WEST VALLEY CITY — A man accused of abusing his 13-month-old son and then leaving him home alone was arrested over the weekend.
Humberto Alvarez, 23, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of two counts of felony child abuse and one count of misdemeanor child abuse with neglect.
Other family members went out of town on Oct. 22, leaving the young boy and his 2-year-old sister, in the sole care of his father. When the family arrived home, near 6100 West and 4000 South, on Friday, they found the 13-month-old lying on the basement floor by himself, according to Salt Lake County Jail records. The toddler was taken to the hospital with severe bruising and trauma to his body, including a large bruise and cut on the back of his head, jail records state.
Police were contacted by doctors at Primary Children's Medical Center.
After tracking down the boy's father and interviewing him, detectives learned Alvarez had thrown a laundry basket at his son a few days earlier and hit him repeatedly with a shoe, according to jail records.
"The 13-month-old also had a broken leg, lacerations in his mouth and bruising all over his body," the report states. The 2-year-old girl was not injured
Monday, November 2, 2009
'Coldblooded killing' of officer
Seattle police say the fatal drive-by shooting of veteran Officer Timothy Brenton on Saturday night represented something the department had not seen before: the apparent targeting of police at random.
"It was incredibly brazen and bold," said Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel, who called the shooting an "assassination."
Brenton, 39, a field training officer, and officer-trainee Britt Sweeney were seated in their parked squad car when Sweeney sensed danger over her left shoulder and yelled for her partner to duck.
A car pulled up alongside the officers' car in the 100 block of 29th Avenue shortly after 10 p.m., and someone inside opened fire.
Bullets grazed Sweeney's back as she hunkered down. Brenton was struck by several gunshots and died instantly.
Sweeney, 33, grabbed the police radio and called for help, jumped from the car and fired several rounds at the gunman's sedan as it backed away from the cruiser, turned around and sped down the Leschi street, police said Sunday.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday afternoon, Mayor Greg Nickels called the shooting "a coldblooded killing."
Police have not identified any suspects or a motive in the shooting. Asked if the shooting could be gang-connected, Pugel said nothing had been ruled out.
In a briefing before the City Council today, police Chief John Diaz said all cameras from patrol cars in the vicinity are being scrubbed to look for clues, as well as cameras from area businesses and red light cameras. "Every camera in the area is being looked at," he said.
"This was a profound tragedy. A shock to our senses," said Diaz, apologizing for being emotional. "It's a family."
Diaz said the department is getting many tips and Clear Channel has donated four billboards to try to help solve the shooting. He said the department has made changes in deployment, but didn't give any specifics.
"This was a hit on law enforcement, a hit on government, not this particular officer," he said, adding that the shooting appeared random. The shooter apparently watched the traffic stop and then ambushed the officers.
Police spent Sunday night and early today looking into people previously arrested for threats to police and obstruction to see where they were on Saturday night, according to a law enforcement source.
Police said Brenton had not been the target of any threats.
Brenton, of Marysville, was a married father of two young children, a boy and a girl, said the slain officer's uncle, Jon Brenton, 50, of Kingston.
Timothy Brenton had been with the department since December 2000.
"Everybody loved him," Jon Brenton said Sunday. "I don't think there was any reason anybody would come after him."
A Snohomish County sheriff's deputy was parked outside the slain officer's Marysville home Sunday. He said the family did not wish to comment.
The slain officer's father and another uncle are retired Seattle police officers, and his brother-in-law is a Seattle firefighter, Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz said.
Brenton transferred to the Seattle Police Department from the police department in La Conner, Skagit County.
Sweeney was seated in the driver's seat of the patrol car, with Brenton in the passenger seat, as the officers parked in a quiet, tree-lined residential street.
They had stopped to discuss the traffic stop they had completed minutes earlier, Pugel said. A small, light-colored sedan pulled up next to their car. Both vehicles were facing south.
For some reason, Sweeney "sensed" trouble and reacted by ducking, Pugel said.
Gunfire blasted from the sedan without warning, police said. The bullets entered the police car through the driver's window. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests, police said.
"It is clear the suspect was trying to get both of them," Pugel added.
Police said they aren't sure whether the car was struck by Sweeney's return gunfire. The car was described as a white or light-blue Toyota.
Sweeney, of Seattle, was treated for minor injuries at Harborview Medical Center. Pugel said she was resting at home Sunday and declined to release much about her life out of concern that she remains a target.
"We are concerned with her safety. It is a miracle she is alive," said Pugel, who praised Sweeney's quick thinking and behavior that he likened to that of a veteran officer.
Police said Sweeney recently completed six months of training at two police academies and had been in field training for about a month.
In Seattle, student officers are paired with field training officers in a "job shadow-type role," police spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said. Student officers generally work in field training for about 3 ½ months.
Investigators tentatively have concluded that a rifle was fired at the officers, according to a Seattle police source briefed on the matter.
Kent Holt, 28, was at a Halloween party near the scene and was outside on the deck of a multiplex when he heard "at least 10" gunshots. He said he thought it was fireworks until the street flooded with police cars.
Investigators have questioned one man in connection with the shooting, but police are only calling him a "person of interest."
That man had been booked into the King County Jail on Friday for threatening police but was released on bond Saturday.
Police questioned him shortly after the shooting and rearrested him for investigation of obstruction, according to a law-enforcement source.
Details of the obstruction allegation haven't been released by police or the King County Prosecutor's Office.
The last Seattle police officer to die in the line of duty was Joselito "Lito" Barber, 26, who was killed Aug. 13, 2006, when an SUV driven by Mary Rivas ran a red light and struck his patrol car.
Rivas was sentenced to 20 years in prison for vehicular homicide in November 2007.
The last Seattle officer to be gunned down was Antonio Terry, 36, who was fatally shot June 4, 1994, when he stopped to help two men, Quentin Ervin and Eric Smiley, whose vehicle had broken down on an Interstate 5 offramp.
Smiley was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Ervin also was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
"It was incredibly brazen and bold," said Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel, who called the shooting an "assassination."
Brenton, 39, a field training officer, and officer-trainee Britt Sweeney were seated in their parked squad car when Sweeney sensed danger over her left shoulder and yelled for her partner to duck.
A car pulled up alongside the officers' car in the 100 block of 29th Avenue shortly after 10 p.m., and someone inside opened fire.
Bullets grazed Sweeney's back as she hunkered down. Brenton was struck by several gunshots and died instantly.
Sweeney, 33, grabbed the police radio and called for help, jumped from the car and fired several rounds at the gunman's sedan as it backed away from the cruiser, turned around and sped down the Leschi street, police said Sunday.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday afternoon, Mayor Greg Nickels called the shooting "a coldblooded killing."
Police have not identified any suspects or a motive in the shooting. Asked if the shooting could be gang-connected, Pugel said nothing had been ruled out.
In a briefing before the City Council today, police Chief John Diaz said all cameras from patrol cars in the vicinity are being scrubbed to look for clues, as well as cameras from area businesses and red light cameras. "Every camera in the area is being looked at," he said.
"This was a profound tragedy. A shock to our senses," said Diaz, apologizing for being emotional. "It's a family."
Diaz said the department is getting many tips and Clear Channel has donated four billboards to try to help solve the shooting. He said the department has made changes in deployment, but didn't give any specifics.
"This was a hit on law enforcement, a hit on government, not this particular officer," he said, adding that the shooting appeared random. The shooter apparently watched the traffic stop and then ambushed the officers.
Police spent Sunday night and early today looking into people previously arrested for threats to police and obstruction to see where they were on Saturday night, according to a law enforcement source.
Police said Brenton had not been the target of any threats.
Brenton, of Marysville, was a married father of two young children, a boy and a girl, said the slain officer's uncle, Jon Brenton, 50, of Kingston.
Timothy Brenton had been with the department since December 2000.
"Everybody loved him," Jon Brenton said Sunday. "I don't think there was any reason anybody would come after him."
A Snohomish County sheriff's deputy was parked outside the slain officer's Marysville home Sunday. He said the family did not wish to comment.
The slain officer's father and another uncle are retired Seattle police officers, and his brother-in-law is a Seattle firefighter, Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz said.
Brenton transferred to the Seattle Police Department from the police department in La Conner, Skagit County.
Sweeney was seated in the driver's seat of the patrol car, with Brenton in the passenger seat, as the officers parked in a quiet, tree-lined residential street.
They had stopped to discuss the traffic stop they had completed minutes earlier, Pugel said. A small, light-colored sedan pulled up next to their car. Both vehicles were facing south.
For some reason, Sweeney "sensed" trouble and reacted by ducking, Pugel said.
Gunfire blasted from the sedan without warning, police said. The bullets entered the police car through the driver's window. Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests, police said.
"It is clear the suspect was trying to get both of them," Pugel added.
Police said they aren't sure whether the car was struck by Sweeney's return gunfire. The car was described as a white or light-blue Toyota.
Sweeney, of Seattle, was treated for minor injuries at Harborview Medical Center. Pugel said she was resting at home Sunday and declined to release much about her life out of concern that she remains a target.
"We are concerned with her safety. It is a miracle she is alive," said Pugel, who praised Sweeney's quick thinking and behavior that he likened to that of a veteran officer.
Police said Sweeney recently completed six months of training at two police academies and had been in field training for about a month.
In Seattle, student officers are paired with field training officers in a "job shadow-type role," police spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said. Student officers generally work in field training for about 3 ½ months.
Investigators tentatively have concluded that a rifle was fired at the officers, according to a Seattle police source briefed on the matter.
Kent Holt, 28, was at a Halloween party near the scene and was outside on the deck of a multiplex when he heard "at least 10" gunshots. He said he thought it was fireworks until the street flooded with police cars.
Investigators have questioned one man in connection with the shooting, but police are only calling him a "person of interest."
That man had been booked into the King County Jail on Friday for threatening police but was released on bond Saturday.
Police questioned him shortly after the shooting and rearrested him for investigation of obstruction, according to a law-enforcement source.
Details of the obstruction allegation haven't been released by police or the King County Prosecutor's Office.
The last Seattle police officer to die in the line of duty was Joselito "Lito" Barber, 26, who was killed Aug. 13, 2006, when an SUV driven by Mary Rivas ran a red light and struck his patrol car.
Rivas was sentenced to 20 years in prison for vehicular homicide in November 2007.
The last Seattle officer to be gunned down was Antonio Terry, 36, who was fatally shot June 4, 1994, when he stopped to help two men, Quentin Ervin and Eric Smiley, whose vehicle had broken down on an Interstate 5 offramp.
Smiley was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Ervin also was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
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