Seattle Police are looking for this man who a woman says attacked her in a frightening incident in late April on Capitol Hill. Details on the attack and the attacker's description from SPD are below. We'll follow up with more as we learn it.

Seattle police need your help identifying a man who attacked a woman on Capitol hill last month.

On April 28, 2012, the victim made plans to meet a friend at a club near Boylston Avenue E. and E. Olive Way. At approximately 10:30 p.m.,the victim parked her car near a coffee shop on E. Olive Way. The victim was using a GPS App on her phone to navigate her way from her car to the club.

The suspect approached the victim at E. Olive Wy and offered to escort her to the club. They walked eastbound on E. Olive Wy. He led her northbound on Belmont Av E. and then turned eastbound on E. Thomas St. The victim looked at her phone and realized they were going in the opposite direction of the club. The suspect led her into an alley off of E. Thomas St and said this would get them back toward the club.

The suspect had a lanyard, attached to keys, hanging out of his pants pocket. When the two walked into the alley, the suspect fell a step behind the victim. He dropped his lanyard/keys onto the ground. The suspect picked up his lanyard/keys, reached over the victim’s head, wrapped the lanyard around her neck, and began to strangle her from behind.

The victim fell backward on to the ground and the suspect straddled her, pinning her to the ground. The suspect punched the victim in the head and face. The victim fought back. She punched the suspect several times in his face and believes the keys she had in her hand may have cut his face. The suspect covered the victim’s mouth with his right hand, and she bit down on that hand. The suspect then ran off northbound through the alley toward E. Thomas Street.

The suspect is described as a white male, 23-25 years old, 5’09 tall, 170 pounds, slender build, dirty blond or strawberry blonde hair with a short buzz cut. He was wearing a white baseball cap, beige “Members Only” jacket, beige/khaki work pants (similar to Dickie’s brand), white tennis shoes (with white soles).

The suspect may have lacerations to his face and a bite wound on the inside of his right hand.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this suspect or information about this incident is asked to call the Seattle Police Department Sexual Assault tip line at 206-684-4882.  Anonymous tips are welcome.

• 18th Ave purse snatcher gets away: A witness called 911 Thursday afternoon after seeing a woman robbed of her purse on 18th Ave. Police arrived but couldn't find the perpetrator, the witness -- or the victim. Police received another call some 90 minutes later from the victim in the crime. She told police she had been walking in the 1700 block of 18th Ave when someone ran up behind her, grabbed her bag and dashed off. The report on the incident does not include information from the victim on why she decided to wait to call police.
• Man beaten after stepping into Dick's altercation: A man who stepped in when he believed a man was mistreating a woman at the Broadway Dick's Drive-In Thursday night ended up getting beaten up for his concern. According to police, the victim told officers he was at Dick's around 11p when he saw a man slapping a woman at the popular late night food spot. The victim said he confronted the male -- reported to be around 6'1" and 175 pounds -- and called him a "Nazi" because of the man's black combat boots with red laces. The suspect told the victim to mind his own business. The victim told police he walked away from the restaurant and was followed by the suspect to the corner of Broadway and E John where the angry male allegedly slapped the Dick's bag out of the victim's hands. The victim continued to try to walk away but the suspect followed and punched him in the face near 10th and E John. The victim said he fell to the ground where the suspect continued to punch him in the face until a witness called 911 and the suspect fled the scene. An area check for a man matching the suspect description was not successful. The victim was treated by Seattle Fire at the scene for injuries to his face.

Prosecutors announced Tuesday afternoon that they will not pursue charges against a Seattle photographer arrested during Seattle's May Day protests. CHS reported on the charges brought against two men with Capitol Hill connections -- Joshua Alex Garland and Bobby Ditrani -- in the wake of the protests. The county today said charges were being dropped against Garland because prosecutors "no longer believe they could prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt" following his arrest for allegedly assaulting a Seattle Police officer.

Garland, 28, works as a photographer and has done freelance work for CHS as well as working as a barista on Capitol Hill.

Prosecutors say they are continuing to purse a case against 23-year-old Capitol Hill art student Ditrani who police say spit on an officer and two other people arrested that day. SPD has formed a task force "to identify and bring charges against demonstrators" participating in property damage and violence reported from the May Day protestes. No additional charges have yet been announced as a result of the task force.

The King County Prosecutor's Office has dismissed charges against a protester who was accused of assaulting a Seattle police officer during the May Day protests in downtown Seattle. Joshua Garland, 28, was charged with one count of Assault Third Degree for allegedly grabbing a police officer's hand and twisting and pulling his arm. After reviewing video provided by Garland's defense attorney showing the alleged incident, prosecutors no longer believe they could prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The charge was dismissed today. Three other protesters are charged with assaulting police officers during the May 1st protests. Paul Campiche, 23, is charged with two counts of Assault Third Degree for allegedly throwing a bottle at an officer and then kicking a second officer who was attempting to arrest him. Robert Ditrani, 23, is charged with one count of Assault Fourth Degree. He is accused of spitting on an officer. Maria Morales, 30, is charged with Assault Fourth Degree for allegedly hitting an officer in the chest. The incident involving Garland occurred moments after the arrest of Ditrani. The three remaining defendants will be arraigned on May 17 at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 1201 at the King County Courthouse.

UPDATE: You can see the video that reportedly exonerates Garland here. He's the photographer grabbed by police about 20 seconds into the clip:

(more)

Here's the lastest from the streets, alleys and off-leash areas of the East Precinct:

• Pooper scooper vs. pooper scooper: Seattle Police responded to a woman's report of a 20 to 30-minute pooper scooper vs. pooper scooper stand-off at the Pillars Park off-leash area near Pike and Boren early last Thursday. According to the report, the victim told police she had to arm herself with the implement after a woman approached her at the dog park around 1:30a to complain that she was making too much noise and that her friend was "trying to sleep."

• 11th Ave embezzlement: Detectives are investigating a reported embezzlement at a "specialty store" in the 1500 block of 11th Ave. Few details are available but we'll follow up. The theft allegedly occurred back in February.
• $700 Barbie burglary: A woman reported somebody had stolen hundreds of dollars worth of collectible Barbie dolls form her E Union residence earlier this month. According to the police report on the incident, the woman told police the thief made a heartbreaking haul:

She said the dolls were special because of their value buteven more special to her were the handmade clothes her mother made for thedolls. She said her mother was not longer alive and so the clothes shemade were priceless to her.

Police found no signs of forced entry and the woman said only her building manager and the maintenance man had a key to her apartment.

• 12th Ave fob rip-off: A manager at a building the 1500 block of 12th Ave told police a thief had broken in and burglarized storage units in the building sometime around the 9th or 10th of May. Earlier, a thief had broken to the building's key box and made off with keys and a security fob with access to the entire building. The manager was not aware that the fob had been stolen, according to the SPD report on the incident. CHS has reported in the past on weak key boxes being easy targets for Capitol Hill burglars.
• Follow-ups: The man busted in Monday night's hold-up of Zaw Pizza at 15th and Pine hasn't dabbled in (alleged) armed robbery before but does have recent arrests for harassment, trespassing and failure to register as a sex offender. Gay City Health is still looking for help to track down the electronics and computer gear stolen from its E Pike headquarters last week. No new details in this incident in which a vehicle stopped near Cal Anderson Park and impounded as part of a robbery investigation. According to the full police report released on this street robbery at 10th and Seneca, the victim truly was charmed by her assailant before he got her by herself, punched her in the face and robbed her. Meanwhile, the kids ripped off in this 23rd/John street robbery? They were headed to a slumber party, according to the SPD report. And, in case you missed it, this man's good deed turned ugly when the man he bought a Sunday bagel for turned on him and tried to rob him on E Pine.

SPD swarmed 15th and Pine Monday evening after a reported armed robbery at Zaw Pizza.

All details at this point are extremely preliminary and have not been confirmed with SPD. A witness at the scene said the robber apparently entered the store, threatened that he had a weapon and stole bottles of wine. It appears the robber was able to flee the scene before SPD's arrival.

SPD was inside the store interviewing employees and documenting evidences as a handful of customers waited outside for their pizza orders.

We don't have a suspect description at this time but a witness said he appeared to be "a drunk guy." (more)

Sometimes getting an early start on the day just isn't worth it. A man was taken to Harborview with serious injuries suffered in a street robbery that began early Sunday morning following a good deed gone wrong.

According to police, the victim in the pre-6a robbery attempt said he was at the Harvard Market QFC when he was approached my an unknown male who asked him to buy a bagel for him. The victim told police he bought the man a bagel and the two went their separate ways. But as he left the store, the man was following him and asking for money, the victim told police. As the victim approached Seattle Central, the suspect suddenly demanded the man's wallet and pulled out a "floppy" metal bar with a leather handle and began beating the victim in the shins and striking him in the head with an unknown object.

The victim told police he then ran down Pine before stopping at Belmont to turn on this attacker while brandishing a pocket knife. The victim said he told the suspect to put down the metal bar and a stand-... (more)

Capitol Hill's Gay City Health is looking for assistance from the public following a burglary at their E Pike headquarters early Friday morning.

Overnight between 1 and 4:30a, a thief proceeded to use a stolen security fob to enter the premises three times and remove what seems to be a targeted list of electronics and equipment, Gay City's Robert Roth said.

Included in the haul were two computers used for media and graphics work, cameras, a high-end video camera and an external hard drive with years of work from Gay City documentaries.

"Insurance will replace [the equipment], but the footage is irreplaceable," Roth said.

The fob was apparently stolen from Gay City earlier in the week.

Gay City provides education and health services to residents in King County. It is a CHS advertiser.

Anybody with information about the theft or who may have seen something around the 500 block of E Pike early this morning is encouraged to call East Precinct burglary detectives at (206) 684-5733. You can also let Gay City know at... (more)

An incident involving heavily armed police officers surrounding an SUV on the edge of Cal Anderson Park earlier this week is related to the investigation of a recent robbery, a Seattle Police Department representative tells CHS.

According to police, the guns-drawn traffic stop of the white SUV near the park on Wednesday just after 5p -- captured in a dramatic picture featured on the Stranger's Slog -- netted a vehicle that detectives believe has been used in a recent robbery. It's not clear if this CHS community post documents the same incident or another arrest.

SPD was not yet able to provide details of when and where the robbery the SUV is believed to have been used in occurred. CHS reported on this mugging Monday night at 17th and Aloha in which a woman was punched in the face by a female suspect who then grabbed the woman's purse and fled the scene in a vehicle described as a large, white SUV.

According to police, four people were taken into custody in Wednesday's traffic stop but were interviewed... (more)

Seattle Police were looking for a silver white SUV that sped away from the scene of an attack and possible robbery attempt of a woman near 17th Ave E and E Aloha Monday night just before midnight, according to police and Seattle Fire radio dispatches.

SPD and fire units responded to the scene that may also have included a sexual assault. We have not yet confirmed details with police.

No suspect description was broadcast but witnesses reported seeing a white  grey or silver SUV or jeep leaving the area. Witnesses reported seeing three possible suspects involved in the assault. UPDATE: The suspects are described as two black males and a black female in their 20s. The female assailant is described as 5'2" and 150 pounds wearing a navy or dark tank top. One male was wearing white shoes with lighter pants while the other was wearing a dark shirt and jeans.

CHS reported on three separate street robberies around Capitol Hill over the weekend. (more)

There were two more street robberies on the edges of Capitol Hill to note from the weekend following Friday's gunpoint purse snatch at Summit and E Olive St.

• Woman punched in face in 10th/Seneca robbery: A woman was struck repeatedly by a man who had gained her confidence before suddenly attempting to rob her early Sunday morning near 10th and Seneca. According to the police report on the incident, the woman said she was in town with friends when she met the man on the street and he convinced her to leave her group. As the woman and the suspect walked in the 1100 block of 10th Ave around 2:25a, the man suddenly began striking her in the face, grabbed her phone and attempted to steal her wallet. The woman told police she struck back at the suspect who then ran westbound on Union as a group of people took notice of what was happening and offered their assistance.

The victim was treated for her injuries at the scene but did not go to the hospital.

The suspect was described as a black male in his early 20s, around 5'7" and 220 pounds with a stocky build. A search of the area was not successful.

• Robbery victims targeted on 23rd Ave bus ride: Two bus riders on 23rd Ave said they got a bad feeling when a group on their Metro coach seemed to be watching them intently Saturday night. According to police, the group followed the men as they exited the bus at 23rd and John and proceeded to rob one of the victims of his phone and his baseball hat. 

The two victims said they were on the bus around 9p and noticed the group of six watching them as one of the victims used his iPhone. As the two left the bus to transfer to their connecting route, the group followed and two members approached the men and immediately began patting down one of the victims in search of the phone. As he looked for the device, the suspect asked the other one if he had his gun. Fearing for his life, the victim said he handed over his iPhone and the baseball cap the duo demanded. The victims did not report the crime until more than an hour later after riding the bus home to the Green Lake area and calling police. A search of the area for the suspects -- described only as six black males in their early 20s -- was not successful. (more)

SPD is looking for information about a Friday night armed robbery at Summit and E Olive St. Two women were robbed at gunpoint by one man, police say, and the suspect got away with their purses.

From SPD:

On May 4th at approximately 10:53 p.m. two female victims were walking on Summit Avenue near East Olive Street when they were approached by a lone male suspect.  The suspect displayed a small black revolver and stole both victims’ purses.  The suspect then fled westbound on East Olive Street.  Neither victim was injured during the robbery. 

Responding officers conducted an area search however, the suspect remains at large.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 5’6″ to 5’8″ tall and wearing a black hat, black coat, and black pants.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident.  Anonymous...

Despite warnings from police that "people may be coming to Seattle" on May Day "to commit violence, damage property and disrupt peaceful free speech activity," two of the men facing charges in the aftermath of Tuesday's protests have Capitol Hill connections.

Alex Garland, a photographer who works as a barista on Capitol Hill, and Bobby Ditrani, a Gage Academy art student, were two of eight people arrested as thousands of people protested in downtown Seattle earlier this week.

Ditrani, who pleaded guilty in this January 1st vandalism incident at a Capitol Hill work site, faces charges on one count of fourth degree assault after police say the 23-year-old spit on an officer after he was caught with a wooden pole like the one "Black Bloc" anarchists were seen using to bust windows during the height of Tuesday's violence:

In the wake of his recent guilty plea in the vandalism case, Ditrani was required to post a $10,000 bond after this latest arrest and is out of jail awaiting arraignment.

Garland, 28, faces a... (more)

(Image: CHS)

Following the focus on property damage following Seattle's May Day protests, CHS received several reports about vandalism to the popular 135-foot mural on the light rail construction wall along 10th Ave E at John.

According to people familiar with the area, the splattering of red paint happened days prior to the Tuesday protests. Related? Who knows.

A Sound Transit representative said the agency heard about the damage last Thursday and is currently waiting for artist Zach Rochstad to be available to repair his work. The perpetrators weren't caught and the rep says that tagging incidents have been "on the rise" lately.

The Baso Fibonacci-designed work was added to the wall in July 2010 as part of a Sound Transit art program lead by DK Pan and has become a popular Capitol Hill icon. The untitled work depicts Fibonacci in full scream amidst a psychedelic skyline of Sgt. Pepper owls. In March, Sound Transit unveiled a mural honoring park-namesake Cal Anderson on the construction wall's southeast face.

A man being pursued by police was captured Wednesday morning when he fell through the ceiling of a third-floor women's bathroom at Seattle Central Community College as classes continued nearby.

According to a witness and police radio, the suspect fell through the ceiling tiles and into the bathroom where he had been hiding from police after being chased inside the school. Students reportedly attempted to hold the suspect until police could return to the area.

We're trying to find out more about why the chase started in the first place but we have confirmed with the school that the man was taken into custody.

As downtown was embroiled in May Day protests, Seattle Police were searching the area around 15th Ave for a bank robber who reportedly ripped off the Wells Fargo inside the Safeway at 15th and John.

In the incident reported just before 6p, a man entered the bank and demanded an undisclosed amount of money. He is described as a black male in his 50s, wearing a dark blue vest, orange polo and grey cap at the time of the robbery. No weapon was used in the hold-up. The man was seen leaving northbound from the Safeway carrying a bag of money.

UPDATE: SPD has posted a picture of the suspect. As you can see, his clothing description varies a bit from what he was actually wearing. CHS has also learned that the man ditched his clothing in a nearby alley after the robbery. Here's more information from SPD:

Do you recognize this bank robbery suspect?

He walked into a bank inside a grocery store–at 14th Avenue and E. John Street on Capitol Hill–just before 6pm Tuesday evening and demanded money.

Witnesses...

A police officer investigating a break-in and ransacking of offices at Harvard Ave's Seattle First Baptist Church last Wednesday made a startling discovery as he found two people had set up camp and were sleeping in the building's machinery room amid piles of the items stolen in the burglary.

According to the SPD report on the incident, SPD was called to 1111 Harvard Ave to a report that somebody had entered the building and broken into offices and facilities inside the church including a daycare. Video cameras, digital cameras, speakers, first aid supplies and a backpack were among the items reported missing.

As the officer and an employee checked the church on Wednesday afternoon, they found the man and the woman sacked out in a basement room:

A search revealed a set of combined stun device/brass knuckles and keys taken from one of the church offices in the male suspect's hoodie. The floor of the room was reportedly strewn with most of the items missing from the building. 

Both suspects were booked into jail for investigation of burglary.

(Images: CHS)

A Seattle Fire "heavy rescue" call quickly became a SPD chase Saturday night after a driver failed to navigate a sharp turn on E Roy and plowed his pick-up truck into an apartment building then fled the scene on foot.

We have not yet confirmed details with SPD but CHS was told at the scene by a witness that SPD believed they had the suspect in custody a short distance from the crash scene.

Several fire units were dispatched to the incident reported at 10:17p but were quickly cleared from the scene. There were no injuries at the apartment building. We don't have any details on the driver's condition.

Residents of the apartments at 601 E Roy said they heard a big bang and felt the building shake before coming outside to see a cloud of smoke and a man running full speed up Roy toward Broadway.

  (more)

A man told police he suffered a broken jaw and cracked ribs when he was beaten and possibly run over in what he said wan an unprovoked assault on E Olive Way last Friday night outside CC's.

According to the SPD report on the incident, the victim said he was outside smoking just after midnight when three unknown males ran across the street and began the attack. The victim told police the first male punched him in the jaw and knocked him to the pavement while the other males continued to assault him on the ground. The victim said he then saw headlights approaching but was unsure if the vehicle was trying to scare off the attackers or pick them up. The next thing the man said he remembered was being under the vehicle.

According to the report, after the assault, the man went inside to collect his friends to leave but did not call medics or go to a hospital until he felt the pain from his injuries on Saturday and did not report the assault to police until the following Monday. According to the report, the victim had ... (more)

In November, CHS marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Joe LaMagno in a brutal, random attack on the sidewalk along E Union. The Seattle Times reports today that the man police captured in a nearby alley minutes after the hatchet murder has been returned to Western State Hospital in an effort to restore his mental competency so he can stand trial for the two murders he is accused of committing:

Michael LaRosa had long been struggling with mental illnesses, according to his family, when he allegedly attacked Joseph LaMagno, 58, and Dale Richard Holme, 64, in November 2010. The attacks were unprovoked, according to King County prosecutors.

Since his arrest in an alley just steps from where LaMagno was killed, LaRosa's mental competency has been in question.

In December, the 27-year-old man was evaluated at Western State Hospital and deemed competent to stand trial. Late last month, King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler deemed him incompetent and ordered him returned to Western State for 90 days so doctors there can try to help him regain mental competency, according to court filings. more...

According to police and medical reports, LaRosa was off his medications at the time of the 2010 attacks and was also severely dehydrated after not been eating or drinking for fear that his food and drinks had been poisoned. The effort to stabilize his mental illness in order for the legal process in the cases to proceed has been going on throughout his incarceration. CHS reported on early efforts here in spring 2011. According to court records, LaRosa reported being physically and sexually abused as a child and said his stepfather had later committed suicide. Reports also document a significant history of drug use. Doctors at the time found LaRosa "has the capacity to understand his legal situation and communicate effectively with counsel in his own defense."

But the latest report indicates the accused killer is not currently capable of participating in a trial:

"With regards to competency, Mr. LaRosa is presently too distracted, distressed and internally preoccupied by his psychotic symptoms to be able to either understand his legal situation or to work with his attorney in his own defense," the latest report from Western concludes.

LaRosa's restoration, should doctors and the court agree that he is ever fit to stand trial, is the second major Capitol Hill murder case to hinge on mental competency. In spring of 2009, James Williams finally pleaded guilty after Western treatment was deemed to have made him competent to stand trial in the 2007 slaying of Capitol Hill resident Shannon Harps. The then-50-year-old was sentenced to 35 years for the slaying. Meanwhile, Louis Chen also spent time at Western to restore his competency to stand trial in the slaying of his young son and partner in a First Hill apartment.

LaRosa will remain at Western for three more months of treatment before another court appearance scheduled for July.

It was not a very calming afternoon for the man working the front desk at Broadway's Dreamscape Massage on Friday as he chased two electronics thieves for blocks to get back one stolen device only to lose it again when he was assaulted on his way back to the Broadway studio.

According to the SPD report on the incident, the victim came out of the back of the business around 3:30 Friday afternoon to find a male and female stealing an iPhone and an iPad that had been sitting on Dreamscape's counter.

The victim told police he gave chase as the female ran down Broadway with the iPad and the male ran with her after grabbing the phone. The duo ran west on Roy before splitting up at Harvard where the male took of to the south. The victim continued chasing the female on Roy where she ditched the iPad, throwing it into the back of a parked pick-up truck.

The victim said he stopped chasing the female and retrieved the tablet from the truck and began walking back to the shop. As he approached Broadway, the victim told police he was confronted by three males who then assaulted him and stole the iPad, again. The victim could only provide a general description of his attackers as three black males but said he believes one of the assailants had been standing lookout outside Dreamscape during the original rip-off.

Police searched the area for the four black males and the black female in their early 20s but were not successful. (more)

King County Animal Control Seattle Animal Control is investigating a reported attack by a pitbull on another dog being walked on Broadway Wednesday night in an incident that also injured the pitbull's owner.

According to police, officers were called to Broadway near Seattle Central after reports from callers who saw a bloodied woman who they thought had been attacked by a pitbull. Officers arrived to discover it had actually been the woman's small white dog, Oscar, who had been attacked. 

CHS received an email from Oscar's owner Mandy who shared details of the incident:

I wanted to send a quick heads up to dog owners in the area. I was walking my dog in front of SCCC on Broadway Wednesday night, around 10:15, when my 8 year-old Westie was mauled by a pitbull. The owner tried to get her dog under control, but the pit wouldn't let go. My dog, Oscar, suffered extensive injuries and underwent surgery at ACCES in Lake City.

Police were alerted to another injured woman in the area inside a nearby business. There they found the pitbull's owner who had suffered a significant injury to her hand when she tried to stop the pitbull from attacking. Police say medics advised the pitbull's owner to get immediate medical attention for her injury but that she refused transport to the hospital.

Mandy says she has talked with animal control investigators about the incident and that Oscar is expected to recover. "He has a rough few days ahead of him, but he's doing as well as can be expected," she said.

CORRECTION: When first posted, this article erroneously reported that King County Animal Control was the investigating agency. Instead, Seattle Animal Control has jurisdiction for the incident.

The SPD report on the early Easter Sunday stabbing inside Pike bathhouse Club Z has been released and reveals details of what the victim says was a drug-fueled attack that seemingly came out of nowhere.

According to the victim who was stabbed twice in the cheek and three more times in the leg as he screamed for help, the suspect lashed out without warning after smoking meth in a room inside the sex club.

The report details the chaotic moments after the stabbing and the responding officer's difficulty in entering the club.

The 25-year-old suspect was apprehended within 30 minutes of the attack as he attempted to flee through Freeway Park. It does not appear that the man has yet been charged with a crime. CHS has learned that he is a registered sex offender busted for voyeurism in 2005 and for assaulting a lawyer during his hearing on another assault charge in 2010.

The full narrative report from the responding SPD officer is below.

One man was stabbed and his alleged assailant was tracked down and arrested early Sunday morning in an incident at Pike bathhouse Club Z.

According to SPD, a suspect in his 50s was taken into custody when he was tracked down near 8th and Seneca after running through Freeway Park following the attack at the lower Pike sex club.

Medics were first called to the scene just after 3a Sunday. The victim's injuries were not life threatening.

There was no information available yet as to what lead to the stabbing and no additional information on the extent of the victim's injuries. (more)

The case against three men accused in a scheme powered by a First Hill man's high-tech "wardriving" machine has come to a close with all three pleading guilty.

John Griffin was indicted in the wardriving hacking and fraud case last September and pleaded guilty in November. The legal process for the other men in the case, Josh Witt and Brad Lowe, played out over recent months with Witt finally pleading guilty earlier this week. The Seattle PI has an extensive report on the case against the three men and pictures of one of the vehicles seized by federal investigators. All three are yet to be sentenced. The PI reports the men face between six and eight years in prison.

Authorities first came into possession of Griffin's wardriving-mobile in October 2010 after the 8th Ave resident was arrested for using stolen gift cards at 12th Ave's The Local Vine.

According to the police report on the incident, police discovered that gift cards stolen in a Bellevue burglary had been used at the Capitol Hill wine bar. An investigator following the wardriving and burglary ring arranged to be contacted by East Precinct if stolen cards were used again. Just two weeks later on a Thursday night, the flag went off. Griffin had returned to The Local Vine with stolen cards in tow. Parked nearby, the investigator found the black 1988 Mercedes Benz and had it impounded. Visible inside the car: a laptop, an antenna, binoculars, a box of memory cards, and a copy of "Real Time Pricing" software. Here is the report's description of wardriving:

Federal investigators say the trio stole personal information an infiltrated networks at businesses around Seattle and the Eastside eventually turning to more straightforward burglary and break-ins to acquire computer hardware from which network or personal information could be extracted. The stolen information could then be sold to identity thieves who open credit card accounts and cash in on the crime.

For his part in the scheme, the 36-year-old Griffin pleaded guilty to a list of hacking charges and aggravated identity theft.

A still from Seattle Central surveillance video showing Darewski

Was it a robbery? Drugs? Both? Neither? Little of what is known in the investigation into the January murder of Darek Darewski on the sidewalk behind Seattle Central Community College has been made public.

"The case is still very much active and ongoing," a Seattle Police Department spokesperson tells CHS. "Just no new updates for the community. And again I can't stress enough, anybody with information [should] give us a call."

It has now been more than a month since CHS posted surveillance video captured by the community college's security system the night of the murder and provided by SPD in an attempt to drum up leads in the case.

The clips show Darewski walking on the Harvard Ave sidewalk and stopping to light a cigarette just minutes before he would be killed with a single shot to the chest. The barrel flash of that lone shot is also captured from another camera angle provided by the school as are clips of the vehicle police believe carried the murderer through the streets of Capitol Hill.

The white car believed to have carried the murderer heading south on Harvard

None of it, yet, has produced a suspect -- at least, not a suspect police are identifying. As an open murder investigation, public access to information around the case is extremely limited.

We also contacted Seattle Central to find out more about the school's participation in the investigation. "We do not know much more than what has been reported in the press," Elman McClain, director of safety and security at the college said in a statement. "The shooting happened after the campus had closed for snow. There was a lone gunman, who left the area in a vehicle. We were able to provide SPD with a copy of the surveillance video that we had. And we’re aware that the victim had a student identification information (SID) on file with Central, but was not attending classes at the time."

What we do know about the 49-year-old Darewski comes from his few brushes with the law. He was shot to death that early morning on January 17th just two weeks after serving a single day in jail following a guilty plea in a 2010 harassment case. Darewski's last known address at the time of the November 2010 incident was a low-income housing facility in Pioneer Square. Court documents show he also carried an Alaska driver's license.

A friend who did not want to be identified contacted CHS to say he was upset that our reporting on Darewski painted an inaccurate picture of a man who had an unfortunate run-in with the law but was looking forward to getting his life back on track following two years of probation that had prevented him from returning to work on an Alaskan fishing boat. That friend said Darewski was waiting for a gig to open up in Alaska and was ready to head north with his probation behind him. The friend said he had been contacted by the detective in the case but did not say whether he had spoken with authorities about the murder.

Beyond that, Darewski is a mystery. No family or friends have come forward with information or any public memorials. And, so far, no information has been released about what brought him to Harvard Ave just after 11p that freezing January night.

The area where the murder occurred, however, is another story. Only blocks from this October shooting, the area between Summit and Harvard has been receiving an outsized amount of CHS police blotter coverage in recent weeks including this Summit stabbing and robbery, this knife assault on Boylston and this heroin buy-turned robbery on Belmont. It's a little rough and tumble amidst some of the densest blocks of the Hill in an area with many social service living facilities and, in certain cases, some of the cheapest rents on Capitol Hill.

Seattle homicide detectives also have more on their hands than the Darewski case. A rash of violence has resulted in a spike in Seattle murders to start the new year. There is also the case of Greggette Guy, the 51-year-old woman whose body was found floating in the water off West Seattle three weeks ago. 75 people including family members and concerned neighbors came to a memorial for Guy.

In many ways, the Darewski case more closely echoes the March 2011 murder of Zachary Lewis in the lot at Federal Republican that will someday be Broadway Hill Park. The 37-year-old Lewis was a resident at an Eastlake facility for chronic alcohol addiction and was last seen hanging out on Broadway the night he was murdered. His body was found the next morning in the grassy lot, badly beaten and with both arms broken. A reward was eventually offered for help in solving the murder but the case remains open and unsolved. A makeshift memorial appeared at the site where his body was found.

For Darewski, if there is still information out there, SPD says its detectives want to hear about it. The homicide tip line is 206-233-5000 and anonymous tips are welcome.

Seattle Central is also eager for the crime to be solved. "The safety and security of our students, staff and the public who visit our campus is of prime importance to the college," a spokesperson for the school said. "We remain diligent in our continued efforts to encourage and promote a safe environment on our campuses. And certainly, a murder in such close proximity to the college concerns us and we are hopeful that the perpetrator of this crime will be brought to justice."