Local Briefly: Toddler rescued in smoke-filled apartment

Published 9:50 pm Tuesday, June 3, 2008

EVERETT — Firefighters rescued a toddler from a smoke-filled apartment where she had been left alone Tuesday morning.

The 2 1/2-year-old girl was uninjured. She was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.

Everett firefighters at 7:05 a.m. went to an apartment fire at the Fulton’s Landing complex in the 10200 block of Third Avenue SE, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

When crews went into the apartment, they found the girl and took her outside to safety, he said.

The girl’s mother, 27, returned to the apartment about a half-hour later. She told police she had been driving her husband to work in Redmond and didn’t want to wake the girl up, Goetz said.

Police will continue to investigate. No arrests were made.

Fire crews believe the smoke came from burning food that was left on a hot stove.

Snohomish: Alleged arsonist arrested

Police arrested a 14-year-old Snohomish boy who allegedly has confessed to starting at least three fires in the city.

During the past two weekends, Snohomish firefighters have been called to a car fire, two dumpster fires, a fire in a public restroom at Avenue A and First Street and an attempted fire in an apartment complex laundry room, Snohomish police Cmdr. Fred Havener said.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshals office, firefighters from Snohomish County Fire District 4 and detectives with Snohomish police determined the fires were suspicious.

They investigated and arrested the teenager Monday, Havener said.

The boy allegedly admitted setting at least three of the blazes. Police are investigating whether someone else might be responsible for setting the other fires.

“We’re maintaining our vigilance, of course,” Havener said.

The teenager was booked into the Denney Juvenile Justice Center for investigation of second-degree arson, second-degree reckless burning and third-degree malicious mischief.

Edmonds: Woman charged with ID theft

An Everett woman racked up nearly $190,000 in medical bills and was given a hearty supply of narcotics using another woman’s identity, according to county prosecutors.

The woman, 48, is charged with two counts of first-degree identity theft. She pleaded innocent to the charges Tuesday. The woman is being held on $200,000 bail.

Investigators believe the woman stole the identity of a roommate at a homeless shelter and used the woman’s personal information to receive medical services, including back surgery and prescription drugs, court records show.

The roommate whose identity was stolen was a Medicaid client of the state Department of Social and Health Services. In late 2007, a contractor for the state noticed duplicate billing for the client.

Most of the $190,000 in losses will be borne by Medicaid and some of the medical providers, police said. The state social and health services department is out about $20,000 in state funds.

No money was taken from the woman whose identity was stolen.

Marysville: Police seek info on backhoe theft

Police said they are looking for information about a stolen dump truck and a backhoe.

The truck and the backhoe were stolen Thursday from a construction site in the 4600 block of 80th Street NE, said Marysville police Cmdr. Ralph Krusey. Thieves allegedly loaded the truck with equipment and then broke out of the construction area by driving the truck through a locked gate.

On Monday, police recovered the dump truck 18 miles east of Granite Falls on the Mountain Loop Highway. The backhoe was found near Arlington after a neighbor called police to report suspicious activity.

Police estimate the value of the stolen equipment to be around $100,000, Krusey said.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call Marysville police at 360-363-8326.

From Herald staff reports