LYNNWOOD—For a second time in eight months the Lynnwood City Council will commence the process to fill a vacancy on its legislative body, the latest being that of Position 5 after the resignation of Vice President Julieta Altamirano-Crosby who was recently elected as District 2 Commissioner for Snohomish County PUD.
The city council will discuss the details for filling this latest vacancy during its Business Meeting on January 13, 2025. The specific process for filling City Council vacancies is outlined in RCW 42.12.070.
The city of Lynnwood will publish a formal announcement with details of the application process to fill the vacant seat at a later date.
After reviewing 22 applications and supplemental information, the Lynnwood City Council during their July 1, 2024, Work Session, selected eight applicants to interview to fill the vacancy left in Position 1 by Councilwoman Shirley Sutton who announced her resignation in May of that year.
Previous candidates who were interviewed by the council last July were:
- Ki Seung Cho
- Derica Esamilla
- Keton Handy
- Gray Petersen
- Lisa Soros
- Lu Jiang
- Bob Larsen
- Simreet Dhaliwal
The interview schedule was randomized, and each applicant had 30 minutes to answer the City Council’s pre-determined interview questions. At the conclusion of interviews, the City Council adjourned to an Executive Session where they discussed the qualifications of the candidates.
Following the Executive Session, council members then cast three rounds of votes.
In the first round, Council expressed their support for their top candidate out loud. The top candidate will receive three points per Councilmember vote. In the second round, Council expressed their support for their second candidate out loud. The second candidate will receive two points per Councilmember vote. In the third round, Council expressed their support for their third candidate out loud. The third candidate will receive one point per Councilmember vote.
The City Clerk then tallied the results and identified the top three candidates. Council members then cast a final vote to select the appointee. The Mayor then asked for a motion to appoint the successful candidate.
Then-candidate Derica Escamilla was selected by the Lynnwood City Council to fill Position 1. Councilwoman Escamilla will be up for election this November.
The council may choose to change its process this year, given that at no point during filling the council vacancy process was it revealed to residents of the police raid at Councilwoman Escamilla’s home in May 2024 just weeks prior to her July interview.
It wasn’t until an anonymous letter was sent out in November of 2024 that alleged Councilwoman Escamilla assisted in hiding her former lover, a Duaine G. Belgarde Jr., from officers who were attempting to arrest him on a felony warrant, that the possible criminal act was disclosed. According to Washington state law, RCW 9A.76.050, rendering assistance to a criminal is a Class C felony.
Police reports obtained by the Lynnwood Times list Belgarde Jr.’s address as Escamilla’s house and officers wrote in a statement that they verified this is an up-to-date address. Escamilla denied this when interviewed stating that she and Belgarde Jr.—the father of their son—are estranged.
Belgarde Jr. was arrested earlier in 2024 with seven charges, two of which he served 90 days in jail at the Snohomish County Jail—one for possession/selling of a dangerous weapon and another for obstructing a law enforcement officer, both gross misdemeanors
The other charges, which he has not served time for, include refusing to comply with a police officer (misdemeanor), two counts of driving with a suspended license (misdemeanor), making false/misleading statements to a public servant (misdemeanor), and unlawful possession of a firearm (felony).
Belgarde Jr. was arrested for those charges at Escamilla’s residence on May 12, 2024, while visiting his son for Mother’s Day. After having a family barbecue Escamilla hopped in the shower in preparation to visit her boyfriend’s house but was interrupted by her son telling her that the house was surrounded by police.
According to Escamilla, several police officers, with drawn rifles, surrounded her house shouting for Belgarde to come out. She said her son and mother were inside crying and she refused to let the police inside, scared to have their weapons so close to her family.
Two separate meetings were held with Councilwoman Escamilla on this and other allegations, one with Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell and Council President George Hurst, and another with Lynnwood Police Chief Cole Langdon.
Escamilla told the Lynnwood Times that during these meetings she was able to tell her side of the story and squash some of the falsities and misleading information.
In an official statement to the Lynnwood Times on the anonymous letter sent alleging Escamilla’s associations with close family and friends with criminal histories she said: “These claims, which are being used as part of a smear campaign against me, are both misleading and baseless and quite frankly mostly untrue and unfair to them and their privacy.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
