Dead Robber Had A Long Crime Record -- Owner Had `No Choice' But To Shoot; 7-Eleven Chain Says It `Understands'

WOODINVILLE

Two young men involved in a brief crime spree that ended in a fatal shootout at a Woodinville 7-Eleven yesterday had extensive criminal histories, court records show.

One of the two, an 18-year-old Federal Way man, was shot dead by the store owner; the other, a 17-year-old South Seattle youth, was jailed pending charges.

And a spokesman for the company that owns the convenience-store chain defended the store owner who killed the robber, saying that while he couldn't condone the man for having a gun at the store, "we understand why he did what he did."

Ron Conlin of Southland Corp. said franchise owner Otto Beach told him, "I really did not have a choice because I thought my employees' lives would have been taken."

Colin said Southland prohibits its employees to carry weapons in the store, but that policy could not be enforced on the Woodinville 7-Eleven because it is independently owned by Beach.

Beach's shootout and the subsequent capture of the second robber ended a string of eight holdups that began early yesterday after, police said, the pair stole a car in Seattle's University District.

The shootout happened about 7 a.m. at Northeast 175th Street and 140th Avenue Northeast, the heart of downtown Woodinville, after the two robbers decided to make the city a stop in their spree, police said.

King County police identified the dead man as Vitaly Kalchik.

Kalchik, it was learned from court records, had at least eight juvenile offenses between 1993 and 1995 ranging from vehicle theft to obstructing police to residential burglary. He also had four adult offenses, including auto theft, between July and November this year and five district- and municipal-court citations for traffic violations.

On July 17, for example, he was cited by the State Patrol for driving under the influence of alcohol. He failed to appear in court and an arrest warrant was issued.

The 17-year-old has a juvenile record showing 29 offenses between 1993 and this year, including auto theft, third-degree theft, possession of stolen property, shoplifting and malicious mischief.

Just three days ago, he was charged with possession of stolen property.

He also had 14 district- and municipal-court citations for driving and traffic violations. On Oct. 24, he was cited by the State Patrol for driving with a suspended license. He failed to appear in court on the citation.

The 17-year-old was to be arraigned this afternoon at 3 p.m. in juvenile court, with charges to be filed next week.

"Because this was an armed robbery," said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's office, "it will give us the ability to charge him as an adult."

Yesterday, the crime spree began, police said, when the two stole a black Honda in the U District about 4:30 a.m. An hour later, police said, they robbed a man of his wallet in West Seattle and, in a span of about 90 minutes, hit seven more places, taking an undisclosed amount of money in each holdup.

"They were very busy," said Detective Bill Miller of the Lake Forest Park police.

And in a hurry, apparently.

During the fifth robbery, at a Lake Forest Park carwash, one gunman rushed in past the cashier who was outside smoking, then realized he needed her to open the cash register. He rushed back out again to get her.

That robbery took 31 seconds, Miller said.

But their spree ended when they tried to hit the Woodinville 7-Eleven. Authorities still are sorting out what happened when a pistol-toting young man entered the store while the getaway driver waited outside.

Kalchik, wearing a white cloth that masked most of his face, pointed a gun at a clerk's head and demanded money, police said.

Beach was in a back office working on a bank deposit. He heard the commotion, grabbed his gun and confronted the robber.

"He waited a few seconds, hoping the suspect would just take the money and run, but the suspect appeared agitated, and the store owner felt his clerk's life was in jeopardy," said Joanne Elledge, King County police spokeswoman.

Ron Greene, a witness, said the gunman fired first and missed.

Beach returned fire twice, then followed Kalchik outside and fired a third shot, Greene said.

Herman Mozee, a construction worker, said he saw the robber burst out the front door, and that the owner "went after him" and shot him. He said the robber staggered, then collapsed by a trash bin.

When he checked on the wounded man, Mozee said, he "heard one gasp, and that was it. . . . He had a trail of $1 and $5 bills with blood on them."

Meanwhile, the getaway car sped off without the headlights on but was spotted by officers responding to a BP holdup near the 7-Eleven.

The pursuit ended a few minutes later when the car collided with a truck. The two people in the truck were not hurt.

The injured teen ran from the wrecked car and was tackled by officers. He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was treated for minor injuries before being booked into jail.

Elledge said investigators need a few more days to gather all the facts.

It will be then up to the prosecutor to decide charges against the 17-year-old and to determine whether Beach's actions were justifiable homicide, she said.

Shooting in self-defense or shooting to stop a fleeing felon generally has been considered justifiable.

Conlin, the Southland spokesman, said Beach has a gun license and carries the weapon when he makes bank deposits. Beach declined to comment.

Eric Johnson, a manager at a nearby Firestone Tire and Service Center, was among many who thought Beach was justified in killing the robber.

"I do not feel bad about the guy getting shot, because he deserved it," Johnson said.

Roughly 10 feet from where the robber died, Don Organ sat in a parked car yesterday afternoon, munching a burrito while getting a close-up view of the crime scene.

"I moved here to get away from the crime," said Organ, who is from New York, "but it seems that it follows everybody."

Retired high-school teacher Tony Stephano remembers when Woodinville was crime-free, when it was so small and rural that there were dirt roads and no traffic lights. It was what attracted Stephano to this city.

"It comes as a shock," he said of the shooting. "I thought Woodinville was a nice place, a safe place, a drug-free place."

It still is, said Russ Paris, general manager of the Firestone shop.

"I think people will see this as a passing incident that has no bearing on the quality of life at Woodinville," he said.

Seattle Times Eastside bureau reporter Peyton Whiteley also contributed to this story.

Tan Vinh's phone message number is 206-515-5656. His e-mail address is: tvin-new@seatimes.com

Louis T. Corsaletti's phone message number is 206-515-5626. His e-mail address is: lcor-new@seatimes.com