Local briefing for Dec. 25

The Olympian, news services • Published December 25, 2008

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Elma

22-year-old sentenced for rape of child

A 22-year-old Elma man must serve 61/2 years to life in prison for impregnating a 12-year-old girl this year, according to The News Tribune of Tacoma.

Deputy prosecutor Katie Svoboda said Ricardo L. Torres-Arellano was sentenced Monday for second-degree child rape.

Torres-Arellano pleaded guilty early in the proceedings, telling investigators he planned to marry and take care of the girl with the blessing of her family.

"Ricardo Torres said that he wants to see (the girl) all the time and cries when he thinks about her, because he is not with her," court records state. "He asked me to ask the court to help him see (her) soon so that he can be with her soon."

Court records state that Torres-Arellano started seeing the girl last year when he was 20 or 21. He told investigators he ignored her at first, but eventually started "dating" her.

After several months, the two started having sex, court records state. When the girl discovered she was pregnant last spring, they approached the girl's parents. Child Protective Services later reported the rape to authorities.

"Ricardo Torres stated he knew it was against the law to have sex with a 12-year-old girl, but that she was mature for her age and it is custom in Mexico to have sex with young girls," court records state.

South Sound

67 seat-belt citations written in county

Sixty-seven seat-belt citations were written during a recent law enforcement effort to find violators in Thurston County.

Extra officers were used to help ticket violators Nov. 17 through Dec. 7, according to the Washington State Patrol.

During the enforcement effort, State Patrol and local police also arrested seven people on misdemeanor warrants, made three drug-related arrests, cited 11 speeders, and found 18 drivers who didn't have insurance and 16 who had a suspended or revoked license.

Statewide, officers wrote 2,491 seat-belt citations, according to the State Patrol More than 60 police and sheriff agencies took part in the patrols, funded by a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

For more information about the commission, go to www.wtsc.wa.gov.

Washington

Gregoire names temporary director

Gov. Chris Gregoire has named Jim Albert as interim director for the state Department of Information Services, effective Jan. 1.

Albert, who has served as the deputy director of the DIS for four years, fills the vacancy left by current director Gary Robinson while a search is conducted for a permanent replacement.

Robinson is retiring from state service at the end of this month.

Albert has held positions in various state agencies, including the Attorney General's Office, the Office of Financial Management and Washington State University.