Charges filed in tow truck driver's death

Prosecutors have charged a woman in the hit-and-run crash that killed a Burien tow truck driver last week. Shavelle M. Lewis, 20, has been charged with vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run in the death of William A. Padilla. Investigators said Padilla, 51, was assisting a broken-down car when he was hit.
Lewis has been released on bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned next month. According to the Washington State Patrol, Padilla was hit at about 1:15 a.m. while on the ramp from Spokane Street to southbound I-5. He was working on a vehicle damaged in an earlier crash.

Padilla, who worked for GT Towing in Seattle, was kneeling down at the front of the disabled car when a woman in an SUV drove across all southbound lanes and hit the tow truck operator. Padilla died at the scene. Investigators said the woman driving the SUV sped off but was captured minutes later at the bottom of the Michigan Street off-ramp. When troopers arrived they found Lewis standing outside the SUV, but the keys to the vehicle were in her pocket. Officials said she appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

At Saturday's court hearing, prosecutor Jennifer Peterson argued for a $250,000 bail, saying Lewis has had 14 arrest warrants since 2003 and that she is a "danger to community." Her criminal record includes previous misdemeanor convictions for prostitution and possession of marijuana, plus a gross misdemeanor conviction for fourth-degree assault.

Three men sentenced to 63 years for SeaTac murder

Three men. who were found guilty of first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with a fatal retaliation shooting in SeaTac last year, were each sentenced to 63 years in prison. A King County Superior Court jury found Jontae Chatman, Nestor Ovideo-Mejia and Antoine Davis guilty in the April 13, 2009 attack. A fourth defendant, Dominick Reed, was initially facing the same charges, but he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree assault. Reed was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Mario Spearman was killed in his car, which was stopped at a light. Attempted murder was charged because a passenger, David Route, was wounded in the shooting. A woman and her 2-year-old son were in the back seat and were not hurt. Authorities believe that Spearman was killed and Route injured as part of a "hit" carried out in retaliation for another shooting earlier that day in Seattle, which the men who killed Spearman believed he was responsible for.

Reckless driver crashes into home

A police officer observed a vehicle being driven recklessly and attempted to stop the car. A driver in the 11900 block of Ambaum Blvd S refused to pull over for a patrol vehicle. A chase ensued and the driver crashed into an occupied home. The suspect got out of the car and fled the scene. Police were able to arrest the suspect who appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The suspect had a misdemeanor warrant and could face hit and run and obstructing charges.

Car break-ins, thefts, vandalism, prowlers

14000 blk. Ambaum Blvd. S., 400 blk. S.W. 126th St., 14200 blk. 13th Ave. S.W., 12803 Ambaum Blvd. S., 14300 1st Ave. S., 402 S.W. 132nd St., 11900 blk. 8th Ave S.W., 1200 blk. 1st Ave. S., 400 S.W. 152nd St., 100 blk. S.W. 154th St., 635 S.W. 152nd St., 225 S. 152nd St., 15800 4th Ave. S., 13400 blk. 22nd Ave. S., 3200 blk. S. 164th St., 4644 S. 188th St., 300 blk. S. 204th.