Musk and swastikas in red spray paint.
“This is an active investigation, and detectives are working on this case,” LPD Cmdr. Joe Dickinson told KOMO News.
Investigators are still in the process of getting any surveillance video from Tesla that may show possible suspects, but KOMO News spoke with one victim whose Cybertruck was vandalized.
"I really think it’s a message of ignorance and being uneducated," the victim, who wanted to remain anonymous, said. "If you’re doing this to people that work 9 to 5, that make a living, you’re doing this to people who already purchased the vehicle from Elon. He already has our money, why would you purposefully do this to people that work hard, work every day to afford nice luxuries, and you’re going against people who work 9 to 5, I don’t get that."
Police so far have not found any connection between this incident and the fire in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood Sunday night which damaged four Cybertrucks. The cause of that fire is still under investigation. Seattle police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are investigating that case.
"It’s too early to tell really (if there's a possible connection), there’s a lot that still needs to be investigated before those conversations come into play, but it’s not out of the question to be looked at so it’s just a matter of time of gathering facts," Cmdr. Dickinson said.
The incidents come as several local and nationwide protests have been taking place at Tesla dealerships as protesters speak out against Tesla owner Elon Musk and his role in the Trump administration with the Department of Government Efficiency cutting more than 62,000 federal jobs. President Donald Trump also declared Tuesday any violence against Tesla dealerships would be considered 'domestic terrorism.'
Over the weekend, there were various local protests at Tesla dealerships in Lynnwood, as well as in Bellevue, Fife, Tacoma, Renton, South Lake Union, and University Village.
Local protest organizers have told KOMO News they are not involved in these incidents, and this is not what they stand for.
"It’s not my approach, it’s not the approach of the people around me," Devin Hermanson, who has helped organize some of the local Tesla protests, told KOMO News. "It’s just not the way we do things, and in some ways I think it’s not really helpful. I want people to see us as a peaceful movement."
"As long as people don't feel they're being heard, they're watching their democracy be dismantled, they feel they need an outlet, then they're gonna start acting out in ways that sometimes we don't like," Hermanson added. "I don't want that, but I can understand where it comes from."
The FBI Seattle office sent KOMO News the following statement in an email:
"FBI Seattle is aware of multiple recent incidents in Washington state related to vandalism of Tesla vehicles and is working with our partners, including ATF and local law enforcement agencies, to determine if federal crimes were committed. We are not able to provide additional details at this time but encourage anyone who has information to contact law enforcement."
There is another anti-Musk protest scheduled for Wednesday at the SpaceX and Starlink offices in Redmond.
KENT, Wash. — Two convicted felons who were arrested on warrants in Kent are under investigation for multiple ATM robberies in King and Pierce Counties.
The Renton Violent Crime Unit and Valley SWAT arrested a 39-year-old man and woman on Friday.
The man has five felony convictions and was arrested on two felony warrants for illegal possession of a firearm. The woman has 23 felony convictions and was arrested on warrants for residential burglary and motor vehicle theft.
According to police, the man surrendered without incident after several prompts, and the woman attempted to hide in a refrigerator before she was arrested.
Officers found two loaded weapons, a fully automatic Glock and a rifle, along with seven cell phones police said were possibly used in crimes. The items were found while authorities executed a search warrant following the arrest.
Investigators believe the two have been connected to an ATM theft ring in King and Pierce counties since late 2024.
SEATTLE — 10 people were arrested and a significant amount of drugs were seized during a narcotics operation in Seattle on Monday.
According to Seattle police, the operation targeted hotspots in Belltown and Little Saigon. Officers from the West Precinct, along with detectives from the Narcotics Unit, conducted several arrests near Third Avenue and Bell Street. Police also maintained an enhanced presence along 12th Avenue South which resulted in several arrests near 12th Avenue South and South Weller Street.
While a suspect was being arrested, another person approached a Seattle police officer and inquired if the officer wanted to "trade crack for a cigarette." That person was also taken into custody.
A man and woman were arrested after investigators saw them exchanging a white, powdery rock substance with buyers for cash. Fentanyl, meth, and cash were recovered from them after their arrest.
According to police, the operation concluded with 10 arrests, including three on felony warrants. More than 259 grams of narcotics, over $1,900 in cash, and a firearm with its serial number removed were seized as a result of the operation as well.
TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma woman is facing charges after being accused of filing a false police report regarding a sexual assault that allegedly occurred in December at Point Defiance Park.
The woman claimed she was attacked and sexually assaulted by an unknown man wearing a mask, gloves, and dark clothing while walking her dog near the park's dog area.
The woman told police she drove herself to the hospital where staff conducted a forensic exam. Detectives met the woman there and also went to the crime scene to collect evidence.
However, following a comprehensive investigation, the city's prosecutor's office determined that the claims did not align with the findings of the investigation.
As a result, the woman has been charged with filing a false report.
Point Defiance Park had several additional security measures in place following the stabbing of a woman last February.
Portable cameras were positioned at park entrances to record who came and went. Those cameras were removed as the winter months set in though. The cameras were only intended to remain through the summer months when the park sees a higher volume of visitors.
It's currently unknown when the portable cameras will return to the park.
KING COUNTY, Wash. — The man accused of killing Renton business owner Reyna Hernandez last February is back in King County after being extradited from Mexico.
61-year-old Louie Hernandez was charged with first-degree murder in connection to Reyna Hernandez’s death. Reyna was found dead in a cemetery in Mexico in March of 2024 after she was reported missing from Renton in February of 2024.
Louie was arrested in Mexico for possession of drugs and ammunition shortly after Reyna’s body was discovered at a local cemetery.
Louie remained jailed in Mexico awaiting extradition to King County to face trial since his arrest last year. He is currently in the King County jail on a $5 million bail.
Court documents allege that within minutes of Reyna Hernandez entering Louie Hernandez's home on Feb. 26, he put a gun to her head and pulled the trigger. Court documents say Louie Hernandez then used the winch system from his son's Jeep to drag Reyna Hernandez's body into the back of her vehicle before driving down to Mexico.
Reyna Hernandez's body was found lying in a Mexican cemetery about a week later, court documents say.
The RPD said detectives began investigating immediately after Reyna Hernandez disappeared from Renton in late February of 2024. On March 8, 2024, detectives learned her body was found in a cemetery in Mexico. Reyna's body was wrapped in a blanket that was tied together with a rope, according to court documents.
Court documents also said a second rope was tied to her ankle, with the other end tied to a tree. The tire marks near her body, according to court documents, allege that Louie Hernandez backed into the space, tied Reyna Hernandez to the tree, and drove away, causing her body to be dragged back out of the vehicle to the ground.
'Foul play' suspected during missing person search
According to the RPD, Reyna Hernandez left her home in the Renton Highlands on Feb. 26, 2024, to run errands, but she never returned. Her friends reported her missing on Feb. 28, 2024, after they became concerned when she had not returned home, answered her phone, or returned to work at Reyna Hair Salon, the hair salon she owned.
In early March of 2024, detectives in Renton said foul play was suspected in the 54-year-old's disappearance.
Renton detectives were alerted to a Mexicali news article on March 8, 2024, about an unidentified body found in a local cemetery on the Tijuana Highway. Investigators on the missing persons case contacted Mexican authorities and provided enough information to identify the body as Reyna Hernandez.
Court documents say Reyna Hernandez’s body was returned to Washington on March 30, 2024, with the assistance of the FBI. The King County Medical Examiner completed an autopsy on April 1, 2024, and ruled her death a homicide.
Louis is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on March 18.
KIRKLAND, Wash. — People in Kirkland are pushing back against the plan for a housing facility for the chronically homeless.
A community meeting on Tuesday night brought the chance for residents to learn about incoming low-barrier housing and ask questions, but it got heated quickly as many in attendance said they're frustrated and feel like Kirkland and King County leaders have lacked in transparency and communication about what to expect in their neighborhood.
The former La Quinta Inn set to open on Northup Way in July, on property purchased by the county in 2022 for its Health Through Housing initiative, will eventually support 100 people.
During the presentation about the program at a Houghton Neighborhood Association meeting, Roger Bowlin from Kirkland said although he operates the largest business closest to the incoming facility, he claimed he's never been approached by the city of Kirkland about its safety plan or to get community input.
“This should not be there. You got kids all over the place,” Bowlin explained, referencing nearby daycares and a school. “If one member of my staff gets hurt, raped or robbed, I will sue [the city].”
Others were quick to make it known that while they support the mission to set up those in need with case workers and other services, they don't want it in their neighborhood.
Deputy City Manager Jim Lopez explained the city has drafted a code of conduct, including a no-weapons rule. Additionally, tenant interviews could lead to criminal background checks, and sex offenders will not be allowed to live in the facility as it's near a school.
But, many in the crowded room during a Q and A session said that's not enough when this county-funded Health Through Housing initiative will cost about $27,000 per unit per year, according to county estimates.
“The safety of our community is our top priority,” Lopez stated.
“No, it's not!” the crowd yelled in response.
“What you just said is the biggest bunch of b******t I've ever heard,” Bowlin added.
Lopez went on to explain what are the options if there were a negative impact on the surrounding homes or business community.
"There’s equitable relief where we can demand that they do what they said they were going to do, and then there’s damages. We can fine them if we win our case," Lopez explained. "We went through some significant detail to ensure in complete good faith, and the county did, as well, that we would live up to our promises."
City Councilmember John Tymczyszyn adds the city is working to ensure 65% of the supportive housing will help people from Kirkland or the east side.
Plymouth Housing is the facility operator. External Affairs Manager Sarah Dickmeyer said this facility will operate more like an apartment complex than a shelter in that tenants must follow lease terms or face eviction. When asked why the facility does not implement a requirement for its tenants to stay sober, she added that staff will maintain a compassionate approach to help people looking to overcome addiction.
“No country or government in the world has figured out how to eliminate addiction,” Dickmeyer said. “But, we do firmly believe that by creating community ties, by building trust, we get closer to it.”
An officer with Kirkland police said he understands people's concerns but is happy with the Plymouth safety plan which includes fencing, a buzz-in system to get into the building, and surveillance cameras.
SEATTLE - A Seattle man says his neighborhood playfield has been plagued by a growing homeless encampment, filled with broken down RVs, drug dealers, and drug-addicted homeless people who smoke fentanyl out in the open. And he complains the city hasn’t intervened.
“I’ve seen open-air drug use and drug selling. Just this past week, they constructed a drug tent right in front of the women’s bathroom in the Georgetown Playfield, and were actively smoking insider of the entryway so people can’t even get to the bathroom,” Greg, a longtime resident of Georgetown, explained exclusively to “The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.”
If it’s not the drug abuse, it’s the broken down RVs that are camped out in spots around the playfield, despite the city’s 72-hour parking limitation.
Greg, who is a former city worker, said the homeless are “crowding the parking spaces, leaving their trash all around the entrance of the parks where kids play.” He said it’s “infuriating” that the city isn’t handling the encampment.
While he’s reached out to the city, Greg says he’s basically being given the runaround. He’s told to file reports about the encampment via the city’s “Find It, Fix It” app, but that hasn’t generally led to encampment removals.
“The problem is there’s 200 other encampments that they’re trying to deal with a limited staff, so I get an auto-response every time I file an issue,” Greg said.
“I used to enjoy walking my dog, and get some exercise around the park. But now it’s just a bummer. You see these people suffering, they’re really mentally ill, and they’re addicted to drugs. Their behavior, it affects everyone around them, every place they go… we’re not solving a problem,” Greg complains of the city’s lack of plan.
City of Seattle is “closely monitoring” the encampment
A spokesperson for the city says they are “closely monitoring” the encampment and it’s on the prioritization list for “resolution” by the Unified Care Team (UCT).
“UCT prioritizes and addresses sites in collaboration with the Seattle Police Department and other partners based on the level of public impact and available shelter resources,” the spokesperson explained to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “SPD is also aware of the site and responsive to public safety concerns.”
The UCT is also “proactively removing trash and hazards from the site each week in an attempt to minimize public impact while the necessary shelter resources become available.” But Greg hasn’t seen much of a difference.
In any case, he’s hoping for some practical plans to address the homeless problem across Seattle.
“I view this as being just basic. Enforce the law and have these people be held accountable for their actions. And a lot of my friends who have gotten clean from drugs and alcohol, a lot of them were arrested and they were put in jail for a night. And nine times out of 10, they went through the path of sobriety after that because they had to take responsibility for what they’re doing and breaking the laws. We don’t have that anymore,” he said.
SEATTLE - A Seattle resident was charged with possessing child pornography, and now investigators are discovering this wasn’t the first time he’s faced these charges.
The suspect, Christopher Hamilton, 38, has been charged with possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in King County. According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, Hamilton took a lot of precautions to avoid getting caught, including using the dark web and meeting with another suspect in person to share the illegal images, instead of doing it online. The person Hamilton would share these images with was arrested on unrelated charges, which eventually led authorities to discover what Hamilton and the other suspect were involved with.
“(If not) for his co-conspirator being arrested on unrelated charges, it is unlikely he would have been discovered,” prosecutors stated in court documents obtained by KIRO Newsradio and MyNorthwest.
Prosecutors claimed Hamilton bragged to investigators about his collection of sexual abuse depictions, which is upwards of 50,000 images across 128 gigabytes of storage.
According to the court documents, prosecutors found Hamilton was previously convicted of possessing child sexual abuse materials back in 2012 — 13 years ago in Michigan.
“Given his prior conviction and his clear sophistication, high bail is necessary to protect the children in the community as he has done so much more than just collect and offer his collection of child sexual abuse to others,” prosecutors wrote. “He conspired with another on multiple occasions to rape minors in the most graphic and unambiguous language.”
Authorities found approximately 1,300 messages between Hamilton and the other suspect regarding their desire to commit sex crimes against children, including specifically discussing finding mothers willing to offer their children for sex and specific individuals who they think will meet their sexual needs.
Hamilton is currently being held on $250,000 bail.
SEATTLE — A man is in the hospital after being shot in the leg outside a Seattle grocery store late Monday night.
Seattle police officers responded to the parking lot of the Rainier Valley Safeway around 8:20 p.m. Monday after a reported shooting.
Police say a "disturbance" between the occupants of two vehicles led to a woman shooting a man in the leg in the parking lot of the Safeway. Police provided the victim, a 37-year-old man, medical treatment until he was transported to Harborview Medical Center in "serious, but stable" condition.
Police determined that the female suspect fled the scene in a vehicle "at a high rate of speed" before officers arrived.
A gun and additional evidence was collected at the scene, but police say no arrests have been made at this time.
WHITE CENTER, Wash. — One person was shot at a White Center marijuana store following an earlier burglary there.
The shooting happened at the West Seattle Marijuana Store at 10825 Myers Avenue South shortly before midnight Monday.
Deputies said that before the shooting, several people tried to break into the store.
According to a witness, when the owner arrived to fix a door, he was chased and then shot by the suspects who had been trying to break in.
One person was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
So far, there is no description of the suspects.