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

Seattle Sounders stun LAFC to reach Western Conference Final | MLSSoccer.com

Published

8 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Seattle Sounders stun LAFC to reach Western Conference Final | MLSSoccer.com

Seattle Sounders FC have reached the Western Conference Final in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, completing a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over LAFC in Saturday’s elimination match at BMO Stadium.

Sounders striker Jordan Morris scored a 109th-minute winner in the second extra-time period, ending his team’s 10-game winless streak against the Black & Gold (stretching back to May 2021). Stefan Frei was also immense for the Sounders, making nine saves to repeatedly frustrate Denis Bouanga and his teammates.

Before Morris’ dramatics, Seattle clawed back into the game when Maxime Chanot failed to clear Obed Vargas’ centering pass and scored an own goal. That equalizer followed Ryan Hollingshead opening the scoring in the 50th minute, one-timing home Mateusz Bogusz’s low cross near the penalty spot.

Up next, Seattle will face the winner of Sunday’s Western Conference Semifinal between LA Galaxy and Minnesota United FC (6 pm ET | MLS Season Pass; FS1, FOX Deportes). Their Conference Final is set for Nov. 30; Seattle (No. 4) will travel if LA (No. 2) advance and host if Minnesota (No. 6) complete yet another upset.

Goals

50′ – LAFC – Ryan Hollingshead | WATCH
59′ – SEA – Maxime Chanot (OG) | WATCH
109′ – SEA – Jordan Morris | WATCH

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles FC LIVE STREAM (10/28/24): Watch MLS Playoffs online | Time, TV, channel for soccer game

Published

17 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles FC LIVE STREAM (10/28/24): Watch MLS Playoffs online | Time, TV, channel for soccer game

Seattle Sounders faces Los Angeles FC in an MLS Playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 (11/23/24) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

HOW TO WATCH: Fans can watch on Apple TV+, via a subscription to the MLS Season Pass.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: MLS game

Who: Seattle Sounders vs. Los Angeles FC

When: Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024 (11/23/24)

Time: 10:30 p.m. ET

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: N/A

Live stream: Apple TV+

Here’s a recent AP story on MLS:

Seattle Sounders FC (16-9-9, fourth in the Western Conference during the regular season) vs. Los Angeles FC (19-8-7, first in the Conference during the regular season)

Los Angeles; Saturday, 10:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: LAFC -107, Seattle +271; over/under is 2.5 goals

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles FC looks for its 20th win of the season when it faces the Seattle Sounders.

LAFC is 18-8-6 in conference games. LAFC ranks fourth in the Western Conference with 63 goals led by Denis Bouanga with 21.

The Sounders are 12-8-10 against Western Conference teams. The Sounders are 7-1-2 when they score a pair of goals.

The teams meet Saturday for the second time this season. LAFC won the last meeting 3-0.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bouanga has scored 21 goals and added 10 assists for LAFC. Kei Kamara has two assists over the past 10 games.

Jordan Morris has 13 goals and four assists for the Sounders. Albert Rusnak has scored five goals over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: LAFC: 7-2-1, averaging 1.6 goals, 5.2 shots on goal and 6.4 corner kicks per game while allowing 1.1 goals per game.

Sounders: 5-1-4, averaging 1.5 goals, 3.8 shots on goal and 6.8 corner kicks per game while allowing 0.5 goals per game.

NOT EXPECTED TO PLAY: LAFC: Lorenzo Dellavalle (injured).

Sounders: Cody Baker (injured), Jacob Castro (injured), Danny Musovski (injured), Jordan Morris (injured), Albert Rusnak (injured).

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Seattle, WA

Insider: What to watch from Seattle Seahawks' Week 12 opponent

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Insider: What to watch from Seattle Seahawks' Week 12 opponent

After a big win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks are set for another important divisional clash.

Macdonald previews Seattle Seahawks’ pivotal NFC West clash vs Cardinals

The Seahawks host the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals (6-4) with a chance to move into at least a tie for first place in the division. Seattle (5-5) is currently in a three-way tie for second place with both the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams.

If Seattle can pull off the win and both San Francisco and Los Angeles lose, it would take over sole possession of first place via the head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona. The Seahawks and Cardinals meet again on Dec. 8.

The Cardinals, winners of four straight, are one of the surprise teams in the league this season. After finishing in a four-way tie for the second-worst record in the league last season, they’ve already surpassed their four wins from a season ago and have their latest division lead since being tied for first with the Rams in Week 15 of the 2021 season.

With Arizona on the docket for the first time this season, AZCardinals.com senior writer Darren Urban shared his insight on the Cardinals with Stacy Rost and Seahawks Radio Network analysts Michael Bumpus and Dave Wyman during The Huddle on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

Kyler Murray playing at a high level

Arizona has been much improved on offense with dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray fully healthy, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

With Murray out for the first nine weeks of last season, the Cardinals stumbled to a 1-8 start while averaging just 16.8 points per game. After his return, they went 3-5 while averaging 22.8 points.

Murray is playing at a high level this year in his first full season since tearing his ACL in December of the 2022 season. He’s completing passes at a career-high 69.2% clip with 2,058 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions, while adding another 371 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

“I don’t know if I’ll necessarily call it a career year yet. (We) obviously still got half the season to go, but he’s definitely in a different space than he’s been in before,” Urban said. “He might have had more gaudy numbers once upon a time, but he fits so well in the offense that they’re running here with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, and the fact that it’s kind of coming together at a perfect time, really kind of escalates how he looks and how he’s performing. Don’t get me wrong, Kyler is playing at a very high level right now. They just don’t always need him to be Superman like he once was.”

Arizona is tied for 11th in scoring this season at 23.8 points per game with Murray leading the charge. Part of what’s made him so effective this year is his improved ability to take care of the football. He’s on pace for a career-low 1.1% interception rate.

“He’s done a really good job of taking care of the football,” Urban said. “When you add that in with the least amount of penalties the Cardinals have got – the Cardinals have the fewest amount of penalties of anybody in the NFL – that goes a long way in helping you try and win games. So Kyler Murray is in a good place right now. He’s 100% back from the knee injury from a couple of years ago. He looks like it when he moves around. He’s throwing the ball exceptionally well. And this offense is coming around.”

The ‘heart and soul’ of Arizona’s offense

While Murray’s play has been key, Urban described veteran running back James Conner as the “heart and soul of the offense.”

“Since (head coach) Jonathan Gannon came in, they prefer to be a run-first offense,” Urban said. “(It) doesn’t mean they won’t throw, to the contrary, but in a perfect world James Conner is getting the ball a lot and they are grinding out yards on the ground.”

The 29-year-old Conner has been a versatile weapon for Arizona this season and is 11th in the NFL with 944 yards from scrimmage. He’s rushed for 697 yards and five touchdowns on 4.4 yards per carry and added another 247 yards on 24 receptions. The Pittsburgh product has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in four games and produced at least 100 yards from scrimmage in six.

“The way he plays football feels very old-school. It feels very 1977 kind of feel to it as a running back, and you don’t get that a lot anymore. When he does well, it does seem to energize this entire team,” Urban said. “Not a lot of people know James Conner – most (do) from his years in Pittsburgh – but there’s no question that he has played his best football since he came to Arizona in these last couple of years. Even as he’s getting older as a running back, he seems to be getting better.”

The combination of Conner and Murray in the running game means this Cardinals squad is better suited for the chilly conditions it’s set to face Sunday in Seattle.

“If they’re playing the game that they want to play, they’re going to be able to control the ball on offense a little bit and they’re going to be able to run it,” Urban said. “One of the things that has always kind of … followed this team where it plays, if you go back to the heydays of the Kurt Warner Cardinals, is they can win if they’re not in a dome. … This team can do that.”

Improving defense

After being among the league’s worst defenses last season, the Cardinals have resembled more of a league-average unit this season under second-year defensive coordinator Nick Rallis.

The biggest strides the unit has made have come against the run. Arizona was last in the NFL in rushing defense last season and is up to 19th in 2024. The defense also has been better at forcing turnovers, jumping from tied for 27th to tied for 16th with 11 so far this season.

The Cardinals are coming off two of their best defensive performances, allowing a combined 15 points and no touchdowns in wins over Chicago Bears and New York Jets.

“The last two games where they haven’t given up a touchdown, you’re playing at home, you’re playing against the Jets and the Bears – two teams that I’m pretty sure are not going to be going anywhere past the end of the regular season, so you have to factor in some context,” Urban said. “But this team was always defensively about doing a solid job and hopefully having the offense pick them up in spots.

“What has happened over this four-game winning streak in a lot of ways is the defense has done more than just hold its own, and that’s an important factor when you talk about a group that doesn’t have a lot of big names.”

With that being said, the unit is still susceptible to give up yards. It’s just been good at limiting points in the red zone, ranking ninth in the league with an opponents’ red-zone touchdown percentage of just 48.6%.

“(The defense is) an area of the roster that I’m sure (general manger) Monti Ossenfort wants to continue to upgrade, but they are playing at a pretty high level and it’s kind of the epitome of bend but not break,” Urban said. “I mean, they’re going to give up some yards, but they’ve been keeping teams out of the end zone, and that’s gone a long way for them to win games.”

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to The Huddle from noon-2 p.m. on Thursday’s before Sunday Seahawks games for two full hours of in-depth coverage on the team.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Rost: What Seattle Seahawks face vs Cards with NFC West lead in play
• Salk: Seahawks’ Macdonald just may be the ‘Shanahan tree killer’
• Why three rising Seahawks players are standing out to Daniel Jeremiah
• Bump goes inside JSN’s breakout stretch for Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks make four roster moves as Week 12 preparation begins

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