Teen girl says father threatened her with 'honor killing' before allegedly trying to strangle her outside Washington state HS



A teen girl said her father threatened her with an "honor killing" before allegedly trying to strangle her outside a Washington state high school.

It all went down outside Timberline High in Lacey on Oct. 18, KOMO-TV reported. Lacey is a few minutes east of Olympia and just over an hour southwest of Seattle.

The girl’s mother, Zahraa Ali, also was grabbing at her daughter and choking her, KOMO said, citing court documents. Investigators told the station the girl’s father also punched her boyfriend.

The 17-year-old victim told investigators her father's "honor killing" threat came after she refused to go to another country for an arranged marriage with an older man, KOMO said, citing court records.

The station noted that she reportedly went to her school for help, which led to the confrontation outside the school.

Josh Wagner told KOMO he was driving with his family near the high school when he noticed what he thought was a group of kids fighting. But as Wagner jumped in to break it up, the station said he realized it was a man choking a girl.

“The dad was on his back, and his daughter was on top of him, and he had her in a choke hold,” Wagner explained to KOMO.

He added to the station that "it was pretty angering. I didn't know what was going on, why it was happening. All the kids were screaming, yelling.”

Court records state Ihsan Ali was choking his 17-year-old daughter “to the point where she had lost consciousness” as other students, including the girl’s boyfriend, tried to pull her away, KOMO reported.

“What I saw was the adult male had the teenager in a headlock, choking her from the back, so I removed his arm from her, and then she got up and ran with another kid, who [I] come to find out was her boyfriend, and she was the daughter of the adult male,” Wagner added to the station. “So then I just held him on the ground 'til the police arrived, and then [they] handcuffed him and searched him and then moved him to the police car.”

The girl’s mother, Zahraa Ali, also was grabbing at her daughter and choking her, KOMO said, citing court documents. Investigators told the station the girl’s father also punched her boyfriend.

Victor Barnes — whose son was one of the students trying to stop the attack — told the station that the girl's father punched his son "in the face" and then tried "to kill his daughter."

The girl soon got away and ran into the school screaming, “My dad was trying to kill me, he was trying to kill me,” which prompted a lockdown as school staff blocked the girl’s parents from getting to her, KOMO said, citing court documents.

The girl's parents were arrested and are facing criminal charges, including assault, attempted murder, and attempted kidnapping, the station said.

'A lot of these stories exist, a lot of these stories are out here, some aren’t able to be heard for whatever reason.'

The parents appeared in court Wednesday, the Chronicle reported — which then added the following additional details about the incident:

Court papers indicate the victim ran away from home the day before the attack and went to Timberline High School, where she was a former student, seeking help from staff. A counselor was assisting her with finding a room at Safe Haven and the victim planned to take a city bus there after school got out but was allegedly pulled off the bus by her father.

The mother's bail is set at $500,000; the father's bail is set at $1 million, the Chronicle noted, adding that both parents are in custody at the Thurston County jail. Their next hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 4, the paper added.

“This isn’t right, and the more we continue to allow these types of actions to take place in a society where ... the climate is what it is right now, post-election, there's just no place for that type of activity anywhere,” Barnes told KOMO.

He added to the station that "a lot of these stories exist, a lot of these stories are out here, some aren’t able to be heard for whatever reason. I just want people to be aware these stories do exist.”

Barnes also told KOMO that issues with the Ali family had been going on for months — and a prior physical incident forced a temporary protection order against the mother, Zarhaa Ali. The station said court records indicate she also was banned from stepping upon school property after the prior incident.

KOMO reached out to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to see if the agency is investigating the Ali family, but the station said it was told child welfare records are confidential.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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Washington State Launches ‘Public Health’ Task Force To Address ‘Domestic Violent Extremism’

'Ferguson got his 'domestic violent extremism' task force'

Pro-Palestine Messages Reportedly Found On Devices At Ballot Box Fires

'all three incidents are connected'

Boy, 15, claims brother killed 'whole family' before killing himself. But sister, 11, survives — and tells different story.



Five members of a family were found fatally shot in their Seattle-area home earlier this week. A 15-year-old boy is accused of murdering his parents and three siblings, but he claimed his brother carried out the murders before committing suicide.

However, the boy's 11-year-old sister who survived the massacre refuted her brother's murder-suicide story and declared that her 15-year-old brother is the killer.

The sister said she survived because she played dead and exited the house through a window.

Shortly before 5 a.m. Monday, two adults and three children were found dead inside their waterfront home in Fall City — approximately 25 miles east of Seattle.

WAPT reported that the King County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims as Mark Humiston, 43; Sarah Humiston, 42; and their children Benjamin Humiston, 13; Joshua Humiston, 9; and Katheryn Humiston, 7.

The family’s father was shot four times and the mother was shot twice, the probable cause statement says.

The family's only survivors are an 11-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy.

The 15-year-old boy notified the King County Sheriff's Office of the murders. He told police his 13-year-old brother "just shot my whole family and committed suicide, too," a sheriff's detective wrote in a probable cause statement, according to NBC News.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the 15-year-old told a 911 operator that his brother did the shooting because he had gotten in trouble for looking at pornography.

However, the 11-year-old sister survived the mass shooting and contradicted her brother's account of the murders.

The girl told investigators that her 15-year-old brother shot her and her family with a Glock handgun that belonged to their father, according to the probable cause statement.

The girl informed investigators that the 15-year-old shot her and left the room; she then heard someone shouting "stop" and "help" before she escaped, the detective wrote.

The sister said she survived because she played dead and exited the house through a window. She then ran to a neighbor's home.

The girl was hospitalized and has since been discharged, a spokesperson for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle stated.

The girl told police the handgun was kept in a lockbox, and her 15-year-old brother was the only sibling who knew the combination, the probable cause statement says.

A few minutes after the 15-year-old called police, the neighbor called 911 to report that the 11-year-old had just survived a shooting by her teen brother, according to the affidavit.

The judge ordered the teenager — who's being held in a detention facility for juveniles — to have no contact with his surviving sibling.

Detectives determined that the 15-year-old attempted to frame his deceased brother for the murder of his parents and siblings and arrested him when they arrived at the crime scene.

The 15-year-old "staged the scene prior to the arrival of first responders" to make it appear that the 13-year-old brother committed the murders and then died by suicide, a detective wrote.

King County Detective Aaron Thompson wrote in the probable cause statement that the suspect "systematically murdered his mother, father, two brothers, and sister, and attempted to murder his other sister."

On Thursday, the 15-year-old was charged with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in juvenile court. All six criminal counts were filed with a designation that they were acts of domestic violence, according to the prosecuting attorney's office. The attempted murder count has a firearms enhancement, which allows for a more severe sentence if the suspect is convicted.

However, prosecutors filed a motion seeking a “discretionary decline hearing,” in which they would make the case that juvenile court should decline jurisdiction and have the case transferred to adult court — a process that could take months, according to the Seattle Times.

The outlet noted that 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds accused of murder and other serious violent crimes automatically can be charged as adults. However, a discretionary decline hearing is required to charge suspects 15 years old and younger as adults.

The teen's defense attorneys — Molly Campera and Amy Parker — said during a Tuesday hearing that "our client is a 15-year-old boy who enjoys mountain biking and fishing and has no criminal history. ... The law says our client is presumed innocent of these charges, and we are grateful for a judicial process that requires proof and evidence before there is a judgment."

The judge ordered the teenager — who's being held in a detention facility for juveniles — to have no contact with his surviving sibling.

The father worked as an electrical engineer for Hargis Engineers.

“We are blindsided and saddened by the tragic events that have led to the loss of a respected colleague, mentor, and friend, as well as the loss of immediate family members,” the company said in a statement. The man’s “leadership and vision were integral within our firm, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his surviving family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”

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Elementary school principal says swastika is 'symbol of peace' in some religions — and backlash is swift



The backlash was swift after an elementary school principal in Washington state said the swastika is a "symbol of peace" in some religions — and now the principal is on administrative leave.

A swastika was found Monday on a wall at Phantom Lake Elementary School in Bellevue, KOMO-TV reported. After the discovery, the school district said Principal Heather Snookal sent two messages, KIRO-TV reported.

'To me, it is the most warped version of inclusion we could come up with to ask Jewish families in this day and age to be tolerant of the swastika.'

In her first message — a school text alert — the principal wrote that such "symbols of hate" have surfaced in their school and that the swastika was removed immediately, KOMO said, adding that the principal also encouraged families to communicate with their children the importance of respecting others and standing up against hate.

Hours later, parents shared with KOMO an email from the principal with the subject line: "Follow-up on recent incident and cultural awareness." The station said the principal in the email apologized for not acknowledging in her initial text alert that while a swastika is often associated with hate and intolerance, it's important to acknowledge the swastika also has deep historical and cultural significance in other parts of the world. She also thanked members of the community for bringing it to her attention, the station added.

KOMO noted that the principal wrote, in part:

In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and other ancient cultures, the swastika is a symbol of peace, prosperity, and good fortune. We recognize that for many of our families, this symbol has a positive and spiritual meaning, completely unrelated to the hateful associations it took on in more recent history.

As a school committed to inclusivity and cultural understanding, we want to ensure that our students from all backgrounds feel welcomed, valued, and celebrated. We also want to make sure our community is educated about the diverse meanings and histories behind symbols like the swastika so that we can all avoid misunderstandings that could inadvertently marginalize or hurt our students.

The station said several parents called the second message "unacceptable," that they told her so in an email, and that some planned to meet with her Monday after school. But KOMO said it learned before the end of the school day that the Bellevue School District put the principal on administrative leave and launched an investigation.

The station noted the following statement from the district:

There is absolutely no place for hate in the Bellevue School District. In a time where words and symbols are used to divide us, we are working with administrators, staff, and students to call our community in for courageous conversations to affirm each other’s cultures, beliefs, and identities.

We share in the burden and pain that our Jewish families feel regarding the rise in antisemitism locally and across our country. Bellevue, like other districts, has seen a rise in antisemitic incidents, particularly this past year, and we are taking action to address it. Vandalism on a playground using a swastika is antisemitic and goes against our district’s commitment to building what Dr. King championed as 'The Beloved Community' — a place where people truly care for one another, and there is no hunger, poverty, or hate.

Superintendent Aramaki recently sent out a blog post sharing his commitment to addressing antisemitism in our district. This incident will be investigated and addressed according to our policies and procedures. We acknowledge the pain that every incident like this has on our whole community, but especially on our Jewish community.

Tirzah Dondanville, a parent with two daughters at the school, told KOMO that "there is no reason why a symbol of hatred should be on our school grounds or given any equivocation. To me, it is the most warped version of inclusion we could come up with to ask Jewish families in this day and age to be tolerant of the swastika."

But another parent told KIRO that the principal "is not erasing what happened to the Jewish community whatsoever. Because you know we all know about it. We all know what happened. But like she said, many symbols do mean different things for different cultures, so we cannot disassociate what one person did and forget what this symbol means to everyone else."

You can view a video report here about the controversy.

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Juveniles physically attack 56-year-old man on bicycle; weeks later he dies after health deterioration



A group of juveniles physically attacked a 56-year-old man who was riding a bicycle last month in Kent, Washington, KIRO-TV reported. But following his hospitalization, the victim's health deteriorated, and he died Sunday, the station said.

No one is yet in custody, KIRO said.

One witness tried to intervene by honking a car horn, the station said, but the suspects continued to beat the man, who appeared unconscious.

Officers responded just after 9 p.m. Aug. 22 to multiple reports of an attack involving a group of juveniles, the station said.

Witnesses said three or four juveniles assaulted the victim who had been riding a bicycle, KIRO noted.

The station said that when police arrived on the scene, the suspects had already fled the area.

One witness tried to intervene by honking a car horn, the station said, but the suspects continued to beat the man, who appeared unconscious.

The victim was treated by Puget Sound Fire and taken to a hospital in stable condition, the station said.

However, the victim’s health deteriorated in the wake of the assault, KIRO stated, adding that he died Sunday.

Kent police are actively pursuing leads and are asking for the public's help, the station said. Those with information about the case can contact the Kent Police Tip Line at 253-856-5808, KIRO said.

How are people reacting?

Nearly 100 comments have appeared underneath KIRO's Facebook post about the victim's death, and as you might imagine, observers are angry about it:

  • "Time to start charging parents now if [a] child [is] under 18 for accessory or child negligence," one commenter wrote. "If parents aren't being held partially responsible, it won't stop ... parents don't care."
  • "Someone’s going away for a long, long time," another commenter stated. "You don’t have to assault a person to the point of death. Punks better not even claim it [was] accidental; they really had to go all out."
  • "Wow," another commenter exclaimed. "I hope they catch these beast[s] and give them the punishment they deserve."
  • "Maybe it's time to start giving these kids life sentences instead of letting them out," another commenter offered.
  • "So sad," another commenter said. "What is going on with these kids of today?? My goodness."

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'I gotta protect my family; that’s just the end of it': Homeowner shoots 'giant' male who entered his bedroom after midnight



A Washington state homeowner shot a "giant" male intruder who entered the bedroom he shares with his wife early Tuesday morning.

Kent police told KOMO-TV the incident occurred at 1:27 a.m. in the 26600 block of 134th Avenue SE.

'You hear stories, and you never think it’s gonna be you — until it’s you, until it’s your family,' he told the station.

While the station interviewed the homeowner exclusively about the incident, KOMO said he was still too shaken to be publicly identified.

“I honestly still keep going back to my bedroom because I’m like, ‘Did it happen?’” the homeowner recounted to the station.

The victim told KOMO he was asleep with his wife when the male entered their bedroom and turned on the light.

"It was quick. I woke up, and there was this giant standing in my bedroom," the homeowner recalled to the station, noting that he believed the intruder stood at least 6 feet, 5 inches tall.

The homeowner told KOMO that he began hitting the intruder with items from a nearby nightstand, after which he got his gun and opened fire.

"I think [being hit with objects] helped to push him out of the door, and I had just enough time to run for my safe [and retrieve my gun]," he told the station, adding that he "shot two rounds" but "didn’t know if I struck him."

More from KOMO:

Around 3:05 a.m., Kent police said they were called to an apartment on the 14900 block of SE 272nd for a medical call involving a person who'd suffered a gunshot wound. Officers then found a man matching the description of the aforementioned burglary suspect with a gunshot wound to his torso. They then applied a chest seal to the open wound, and Puget Sound Fire firefighters arrived shortly after to continue medical treatment.

Police said the burglar, a 39-year-old Kent resident, was taken to the hospital for additional medical treatment. Regarding the shooting, officers said the homeowner had a concealed pistol license and legally owned his gun at the time of the incident. They said he acted lawfully.

The homeowner added to the station that in addition to his wife and daughter, his brother and family also were in his home — meaning five children were present at the time of the incident.

That said, the homeowner emphasized to KOMO that he didn't hesitate to protect multiple loved ones and would do it again.

“You hear stories, and you never think it’s gonna be you — until it’s you, until it’s your family," he told the station.

"This is my safe house, this is my home, this is where we live," the homeowner added to KOMO. “I gotta protect my family; that’s just the end of it."

You can view KOMO's video report here.

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Theater officials admitted to raping children in past: Report



Officials with a civic theater near Seattle admitted in the past to raping children, KCPQ-TV reported, citing court documents referring to Renton Civic Theatre board president Alan Parsons and art director Bill Huls. Renton is little less than a half hour southeast of Seattle.

A whistleblower working within the theater told KCPQ-TV she went to the theater board about Huls' child sex abuse admissions but noted her concerns were ignored, so she decided to post the information on Facebook.

'A broken organization.'

"Renton Civic Theater [sic] is a broken organization," the post from the whistleblower read. "Their artistic director is a registered sex offender and harasses women. He has clearly been at his harassment for many years and has not been stopped because not enough of us have spoken up."

KCPQ said documents from 1990 it obtained showed Huls, then 22 years old, admitted to sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl who was the daughter of a family friend. The station said Huls pleaded guilty and was convicted. It isn't clear what resulted sentencing-wise after that, but KCPQ added that court documents show Huls admitted to having graphic sexual fantasies involving children he personally knew. The station also said Huls admitted to being close in proximity to kids while in his theater group.

The theater's board of directors included Huls' wife as well as Alan Parsons, whom KCPQ reported is a convicted child molester.

More from the station:

Court records FOX 13 Seattle obtained show that Parsons admitted to raping a baby over a several-year period while Parsons was a teenager.

This happened in 2005.

Parsons was the little girl’s babysitter when he was 14 years old until he was 17 years old, according to the documents. The victim was two years old when the abuse started and five years old when she told her parents.

KCPQ added that an archived screenshot from the theater's website lists Parsons, Huls, and Huls’ wife on the "About" page — but now all three names are gone.

The station also said Renton Civic Theatre refused to comment on its story but released at statement that reads: "Given recent events, we have several issues to address. The first is this: As of today, Bill Huls is no longer affiliated with Renton Civic Theatre. We have a lot to sort through, but further decisions are coming. Thank you for your patience while we work through this."

KCPQ added that it reached out to Huls, his wife, and Parsons for comment but didn't hear back.

In addition, Renton Police told the station they haven’t received any criminal complaints about the theater or staff, but police added that they want those who experienced suspicious activity in reference to the theater to contact police about it.

You can view images of the court documents in KCPQ's video report about the theater.

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Toddler loses foot in latest day care atrocity



Heard the latest from JD Vance? He wants to "Handmaid's Tale" all menopausal women into a National Babysitting Corps.

At least that's what the reaction to a podcast appearance he made in 2020 suggests.

In reality, when Vance agreed with host Weinstein’s assertion that “the whole purpose of the postmenopausal female” is to help with childrearing, he was simply confirming what most people with kids take as simple common sense.

To translate Weinstein's nerdy evolutionary bio-speak: it sure is nice when grandparents are around to help out with the kids.

There are many reasons why it is better for parents to rely on extended families than on some kind universal childcare.

One of them is tragically illustrated in news story after news story: parents who must entrust their young children to the care of strangers are taking a real risk.

Consider the latest atrocity.

Washington state officials reportedly suspended a day care's license after a toddler's foot was amputated, and the family says a lawnmower incident is to blame.

Stacey Elliot said her 2-year-old son Mateo Pacheco Elliott has been hospitalized in Seattle since the horrific June 24 incident.

'You should be able to trust the provider to take complete care of them and not severely injure them.'

Angela Axelson, a close friend of the family, told KING-TV the boy wanted to speak to the owner who was riding a lawnmower. "[He] went running up to the lawnmower, slipped and fell. Went under and his leg was amputated," she said. Axelson also started a GoFundMe page to help the family.

“Parents being out of work right now and what not just makes it hard for them. I want to be able to help them in any way possible," Axelson told KING. “I’ve been friends with Mateo’s mom for about 10 years. It's made it even harder seeing someone I watched grow up have such a horrible injury.”

A Quincy Police Department investigation didn't find enough evidence to justify criminal charges, but the state's Department of Children, Youth and Families decided to suspend the day care's license. The investigation is ongoing.

KING said it wasn't able to obtain a comment from the day care owners.

Axelson said the family is considering taking legal action.

"Yes, accidents can happen but when you're paying people to take care of your children, you should be able to trust the provider to take complete care of them and not severely injure them," Axelson added to the station. "Keep praying for the family and pray that he has a quick recovery and they can get home soon and try to resume life as normal as they can."

The family shared video of the child in the hospital that's part of a KING video report.

America should do whatever it can to support strong families; JD Vance has long advocated for many policies to do just that, including an expanded child tax credit. But legislation that would encourage already struggling families to outsource child-rearing to day cares is a step in the wrong direction.

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Suspected car prowler attacks armed homeowner. Despite warning shot, attack persists — but next shot ends things permanently.



A homeowner in north central Washington state fatally shot a suspected vehicle prowler amid a physical confrontation Sunday night.

The armed homeowner approached a suspect who was seen tampering with the homeowner's vehicle around 7:15 p.m. on Hanford Street near Omak Avenue, KXLY-TV reported, citing the Omak Police Department. The city of Omak is located about 50 miles from the Canadian border.

The homeowner has not been arrested or charged with any crimes, KPQ reported.

Police told the station that the homeowner didn't use the gun, but the suspect attacked and knocked down the homeowner.

The homeowner's significant other fired a warning shot into the ground, but police told KXLY the assault didn't stop. KPQ-FM reported that the warning shot was an attempt to run the suspect off.

Police said the significant other pulled the suspect off of the homeowner, but the suspect re-engaged in the assault, the station reported.

With that, police told KXLY the homeowner shot the suspect once. The suspect left the property and collapsed in the street, KPQ reported, adding that police found the alleged prowler lying in the street with a gunshot wound

The suspect was transported to Mid Valley Hospital, KPQ noted, adding that the suspect later was pronounced dead.

The homeowner has not been arrested or charged with any crimes, KPQ reported.

Police told KXLY an investigation is underway in regard to the use of deadly force and that their findings will be turned over to the prosecutor's office to determine if any charges will be filed.

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