Bothell/Kenmore Reporter, October 19, 2012

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REDEVELOPMENT| Conflicting views as to what to do with Northshore Summit Park [3] Changes | University of Washington Bothell Chancellor announces he will leave this spring [Page 12]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012

Bothell man charged with being “Tour de Banks” robber BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@bothell-reporter.com

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Bothell man, suspected of being the “Tour de Banks” robber, was charged with eight counts of first degree robbery and is being held on $2 million bail. Charging documents

allege that Cristian Babalai, 29, was arrested near his Bothell home on Friday. He is suspected of eight separate armed bank robberies in King and Snohomish Counties from May 2 to Sept. 12. A total of $142,000 was taken during the robberies. Two of the eight banks Babalai is suspected of robbing are

located in Bothell. He is suspected of being the man dubbed the “Tour de Banks” robber, who gained the nickname from the fact that he fled some of the bank robberies on a bicycle. The alleged robber used a Glock-type pistol, wore a black face mask with eyeholes and spoke in a

“European accent,” according to court records. The arrest was the result of an extensive collaborative effort between the King County Sheriff ’s Office, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and detectives from Bothell, Monroe, Arlington and Mill Creek Police Departments. Surveillance video shows

Haunted Halloween happenings

the robber driving a silver 1994-1997 Mercedes Benz C220 or C280 to at least two of the crime scenes, the documents continued. “Investigators gathered lists of registered owners of these vehicles and found Babalai owns a 1995 C220 and lived near downtown Woodinville during

the robbery spree,” the documents state. “Further investigation showed that Babalai was depositing large amounts of cash into his banking account after the most significant robberies … The deposits also seemed ‘structured’ to avoid detection.” [ more ROBBER page 3 ]

Runaway train

From trick or treat to haunted trails Ghosts, ghouls and gremlins will be galavanting through the streets of Kenmore and Bothell in two weeks. But both cities have hauntingly good events for all ages. Here are some of the fun haunts for this year’s Halloween festivities in the Northshore area:

Trick or treat Kids can enjoy more treats than tricks at the annual Safe Halloween events in Bothell on Oct. 31. The festivities kick off at Country Village from 4-6 p.m. and continue in downtown

Bothell from 5-7 p.m. For more information, contact Bothell Parks and Recreation at 425-486-7439 or visit www.countryvillagebothell. com. The downtown event is sponsored by HealthPoint and Lakeshore Clinic.

Kenmore Self Storage Fall Festival The storage facility will be dressed up for Halloween as participants can take a guided tour through The Haunted Halls, sample the witches brew, have their fortune told, trick or treat and visit with live turtles and other creepy guests. [ more TREAT page 5 ]

Bothell running back Danny Wilson ran for 364 yards and five touchdowns Friday against Inglemoor. The Cougars won the Spaghetti Bowl 6621. See page 11 for the full story. PHOTO COURTESY OF TONY QUINTOS, WWW.PBASE.COM/TONYQUINTOS

Kenmore considers toll on Sammamish River Bridge BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@bothell-reporter.com

Kenmore officials are considering implementing a toll on the Sammamish River Bridge, along with a vehicle fee, to fund its new Transportation Benefit Dis-

trict (TBD) and fix worn out streets and bridges. If a tolling option were to be approved at the city level it would be the first of its kind in the state. The City of Kenmore established a TBD last spring to deal with these issues.

Now it needs funding. The board will take up the issue for just the second time during a council meeting at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Kenmore City Hall. “The council needs to give us direction on what they prefer and then we

would come back with an ordinance,” said Kenmore City Manager Rob Karlinsey. He also noted that the city has put a lot of money into State Route 522 and hopes the state will participate in funding the bridge replacement.

City staff recommends that the TBD adopts a $20 vehicle fee. Under state law, a TBD may impose an annual vehicle fee of up to $20 per vehicle without a public vote. The TBD can impose a higher fee if sent to and approved by voters. The fee

would only be imposed on Kenmore residents to pay for transportation projects within the city and be levied on all vehicles in Kenmore and trailers weighing more than 2,000 pounds. “It would go primarily towards 68th Avenue and Juanita Drive, which are main arterials,” said Karlinsey. “Those are the two roads [ more TOLL page 2 ]

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BY MATT PHELPS mphelps@bothell-reporter.com


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