Tacoma police have released a surveillance image of a man suspected of robbing a convenience store at gunpoint last week.

The robber walked into the 7-Eleven at 4701 S. Oakes St. about 2:45 a.m. May 16. He approached the counter and pulled out a handgun, police reported.

The suspect pointed the gun at the clerk and demanded cash. After getting an undisclosed amount of money, he ran from the store.

The suspect was last seen going south. He’s described as 25 to 30 years old and 6 feet to 6 feet 4, with a thin build. He wore black pants, …

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UPDATED at 12:37 p.m.

A 22-year-old mother and her boyfriend are facing criminal charges after they allegedly left her 3-year-old son sleeping in a Fife motel room for several hours so they could gamble.

Sarah Huson was charged Monday with reckless endangerment, third-degree abandonment of a dependent person, possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana possession. Her boyfriend, 26-year-old Scott Weems, was charged with abandonment of a dependent person, use of drug paraphernalia and drug loitering.

Both are scheduled to make appearances in Fife Municipal Court this afternoon.

Fife police Lt. Tom Thompson gave this account.

The Lakewood couple checked into …

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A 52-year-old Lakebay man who died this morning after driving head-on into another vehicle on state Route 302 at the Purdy Spit has been identified as Mark Buttler.

The crash occurred about 6:45 a.m.

The Washington State Patrol said Buttler was driving westbound when he crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming car driven by a 54-year-old woman.

Buttler was taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, where he was pronounced dead.

The woman, from Port Orchard, was taken to Tacoma General Hospital to be treated for injuries she sustained after her car went down an embankment.

Investigators have …

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A man charged with badly beating two brothers – one 3, the other 18 months – pleaded not guilty today to first-degree child assault and second-degree child assault.

Pierce County Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered Stepan Perebeynos, 28, jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.

Authorities arrested Perebeynos at a Fircrest apartment Thursday after he called 911 to report the younger boy wouldn’t wake up. The defendant had been watching the boys and their 6-year-old sister while the children’s mother was receiving in-patient drug treatment, authorities said.

Police said the 18-month-old was covered with bruises and that his eyes were …

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Tacoma police are searching for a 25-year-old man suspected of shooting another man during an argument earlier this month at an East Side home.

Pierce County prosecutors charged Loreasa J. Misipati on Friday with first-degree assault. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Prosecutors allege Misipati shot and wounded another man early on May 9 at a home in the 1400 block of East 63rd Street.

The victim and his ex-girlfriend had been arguing at the home when Misipati intervened and allegedly shot the victim.

The ex-girlfriend called police to report the shooting. She said she was driving …

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Tacoma police are searching for a man who robbed a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint late Sunday.

The robbery occurred just after midnight in the 4400 block of North 27th Street, police said.

The driver was delivering a pizza in the area when he was approached by a man.

The suspect wore a black ski mask and wielded a gun. He got an undisclosed amount of cash and the driver’s jacket, then fled.

The suspect was described as a white man, about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. In addition to the ski mask, he wore a khaki jacket and …

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Nearly two dozen gang members and affiliates were arrested this weekend in an enforcement emphasis in South King County.

About 50 law enforcement officers from 12 agencies participated. The operation served warrants and monitored hotspots known for gang activity in several communities, including Federal Way and Kent.

Twenty-three arrests were made.

A 43-year-old motorcyclist who died early Saturday after crashing near the intersection of state Routes 167 and 410 near Sumner has been identified as Paul Butler.

Butler, of Kent, was riding a 2008 Kawasaki Concours 1400 north on SR 167 when he lost control and struck a guardrail about 12:45 a.m. Saturday.