The Spotlight

Brenda West-Bresnahan is turning her grief into action. She's hoping to meet with state legislators to push them to make felony drug possession illegal again.

Surveillance video in Tacoma shows the lengths 35-year-old Samantha Eazor was willing to go to escape arrest.

You have a right to feel safe in your own home, to know that if you are a victim of crime you will get a prompt response from police and their best efforts to get justice for you. More and more we are hearing stories of people taking the law into their own hands and though that can go wrong quickly, can you really blame them? The Spotlight takes an in-depth look at vigilante justice, plus what law enforcement leaders say needs to change to improve police response and safety in Washington state.

FOX 13 News has obtained surveillance video and pictures from several recent retail thefts across Puget Sound, and many are wondering what can be done to stop these crimes. Video captured an apparent retail theft happening at a Covington Fred Meyer on September 27. FOX 13 News reporter AJ Janavel stumbled upon a crime happening in the act. He announced that he was a reporter to two people who were wearing masks, and who left the Fred Meyer with a cart full of cases of beer. One of the people address Janavel as he record the situation saying, "That little petty theft charge ain?t going to do s*** anyway. Record that."

A Seattle intersection known for law-breaking, 3rd and Pike, has been long overdue for a "New Day." That's the name given to the multi-agency enforcement effort launched this summer in response to bloody rise in crime at the corner. Since then there have been dozens of felony arrests.

A staggering amount of crime in Tacoma has been committed along a half-mile stretch on South Hosmer Street. Much of the crime is centered around a string of cheap, extended stay motels between 84th and 90th streets.

Just go for a drive to Shoreline and back, and it feels like you're in the middle of an open air strip club with half-naked women waving at cars. But underneath the spectacle is addiction, violence and crime making it one of the Pacific Northwest's meanest streets.

Prostitution, murder, drug dealing and gang violence. The Spotlight takes you to the mean streets of Tacoma and Seattle and finds hope, progress and compassion in the middle of chaos.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Spotlight shows you a dangerous domestic violence offender who is on the run, and gives you the tools and legal information to protect yourself and your family.

The Spotlight profiles artist Myron Curry and his passion for painting large murals and portraits. After serving time in federal prison, Curry went on to graduate from Seattle Central Community College in 2021 with a degree in IT Network Design & Administration. He's launching his first solo art-pop on Friday, Sept 23 from 5-8pm; Saturday, Sept 24 from 12-6pm and Sunday, Sept 25 from 12-6pm in the Exchange Building at 821 2nd Ave in Seattle. The show comes on the heels of the work he did recently painting a mural with the kids at The Academy for Creating Excellence (A.C.E.).

The King County Prosecutor's Office has a unit to lawfully remove guns from domestic violence situations, even if there is no conviction.

One local program is giving humans and their pets a safer way to get out of an abusive relationship.

Experts and survivors sit down with The Spotlight team to discuss an aspect of domestic abuse that is not often discussed: emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is all about power and control for the abuser-- they condition and manipulate the victim to stay with them. The Spotlight delves deeper into this type of abuse and coercive control.

When we looked back at the media's role in reporting on domestic violence. We often only discuss the topic on the news when it's too late - a survivor's life has been ripped apart or the abuser has murdered someone. But so much happens in a relationship before the first act of violence. So FOX 13 is shining a spotlight on an escalating domestic violence crisis answering the question so many ask "why did they stay?" It boils down to a simple name for a complex topic: emotional abuse. So we asked experts, advocates and survivors. Join us as we dive into the mind of the abuser.

Where is Oakley Carlson? The search continues for the 5-year-old girl who disappeared in Grays Harbor County, Washington more than a year ago. Detectives still believe there are people with information who have not told what they know. That includes Oakley's father. He's walking free despite being handed a 12-month sentence back in March. Six months ago, Andrew Carlson was sentenced for child endangerment with a controlled substance. For months, he sat in jail refusing to reveal information about Oakley's whereabouts. In early August, he became eligible for early release and walked out of jail one night at 1 a.m. What he's up to now is anyone's guess, but the search for Oakley Carlson is not over. And the woman who raised her isn't losing hope.