First on My Ballard: Seattle Police say they arrested the suspect in yesterday’s gas station murder at a Ballard home just two blocks away from the crime scene. “We’re confident we got the man from the video,” police spokesman Jeff Kappel said. The SWAT team made the arrest around 3:00 p.m. in a house on NW 60th St. just east of 11th Ave. NW.
Neighbors say the SWAT team moved in quickly. “I heard police show up and yell for people to get on the ground,” said a neighbor who asked we not identify him. When we arrived, SWAT officers had their guns drawn, surrounding a white house. A few minutes later, officers moved in.
Police say they arrested the suspect, another man and a woman. This is a photo of one of the two men — it’s unclear if he’s the murder suspect — as officers load him into a police vehicle. “I’ve seen some parties the last couple weeks and a bunch of young kids,” a neighbor said. “It’s a little freaky.”
Detective Mark Jamieson says the suspect was tracked down the old-fashioned way. “Basically it was just good police work. Some good detective work led us to this location,” he told the media. “We had information that the suspect might be in this area and he was taken into custody this afternoon without incident.” The suspect is now downtown talking with homicide detectives.
This map shows the proximity of the murder (red), where the suspect dumped his clothing (yellow) and the scene of the arrest (blue). This morning family members identified the victim as 28-year-old Manish Melwani of Lynnwood.
(Photos copyright MyBallard.com.)
On the SPD's blotter blog, the department is talking up some kind of a “gang crackdown” the past week or so, including a bust at SeaTac last night. Could be a part of that, or the Red Mill Burgers ketchup bandit.
Wow, that would be fantastic if they had caught the gas station killer so soon. Fingers crossed one less psycho on the streets of Ballard.
I love MyBallard!
I saw a black SUV doing about 60-70 northbound on 15th with lights and sirens, got back to the office it was already on the blog.
yeah, gotta give props to My Ballard for doing such a great job covering all these stories lately
Yeah, got to give props to My Ballard for doing such a great job covering these stories lately.
Seattle PD blog said it was an arrest for the murder of the convenience store clerk Sunday morning.
Very good news.
I hope he gets the maximum penalty allowed.
And Thanks to the Swedes for the best coverage available!
Awesome SPD! Way to go!!
This in from Channel 7
Ballard Murder Suspect Arrested
Police say they've arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Ballard
convenience store clerk.
Way to go SPD! that scumbag probably started bragging to his loser buddies and somebody with a concience contacted the cops, Great coverage My Ballard.
I so very much that this is the start of the end of one part of this story. Part of the healing for the family will be seeing this guy brought to justice!
Nice that they've caught him so quick.
The other people in cuffs are probably only involved in as much as that they live there too. The police will cuff anyone on the premises until they sort out who's who.
Whenever I hear a helicopter hovering overhead I just check MyBallard and then King5 to see what's going on.
AWESOME!!!
Thanks for the great news!
I hope this is right suspect. Way to go SPD!
Yeah, I always check MyBallard first too. Great job, Geeky Swedes! Great job, SPD! I hope this is the same a-hole and he gets the justice he deserves. Well, from a legal standpoint anyway.
I'm very glad they caught him. But can the helicopters please go home now!!!
There were a couple of those. And cops with *big* guns.
With all the windows opened I heard the helicopter too, but it took a while to register, and then I went outside and spotted it from my front yard at 63rd and 9th. Pretty scary to know that everything was so close by. Thanks so much for keeping us informed!
Don't mind me!
Agreed – too close for comfort. Not surprised that it was that house, though.
On KING 5 on the 6 am news this morning they mentioned “Myballard.com”
The blog can't prevent crime but it helps us know what is happening in Ballard and it helps us become more involve when something does happen. Thanks Geeky Swedes for all the work you do to keep it up dated.
Is it premature to start talking about Soap on a Rope?
Hey, we've got map now. Geeky Swedes are the best kind of geek. :-)
It was just on the news about the arrest and they said the photographs of the arrest were “courtesy of MyBallard.com” Once again recognition for one great website.
Oh, so like, you 'feel' better now. That it? The people in seattle are so 'weak'. Crawl out that 'comfort zone'. You could end crimes like this, if you EVER find some real back bone. And no, the SPD dont have big guns, the gangs in LA headed to Seattle have BIG GUNS. They could care less about the police, FBI, etc. Protect yourself. If you think gangs get 'scared straight' when they go to jail? You fooling yourselves. wake up. The women killed in cap hill during xmas? 40 people heard her screaming for 10 minutes, someeven saw it – NO one did anything. If you cant step up, USE YOUR CELL! We step up to crime and do something every chance we get in L.A. to handle crime. In seattle “they write comments'. Thinking that works. Fools. Seattle has ALWAYS dealt with 'serious issues' – way too late. – I lived in seattle 32 years. – live in LA.25 years. I should know. These are 'facts', not retarded, “feel good”, standard issue seattle opinions/comments. Anybody here deal with 'r-e-a-l-i-t-y' yet? – you will. The police in this 'town' are even scared.
Great news and well done to SPD and thank you to whoever gave information.
I forgot. No one dies in Ell Lay.
That's the great thing about the Internet. You can take your idiocy national.
Sadly, this is the easiest part of the whole affair.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled neighborly discussion.
Yes. Crime is bad. Gangs are bad. People who don't report crimes are bad. On the other hand, what does your lecture have to do with the subject at hand? Seems to me as though you were just lookin for a “soapbox” opportunity.
If Seattle is so weak, why don't you go back to LA?
Love the map, BTW. ;-)
Please don't feed the trolls.
It's amazing someone can be so stupid after 57 years.
Glad they caught the guy, way to close to home ( I'm on 57th and 15th)
That's really great news! This murder has really just left me scratching my head and asking 'why?' Right across from church and a playground. On a nice, sunny Sunday.
I have to commend SPD on catching him…and great coverage, MyBallard.
It's too early to be celebrating. We don't know yet if they arrested the murderer. He's just “a suspect” for now (not “the suspect”). Hopefully they got the right guy.
Have you seen the DA's work of late? If he's got a pulse, he's got a chance to be out in a couple months.
Was over in that area about an hour ago when the arrest was apparently going down. Saw a chopper circling overhead for about 30 minutes, and figured it HAD to be related to the crime. Got home and read this on the blog.
Yes! This news made my day. Great job myBallard and SPD. Like many people here, helicopters hovering = time to check myBallard. I've been frequenting Pit Stop for many years and I really enjoy chatting with the staff. Condolences to the family.
Dude, I hate to Mellow your Harsh, but you post is all kinds of misguided and wrong.
I don't know where to start, so I won't let me just say, this is a huge victory for everyone today, including the Police!
And since I feel like quibbling, Police are not afraid of anything, they've got badges, guns, dogs, choppers, lawyers, judges, and prisons. Gang succeed because they avoid the police, they don't go toe to toe.
The yellow dot should be on the corner of 15th Ave and NW 60th St. (I live on 60th) — he threw his clothes into the bushes right next to the sidewalk on the south side of 60th, by the Taco Bell (likely as he was heading home on 60th after running north on 15th).
Thrilled that they got him so quickly…not so thrilled that this piece of human garbage lives so close to me.
Thanks for the awesome coverage Swedes.
Hey Lathum – I'm there too! Are you in The Ballard?
No Doubt, on the 11:00 news last night King5 said “MyBallard.com is reporting that the suspects clothes were found…….” like it was breaking news. I'm like “HA! I've known about that for a couple hours…”
Good Job Swedes!
Do you know anything about the house in question or the people living there?
did anyone else notice that mimi jung on king5 referenced myballard when reporting on this story. kudos to myballard. just don't sell out….
just curious, does one of you still work there or is that in the past???
if it's a rental, it sounds like the neighborhood needs to get involved and crack down on the loser landlord/owner. pop the address in here for a start.
http://www5.kingcounty.gov/parcelviewer/viewer/…
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. That's really all I gotta say.
Well, that and…how stupid do you have to be to commit such a crime two blocks from your house?
Thankfully no…I think. I am about 3 blocks from this house, but it's still too close for my comfort.
pretty stupid or highly altered.
Scoop city! Hooray Swedes!
We went to taco bell last night for dinner. There was a reporter in there harassing the manager for information regarding who called in the bag of clothes. I informed him that you guys reported it was a resident. I asked him if he knew of the blog and he said “Yeah, I guess I didn't read down that far.”
Gotta love it, the MSM is linking to MyBallard… first on the scene.
Great job, SPD. Hope they fry the scum that did this.
I don't get it, either. The scumbag probably only got a couple of hundred bucks, tops.
If you have a gun and want to use it this way, do us all a favor..
Good police work, way to go SPD! Went to the PitStop today to express condolences.
Thanks to all citizens who provided info and clues.
Really appreciate MyBallard for the most complete and fastest news!!!
Hard working immigrant comes to this country only to get gunned own by some lazy POS who doesn't know the value of an honest days work.
Worst part is, these stupid POS lived in Ballard.
Heard on KIRO TV news that the perp slammed the victim's face through the glass countertop AFTER he had shot him. This makes it seem that there was something else going on with this perp and the store. Could there be something to do with the new bikini coffee shop — that opened just the day prior? Just wondering if there was more than a robbery motive given the murder and associated violence…
He might not have known, but there are some horrible absentee owners. My acquaintance started renting a room in the U district, in a house where 6 rooms were separately rented, and he only met two roommates beforehand. On the day of moving in, there was a tremendous pile of junk blocking the hallway and yard (magazines, furniture, etc) which was never retrieved by this old person. The attic resident turned out to be an unfriendly drug dealer. The landlord received rent at a Bellevue address and didn't respond to letters.
Let's not start spreading rumors now. That is just hearsay at this point in time. Lets wait until the police report is released before speculating on motives and such things.
myBallard … THANK YOU for all the pics and maps, I've never felt more connected. And so fast. Thanks Swedes. This is great.
So tragic about the violence and murder in this once quiet community.
Our condolences to the family and friends.
Good point, and I shouldn't have speculated about motive.
To pick a nit the last paragraph should say “where the perpetrator dumped his clothing.” Suspects are those who may have perpetrated the offense; any act associated with the crime is yet to be determined.
We get the government we deserve.
Despite the negative reviews I have to agree with the Big JKC. There is enough 'stuff' going on in Ballard recently between increased tagging, break-ins, carjackings and now murder to wonder if we haven't reached a Tipping Point. Not to mention the campers in the parks.
No doubt times are tough, they are going to get much tougher, so some compassion is in order but there also needs to be a respect for civil society and once that is breached all bets are off.
Talk to your neighbors and watch there backs, now is the time for community to see us through.
Drugs? Gangbanger? Kids are a bit different now than when we were kids rowksta.
Hooray for the cops! Nice work, fellas.
And I hope the killer is tried as an adult, and locked up the rest of his miserable life.
Like all of you I am grateful and relieved that this man was caught. Since it happened I've been thinking a lot about the “why” ? It's unanswerable but it is scary to think that this 17 year old kid, (if it is him), is so,so angry and disconnected that he didn't think twice about killing someone. That's what scares me the most.
What scares me more?
Knowing that he's not the only one.
Manish Melwani Is a friend of mine. I will sure miss him. I concider him my friend though I have only spoke to him briefly for the past couple years, He is and was always very kind, and nice. Very soft spoken.
Dude- what do you think this interweb thing is about?
Listen people. Giving someone a 'negative' on their reality/fact based comment is know as 'Feel good Pill #1″…here is Seattle. Reality check's win everytime, not 'lets pretend',or anyone's failure to deal with it. Which mean's, when you look at reality as being negative, your in denial. And when your in Denial – you lose. Its simple. Nobody want's to see any crime. But your a big fool not to look at it for what it really is, and do something about it.
you have supported my point perfectly from you acquaintances experience. a good landlord is one that checks on their property. just a simple look of the exterior is a start. in this case, (this white house looks fine) a chat w/the neighbors or answering letters sent is another way to be responsible.
So, what are you doing?
Just to let EVERYONE KNOW and whoever the person is that posted this article, thats me in the picture of the person getting arrested and you have up the WRONG PICTURE! i have never been to seattle, i have been arrested but not in seattle. So take my picture off or i will get higher authorities involved.