Slaying Suspect Arrested At Mexican Border -- Parking Attendant Shot To Death In July

A man charged with robbing and killing a Seattle parking-lot attendant last July was arrested on the Mexican border yesterday as he and another man allegedly tried to smuggle more than 50 pounds of marijuana into the United States.

Michas Angelo Taitano, 23, of Seattle and the driver of the car in which he was riding were arrested at the joint U.S. Customs and Immigration and Naturalization Service port of entry at Tecate, Calif.

Noticing that the driver, Thomas Kegley, 27, of Rio Rancho, N.M., appeared nervous, a Customs inspector asked to search the car and found 51 pounds of marijuana in a side panel, the INS said.

The King County Prosecutor's Office last July charged Taitano with first-degree murder and first- and second-degree robbery in the death of Tarekegne Worku, who was working at a Pike Place Market-area parking garage at the close of the July 4 weekend.

Just before the shooting, Worku's wife, Ruth Belai, had brought dinner to her husband.

As Belai was returning to her car, where the couple's two small children were sleeping, a man in a ski mask approached Worku and demanded the money from his parking till.

Seattle police said the gunman shot Worku in the chest and grabbed about $200 from his till.

Taitano left Seattle around the time he was charged, police said. He was featured on the television program "America's Most Wanted."

Seattle homicide detectives are talking with federal agents about extraditing Taitano, Seattle Police Department spokeswoman Carmen Best said.

The two men are being held in a San Diego jail and are scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Eric Sorensen's phone message number is 206-464-8253. His e-mail address is: esorensen@seattletimes.com