West
Illegal immigrant accused of killing Washington state trooper was previously accused of domestic violence
The illegal migrant who crashed into a Washington State Patrol car and killed the officer inside was previously arrested on charges of domestic abuse, officials claim.
Raul Benitez Santana, 32, was arrested last Saturday after the fatal incident, which took the life of 27-year-old Trooper Christopher Gadd.
King County court documents obtained by the “Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH show that Santana was previously arrested for assaulting his girlfriend — identified by the initials “M.C.” — who was also the mother of his then-five-month-old child.
MAN WHO CRASHED INTO WASHINGTON STATE PATROL TROOPER, KILLING HIM, IN US ILLEGALLY: ICE
Raul Benitez Santana is accused of killing a Washington State Patrol officer after crashing his car into a patrol vehicle. (FOX 13 Seattle)
M.C. reported to police that the confrontation began when she got into an argument with Santana over text messages he was receiving from another woman, according to the documents.
M.C. reported throwing Santana’s phone, after which he began punching her repeatedly. She suffered significant damage to her face, including a broken nose and swollen left eye. A non-felony plea deal from Santana was accepted in May 2019.
Following the arrest, officers noticed irregularities in Santana’s personal identification records.
WASHINGTON STATE TROOPER KILLED IN THREE-VEHICLE CRASH WHILE SEARCHING FOR DUI DRIVERS
King County became a sanctuary county in 2013, and Washington became a sanctuary state in 2019 to push back against effort by then-President Donald Trump to tighten restrictions on illegal immigrants in the U.S.
“The search incident to his arrest yielded multiple identification documents for him bearing a variety of names and other changed identifying information such as social security numbers,” documents surrounding the case read.
Santana was arrested last week following the fatal car accident and is being held on $1 million bail after allegedly crashing his vehicle into a Washington State Patrol trooper and killing him.
CAR LAUNCHES FROM ROAD, LANDS 200 FEET BELOW DUE TO ‘DISTRACTED DRIVING’: VIDEO
Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher M. Gadd, 27, served the agency for two and a half years. He is survived by his wife and daughter, his parents, sister and other family members. (Washington State Patrol)
Gadd was watching for speeding and DUI drivers, when he was struck and killed in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 around 3 a.m. Saturday.
An investigation into the crash found an SUV being driven by Santana was heading southbound on the interstate when the vehicle veered onto the shoulder and struck the trooper’s patrol car.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reportedly found the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed when it crashed into the police vehicle.
On Tuesday, FOX 13 in Seattle reported it had obtained court documents alleging Santana had bloodshot eyes and admitted to police he had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before getting behind the wheel of the vehicle and driving.
Santana was booked into the Snohomish County Jail, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Seattle Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division placed an immigration detainer on the Mexican citizen.
He was first encountered by Seattle ERO on Oct. 28, 2013, at the South Correctional Entity in Burien, Washington, after being arrested for failing to appear in court for driving on a suspended license.
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He was also sentenced to 90 days behind bars, with 87 of the days suspended, in May 2013, after being convicted of possessing less than 40 grams of marijuana.
On Oct. 6, 2014, Santana was sentenced to 90 days behind bars for driving on a suspended license, and in May 2019, was arrested again for domestic violence assault.
Fox News Digital’s Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyoming (KUTV) — A man was hospitalized with critical injuries after he was reportedly shot by a deputy responding to reports of a disturbance.
Deputies with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Rock Springs Police Department responded to the Sweetwater Heights apartment complex in the 2100 block of Century Boulevard just after 4 a.m. on Monday to investigate reports of a disturbance involving an armed individual.
Information that dispatch received indicated that the individual had shot himself. When officials arrived, they found the individual on the balcony of an upstairs apartment “who appeared to have a gunshot wound consistent with the initial report,” a press release states.
MORE | Officer-Involved Shooting
During the encounter, a deputy discharged their weapon and struck the individual.
Emergency medical personnel rendered aid, and the individual was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
No law enforcement officers or members of the public were injured during the incident.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct an independent investigation.
The deputy who fired their weapon was placed on administrative leave per standard protocol.
_____
A California sea lion pup found last week on a San Francisco street corner is malnourished but “active and quite feisty,” The Marine Mammal Center said Monday.
The sea lion, believed to be about 10 months old, had apparently wandered into city’s Outer Sunset neighborhood and was discovered early Thursday morning, authorities said.
The pup was spotted near 48th and Irving Streets, one block from Ocean Beach and Sunset Dunes park. A trained responder from the Marine Mammal Center was joined by San Francisco park rangers and police officers to safely corral the pup, now named ‘Irving’, into a carrier crate.
Dubbed ‘Irving’ by his rescuers, Irving weighed in at 40 pounds and is considered malnourished, the Marine Mammal Center said.
“The sea lion is active and quite feisty which is a positive initial sign in terms of general behavior,” the center said in a news release on Monday.
During an exam by veterinarians, a series of blood samples were also taken to determine whether there’s any underlying ailment.
Irving is being tube fed a fish smoothie blend two times per day to boost hydration and weight; offers of whole herring will also begin shortly.
The quick actions by police, recreation and parks staff and Ocean Avenue Animal Hospital gave the young sea lion a second chance at life, said Lauren Campbell, animal husbandry manager at The Marine Mammal Center.
“As a roughly 10-month-old pup in his first year of learning how to forage on his own, this animal has a long road to recovery due to his severe malnutrition,” Campbell said. “We are hopeful that in the coming weeks with continued specialized care that this pup starts to make positive strides toward recovery and release.”
Irving will be held in the Center’s Intensive Quarantine Unit until clearing medical protocols, before likely being transferred this week to a traditional rehabilitation pool pen. A long-term prognosis and potential release timeline are not currently known.
Denverites looking for a stellar cup of Joe don’t need to travel far to savor the flavor of excellent coffee.
That’s according to The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops, a website that rates global hospitality establishments where coffee lovers can find better brew. The website recently announced its 2026 list of the best coffee shops in North America, Central America and the Caribbean and two local companies made the list.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters came in at No. 43, while Queen City Collective Coffee ranked No. 61. Not bad for a list that includes must-hit destinations in places like Guatemala and Costa Rica, which are known for their exports of coffee beans.
The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops decided the ranking through a mix of nominations and voting by both the public and experts. Places were evaluated based on the quality of coffee served, barista expertise, ambiance, sustainability practices, and innovation among other criteria, according to the website.
Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, which came on the scene in 2013, helped usher the so-called fourth wave of coffee locally, which focuses on honoring the beans’ agricultural roots and using techniques like pour-over to extract more flavor from each brew. The company started with a wholesale roastery and retail shop in Lakewood before expanding to Arvada through a merger with another company called Two Rivers, and later to Westminster. In 2022, Food and Wine magazine named Sweet Bloom’s Westminster locale the best coffee shop in Colorado.
Queen City Collective has certainly earned the popular vote among Mile High City coffee drinkers if the company’s expansion is an indication. Since opening its first retail location in 2018, in a spot shared with Novel Strand Brewing Co., Queen City has expanded to seven locations between Denver and surrounding suburbs, including Wheat Ridge and Aurora.
To see the full list of must-hit coffee shops across the globe, visit theworlds100bestcoffeeshops.com. For additional recommendations, check out our list of Colorado’s best coffee shops with picturesque patios and views.
Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox.
-
West Virginia5 minutes agoAIA West Virginia honors design excellence at 2026 gala in Morgantown
-
Wyoming11 minutes agoMan shot, critically injured by deputy during ‘disturbance’ in Rock Springs, Wyoming
-
Crypto17 minutes agoXRP Prepares for Quantum Future as Ripple Maps XRPL Strategy for Security Readiness
-
Finance23 minutes agoWhy this sleepy Swiss town has become a ‘bolt-hole’ for the Gulf elite
-
Fitness29 minutes ago
Six ways your smartwatch is lying to you, according to science
-
Movie Reviews41 minutes agoMovie Review – Desert Warrior (2026)
-
World53 minutes agoIran War Live Updates: Trump Officials and Iran Plan New Talks Despite Mixed Messages
-
News59 minutes agoVideo: Singer D4vd Is Charged With Murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez
