ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, October 21, 2011
www.issaquahreporter.com
A Lucky Find New Issaquah buisness finds a following in Gilman Village
Two charged, two loose in home robbery The victim was allegedly selling suspects drugs BY CELESTE GRACEY
BY CELESTE GRACEY
CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
An initial report of a home invasion robbery in Sammamish turned out to be a drug deal gone bad. Samuel Paul Hammitt, 19, and Antonio Felipe McClure, 21, were charged Wednesday with first degree robbery and unlawful possession of a fire arm, after they allegedly robbed seven people, according to the charging papers. Police are also looking for two women, ages 18 and 19, who were involved. No one was injured in the incident, but one of the two men reportedly fired a .38-caliber handgun at a couch to prove it was real. The victim told police he has a prescription for medical marijuana, and often sells cannabis to other card carriers, according to the papers. He admitted to selling McClure the drugs once in Renton, but swore off dealing with him anymore, because he paid with counterfeit money. However, McClure’s friend called to setup a deal, and four people, including McClure, met with him at a Bellevue store Oct. 10. The suspects asked for more drugs than he had, and he agreed to take them to his Sammamish apartment, 700 block of 240th Way Southeast., where he had more marijuana. There were six other people inside the apartment when the victim arrived. They recommenced their deal with more marijuana on the table, but began to argue when the suspects tried to pay with more counterfeit money. Pulling out three handguns and a taze gun, the suspects then ordered everyone to the ground and announced a robbery, acording to the papers. Two of the victims claimed the guns weren’t real either, and began struggling with the suspects. One of the women allegedly hit a victim on the head with the gun, causing him to bleed. When they stopped fighting, one of the suspects fired the gun at a sofa, according to the papers. Everyone in the apartment was forced to their stomachs, and several people were robbed of cell phones, cash and the marijuana. As the four fled, a victim wrote down the license-plate number of McClure’s red Mazda Protege. They were arrested Oct. 14. After searching McClure’s car and bedroom, police found what appeared to be a working AR15 styled rifle, similar to a police assault gun, and two handguns. The .38-caliber handgun has yet to be recovered.
Nancy Jones had been hunting for a funky coat rack for some time when she found the vintage red, freestanding hatrack at Lucky You! It was perfect for her place. How lucky, she said. It’s all in the find, added Denise Jensen, who opened the new home decor shop in at Gilman Village two weeks ago. She hopes to fill the gap between high-end boutiques and the uniform offerings of major department stores. Too often design shops are too high end or junk, Jones said, with few stores offering something in between. Focusing on nickknacks for home decorating, the store also has plenty to offer in the way of jewelry and clothing, especially formal dresses for children. Try as one might to rush through the store, a barn converted to a storefront many years ago, there is too much to be seen to hop in and out. A mixture of vintagestyled mirrors and old subway signs poke up just above displays of hour glasses, pillows and bird figurines. “I buy what I like,” Jensen said. “I learned not to just go with trends.” The building’s exposed timber and restored floor boards, which occasionally creek, complete the picture. A customer placed a giant red pear next to a stack of fake books on the counter. “Twelve bucks each, wow,” she exclaimed, before reaching for a bird cage.
Nancy Jones ignores trends and buys what she likes for her new store, ‘Lucky You.’ CELESTE GRADEY, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter
After having put her merchant’s degree to use for 26 years, Jensen needed the prodding of a friend to open Lucky You! “I didn’t want to be tied to a storefront,” she said. At the time she had a business selling children’s dresses at holiday shows, called All Dressed Up. Her customers
kept inquiring where they could find the clothing yearround. With all but one child out of the house, she had the time to open a shop. Her plans weren’t certain until she found the barn at Gilman Village. “If I had not found this, I would not have opened,” she
said. “It’s been a year since the barn had an occupant. The tall windows and an excess of lighting create a vibrant atmosphere for a store somewhat cluttered by design. An Issaquah native, Jensen remembers the days SEE LUCKY YOU, 7