West Seattle, Washington
06 Friday
(WSB photo, April 2017 egg hunt)
Easter (April 1st) and Passover (starting March 30th) are now less than three weeks away, so we’re working today/tonight on the next in the annual series of WSB holiday one-stop-for-everything infolists. If you have anything to include for this one – egg hunts or other seasonal events, religious services, special brunches – please send us the info as soon as possible (thanks to those who have e-mailed us already)! Our requested format is simple, same as our regular calendar listings: Plain text in the body of your e-mail, not in an attachment, no image/graphic/flyer needed, but please DO include website link(s) – send to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz. Thank you!
(Pileated woodpecker, photographed by Mark Wangerin)
Highlights as your week begins with spring-like weather! From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHOICE: Can’t get to an evening meeting to review proposed projects for a share of $3 million? 10 am-noon today, stop by Southwest Youth and Family Services in North Delridge and share your thoughts. (4555 Delridge Way SW)
MEET-AND-GREET OPEN HOUSE: The coworking-and-child-care business The Inc, expanding to West Seattle, invites you to stop by their future space at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church 10 am-noon. (3050 California SW)
FOR RUNNERS: Physical Therapy Night at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) – stop by 5:30-7 pm for a professional assessment. (2743 California SW)
EVENING BOOK GROUPS: Both start at 6:45 pm: At Southwest Library (9010 35th SW), this month’s book is “Surveillance” by Jonathan Raban; at West Seattle (Admiral) Library (2306 42nd SW), this month’s book is “Broken for You” by Stephanie Kallos.
(Sunday sunset photo by Chris Frankovich)
GO WATCH THE SUNSET! First weeknight since Daylight Saving Time began – 7:10 pm sunset tonight. You can check sunset/sunrise and moonset/moonrise times any time via the WSB West Seattle Weather page.
Family and friends will gather tomorrow to remember Richard A. Browne. Here’s the remembrance being shared with the community:
Richard A. Browne (Sept. 15, 1948 – Feb. 5, 2018) passed away after a long illness, leaving his wife of 43 years, JoAnn; his son, Adam (Erin); two granddaughters, Kailey and Brianna; his brother, Wayne (Char); as well as nieces and nephews.
Richard enlisted in the Air Force after high school and served in Vietnam. He loved fishing, woodworking and modeling, crafting many beautiful items over the years. He found the most joy raising his son and spending time with his grand girls, who he dearly loved.
Many thanks to the doctors and nurses at the Seattle VA Hospital and Providence Hospice for his care over the years.
Services at Tahoma National Cemetery on March 13, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. with a gathering after at Alliance Bible Church near the cemetery. Arrangements by People’s Memorial Co-op.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz)
(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)
7:01 AM: Good morning. First weekday since weekend changes – Daylight Saving Time is here, and Metro’s service change took effect. No transit alerts or incidents reported in the area so far.
SDOT says the long-planned sidewalk project along 35th SW in Arbor Heights will start construction soon – possibly before the end of the month. It was originally scheduled for last year, but as reported here in December, it slid to this year. And now, we have received an update from SDOT project spokesperson Ching Chan, along with the “fact sheet” and map embedded above (and visible here):
As you may know, this project to improve the intersections along 35th Ave SW, from SW 100th St to SW 106th St near Arbor Heights Elementary and Westside School, has been in the planning stage for a couple of years now. Due to a number of factors, the project was placed on hold previously. I am writing to inform you that the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will be moving forward with the construction work and may begin construction as early as the week of March 26. We hope to complete this project before school starts in September.
Chan says SDOT already has “reached out to Arbor Heights Elementary, Westside School, Seattle Public Schools Transportation Department, and sent construction notices to nearby residents to inform them of the upcoming construction work,” but that still doesn’t include everyone who drives/rides/walks in the area, so they asked us to get the word out too. Chan also says SDOT is working to schedule a “public meeting to help provide more project information to community members in a couple of weeks” – we’ll publish a followup when there’s a date/time/place for that.
One reader report and three police reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
READER REPORT – HIT AND RUN: From a North Admiral resident, via e-mail:
I live on the 1900 block of 42nd Ave SW. Last night at about midnight, my neighbors and I heard a loud noise. We all did not notice anything wrong at that time. This morning when I took a look at my truck, I noticed some damage. The noise was from a car that hit my truck as it was parked in front of my house. I did not get a look at the car last night, but it left some parts on the street. From these parts it is apparent that the car was a 5 series BMW built between 2009 and 2017. It will have some damage to its right front bumper, headlight, and fender. My truck was pushed back 3 feet, into the curb and suffered damage to its right front bumper, headlight, and fender.
The Seattle Police were notified and came to asses the situation. They were very nice and will be on the lookout for the damaged 5 series BMW. If you happen to see a 2009-2017 5 series BMW with damage to its right front, please contact the SPD.
We’ve asked for the incident-report number, and will add it when available.
And from the Seattle Police report files, narratives are available for three recent West Seattle burglaries, which we’ve summarized as follows:
9400 BLOCK 11TH SW: Police were called by residents of a house who believe someone broke in while they were away for about four hours last Tuesday morning/afternoon. They didn’t notice anything wrong until that evening, when they realized someone had gone through their bedroom, taking items including jewelry and a case that contained cash and documens.
5600 BLOCK 37TH SW: Last Monday morning, someone renovating a vacant house on this block discovered that it had been broken into overnight. The burglar(s) took tools from multiple rooms. Police lifted fingerprint evidence from the window through which entry had been made.
9400 BLOCK 22ND SW: Also last Monday, a burglary was reported at a business in this block. “Numerous electronic items” were taken, the report says. The person reporting the break-in told police they suspected a former employee who had been fired.
(Police-report narratives are seldom available for more than a fraction of cases, so please let us know directly if you have something to report in Crime Watch so your neighbors around the peninsula know! Once it’s been reported to police, e-mail the info to editor@wsb.blackfin.biz – but if it’s happening now or just happened, such as an active police search, text or call 206-293-6302 – thank you!)
Concord International (Elementary) School is in South Park, but is part of Seattle Public Schools‘ southwest cluster, and has West Seattle kids in attendance. It’s also a school where three in four kids qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch. The Concord PTA is hoping people all around our area will support their upcoming fundraising auction, now less than two weeks away – Saturday, March 24th:
We have some very cool auction items to bid on – a week in Mexico, 3 month gym membership, a signed Sounders jersey, a private dinner by famous chef Young Cho. Your ticket purchase of $25 includes dinner as well as 2 drink tickets, which is a really good deal.
The event is set for 6-9 pm March 24th at South Park Community Center (8201 10th Ave. S.) and you can buy tickets right here, right now.
If you read the Sunday Seattle Times, you might have seen the cover story for this week’s Pacific NW Magazine section, Ron Judd‘s overview of our city’s local-media scene, nine years after the region was rocked by news of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer scrapping its print edition. We’re honored to have been included in the coverage, with Mike Siegel‘s photo of WSB’s living-room newsroom and a mention of independent-local-online-only news leaders/survivors, including us. The story starts on page 10 of the print magazine in today’s Times, and you can also read it online.
It’s now been more than 10 years since WSB went commercial in fall 2007, covering West Seattle 24/7, and we’ve been so busy covering the news that there wasn’t time for an anniversary party, but we do want to say “thank you” – to everyone who comes here to find out what’s up, and to everyone who sends tips and photos and lost/found pet notices and calendar listings and more. “Community collaboration” is and continues to be what WSB is all about. And huge thanks to the local businesses who advertise on WSB – reaching local customers and making it possible for us to continue comprehensive local-news coverage 24/7.
(WSDOT aerial photo of new tunnel’s south portal, taken last month)
The Highway 99 tunnel’s expected to open in a matter of months, but the toll rates have yet to be finalized. The decision is in the hands of the Washington State Transportation Commission, which usually meets in Olympia, but will be meeting in downtown Seattle next Wednesday (March 14th). It’s a day-long meeting with multiple topics; tunnel tolling is scheduled for 1:30 pm – it’s a briefing/discussion, not a vote, as there’s no final proposal yet. The meeting is at Puget Sound Regional Council HQ (1011 Western, fifth floor), open to all, with a public-comment period in its final half-hour, starting at 4:10 pm. Meantime, you can see WSDOT’s latest tunnel-construction update by going here.
P.S. Semi-related reminder – as we reported on Thursday, one of the Alaskan Way Viaduct’s last pre-demolition inspections will close it Saturday, March 24th, 6 am-6 pm (and the next day if needed, though most recent inspections have just used the first scheduled day)
(Photo by James Bratsanos)
Lots of questions this morning about that big yacht in view off western West Seattle right now. It’s the same one that spent hours off Alki back on Tuesday, as we noted here that day. It’s identified only as Delta 45 on MarineTraffic.com, referring to the yacht-building firm Delta Marine, based on the Duwamish River just south of South Park – that’s where it returned to after its time off Alki earlier this week. They didn’t respond to our inquiry about it, and we still haven’t found anything else about it online, aside from this mostly paywalled reference.
12:50 PM: If you were hoping to go do some gawking – it’s headed back into the Duwamish as of a few minutes ago.
The unusually angled birds were photographed by Katy Coffey. And you might be forgiven for feeling a little sideways yourself, now that Daylight Saving Time has arrived. Here are today’s highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
FREE ZUMBINI CLASS: 9:30 am at Lee’s Martial Arts, free demo class for little ones and a parent/caregiver. Details in our calendar listing. (3270 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE ULTIMATE FAMILY FRISBEE: 9:30 am start time today at Walt Hundley Playfield. All welcome. (34th SW/SW Myrtle)
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: See what’s fresh today, 10 am-2 pm in the street in the heart of The Junction. (California SW between SW Oregon and SW Alaska)
MEET THE GREYHOUNDS: Meet-and-greet with Greyhound Pets Inc. at Admiral Mud Bay, 11 am-1 pm.
FREE CONCERT: Ladies’ Musical Club, 3 pm at West Seattle (Admiral) Library, featuring songs for soprano and mezzo-soprano, with Molly Tomlinson, soprano; Katie Stevenson, mezzo-soprano; Maria Khavin, piano. (2306 42nd SW)
TONIGHT’S SUNSET … This year’s first Daylight Saving Time sunset will be at 7:09 pm. (You can always find sunset/sunrise and moonset/moonrise times on the WSB West Seattle Weather page.)
James Bratsanos‘s panorama shows the perfect end to this beautiful day. Looks like a car carrier in his photo. It was a busy day on the water – Chris Frankovich caught US Coast Cuard Cutter Midgett out in the area again:
We reported earlier this week (with more Coast Guard info added the next day) on the Midgett and two other USCG vessels seen off West Seattle, including training close to shore off Alki Beach.
Also today, Jim Borrow spotted the Zhen Hua 28 – covered here as it took those four huge cranes to Tacoma two weeks ago – headed back outbound:
MarineTraffic.com shows it just now exiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca, headed back across the Pacific to Shanghai. At midday today, we were in the Lowman Beach Park area when two more-ordinary container ships passed, southbound and northbound:
The next two days should be even better for water-watching – more sunshine, with highs expected in the 60s tomorrow, maybe even the 70s Monday.
(WSB photo)
Artist Desmond Hansen was just finishing that portrait on the signal box at the northwest corner of 35th SW and SW Morgan when we saw him and pulled over for a photo. It’s been three days since we first showed you his other creations, painted on signal boxes in Morgan Junction. In a comment on that story, he mentioned he was thinking about painting Bruce Lee, among other Seattle-linked luminaries – and now, he has.
On Friday, we published Arbor Heights-based Cub Scout Pack 799‘s announcement that next Saturday (March 17th) will be their day for pickups and dropoffs in the Scouting for Food donation drive. Tonight, troop parent Jason T. shares the photo, after they distributed about 850 doorhangers to let people know:
Here is a group photo of all the Scouts and parents who helped put out the word today. They worked hard, and covered a majority of houses in our map, meeting some friendly people and pets along their routes.
If you got a doorhanger, put out your bag of food by 9:30 am next Saturday. And if you didn’t, but want to donate, you can drop off nonperishable food for the West Seattle Food Bank that same day outside Arbor Heights Elementary School, 3701 SW 104th St, between 10 am and 11:30 am. (Other packs and troops do this too, so you might hear from one of them!)
(WSB photo: WSHS Cheer Squad members during a recent basketball game)
This time last Saturday, the West Seattle High School girls basketball team was celebrating taking third place at state. They and other student athletes thrive on support of all kinds – not just coaches and parents, but also the Cheer Squad! The WSHS Cheer Squad is in fact about to hold tryouts. One of the cheer coaches, Nadine Nguyen, sent the info – note that it’s a three-step process, involving parents, too:
Clinics
March 21, 2018
4 pm-6 pm West Seattle High School GymParent Meeting
March 23, 2018
4 pm-5 pm West Seattle High School CommonsTryouts
March 26th- March 28th
4 pm-6 pm West Seattle High School GymYou must have a completed physical and athletic packet. You may pick these up from the West Seattle High School Main Office. Those students who show up to tryouts without their COMPLETED Athletic Packet will not be allowed to try out. There will be no exceptions to this!
Thanks to Teri Ensley (who you might know from Furry Faces Foundation) for the photo – as mentioned in our West Seattle Saturday highlights list, Jan’s Beauty Supply in The Junction (4517 California SW) is celebrating 34 years in business today, and you’re invited to stop by as the party continues until 5:30 pm. Cake, champagne, discounts – and memories!
Searching for a spinning wheel? We spotted that one a short time ago at the West Side Presbyterian Church Gigantic Garage Sale, in its second and final day until 3 pm. Or maybe you need a vase for the spring flowers that are starting to bloom?
Whatever you’re looking for, it just might await you. WSPC is at 3601 California SW.
P.S. Just nine weeks to go until West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day 2018 (Saturday, May 12th), coordinated by us here at WSB – if you’re planning to have a sale this year, watch for registration to start in early April as usual!
Here’s a stolen car to watch for. Just received from Cella in Gatewood:
My car was stolen from out front of my house at 39th and Rose.
It’s a dark blue 2003 VW diesel Golf. License plate AXF9344 if anyone sees it!!!
My husband’s truck was also broken into. This happened sometime last night.
If you see the car, call 911.
UPDATE: It was found – in West Seattle, according to the scanner traffic we heard; Cella later confirmed they got the car back.
(Harbor seal in Elliott Bay, photographed by David Hutchinson)
Last day before Daylight Saving Time arrives (2 am Sunday, we spring forward an hour to 3 am). Here’s what’s happening in the hours before we get there:
BUS SERVICE CHANGE: Today is the first day of Metro‘s next “service change,” which affects multiple routes serving West Seattle (along with others around the region). Local details are in our preview.
GIRL SCOUT COOKIES: Use the lookup, with your zip code, to find out where and when to get them.
GIGANTIC GARAGE SALE, DAY 2: West Side Presbyterian‘s big sale continues today, 9 am-3 pm. (3601 California SW)
SOUTH DELRIDGE COMMUNITY CLEANUP: 10 am-11 am, join the South Delridge Community Group in showing the neighborhood some love. Bring gloves, bags, buckets, picking-up tools, whatever you’re inclined to use. (Meet at 17th/Barton)
36TH/FAUNTLEROY WORK PARTY: 10 am-noon – see our calendar listing for details.
PUPPETS PLEASE – 2 SHOWS: 10 am and 11 am, benefiting Lincoln Park Cooperative Preschool, Puppets Please presents a marionette show at Fauntleroy Church – full details in our calendar listing. (9140 California SW)
HAPPY 34TH TO JAN’S: In The Junction, Jan’s Beauty Supply in The Junction is celebrating its 34th anniversary all day, 10 am-5:30 pm. Balloons, cake, champagne, and discounts! (4517 California SW)
VIETNAMESE STORY TIME: 11:30 am-noon at Delridge Library, Vietnamese-language story time for children. Free and fun. (5423 Delridge Way SW)
BENEFIT CHILI COOKOFF: 6-8 pm at Seattle Lutheran High School Gym, raising money for the SLHS senior class:
Students and Parents are volunteering as the contestants and working the event. We’d like to invite all ages to attend. $10 adults, $5 for students / children.
(4100 SW Genesee)
‘ROAD HOUSE’ WITH DAVID SCHMADER: Movie, comedy, South Park Hall, who could ask for anything more? 7 pm. Details in our calendar listing. (1253 S. Cloverdale)
CONCERT TO HELP WEST SEATTLE HELPLINE: 7:30 pm at Alki UCC, the Lance Lu Jazz Quartet performs, with part of the proceeds benefiting West Seattle Helpline – details in our calendar listing. (6115 SW Hinds)
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME: As mentioned above, tonight’s the night (technically early Sunday) – at 2 am, it will instantly become 3 am.
MORE FOR TODAY, TONIGHT, BEYOND … on our complete calendar!
(WSB photo: 44th/Oregon lot)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Those four “free” parking lots in The Junction aren’t really free.
As you are probably aware, the West Seattle Junction Association – area merchants and other businesspeople – pays to rent them.
And now that rent is in danger of skyrocketing out of their reach.
Today, representatives of WSJA and the parking lots’ ownership organization, West Seattle Trusteed Properties, met with King County staffers to make their case against a property-tax bill that has doubled – a bill that is entirely passed on to WSJA to pay, by terms of their lease for the lots; a bill that’s now at a sum that would drain the association’s finances quickly.
WSJA executive director Lora Swift brought this up to the merchants at their February 28th meeting at the Senior Center/Sisson Building (the same one at which a different parking issue, the city’s street parking study, was another big topic, as we reported that night). The 2016 taxes for the parking lots – again, entirely factored into the rent WSJA pays – totaled $53,000, she told the merchants. For 2017, that went up more than 50 percent, to ~$80,000. And this year, the tax bill has almost doubled, to $158,000. This isn’t just because of the higher tax rates that have affected so many; it’s also because a mitigating factor called “cost to cure” was applied for 2014, 2015, and 2016, but has expired.
And, Swift noted at the merchants’ meeting, the $158,000 is not the entirety of the rent – which would be “well over $220,000” for the coming year if the higher rate stands.
The 228 spaces offered to visitors for 3 hours of “free” parking represent a “source of civic pride,” as she put it, something unique to the West Seattle Junction. “For us to lose (them) would be tragic.”
Three items tonight:
ADMIRAL STABBING CASE: Kierra Ward, charged with stabbing a woman out walking with her baby last October, was back in court today. This was scheduled to be her trial-readiness hearing, but it was pushed back another week, because, the resulting document says, a “defense expert is continuing to assess the case.” The hearing was rescheduled for next Friday, March 16th; Ward’s trial is still set to start March 21st, pending the outcome of that hearing. She remains in King County Jail, in lieu of $400,000 bail.
PACKAGES TAKEN: The video is from Chelsea:
She says the two packages were taken from her doorstep near California and Andover around 4:30 pm, two hours after the second delivery, and notes that her front steps aren’t visible from the street. SPD incident #, if you have any information about this, is 2018-085748.
ABANDONED TRUCK: Kristen sent this in, in case someone is looking for this vehicle:
Black Ford Explorer truck at bus stop at Admiral and Olga St. SW. Back window broken, and garbage in vehicle and look alike steering column has been broken. Police said they will send someone out to tag the car this evening but may not investigate right away.
SPD abandoned the @getyourcarback Twitter account months ago, so we have no way to cross-reference possible stolen vehicles.
It’s Scouting for Food time – when local Scouts help the fight against hunger by collecting your donations. We heard today from Cub Scout Pack 799, which will be collecting in Arbor Heights a week from tomorrow, and putting out door hangers before then to let neighbors know about the drive. And they will have a dropoff spot, too, for anyone who wants to donate but is outside the pickup zone. Here’s the announcement:
Cub Scout Pack 799 Scouting for Food drive — Donation Collection in Arbor Heights
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Saturday, March 17, 10 am to 12 pm, Cub Scout Pack 799 will be collecting donations for the West Seattle Food Bank, in the blocks between Marine View Drive and 35th Ave SW, and SW 100th St and SW 112th St, in the Arbor Heights/Arroyo Heights neighborhoods. Anyone in these blocks who wishes to donate can simply leave donations by front door by 9:30 am on Saturday, March 17th. Scouts will be distributing door hangers in the neighborhood this week, to get the word out.
Additionally, anyone who lives in the surrounding neighborhood, but is not exactly within our pickup area, is welcome to drop off donations at Arbor Heights Elementary School, 3701 SW 104th St, between 10 am and 11:30 am. Scouts will be stationed inside the front parking lot to accept drop-off donations.
Last year we had a successful drive, and our Scouts had a lot of fun doing it. We hope to have just as much fun this year, serving our community.
Our friends at West Seattle Food Bank say the most-needed items are:
– Canned meals (also meat, beans, fruit, vegetables, sauces) – list
– Kids’ backpack food (bars, juices, snack cups, instant soups, ramen) – list
Many thanks in advance, to all those who are able to participate, helping those in need in our community!
Parents, Leaders and Cub Scouts of Pack 799 (Arbor Heights)
Questions about our Scouting for Food drive? Email: pack799.scouting4food@fea.st
Anyone else? Let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!
The state Attorney General’s office announced this afternoon that the owner of West Seattle’s Tacos Guaymas restaurant and others is charged with theft for allegedly not paying $5.6 million in sales tax. 57-year-old Salvador Sahagun of Bothell is accused of doing this by illegally using “sales-suppression software” for cash transactions. We looked up the court documents to get West Seattle specifics, but first, here’s the AG’s news release:
Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed charges against the owner of Tacos Guaymas restaurants for allegedly using “sales suppression software” for cash transactions, pocketing more than $5.6 million in sales tax.
This is the largest “sales suppression software” in Washington state history –– and potentially the largest in the country.
Salvador Sahagun, owner of several Tacos Guaymas restaurants in King and Snohomish counties, is charged in King and Snohomish County Superior Courts with a total of six counts of first-degree theft and three counts of possessing and using sales suppression software, which is illegal in Washington state. In addition to a potential prison sentence, the defendant faces up to $150,000 in penalties and could be liable for up to $5 million in restitution to the state.
“When businesses pocket sales tax, they are stealing from Washington taxpayers,” said Ferguson. “That money should be funding our schools and parks, not deceptive businesses.”
Salvador Sahagun operated six Tacos Guaymas locations in West Seattle, Broadway, Greenlake, Fremont, Lynnwood and Marysville. During an audit, an auditor with the Washington State Department of Revenue found that point-of-sale records from these restaurants did not match with tax returns submitted by Sahagun. Additionally, the auditor found that the majority of sales receipts were missing from Sahagun’s point-of-sale system.
Run on a point-of-sale computer or cash register, sales suppression software surreptitiously deletes or underreports cash transactions. The software then re-balances the company financial records to show a lower sales figure, reducing the business’ sales tax obligation. The retailer pockets the difference between what the patron paid, including the full sales tax, and what the software reports. These unscrupulous retailers often keep “two sets of books.”
Suspecting that Sahagun was using sales suppression software, Department of Revenue employees visited the seven restaurants on several occasions and paid cash for their meals. The auditor then compared the employees’ receipts with the receipts on the point-of-sale system to determine whether the transactions existed and the amounts matched. The auditor found that three of the restaurants were using sales suppression software to delete or underreport cash transactions.
The auditor determined that Sahagun owed thousands of dollars in sales tax at each location, ranging from $43,339 to $2,197,460. In total, the auditor determined that the owner owed $5,615,497 to the state.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
An arraignment in the case is expected March 21 in both King and Snohomish County Superior Courts.
In 2013, Washington passed a law making it a class C felony for anyone to “sell, purchase, install, transfer, manufacture, create, design, update, repair, use, possess, or otherwise make available” software or hardware that deletes transactions.
In February 2016, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office filed the first “sales suppression software” case in the country. In that case, the owner of Bellevue restaurant Facing East used sales suppression software to pocket nearly $395,000 in sales tax. The owner pleaded guilty, paying $300,000 in restitution to the state and $600 in penalties and fees.
After receiving the news release, we looked up the documents on file in the King County Superior Court online system.
Sahagun is accused of breaking the law between the start of 2012 and the end of 2016. One count of first-degree theft specifically names the West Seattle restaurant; the second count names the restaurants on Capitol Hill and in Green Lake and Fremont. (We don’t have the Snohomish County filings.) Two counts of use of “sales-suppression software” are filed in KC Superior Court, one specifically naming the West Seattle restaurant, the other naming Fremont.
The probable-cause document explains that “sales-suppression software” runs on cash transactions, not credit. It says the undercover visits by state Department of Revenue employees included five at the West Seattle restaurant between December 16, 2015, and December 29, 2015, and 30 visits to other locations. Of the $5,615,497 that Sahagun allegedly owes to the state as unpaid taxes, the court documents say $178,575 is from West Seattle. The auditor also reported determining that Sahagun “personally runs each of these restaurants,” and each day “gathers the cash and reviews the prior day’s sales.” No one else is named in the court document and there is no allegation that anyone else in the company was complicit. Since the AG’s news release used past tense, we checked city and state records to verify that Sahagun is still the restaurants’ owner.
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