Box of suspected human remains found

Lynnwood police need help finding the owners of a found red box of what appears to be ashes of a preschool age boy.

The box was found Jan. 8 at a hotel in the 4100 block of 196th Street SW in Lynnwood.

The box was found by a guest between two vending machines. It was then given to a hotel employee who called 911.

The box not only included the ashes but also a photo of a preschool age boy.

Anyone with information should contact Lynnwood police detective Sgt. Byrd at 425-670-5612.

Four firefighters face potential layoffs at Fire District 1

Four firefighters at Snohomish County Fire District 1 have been given notices that they could be laid off as early as Feb. 15.

“We hope to come up with a solution before that date to allow these firefighters to stay on the job. They are valued employees who have served our citizens well,” said Fire Chief Ed Widdis. “Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy answers when we are facing a drop in property tax revenue of more than 12 percent this year with more of the same expected in 2013.”

Fire District 1 employs 190 firefighters and staffs 12 fire stations around the clock to serve more than 225,000 residents in unincorporated south Snohomish County, Brier, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace and Woodway.

Property taxes are the primary source of funding for district operations. As home values have declined at an unprecedented rate over the past two years, so have property tax revenues in Fire District 1.

The district has already implemented major cutbacks. Nine administrative positions were eliminated in November through a combination of retirements and layoffs. An across-the-board reduction of nearly 12 percent in general fund program expenditures was also part of the $35.8 million budget for 2012 adopted by the Board of Commissioners in December.

Up until now, Fire District 1 had been able to avoid cutbacks in firefighting staff. In addition to the four layoffs under consideration, three vacant firefighter positions are slated to be eliminated.

Widdis said between now and Feb. 15 he will continue to explore other ways to reduce costs without having to implement the layoffs.

“Our top priority is to maintain the fire and emergency medical response the public has come to expect,” Widdis said. “We’re hoping we can find a way to keep these four firefighters on the job and serving our citizens.”

Robbery reported at Lynnwood-area espresso stand

Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an espresso stand robbery reported near Lynnwood early Jan. 5.

Deputies were told a man armed with a pipe forced open the back door of the stand in the 16500 block of Ash Way and demanded money from an employee, sheriff’s bureau chief Kevin Prentiss said. The incident was reported around 5 a.m.

The suspect, a bald white man with a scar near his right eye, ran from the scene with an undisclosed amount of money.

The employee was not injured.

The suspect was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the sheriff’s office tip line at 425-388-3845.

Police dogs track down suspected burglar in Lynnwood

A suspected burglar was arrested near Lynnwood on Jan. 5 after being pursued by two police dogs.

Sheriff’s deputies received a report of a burglary in progress in the 2100 block of 208th Street SW around 12:15 p.m.

They were told a homeowner, armed with a handgun, confronted the suspect, who ran away, Sheriff’s Office bureau chief Kevin Prentiss said.

Deputies established a perimeter and used police dogs from the Lynnwood and Everett police departments to track the suspect. After a nearly hour-long track, the suspect was arrested in the 20600 block of Cypress Way, a few blocks from the burglary.

The suspect was described as a Lynnwood man, 24.

Neighbor helps police nab burglar

A man called 911 after seeing a suspicious man in the back yard of his neighbor’s home in the Blue Ridge community in Lynnwood Jan. 4.

Police responded to the house in the 18400 block of 71st Ave. W just after 12:30 p.m. and contacted a man walking in the area with the same description as the burglar.

The suspect, a 26-year-old Lynnwood man, was found with a backpack full of burglary tools and was identified by the neighbor as the man who was attempting to break in his neighbor’s home.

The suspect was arrested and booked into the Snohomish County jail for attempted burglary.

Lynnwood/Brier

Jan. 9: Theft. 18930 block 29th Ave. W. A man reported a vehicle prowl in a parking lot.

Jan. 7: Domestic. 6011 block 185th St. SW. A man and a woman were in dispute over what an infant should eat and future in-laws.

Jan. 7: Domestic. 4600 block 196th St SW. Verbal disagreement between a man and woman over where they should eat dinner.

Jan. 6: Accident. 18400 block Hwy. 99. Car vs. building. A driver hit a gas pedal because of a piece of paper on the floor. The car went over the raised sidewalk into window of barber shop.

Jan. 3: Burglary. 22400 block Bier Road. A Brier man reported someone forcefully entered his residence while he was on vacation through his front door. The suspect(s) then removed a laptop, personal paperwork and jewelry.

Edmonds

Jan. 7: Theft. 20800 block 72nd Ave. W. Someone reported unauthorized entry into her unlocked vehicle several times over two days. No suspects at this time.

Jan. 6: Malicious mischief. 9500 block Edmonds Way. Eggs were thrown at a vehicle while it was parked in complex parking lot.

Jan. 6: Theft. 23800 block 78th Ave. W. A man was arrested for possession of stolen mail.

Jan. 5: Theft. 21700 block 76th Ave. W. A dog and a backpack with miscellaneous items were stolen from a vehicle.

Jan. 4: Liquor. 9800 block Edmonds Way. Liquor law violations reported by employees at a business. A woman was cited.

Jan. 4: Theft. 500 block Main St. A purse was stolen from an office.

Dec. 29: Burglary. 7900 block 207th Place SW. A door was kicked in during a daytime burglary.

Mountlake Terrace

Jan. 9: Domestic dispute. 5400 block 220th St. SW. Police were dispatched to a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers could hear a man and woman arguing inside the apartment. The couple quarreled because the man’s video games were too loud.

Jan. 8: Domestic disturbance. 4400 block 212th St. SW. A man wanted his girlfriend removed from his home after she accused him of having an affair and refused to leave.

Jan. 7: Suspicious circumstances. 21300 block 48th Ave. W. A man called police after his girlfriend said she was assaulted while walking to his home. She smelled intoxicated and had a lump on her forehead. She told officers several people tried to assault her and she fell down, smacking her head.

Jan. 6: Suspicious circumstances. 4700 block 240th St. SW. A man performed CPR on his dog after it appeared to have been shocked from sniffing an aluminum light pole. The city’s Public Works and the county’s Public Utility District cut power to the light pole following the incident.

Fire District 1

Jan. 4: Electrical fire. 300 block of Fourth Ave. N. A fire was reported on the roof of an apartment building in Edmonds. Firefighters quickly extinguished the small electrical fire. Damage is estimated at $25,000. The residents of three apartment units were temporarily displaced until the electrical system could be repaired. No injuries were reported.

Jan. 4: Collision. 21600 block 76th Ave. W. Firefighters responded to a one-car rollover in the parking lot of Swedish/Edmonds Hospital. The car had been stolen and was being pursued by law enforcement officers when the accident occurred. It took firefighters 15 minutes to free the driver from the wreckage. Medics transported the seriously injured man to Harborview Medical Center.

Jan. 3: Collision. 164th Street SW at I-5. One person was injured in a hit-and-run north of Lynnwood. Firefighters transported the driver to Swedish/Edmonds Hospital.

Jan. 2: Boat fire. 300 block of Admiral Way. Firefighters were called to extinguish a smoldering fire that flared up in one of the two boats involved in the New Year’s Eve fire at the Edmonds Marina. The yacht had been pulled from the water and placed in a storage yard. The fire flared up again and firefighters had to cut a hole in the hull to reach the persistent hot spot. They also removed a burning mattress from the boat.

Dec. 31: Boat fire. 300 block of Admiral Way. A boat fire was reported at the marina in Edmonds. Two 50-foot motor yachts were destroyed and damage is estimated at more than $600,000. No one was aboard the burning boats, but two people aboard a neighboring boat were transported by firefighters to Swedish/Edmonds Hospital to be treated for minor smoke inhalation.