EDITOR’S NOTE: The subject of this story is a former B-Town Blog advertiser. This reporter has also met him through Burien business and networking events and has been a customer at his restaurant. This story is based on police reports, charging documents, information provided by victims and a response from his attorney.
The attorney for a downtown Burien restaurant owner charged in three alleged tire slashing incidents says one case has been dismissed and another is expected to be dismissed Nov. 10.
Michele Godina, identified in police reports as the owner of Piacere Trattoria Italiana, was charged with third-degree malicious mischief in three complaints dated April 16, 2026. The complaints concern separate incidents on or about Dec. 15, 2025, March 11 and April 11, 2026, according to charging documents provided to The B-Town Blog.
“One of the cases was dismissed and one of the others will be dismissed on 11/10,” Godina’s attorney, W. Tracy Codd, told The B-Town Blog.
“The other case of the three will be addressed as soon as practicably possible,” Codd added.
Codd did not identify which case had been dismissed. He referenced Washington’s “compromise of misdemeanors” law, Chapter 10.22 RCW, in explaining how the cases are being resolved.
For eligible offenses, that law allows a judge to dismiss criminal proceedings before final judgment if the injured party acknowledges in writing that they have received satisfaction for the injury and court costs are paid. The decision rests with the judge, and dismissal bars another prosecution for the same offense.
According to the Burien police report, Godina admitted during an April 15 interview at the restaurant that he had slashed tires in two instances. After being advised of his rights, he described his actions as a mistake, attributed them partly to stress, apologized and offered to pay for the damage, the report says.
“Because I lose business. I lose business all the time,” Godina told the investigating officer when asked why he was doing it, according to the report.
Godina also said vehicles parked outside the restaurant sometimes cost him $300 in business per night and that police had not acted on his previous parking complaints, the officer wrote.
Godina told the officer he used a small decorative knife kept in the restaurant’s kitchen. He was arrested and booked into SCORE jail on April 15, according to the report.
Public Parking Space at Center of Investigation
The investigation focused on a parking stall outside the restaurant in the 600 block of SW 152nd Street. The investigating officer described the stalls as public and open to anyone and said the curbside pickup priority placard did not create an enforceable parking restriction.
In the April incident, a driver told police she parked outside the restaurant while attending Burien’s Wine Walk. After leaving that night, she noticed a low tire pressure warning.
She obtained surveillance footage from a business across the street and provided it to investigators, according to the report.
The officer who reviewed the recording reported seeing Godina leave the restaurant at 9:51 p.m., approach the vehicle and make a stabbing motion that punctured its rear passenger tire. The driver returned seven minutes later, and the officer reported seeing no one else approach the vehicle during that interval.
Police examined the damaged tire and described its cut as similar to damage found on another vehicle’s tire in the investigation.
In the March incident, a driver told police the restaurant owner came outside and wagged his finger at her when she returned to her vehicle. She noticed declining tire pressure while driving home. Her husband later experienced a flat tire while driving, according to accounts included in the records. Driving on a flat tire can make a car harder to control and endangers passengers by increasing the risk of a crash.
The owner of the vehicle damaged in March later reported being unable to use it for 18 days while awaiting replacement tires. She submitted an estimated $614.66 in additional transportation expenses, according to a supplemental police report.
Another vehicle owner reported finding his right rear tire slashed after parking in the same space in December 2025.
Police records list tire replacement expenses of $1,040.94 for the December incident, $1,386.53 for March and $1,105.49 for April, totaling $3,532.96. Those amounts included replacing multiple tires after damage to one.
Investigators also reviewed a driver’s report of two tire punctures after a parking confrontation with Godina in June 2025. Police recommended four counts of malicious mischief. The charging documents provided to The B-Town Blog list three complaints involving the December, March and April incidents.
What Washington Law Allows
Third-degree malicious mischief is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9A.48.090. A conviction can carry a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine or both under RCW 9A.20.021.
A King County District Court record provided to The B-Town Blog shows Godina pleaded not guilty April 16 in one of the cases.
The charges are allegations and do not establish guilt.
