Caught on Camera
It’s hard to tell, but neighbors say the man walking inside the Mercer St. encampment in South Lake Union is Paris Alcantera. In this surveillance video, you can see him watching the flames and pacing back and forth. He was arrested for setting a massive blaze on August 14. Alcantera admits he did it, but says he accidentally knocked over a candle inside a tent. Either way, he was released without charges being filed. Alcantera is a prolific repeat offender with a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 1998 with three felonies, 14 gross misdemeanors, three dozen prior arrests including rape in the third degree, and multiple substance charges. There’s concern he’s going to continue with this unruly behavior in another part of Seattle. The legal system is broken.
Sweep is On
Wednesday morning, the crime ridden Mercer St. encampment in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood is finally being removed. Looks like it’s going to be a two day affair. I counted seven people still on the grounds after last week’s massive inferno, including homeless man Paris Alcantera who returned back to the camp!
