Thread: WA-Slaying suspect charged in murder of roommate

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Slaying suspect charged in murder of roommate

Valente Alvarez-Guerrero, a fugitive wanted in connection with the slaying of his roommate early Thursday in a South Seattle apartment building, had driven nearly 1,000 miles when he was pulled over in a tiny California town and arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, according to law-enforcement officials.

By Sara Jean Green

Valente Alvarez-Guerrero jumped in his SUV and fled to California early Thursday, apparently not knowing whether the roommate he is accused of fatally stabbing was alive or dead, according to charging documents filed Friday in King County Superior Court.

Alvarez-Guerrero, who was arrested in a tiny California town 175 miles north of Los Angeles, was charged Friday with second-degree murder in the slaying of his longtime friend Arturo Guillen Ramirez, 36, charging documents say. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail in the Fresno County Jail, awaiting an extradition hearing sometime next week, said Dan Donohoe, a spokesman for King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

Federal officials in San Francisco have placed an immigration hold on Alvarez-Guerrero, 40, said Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Seattle. As is routine, Dankers could not comment on Alvarez-Guerrero's immigration status, but said that generally a hold is issued when "ICE believes that a person is removable from the country.

"Once the criminal case has run its course, he'll come into ICE custody," Dankers said.

Alvarez-Guerrero, who had been sleeping on Ramirez's couch for the past two months, was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of domestic-violence assault following a fight over female visitors to the third-floor apartment the two men shared in the 7400 block of Rainier Avenue South, according to a police report.

But instead of being booked into the King County Jail, Alvarez-Guerrero was released from the Police Department's South Precinct just after 1 a.m. Thursday, the report says. He was scheduled to have surgery on his left hand later that day, and officers let him go because they figured jail officials wouldn't allow him to be booked because of his pre-existing injury, the report says.

That decision — by two officers and a sergeant — has prompted an internal investigation by the department's Office of Professional Accountability, Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz said Thursday. All three were pulled off patrol duty and placed on administrative reassignment.

Under state law, anyone arrested on suspicion of domestic-violence assault is to be booked into jail, Metz said, explaining that fights between roommates — even those not romantically involved — are considered domestic violence.

The officers' names have not been released, but Metz said all three are department veterans.

A law-enforcement source, who asked to remain anonymous, identified the sergeant as Roger Rusness. A Seattle police spokeswoman declined to confirm the name.

Two hours after his arrest, Alvarez-Guerrero returned to the apartment building and asked a woman if she'd seen "the other bigger Hispanic male" — an apparent reference to Ramirez, charging documents say. The woman said "no" and watched Alvarez-Guerrero climb the stairs to the third floor.

She then heard a loud thump and saw Alvarez-Guerrero run from the building with something concealed in his hand and drive away, the documents say.

Ramirez's body was found about 7:30 a.m. in the hallway outside his apartment. A preliminary exam by death investigators showed that Ramirez had been stabbed in the chest and possibly the back, and had significant injuries to his head and face, the documents say.

Detectives said Alvarez-Guerrero phoned Ramirez's sister in California at 5 a.m. Thursday, told her he'd shot her brother and asked if she knew whether Ramirez was still alive, the documents say. She tried to phone her brother, but he didn't answer.

A statewide bulletin was issued and members of the U.S. Marshals Service in Seattle contacted their counterparts in Fresno after learning Alvarez-Guerrero was possibly heading to Los Angeles, said David Hiebert, the commander of the Marshals' Central Valley Joint Fugitive Task Force, based in Fresno, Calif.

Law-enforcement officials positioned themselves along Interstate 5, hoping to "get an eyeball on this guy," Hiebert said Friday. They had no idea if Alvarez-Guerrero already had passed through but hoped to stop him from making it to L.A. because the city "is a pretty big place to hide," he said.

Around 3 p.m. Thursday, officers spotted a vehicle matching the description sent by Seattle police. Unmarked units followed the SUV for 21 miles before pulling it over in Kettleman City, a town of 1,700 people in the San Joaquin Valley, Hiebert said.

Seattle Times staff reporter Steve Miletich and news researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

Sara Jean Green: sgreen@seattletimes.com

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... ng30m.html

These are the people we can welcome into our neighborhoods when amnesty rolls off the shelf.

What a pig, asks a fellow resident if the target is home, kills him, phones the victim's sister to see if victim is dead? What a pig.

A statewide bulletin was issued and members of the U.S. Marshals Service in Seattle contacted their counterparts in Fresno after learning Alvarez-Guerrero was possibly heading to Los Angeles

Glad to see he was caught before he made his escape to the king of the sanctuary cities (L.A.).

It also killed Rebecca Griego in 2007

Sanctuary Law Contributed To Woman's Slaying, Organization Says
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-59530-griego.html

Officials: University of Washington gunman was in U.S. illegally
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-59483-rebecca.html+griego


City of Seattle Legislative Information Service
Information retrieved on May 31, 2009 5:58 PM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Council Bill Number: 114436
Ordinance Number: 121063
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AN ORDINANCE concerning inquiries by Seattle City officers and employees into immigration status, and activities designed to ascertain such status; and amending Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 4.18 in connection therewith.

Date introduced/referred: December 9, 2002
Date passed: January 27, 2003
Status: Passed As Amended
Vote: 9-0
Date of Mayor's signature: February 5, 2003
(about the signature date)

Committee: Neighborhoods, Arts and Civil Rights
Sponsor: LICATA

Index Terms: CITIZENSHIP, CIVIL-RIGHTS, CITY-EMPLOYEES, POLICE-DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC-REGULATIONS

Text



AN ORDINANCE concerning inquiries by Seattle City officers and
employees into immigration status, and activities designed to
ascertain such status; and amending Seattle Municipal Code Chapter
4.18 in connection therewith.

WHEREAS, the city of Seattle is comprised of immigrants from
throughout the world who contribute to Seattle's social vivacity and
cultural richness; and

WHEREAS, Seattle has been a city that traditionally respects the
rights of and provides equal services to all individuals, regardless
of race, ethnicity, or immigration status; and

WHEREAS, the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and
the Pentagon have left immigrant communities of color afraid to access
benefits to which they are entitled, for fear of being reported to the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); and

WHEREAS, the Seattle Police Department issued a Directive on June 6,
2002, providing guidelines stating, among other things, that Seattle
Police officers may not request specific documents for the sole
purpose of determining a person's civil immigration status, and may
not initiate police action based solely on a person's civil
immigration status; and

WHEREAS, all Seattle City officers and employees should be afforded
analogous guidance with respect to inquiries into immigration status;
and

WHEREAS, a number of other jurisdictions in the United States have
enacted policies or laws recognizing that their officers and employees
should properly play a limited role with respect to matters relating
to immigration status; and

WHEREAS, these amendments to Seattle Municipal Code Ch. 4.18 are
consistent with federal laws regarding localities' responsibilities to
cooperate with federal immigration authorities; and

WHEREAS, this ordinance is not intended to interfere with the
enforcement of laws.

WHEREAS, amending SMC Ch. 4.18.is an effective way to guide city
officials and employees to adhere to federal law while helping to
protect the safety and health of all members of our community.

NOW THEREFORE,

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. A new Section 4.18.015 is added to Seattle Municipal Code
Chapter 4.18, as follows:

4.18.015 Inquiries into immigration status.

(A) Notwithstanding Seattle Municipal Code Section 4.18.010, unless
otherwise required by law or by court order, no Seattle City officer
or employee shall inquire into the immigration status of any person,
or engage in activities designed to ascertain the immigration status
of any person.

(B) Seattle Police officers are exempted from the limitations imposed
by Subsection (A), above, with respect to a person whom the officer
has reasonable suspicion to believe: (1) has previously been deported
from the United States; (2) is again present in the United States; and
(3) is committing or has committed a felony criminal-law violation.

Section 2. Seattle Municipal Code Section 4.18.020 is amended as
follows:

4.18.020 Mayor reports to Council.

The Mayor shall report to the City Council and the people on a yearly
basis as to the actions taken and being taken in support of this
chapter.

Section 3. Seattle Municipal Code Section 4.18.030 is amended as
follows:

4.18.030 City Attorney enforcement duties.

Consistent with and subject to Article XIII of the City Charter and
the Code of Professional Responsibility, the City Attorney is
requested to defend every action brought to declare invalid any
section of this chapter, and maintain actions enforcing provisions of
this chapter.

Section 4. A new Section 4.18.035 is added to Seattle Municipal Code
Chapter 4.18, as follows:

4.18.035. Required cooperation not prohibited.

Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prohibit any Seattle
City officer or employee from cooperating with federal immigration
authorities as required by law.

Section 5. Nothing in this chapter is intended to create or form the
basis for Liability, on the part of the City, or its officers,
employees, or agents.

Section 6. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty
(30) days from and after its approval by the Mayor, but if not
approved and returned by the Mayor within ten (10) days after
presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Municipal Code
Section 1.04.020.

Section 7. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty
(30) days from and after its approval by the Mayor, but if not
approved and returned by the Mayor within ten (10) days after
presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Municipal Code
Section 1.04.020.

Passed by the City Council the _____ day of _______________, 2003, and
signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this
_____ day of _______________, 2003.
___________________________________
President of the City Council

Approved by me this _____ day of _______________, 2003.
___________________________________
Mayor

Filed by me this _____ day of _______________, 2003.
___________________________________
City Clerk

January 27, 2003
V #4
ta

clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us

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