Police Blotter for March 18
March 18, 2011
NEW — 6 a.m. March 18, 2011
Home burglary
A woman reported that numerous pieces of jewelry had been taken from her apartment at Newport Crossing Apartments, 7311 Coal Creek Parkway S.E., between Feb. 6 and 19. She said her roommate denied any knowledge of the alleged burglary. She said her roommate might have had guests while she was away, and that a guest may have been responsible. She reported the stolen items to be a diamond ring worth $600, a golden band worth $400, a ruby ring with diamonds worth $4,500 and a tourmaline ring worth $700.
Newcastle eye surgeon gets 20-year sentence for murder-for-hire plot
March 17, 2011
UPDATED — 11:30 a.m. March 18, 2011
COURTNEY BLETHEN RIFFKIN / THE SEATTLE TIMES — Dr. Michael Mockovak, Newcastle resident and co-founder of Clearly Lasik eye-surgery centers, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Fear of her family being gunned down by a man who was once part of their daily life has consumed Holly King for the past 16 months.
King, the mother of three and wife of successful laser eye surgeon Dr. Joseph King, said that fear prompted her to take firearms training and obsessively monitor the video-surveillance system in their Newcastle home.
“Each day, when I drive my children to school, I wonder which stranger is going to murder us,” Holly King, 32, said in King County Superior Court on March 17.
Judge Palmer Robinson granted the couple some relief from that fear by sentencing Dr. Michael Mockovak to 20 years in prison for plotting to kill Dr. King, his ex-brother-in-law, longtime friend and fellow co-founder of the Clearly Lasik laser eye-surgery centers.
Lake Boren playground closed for construction
March 16, 2011
UPDATED — 2:10 p.m. March 16, 2011
The Lake Boren Park playground closed March 14 for construction. Most of the playground will be removed to make way for new equipment, and construction is expected to continue through June 30.
The new playground is slated to expand to the north and east, and include two separate play areas: one for children 2-5 years old and another for children older than 5. The design calls for a concrete pathway to separate the play areas, and for the current swings — which are in good condition — to not be removed or replaced.
Bears spotted near Newcastle Elementary School March 15
March 15, 2011
NEW — 4:30 p.m. March 15, 2011
Several people reported bear sightings near Newcastle Elementary School Tuesday.
“Please remember that bear sightings are not uncommon around Newcastle Elementary School,” school administrators wrote in an e-mail to parents after the sightings. “Bears have typically been spotted in or around the gully north of the school.
“This is the time of year that bears are waking up and foraging for food, so please use caution if you happen to come across one.”
If you see a bear and are concerned, call King County Animal Control at 206-296-7387.
