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VANCOUVER - A judge set bail at $1 million for a 27-year-old Vancouver man accused of shooting a man multiple times late Sunday night.
Misael Dominguez-Naillon appeared Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree attempted murder.
The judge granted the prosecution’s request that Dominguez-Naillon be prohibited from possessing firearms and required to surrender any guns prior to his release. He is scheduled to be arraigned March 31.
The deputy prosecutor said he requested the high bail amount because of the nature of the allegation and public safety concerns.
Vancouver police responded at 11:54 p.m. to multiple 911 callers who reported hearing gunshots near the Brookside 112 Apartments, 4619 N.E. 112th Ave., according to court records.
Officers responded and found a man, identified as Jordan R. Bottrell, had been shot multiple times. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment, court records state.
The shooting occurred near the south driveway entrance of the Beverage Tobacco Zone, 11320 N.E. 49th St., north of the apartments. The store’s surveillance footage captured a person, whom police believe to be Dominguez-Naillon, shooting Bottrell multiple times with what appeared to be a semi-automatic AR-15-style rifle, according to court records.
The video shows Bottrell falling to the ground and Dominguez-Naillon riding away on a bicycle in the direction of the apartments, court records state.
“Based on the video I observed, I did not see any justifiable reason as to why Dominguez-Naillon shot Bottrell,” a Vancouver police officer wrote in the probable cause affidavit. “Dominguez-Naillon also demonstrated extreme indifference to human life and engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death to Bottrell.”
Officers located Dominguez-Naillon at one of the apartment units, where he surrendered and was taken into custody, according to police.
A search of the apartment and an associated apartment by detectives from the Crime Reduction Team and Major Crimes Unit yielded multiple firearms, including the gun believed to have been used in the shooting, according to police.
Dominguez-Naillon declined to speak with officers, except to ask for an attorney, court records state.
COLVILLE - High schoolers from Upper Columbia Academy in Spangle traveled to Colville to help offer a fresh start for those in need as the city prepares to close its homeless camp.
On Sunday morning, more than 30 high school students volunteered at Bridges of Hope, a new transitional housing facility in Colville that will help up to 10 men transitioning out of homelessness or recovery. The Astor Avenue house, donated by former prisoners’ rights nonprofit the November Coalition, is part of a project by Shelley and Barry Bacon, co-founders of Hope Street Restoration who hope it will offer a pathway out of the homeless camp.
“We don’t think you can talk about ending homelessness without talking about housing,” Barry said. “We have to have housing. And nobody’s been building affordable, entry-level housing for a long time in this area.”
Colville city officials announced last year that all individuals at the homeless camp must be completely moved out by October 2025.
The decision aligns with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from July, which determined that laws prohibiting the homeless from camping on public property do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
‘Your school helped me’
Before the Bacons sectioned off the students across the house project, Richard Smith, who works at Hope Street, stood in front of them and shared a personal story that changed the trajectory of his life.
Last year, Smith suffered an aortic dissection.
“I got a new scar for the rest of my life,” he said.
Prior to this incident, Smith had been living out of his truck for months. He made his way to Colville with the intention of selling his car and having someone take him to Colville National Forest to end his life.
That’s when he met Teresa Lang, director of the Hope Street Rest Stop, and eventually Shelley and Barry Bacon.
“(Barry) said to me, one day, ‘Hey, man, where are you sleeping?’ I said, ‘In my truck.’ He said, ‘No, you’re not. You’re gonna sleep here,’ ” Smith said. “Maybe a month later, I woke up one day to go volunteer with (Lang) at Hope Street, and I had this pain in my chest.”
After doctors diagnosed him with an aortic dissection due to untreated high blood pressure, he was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.
While he was in the hospital, a previous group of students from Upper Columbia Academy helped restore a cabin for him, ensuring he would have a place to rest and recover once he was discharged.
“Your school helped me, and I appreciate that. Housing is health,” Smith told a group of students.
Eden Wiltison, a junior at Upper Columbia Academy, said growing up, she witnessed family members in and out of rehab facilities and on the street. So when Smith shared his story, she felt inspired by his bravery.
“It really touched me, because I felt like God led me here,” Wiltison said. “It’s just really touching that I could help someone that has dealt with the same thing as my family.”
Noelle Haeger, also a junior, said her grandma Gayle Haeger is a manager for the Better Living Center in Spokane, where they give food to homeless people and people in need.
Having heard Smith’s story only makes her feel more connected to the project and their work.
“It made me really excited, because it connects with me and because I get to help out with that too, and I really enjoy it,” Haeger said.
By the end of the restoration of the Bridges of Hope project, the Bacons hope to provide a community kitchen, art and music areas, multiple bathrooms and rooms, and a quiet area for men to live in as they transition out of homelessness and into sober living.
Their next project, Patrick’s Place, will follow the same concept, but will be designed for women to help continue reducing homelessness in the area. Bridges of Hope is reserved for men based on the need in the community.
“We think that creating a pathway out of homelessness, addiction, recurring incarceration, untreated mental illness is the best strategy. We want to solve the problem, rather than just putting a fence around it or sending them out of town,” Barry Bacon said.
Ironing out a plan
Because of the decision to close the homeless camp, Colville Mayor Jack Smith said the city will need to repay an estimated $50,000 to $60,000 of a loan from Stevens County. The city had planned to allocate around $80,000 total for up to 10 years.
The loan covered hiring a facility manager and miscellaneous expenses for the homeless camp.
“The total amount is prorated out based on time served on the original 10-year commitment,” Mayor Smith said. “… We have most of that set aside in a contingency fund prepared just in case things developed this way.”
The town’s rough timeline began on Jan. 1, when it stopped accepting new residents into the lot. Mayor Smith said they still plan to begin moving individuals out in April, with the goal of having everyone out by October.
But he said that after everybody in the homeless camp received a flyer with resources and the timeline on first-departure notices for April, most of the people who had been living at the homeless camp left.
“We’re already down to only 13 people left in the camp, from a high of 42 in the summer, because people essentially are understanding that the camp is going to close, and many of them are just taking it upon themselves, just to leave,” Mayor Smith said.
Barry Bacon and Mayor Smith said they have kept tabs on people who remained in the area – many have applied for housing, others have entered treatment facilities and some have been incarcerated.
Mayor Smith estimates that about 5% have stayed in Colville. He emphasized that by upping their policing in and around the city, there hasn’t been an appreciable increase in the amount of homeless people.
However, Barry Bacon argues that there are multiple homeless people in Colville.
“They have to stay under the radar, because the intention is that at some point there are going to be consequences to living in public space,” he said. “That’s the difficult part of the conversation. There are still hundreds of people in Stevens County who are homeless, and sending them off is not a good strategy.
“This is their home.”
Barry Bacon said that Catholic Charities’ new apartments in Colville have helped provide additional housing for people in the area, but there are still many more who need a place to live in Stevens County.
The Bacons have been working alongside other organizations, such as Rural Resources, Tri-County Health District, NEW Alliance and Northeast and Heartland Medical Center, in creating strategies for next steps for people who are homeless and in need.
Cruze Thompson, housing director of Rural Resources, said the nonprofit that helps people in northeastern Washington is working to refer people from the homeless camp to local food banks and other organizations, such as Hope Street, while also assisting with housing as the camp nears its closure.
However, due to concerns about the next contract for their rental program, Rural Resources anticipates a significant budget cut ahead.
Thompson said they won’t know for sure until the first or second week of May but hope to continue to assist however they can.
“We currently have about 100 households on our rental assistance programs for Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing, and I believe if the cuts occur, it’ll be unlikely that we’ll be able to add additional people onto either of those programs,” Thompson said. “… But we’re not going to know until the state budget closes and then the Department of Commerce gets their allocation and their calculations for their grantees.”
In addition, Alaina Kowitz, communications and outreach manager for Rural Resources, said a portion of the organization’s Housing department’s funding comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which saw less money come in than expected under the federal funding bill passed on Friday.
“(The Department of Government Efficiency) has also called for deep cuts within HUD … which would increase delays in funding and processing,” she said in an email.
Barry Bacon said they have been holding housing coalition meetings with Rural Resources, other nonprofit organizations and Smith to work toward a more clear solution. Despite some progress, they have yet to find it.
“We’re talking with the leadership in the community and leadership in the county about the strategy, and what we’re finding is that it appears there isn’t a clear strategy,” Barry Bacon said. “We’re trying to create one by bringing as many like-minded organizations together.”
SPOKANE - Spokane County Sheriff’s detectives uncovered a lab for extracting the hallucinogen Dimethyltryptamine and a psilocybin mushroom grow at a residence near Yasuhara Middle School and Gonzaga Preparatory School, according to the sheriff’s office.
Detectives arrested 34-year-old Zachary S. Kennedy on several drug charges.
A detective used a confidential informant to purchase a controlled substance at two different times from Kennedy at the suspect’s rented residence, 2903 N. Perry St., according to court documents.
Detectives searched the Perry Street address March 5 and arrested Kennedy on suspicion of two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The sheriff’s office processed and collected evidence at the home while seizing large quantities of DMT, mushrooms, multiple gallons of toxic waste and firearms, the release said. The Washington State Department of Ecology assisted with transporting and destroying multiple gallons of recovered hazardous waste, which was made during the manufacturing of DMT, a hallucinogen.
Kennedy was released on his own recognizance after his first appearance March 6 in Spokane County Superior Court.
Detectives arrested Kennedy again on Monday on suspicion of six newly added felony charges, including four counts of possession/delivery/manufacturing of a controlled substance, hazardous waste violations and unlawful use of a building for drug purposes.
Kennedy remained in the Spokane County Jail for Tuesday night.
FIFE, Wash. — The Fife Police Department is investigating a possible incident of impersonating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after an SUV circled the parking lot of a Ukrainian grocery store with the word "ICE" across the side of the vehicle.
The SUV also had a circular emblem, similar to the one used by federal agents.
According to the manager of Emish Market, the store's security guard was able to get close enough to the vehicle to read a much smaller decal beneath the word "ICE," which said "delivery."
Surveillance video shared with KING 5 shows the vehicle enter the parking lot and without ever pulling into a space. When the security guard approached the SUV, it pulled out of the lot.
The manager said the security officer noticed at least two people inside the vehicle, one of which appeared to be recording video.
"They were acting very weird. Unfortunately, some customers and employees didn't understand if they're real or not," said Olena Rae, the store's manager. "We just don't want our customers to be afraid of situations like that. We don't want our employees to get scared."
Rae believes they may have been targeted by the suspected imposters for intimidation. She said about 60% of the store's employees and customers are Ukrainian immigrants, authorized to be in the United States through the U.S. government's Uniting for Ukraine program.
"They have a language barrier and in this situation, when dealing with authorities, they don't really know their rights. They get scared," she said. "I feel like these fake ICE [agents] are mean and intimidating."
Rae said she was told by police the people in the vehicle appeared to be imposters. The Fife Police Department confirmed they're investigating.
In a statement, an ICE spokesperson said the agency "strongly condemns" the impersonation of its agents, calling it "dangerous and illegal."
RICHLAND - The family of a motorcyclist who was killed in a crash with an off-duty Washington State Patrol trooper has filed a wrongful lawsuit against the trooper.
The lawsuit alleges that Trooper Sarah L. Clasen was intoxicated when she failed to yield the right-of-way and turned in front of 20-year-old Jhoser Sanchez on State Route 240 in Richland on March 1.
Sanchez died from his injuries in the crash.
Clasen, 35, was arrested for vehicular homicide with suspicion of DUI. She was driving her personal vehicle at the time of the crash.
The case was transferred to the Richland Police Department for investigation.
Responding officers said Clasen appeared to be under the influence at the time of the crash.
In body camera footage from the Richland Police Department showing Clasen's arrest, she appears to refuse any field sobriety tests. However, officers ended up getting a warrant from a judge and transported her to a local hospital to have her blood drawn to determine her level of impairment.
She was booked into the Benton County jail and was released on her own recognizance a few days later.
Clasen is a 14-year veteran of the WSP who was assigned to the Yakima field office.
The trooper faces a vehicular homicide charge.
She is on administrative leave.
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — An 18-year-old man is dead after a shooting at a Mount Vernon Chevron station late Monday night.
Officers said they were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 2200 block of East College Way at 11:40 p.m.
They arrived to find a man with a gunshot wound. Mount Vernon police gave him first aid until medics arrived and took him to Harborview Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.
A photo from Mount Vernon police showed crime scene tape surrounding some of the gas pumps.
Police said they believe the shooting was an isolated incident as they continue to investigate.
If you witnessed the shooting or have information that would help investigators, you’re asked to call 24-hour dispatch at 360-428-3211 or Mount Vernon police during business hours at 360-336-6271.
SEATTLE — A man police say is responsible for over 20 bank robberies throughout Seattle and King County has been arrested.
The arrest took place on Monday afternoon, following a months-long investigation by the Seattle Police Department's (SPD) Robbery and Gun Violence Reduction Units, along with North Precinct patrol officers.
The 42-year-old man allegedly began his spree in January, targeting multiple banks in King County, including 15 in Seattle. During the robberies, he reportedly used a note to demand money while disguising his face with a mask and glasses.
A breakthrough in the case came when the SPD’s Latent Print Unit matched a fingerprint from one of the crime scenes to the man.
On March 17, robbery detectives received information about his whereabouts. After several hours of surveillance, they located the suspect walking in the 13000 block of 15th Avenue Northeast.
Detectives coordinated with patrol resources to arrest the suspect without incident. He was then transported to Seattle Police Headquarters, where robbery unit detectives and the FBI conducted interviews.
The 42-year-old man has been booked into the King County Jail for investigation of robbery. Authorities said more charges are expected as investigations by Seattle and surrounding agencies continue.
KENT, Wash. — Kent police are crediting quick-thinking witnesses for stepping up to help a domestic violence victim who was seen trying to escape from a man who was forcing her into a vehicle.
Multiple people called 911 on Friday evening to report the incident, which started at Blinker’s Tavern on Washington Avenue.
Witnesses reported seeing the pair physically fighting, with the man dragging the woman back into the vehicle against her will. They were able to take photos of the suspect’s vehicle, provide a license plate number, and give a detailed description of the suspect, enabling officers to quickly locate the suspect and make an arrest.
According to court documents, a witness heard the suspect threaten the victim, saying, "I’ll kick your teeth in," before pushing her outside and tearing her clothing as he forced her into the vehicle. Despite attempts by witnesses to stop the vehicle from leaving, the victim reportedly said, "she was too scared and that the male would not let her get out."
A woman driving in the area also noticed the commotion and saw the vehicle driving erratically with the couple fighting inside. She took a photo, noted the license plate, and called 911, following the vehicle to a nearby parking lot where she witnessed the woman trying to escape, only to be dragged back inside.
A Renton-based organization, Project Be Free, helped the victim, who lives out of state, find a place to stay, get in contact with her family, and also get a temporary order of protection.
"This is a primary example of how oftentimes violence is going to leave the household and how it’s important for us as community and residents to know how to respond in a certain instance like that, not to say we’re required to step in, but at least in knowing that law enforcement is there to assist," Katya Wojcik, co-founder and executive director of Project Be Free, said.
Wojcik told KOMO News their organization responded to more than 1,600 calls for assistance like this one just last year.
I wish I could say it was not normal," Wojcik said. "I think there are different degrees of severity of cases that we respond to and unfortunately some of the cases that we respond to there is actually a death.
Despite officers stating the suspect, a 30-year-old man from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, poses an "active threat" to the victim if released, the suspect's bail was set at $50,000. Jail records show the suspect was released Saturday. The suspect is facing possible charges for kidnapping, assault and DUI. King County prosecutors expect to file charges by Wednesday.
SEATTLE — A long-awaited safety team is now open for business in Little Saigon.
The Seattle company, We Deliver Care (WDC), just deployed a six-member outreach team in the neighborhood within Seattle's Chinatown-International District.
The members work to create a constant presence in the neighborhood by working 'every street and alley' in Little Saigon. They hope that presence will lead to trusting relationships and eventually help rid the area of discord and a rash of crime, violence, drug use, and homelessness.
Former Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo is overjoyed to know the group is finally working the street of the troubled neighborhood. "We've been wanting them for so long and fighting for them to come here," said Wood, "Watching them for the first time walk up King Street towards 12th, I felt tears come to my eyes."
She said she wants to see Little Saigon return to the community she remembers before the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Little Saigon has changed so much in the last couple of years. I remember growing up and seeing it thrive, and now, it's like a war zone. There is fencing and barbed wire, and multiple storefronts are closed."
She insists it's time to help people, not just move them around the city. Woo noted some of the criminal activity in Little Saigon has shifted away from the corner of 12th Ave. S and Jackson Street - deemed by the city as a policing hotspot - to King Street and 12th Ave S. - not far from Summit Sierra High School among other areas.
"This is our fighting chance to connect with people who need help and try to get people inside," Woo said.
KOMO News caught up with some of the WDC team members Tuesday as they walked the neighborhood. They are trained in de-escalation tactics and how to quickly identify, assess, and respond to the population they serve. When they do intervene, WDC Supervisor David Johnson said one less 9-11 call is made - freeing up officers in a department struggling was staffing.
"Our goal is to cut down on dealing with the officers having them come out to businesses when they can be doing other things," said Johnson.
Their typical work day involves connecting with businesses and residents, with an emphasis on the people struggling and in need of help - dealing with everything from drug addiction and mental health issues to homelessness and loitering. The come armed with a stash of supplies; from water and cigarettes to Narcan and food. But the biggest resource their willingness to help and offer support, letting people know someone cares about them.
On this day, people were happy to see the group, some even recognized the team members who have only been working the Little Saigon neighborhood since Thursday. One woman had no shoes and the team gave her a fair of flip flops, others clamored for a bottle of water, some snacks and conversation. Johnson said he thinks some of the people they helped on Third Avenue, when the city deployed them in 2023 to help with similar issues.
The team members work in groups and cover the hours of 6 a.m. through 9:30 p.m.
"When they wake up we are here to greet them to see what they need, and when they get ready to close their eyes we let them know we love them and when you wake up you'll l see us again and they be looking for us."
The members know it's a long game, but one that's worth it and can have a positive outcome said Johnson. He knows it's possible because like his team members, each comes to the company with similar life experiences as the people they are helping. Johnson said he was living on Seattle streets at the age of 16 in the early 90s. He said he didn't get clean until 2008. He's now 50 and giving back, telling his personal story, and insisting that if he can do it, they can too.
"Everyone of us has a life experience from out here on the same streets. When they see me, I'm like, let's go! Come on, if it worked for me? Come on!"
Woo said the city council, in 2024, voted to fund the program, but it just deployed late last week. She said that funding would run out in October, and the hope was to rely on federal dollars to continue funding it, but she now worries with the political climate and cuts from the Trump Administration, those dollars could be in jeopardy.
BELLINGHAM - An eight-month-old child was found by Bellingham Police overnight Monday after the baby was kidnapped.
According to the Bellingham Police Department (BPD), the child’s father barged into the mother’s home and took the baby to Bellevue, where troopers arrested him hours later.
“On this St. Patrick’s Day, normally a day of levity and celebration, began with a terrifying call to 911,” BPD stated in a post on Facebook. “He does not live at the residence, nor does he have full custody of the infant. His plan was to abscond with the infant to Nevada in his white Equinox.”
The father was found driving the Equinox on Interstate 90 (I-90) near Bellevue. When BPD stopped the vehicle, officers arrested the father and found the baby unharmed. The father now faces kidnapping and burglary charges.
The Detective Division of Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the Washington State Patrol (WSP) all contributed to the swift investigation tracking the father down.
“We want to thank the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Bellingham, and the WSP for their assistance in this case,” Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig said. “A kidnapped child is truly one of the most terrifying calls to which we can respond. I am very proud of how our patrol and detective divisions responded and worked hard to resolve this case swiftly, bringing this infant home safely to their mother.”
SEATTLE — One person was hurt and taken to hospital following a hit-and-run in North Seattle Monday afternoon, according to police.
Seattle police and fire crew confirmed that a black Range Rover SUV collided with a parked vehicle and a bystander was struck. The bystander was a 44-year-old man, who was a construction worker on a job site. He was taken to hospital in stable condition, and the driver of the Range Rover ran off.
Witnesses told police the victim was thrown into the air.
According to the Seattle Department of Transportation, the collision on Greenwood Avenue North, just south of 115th Street, blocked all southbound lanes in Seattle’s Broadview neighborhood. Drivers were asked to use alternative routes around 4:45 p.m.
According to SPD, the suspect was not found and no arrests had been made as of 6 p.m. on Monday. The SUV was towed/impounded from the scene.
If anyone has any information regarding the identity of the driver, please call the tip line at 206-233-5000.