Seattle, WA

Another harrowing escape puts attention on open prostitution market along Seattle’s Aurora Avenue

Published

1 year ago

August 4, 2023

Another harrowing escape puts attention on open prostitution market along Seattle’s Aurora Avenue

SEATTLE (AP) — A vanload of church volunteers drove along a main street in north Seattle one night last month with sandwiches, water bottles and blankets for homeless people. They didn’t find any — but they did see dozens of barely clothed women walking along the road or leaning into traffic to advertise their services.

“Just woman after woman after woman,” recalled one of the volunteers, Stuart Jenner. “We prayed for them as we drove south.”

About two hours later, the FBI said, a man posing as an undercover police officer shackled and abducted a woman from the area after soliciting her to engage in prostitution. He then drove her hundreds of miles to his home in southern Oregon, where he locked her in a makeshift cell in his garage — a cinder block cage with a metal door, charging papers say. She escaped by punching the door, bloodying her knuckles, until it broke.

Authorities say they are looking for more possible victims after linking the man, Negasi Zuberi, to violent sexual assaults in at least four other states. His newly appointed public defender, Devin Huseby, declined to comment Thursday.

The July 15 abduction is one of at least three cases in the past year in which police say women engaged in prostitution along Aurora Avenue had to make harrowing escapes or otherwise be rescued after being held against their will, and it raised questions about the consequences of tolerating an open sex market along the busy thoroughfare.

“The Aurora Avenue North corridor has been a longstanding public safety challenge with human trafficking, street prostitution, drug dealing, and gun violence,” Jamie Housen, a spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, said in an email.

Seattle has been clamping down, Housen said. Police regularly make arrests in the area and issued nuisance notices last week to two budget motels on Aurora that authorities said were hotbeds of prostitution and other crime.

Aurora, an urban highway also known as State Route 99, is one of the city’s main north-south arterials. Especially known for prostitution is a stretch of about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) close to the city’s northern limit that is flanked by home-improvement stores, single-story businesses, strip malls and cheap motels.

Residents have noticed a dramatic increase in the activity since the pandemic struck in 2020, as the Seattle Police Department has contended with a severe shortage of officers.

That was also the year the City Council eliminated loitering crimes as they relate to drug trafficking and prostitution. Loitering charges were rarely filed anyway, but the council cited the racist history of such laws, which were preceded by Jim Crow-era vagrancy statutes designed to target formerly enslaved people, in eliminating them.

Last November, a 20-year-old woman who had been trafficked along Aurora tried to escape her pimp by jumping nearly naked out of the third-floor window of a home in south Seattle where she’d been kept. The escape failed, and after the pimp drove her back up to Aurora, she tried again, this time running from him and sitting topless in the roadway. A rideshare driver stopped and rescued her — and then engaged in a rolling gunfight with the pimp, who chased them in his car, police said.

The defendant in that case, Winston Burt, was arrested soon after and now faces federal sex trafficking and gun charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

Last month, a 19-year-old man and 17-year-old boy were charged with trafficking two young women out of one of the motels on Aurora, after one of the women called her father to report she was being held against her will.

The city followed up by declaring the Emerald Motel and the Seattle Inn to be chronic nuisances. The declaration requires the owners to submit a plan explaining how they will prevent their properties from being used for criminal behavior, Housen said. Failure to comply can result in fines.

Calls to those establishments seeking comment did not go through Thursday, with an automated message saying the lines were busy.

“Human trafficking takes a tragic, significant, and unacceptable toll on victims and the entire community,” Housen said. “Mayor Harrell recognizes that addressing this issue requires more than just law enforcement, including a special emphasis on victim services, support, and advocacy.”

Cory Cocktail, the co-founder of the Seattle sex worker outreach organization Green Light Project, said sex work is inherently risky, but outdoor work is especially dangerous because of the difficulty in vetting clients. The closing of the motels to prostitution could make it even worse, he said, because workers might be more likely to resort to getting into clients’ cars instead.

And without a consolidated community based around the motels, it would be harder for sex workers to look out for each other, Cocktail said.

“I unfortunately have been expecting something like this to happen,” Cocktail said. “I hate saying that out loud, but the circumstances being what they are, predators are empowered to hurt people right now.”

For Jenner, who volunteered through his church, University Presbyterian, for a late-night shift with the Union Gospel Mission’s “Search and Rescue Program” on July 14, learning that an abduction had occurred just hours later reminded him of Gary Ridgway, the Green River serial killer, who terrorized the region in the 1980s. Ridgway picked up some of his victims, many of them sex workers, along the same stretch of Aurora.

One of Ridgway’s victims, Mary Bridgett Meehan, 19, was a classmate of Jenner.

“My fervent hope is that this story can help someone to do something about all the prostitution that is on northern Aurora Avenue in Seattle,” Jenner wrote in an email to elected officials Wednesday.

___

Manuel Valdes in Seattle contributed.

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Seattle, WA

A Seattle Seahawks trend that's impressed Big Ray and Wyman

Published

3 hours ago

September 28, 2024

Press Room

A Seattle Seahawks trend that's impressed Big Ray and Wyman

There have been plenty of encouraging trends for the Seattle Seahawks during their 3-0 start under new head coach Mike Macdonald.

Klatt: Why Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald isn’t just a defensive guru

Through the first three weeks, there’s one trend that has particularly impressed Seahawks Radio Network analysts Ray Roberts and Dave Wyman: The ability for Seattle’s coaching staff to make successful in-game adjustments.

Roberts, a former NFL offensive lineman, elaborated Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

“When things have started out pretty ugly and they have a plan that doesn’t seem to be working, they can go deeper into their bag and find the things that do work so that you can win the games,” Roberts said. “… I feel like in the past, there’s been times when the game plan isn’t working, but there’s no adjustment. It just seems like you just kind of banged your head against the wall trying to make it work.

“And these dudes have been able to come out and go like, ‘OK, that didn’t look the way we thought it was going to look, or that’s not working the way we thought it was going to work, so we’re going to try this other thing.’ And those other things have been working.”

Wyman, a former NFL linebacker, shared a similar perspective Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.

“One of my favorite things about this team so far is their ability to adapt within a game,” Wyman said. “(The Seahawks) under Pete (Carroll), lots of good seasons. … But I just felt like once something went wrong, it was gonna go wrong all game. And this team has (shown) an ability to change things.”

In Week 1, Seattle’s offensive line struggled mightily in pass protection during a disastrous first half. After the break, the Seahawks pivoted to a run-heavy attack that resulted in a big day from running back Kenneth Walker III and a 17-point second half that helped them pull away.

In Week 2, Seattle got burned early on by New England tight end Hunter Henry, who had seven catches for 98 yards in the first half. After the break, the Seahawks held him to just one catch for 11 yards. Seattle also struggled against the Patriots’ rushing attack for much of the game, but came up with a massive third-and-1 run stop in overtime that helped lead to the victory.

And in Week 3, after the Seahawks’ offense grew stagnant in the second and third quarters, Geno Smith began heavily targeting the tight ends. That helped Seattle’s offense gain some traction, and on the ensuing drive, Smith led a game-sealing 98-yard touchdown march the put the game away.

“For them to be able to make those types of adjustments on offense and defense, that’s stuff that you can hang your hat on,” Roberts said. “Those are people that are recognizing what’s happening, understanding what needs to get done and then being willing to come off of what they had planned to do, to go to something that’s going to put the team in a better position to win.”

And though halftime adjustments can certainly be beneficial, Wyman explained that it’s even more valuable if a coaching staff can make adjustments on the sidelines during the game.

“People on TV would always say, ‘Oh, it’s the halftime adjustment,’” Wyman said. “But as a player, you go in, you’ve gotta check with the trainer and then a coach draws something up on the board, and like three minutes later you’ve gotta go back out.

“But if you’re able to do that stuff on the sidelines where all the bombs are going off around you, then that’s where it’s really valuable. And I think that’s where they have really improved. And that’s the coaching staff.”

Listen to the full conversation with Ray Roberts on Bump and Stacy at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Hear the full segment on Wyman and Bob at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story.

More on Seattle Seahawks

• Huard: An alarming Seahawks stat through three games
• Macdonald previews Seahawks’ Monday night showdown in Detroit
• Rost: What we know and don’t know through three games
• DK Metcalf at his best? Three ways Huard says he’s grown
• How real is Seattle Seahawks’ defensive dominance? 10 stats that stand out

Follow @CameronVanTil

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Seattle, WA

Raleigh, Garver homer as Seattle Mariners beat Athletics 2-0

Published

11 hours ago

September 28, 2024

Press Room

Raleigh, Garver homer as Seattle Mariners beat Athletics 2-0

SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his 32nd homer, Bryan Woo struck out eight in five innings and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics 2-0 on Friday night.

Seattle Mariners 2, Oakland Athletics 0: Box score

Mitch Garver also homered for the Mariners, a day after Seattle was eliminated from postseason contention. Oakland also was coming off an emotional day after playing its final scheduled home game at the Coliseum, a 3-2 victory over Texas.

Woo (9-3) allowed just three hits and a walk.

“It was kind of a weird 24 hours,” Woo said. “Knowing you’re out of it, but you still want to finish strong. For yourself, for the team, for the fans, for everybody. Everybody else deserves that out of you and so you’ve got to find it in yourself to give it everything you have.”

He has 101 strikeouts in 121 1/3 innings this season. This was the seventh time in his 22 starts he did not allow a run.

“He had five really strong today,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “What an incredible season for another one of our young starters. I thought he had a great year, and threw the ball well tonight.”

Oakland starter JP Sears (11-13) allowed two runs on four hits over six innings.

The Mariners opened the final three-game series of the season after seeing their playoff hopes officially end on an off day, watching as the Royals and Tigers both won to knock out Seattle from wild-card contention.

The Mariners led the AL West by 10 games in June before hitting a skid and seeing the division lead evaporate over a month. A late surge gave Seattle some slight postseason hope that was finally extinguished Thursday.

Despite that, the crowd of 41,429 was relatively upbeat, especially when Garver gave Seattle a 1-0 lead with his 15th homer to lead off the second inning.

Raleigh added another run with his home run to center field in the third inning. Raleigh leads major league catchers with the 32 homers.

“Garv really crushed it, Cal crushed it,” Wilson said. “Those were big knocks and gave us what we needed tonight. Our pitching was really, really strong.”

Mariners relievers Gabe Speier, Gregory Santos, Tayler Saucedo and Troy Taylor each pitched an inning in Seattle’s 15th shutout of the season, with Taylor getting his first career save.

“That’s a big deal for him,” Wilson said. “He’s been given some higher leverage situations, and he’s been able to handle them. You’ve got to love that from a young kid. He’s another guy that really wants the ball in those situations, and that’s a good sign.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

The A’s reinstated RHP Ross Stripling from the IL before the game. Stripling had been on the 15-day IL since Sept. 11 because of a lower back strain. Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said Stripling would pitch out of the bullpen at some point in the series.

UP NEXT

Seattle will call up RHP Emerson Hancock (4-4, 4.72 ERA) from Triple-A to start Saturday against Oakland. Hancock has made 11 starts for Seattle this season, most recently on September 21 against Texas. The Athletics were set to start RHP Joey Estes (7-9, 4.99 ERA).

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Video: What led to the Mariners missing the playoffs again
• The Mariners have been eliminated from postseason contention
• Requiem for a Mariners Season: The questions that await
• Bryce Miller’s big leap has been ‘awesome to watch,’ says MLB insider
• Seattle Mariners are scoring now, with 4 names playing big roles

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Seattle, WA

Former Seattle Mariners Pitcher Deals AL West Rivals History-Making Loss

Published

20 hours ago

September 27, 2024

Press Room

Former Seattle Mariners Pitcher Deals AL West Rivals History-Making Loss

The Seattle Mariners will begin Game 1 of their last series of the season against the Oakland Athletics at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday.

The Mariners were eliminated on their off day on Thursday after the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals both won.

But as the saying goes, “misery loves company.” And although Seattle will miss the playoffs for a the 22nd time in 23 years, it got to sit back and enjoy an American League West rival suffer its own disappointing loss.

The Los Angeles Angels fell 4-3 to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. The loss was the Angels’ 96th of the season — a franchise record.

The irony was that the a former Seattle starter helped deal the loss.

Chris Flexen, who pitched for the Mariners from 2021-23, threw 6.1 scoreless innings and struck out seven batters. It was his first win since May 8. His wallet also got a little bigger due to him earning $250,000 for pitching 160 innings during the season.

Chris Flexen today:
– 6.1 shutout innings
– First W since May 8
– Cashed a $250K bonus for 160 IP
– Dealt the Angels their franchise record 96th loss of the season
Comrade Chris 🫡 https://t.co/Vv3hkW9OXH
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) September 27, 2024
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Flexen has a 4.95 ERA this season in 33 appearances (30 starts) with 123 strikeouts in 160.1 innings pitched.

During Flexen’s time with Seattle, he pitched 81 games (57 starts) and posted a 4.13 ERA with 249 strikeouts in 359.1 innings pitched.

Flexen has pitched well against Los Angeles dating back to his time with Seattle. In his career, he’s made 11 appearances against the Angels (nine starts) and has posted a 3.15 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched.

Los Angeles’ loss won’t alleviate the disappointment within the Mariners organization and fanbase over not making the playoffs.

But it’s good to see a former Seattle pitcher continue to be successful against a division rival.

ADAMES JOINS A-ROD IN HISTORY: Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames joined former Seattle Mariners legend Alex Rodriguez as one of just two players in history to accomplish an extremely impressive feat. CLICK HERE

MARINERS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION: The Seattle Mariners saw their postseason dreams came to an end with come-from-behind wins by the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers on Thursday. CLICK HERE

MARINERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HOUSTON’S DEFENSIVE MISCUES: The Seattle Mariners kept their season and playoff chances afloat and took the series with an 8-1 win against the Houston Astros on Wednesday. CLICK HERE

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady

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