In brief: Autopsies show cause of deaths of climbers
A Spokane man died from hypothermia and his son was killed by head trauma when the climbing team perished last week near Leavenworth, Wash., according to autopsies.
Chelan County Coroner Wayne Harris speculated that 53-year-old Otto Vaclavek was unable to get out from between two rocks.
“Looking at photographs, during the fall he may have fallen between two rocks,” said Harris.
Harris said Vaclavek’s 12-year-old son, Max, died from “blunt force trauma” to the head from hitting a rock.
“He was wearing a helmet, but the trauma was below the helmet line,” Harris said.
Harris said that Otto and Max Vaclavek were climbing a glacier and likely slipped on the ice, dropping 100 to 150 feet over a cliff and onto rocks below. They were not roped together.
Both were experienced mountaineers. They set out Sept. 15 and didn’t return home on Sept. 17 as expected.
Friends and rescue workers searched for several days, finding their bodies Saturday in a gully between Colchuck Peak and Dragontail Peak.
Otto Vaclavek worked at Mountain Gear, a Spokane store that sells equipment for climbing and other outdoor sports.
Spokane
Man stabbed six times in carjacking attempt
A 22-year-old man is recovering after being stabbed six times Monday night in an attempted carjacking near Chief Garry Park on Spokane’s North Side.
Four suspects have been arrested.
The incident began about 11:15 p.m. on East Mission Avenue. According to a police news release, a group of four standing in the middle of the street waved down the victim and then assaulted him when he stopped.
A 16-year-old is accused of stabbing the man with a 4-inch knife as a companion tried to steal the car. Police said the victim fought off his attackers and drove to the hospital, where he was treated for arm and back injuries.
Meanwhile, police say, the man’s attackers stole beer from a nearby store and were apprehended after two customers tracked them down.
The 16-year-old, whose name was not released, is charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault. Three adults also are charged with first-degree robbery: Willisha L. Barber, 18; Steven E. Neely, 18; and Randy L. Smith, 23.
Reward set for man with lengthy record
A so-called career criminal who ran from a courtroom Monday now has a Secret Witness reward on his head.
Mark Ashley Rankin, 41, was ordered to jail Monday but escaped being booked. Now wanted for first-degree possession of stolen property, Rankin has an extensive criminal history that includes assault, theft, burglary, DUI and reckless driving, according to a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Secret Witness is offering a reward for information that leads to Rankin’s arrest. He is a 5-foot-11 white male who weighs about 180 pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes, the release states. His last given address was 6106 N. Mayfair St. #8.
People can anonymously call Secret Witness at (509) 327-5111. It is not affiliated with law enforcement.
Low-income housing vacancies very low
Vacancy rates for low-income housing are the tightest they’ve been since the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium started surveying the market in 1997.
The vacancy rate for studio units – the type of housing sought by very-low-income tenants – was 0.5 percent in July, the group said Tuesday. The rate for low-income units overall was 1.5 percent, which was a percentage point lower than the rate recorded in January.
“The extremely low vacancy rates for studio and one-bedroom rentals have made it challenging to find new homes for downtown residents that are being displaced,” the consortium said in an announcement of the survey results. About 80 tenants of the Otis Hotel must find new homes by Oct. 15, when they must move out of the downtown building.
The consortium said that the Spokane Housing Authority is considering buying the 28-unit Turner Building downtown to help ease the low-income housing crunch.