West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
That video is from the security camera at Juneau Street Market (5901 California SW). On Thursday, we published a West Seattle Crime Watch report about its early-morning burglary. Today, the market sent us the video recorded during the burglary. The video shows that only 40 seconds elapsed between the burglar throwing something through the door and his escape back through the broken glass, carrying stolen cigarettes and the register. You can even see the flash as he yanks the register out by its wires. (The break-in starts :40 into our clip, where the camera’s time stamp shows 3:22:50 am.) Here’s the clearest frame grab we could get:
(Added – a better frame grab, courtesy of Todd, originally posted in comments below:)
If you have any information that would help the investigation, the police incident # is 18-454606.
10:29 PM: This damaged car was the last one left at the scene of a crash tonight outside the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse by the time we were able to get there. Our first tipster reported by text:
Hit and run outside of Fauntleroy Hall. Two cars pushed up on curb. Suspect fled with car. Didn’t get far. Ditched it in the Y parking lot and fled on foot. Called the cops.
Another tipster via Twitter reported seeing an arrest in progress when he went by. When we got there, in addition to the car, we found one officer who told us he was on scene awaiting the last tow truck, but he was able to confirm that three vehicles were involved and that one person had been arrested. No SFD callout logged, so apparently no injuries of note.
2:28 AM FRIDAY: Cross-referencing jail and Municipal Court records, we’ve discovered that the driver who was arrested is a 28-year-old woman booked into King County Jail, under investigation for DUI, driving without an ignition interlock, and driving with a suspended license. Records show a prior DUI, from 2014, also in West Seattle.
(WSB photos)
7:08 PM: First police received reports of possible gunfire heard in South Delridge – now there’s a “scenes of violence” call at Delridge/Barton. We’re on the way to find out more.
7:17 PM: SFD tells us they’re transporting a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound. Police have a K9 out searching in the area. That’s all we have so far. Northbound Delridge is blocked to traffic at Henderson.
7:23 PM: Police confirm they’re looking for a suspect. If you’re hearing sirens, that’s because of the K9 search. The victim has been taken to Harborview by Medic 32.
7:48 PM: Guardian One has joined the search.
8:15 PM: We’ve gone back to the scene to check on the situation. No word of anyone in custody yet. But Delridge has reopened both ways.
9:09 PM: No new info from SPD yet; the victim is now described by SFD as “approximately 30 years old” and in serious condition at the time of transport.
9:58 AM FRIDAY: Here’s the update from police via SPD Blotter:
… The victim, a 26-year-old man, was shot in the shoulder and is being treated at the hospital. The injury is not considered to be life-threatening.
Just before 7:00 pm Thursday, a resident in the 8800 block of Delridge Way SW reported a burglary in progress when he observed a man attempting to break into his home. Officers responded and located the possible burglar. The man had been shot in the shoulder. Officers immediately provided first aid and called for Seattle Fire to respond. The victim reported to police that someone had broken into his home nearby and fought with him. During the struggle the suspect shot him and then fled. The victim ran to the location on Delridge seeking assistance.
The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center for further treatment. A K-9 team responded and attempted a track. The Sheriff’s Office helicopter, Guardian One, also provided assistance, but officers were unable to locate the suspect.
Officers learned later from the victim that he may know the suspect, and detectives will follow up on that information.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
JUNEAU MARKET BURGLARIZED: The photo is from early this morning, when Juneau Street Market (5901 California SW) discovered burglar(s) had smashed their front door and stolen their cash register and cigarettes. It’s impeded their ability to make transactions since credit-card processing was hooked up through the register. If you saw anything/anyone suspicious, the SPD incident number for reference is 18-454606.
CAR PROWL: Devan reports a driveway-parked car near 38th/Raymond was broken into overnight late Tuesday/early Wednesday: “Unfortunately it is my time to report a car prowl. I had packages stolen out of the back of my car (I was going to return them after work) as well as my gym bag full of gym clothes, shoes, headphones, and other misc things in my car. They ransacked my car, throwing around things that had no value (papers from a meeting I had).”
(WSB photos. Above, shooting scene on southwest side of 15th/Roxbury)
9:42 PM: Thanks for the tips. Guardian One is helping with a search over South Delridge and White Center. Radio traffic indicates the primary responders were King County Sheriff’s Deputies, so it started on the county side of the line. We’re on the way to find out more.
9:55 PM: Deputies tell us they’re looking for suspect(s) in a shooting in White Center – they say the victim was shot in the hand. The search is about to affect traffic on Roxbury, according to radio discussion – we don’t know for how long.
10:03 PM: Roxbury has reopened. Search continues. Deputies tell us the shooting happened near the gas station on the southwest corner of 15th/Roxbury, and the male victim has been taken to a hospital.
10:11 PM: The search/containment area is fairly wide – a K9 team is still tracking on the ground, with G-1 in the air.’
10:23 PM: KCSO says via Twitter that the victim is 26 years old and that they’re looking for one suspect, someone who “is believed to still be armed.”
10:30 PM: Photos added. The K9 search has been “called (off),” per KCSO, but deputies are still searching the area.
The latest West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
BUS INCIDENT: One man was arrested after an incident that moved from the street to this RapidRide bus at California/Findlay this afternoon:
Police and fire had left the scene before we got there but we followed up with SPD, SFD, and Metro, to add to what we had heard via police radio: It started with two men reported fighting in the area. One then tried to board a northbound RapidRide bus. The driver tried to keep him from doing that. Some sort of substance was sprayed. This left some passengers coughing. A 31-year-old man was treated by SFD medics but didn’t need to go to the hospital. Another man was arrested and taken to King County Jail. The bus was taken out of service to be cleaned.
(Thursday night update: 34-year-old Yonas T. Berhane spent one day in jail. He has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge.)
STOLEN HONDAS: Two auto-theft reports – Nicole e-mailed to say, “My car was stolen from my home (5000 block California Ave SW), 2012 black Honda Accord. License AHB7813.” And Deedee reports that her son’s girlfriend, a Chief Sealth International High School student, was the victim of auto theft at her home in Burien and hoping for help in finding her car, a 2000 silver Honda Civic, plates AAV1769. She needs it for getting to school and to work. If you see either car, please call 911.
PACKAGE-THEFT ALERT: Joanie in Gatewood wants to warn you that package thieves have struck again:
We’ve had several packages stolen off our doorstep (37th at Elmgrove) including one this past Saturday. It was a box of children’s Christmas gifts from their grandparents. There is a special place in hell for anyone that would steal a kid’s gift.
Pending a permanent incident #, this one is under SPD #T18015276.
10:25 PM: If you know someone who has to head this way soon from points south, note that the ramp from northbound I-5 to the westbound West Seattle Bridge is blocked right now. The crash is described on the scanner as “near-head-on”; we don’t know for sure if it’s related but just a few moments earlier we had heard police dispatched to check out a report that someone was driving eastbound on the westbound side of the bridge.
ADDED: From the State Patrol via Twitter:
Wrong way driver from West Seattle Freeway to I-5. Driver in custody for DUI. Update on injuries to come. pic.twitter.com/LTygZlK5Vd
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) December 4, 2018
1:50 PM UPDATE: The 28-year-old woman who is reported to have been driving the wrong way is in King County Jail, after being treated at Harborview. WSP says two other vehicles were involved – a Prius that collided with the suspect’s Civic, injuring the 27-year-old Kent woman who was driving, and an Altima whose driver swerved into the barrier to avoid hitting the wrong-way driver. He wasn’t hurt, per the WSP, nor were passengers in his car and the Prius.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
BUSINESS VANDALISM: After tips about broken windows at Breathe Hot Yoga and Chaco Canyon Café in The Triangle at midday Sunday, we obtained the police report today. Police were called just before 11:30 am to say a man dressed in black had thrown “a large landscaping stone” through the window of Breathe Hot Yoga while a class was under way. The rock didn’t hit anyone but “two or three people” suffered minor injuries from broken glass. While on the scene, an officer noticed a broken window in an office area of an adjacent business (redacted in the report but people who have contacted us indicated it was Chaco Canyon). Employees there said they heard a “loud crash” and discovered the broken window but didn’t find a rock or anything else that might have caused it. No arrest reported so far.
HIT-AND-RUN: From Brad:
At approximately 1:30 PM this afternoon a newer-model gray sedan was westbound on SW Genesee St. (near Genesee Hill Elementary School) at a high rate of speed and missed the left turn onto 49th Ave SW. The car went through a front yard on the west side of 49th, crossed the street, entered a front yard on the east side of 49th, went down the sidewalk and departed southbound on 49th. This driver only destroyed a planter box, but easily could have killed someone. They left a part of the right front fender and right front wheel well behind.
(SDOT image of 1st Avenue S. backup)
4:51 PM: Thanks for the tips. If you usually use 1st Avenue South to get to the West Seattle Bridge while heading home – avoid it for a while; it’s closed at S. Forest, both ways, because of police activity, and that’s led to a big backup. Listening to the scanner, we’re heading talk that it’s a robbery investigation, and someone is reported to be in custody, so this might ease soon.
4:53 PM: Just after we published that, SPD said via Twitter that it was an “attempted bank robbery” in the 2700 block of 1st Ave. S.: “Suspect remained in the bank and police responded and arrested him. Bank employees sheltered in place in a secure area of the bank.”
4:57 PM: Per scanner, 1st Avenue S. has reopened, but as you can imagine, the residual backup won’t resolve immediately at this time of day.
One good reason to report any and all thefts – police might recover your stuff and not be able to get it back to you if there’s no identifying marks and no report on record. That’s what happened in this incident we just got word of today: A detective in the SPD Found Property/Evidence Unit e-mailed to say police recovered a Nikon DX digital camera in West Seattle and are looking for its owner: “The camera contains family photos from the 2017 Holidays and the family trip to California. The owner can contact the Evidence Unit at 206-684-8720, ext. 8. Must have proof of ownership.”
(Photo by Robin Lindsey: SR3’s Casey McLean; SSMMSN First Responders David, Dave, Lynn, and Suzanne and Seattle Parks’ staff Lee and Donald in hi-viz jackets)
SUNDAY, 3:49 PM: An update today from Robin Lindsey of Seal Sitters Marine Stranding Network:
We are now up to 10 confirmed shot dead California sea lions in King and Kitsap counties for the period from September to end of November.
On Friday the 30th, Seal Sitters MMSN responded to a report by Seattle Parks employee Marco of a very decomposed California sea lion carcass washed up at Don Armeni boat launch. This was the same animal that was wedged under the Water Taxi dock the day before, which we marked with bio paint for identification and pushed out into the current. Through photo comparison, we were able to verify that this was the same animal reported along the downtown Seattle waterfront some time ago which has been inaccessible. Thanks to Parks and Seal Sitters’ first responders, the carcass was secured until necropsy options could be weighed.
Because of delays getting EPA permits required for towing/sinking, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network is unable to do necropsies until a permit is secured because of disposal issues. That is, unless we have options for burial/disposal on land. Read more about those challenges on my blubberblog post here.
Thanks to the efforts of Carol Baker and her many Seattle Parks/SW employees who lent a hand and provided removal services, we were able to do a limited necropsy onsite of this estimated 600 lb animal. X-rays of the head, done by a local veterinary lab, confirmed that the sea lion had indeed been shot.
There are 6 other reported dead sea lions in King/Kitsap who have not been necropsied, bringing the total of dead sea lions to 16. Additionally, there are several other dead animals in neighboring counties. Blubberblog.org provides the absolute latest updates regarding numbers and any new information.
MONDAY UPDATE: SS also wants you to know that “The Marine Mammal Stranding Network is gathering data from those counties and that information will be shared when possible.”
Thanks for the texts/tweets about a sizable emergency response by the bus stops on the SW side of California/Alaska. Here’s what we found out at the scene: Two men got into a fight at the bus stop (which is why KC Sheriff’s Transit Police are handling). One man is going to the hospital; the other was arrested.
In West Seattle Crime Watch this evening:
LURING SUSPECT CHARGED: 25-year-old Tamir S. Mohammed was charged today with luring, three days after he was arrested on Puget Ridge. Court documents say the 14-year-old victim got on the 128 bus in the 3200 block of California SW; Mohammed boarded by 35th/Morgan. She got off the bus on 16th near SW Holly and he followed her, asking her name and saying “I’m lonely and I need someone to be with me.” He walked ahead of her at one point and she thought he was gone until he appeared in a driveway, telling her she should come down the driveway to see some Christmas lights, then grabbing her hand and trying to drag her with him. She tried to get him to stop by saying she was only 12 and that her father was waiting nearby; she said police cars started to arrive in the area and he let her go and fled. The house with the driveway had surveillance video that allowed officers to later recognize and arrest Mohammed at the 16th/Holden 7-11. He remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Two reader reports:
LAWN MOWER STOLEN: The video is from Greg:
He says his lawn mower was stolen around 8 pm this past Monday, and his car was prowled the next night. He’s near 42nd/Dawson, south of The Junction.
JEWELRY BOX, JEWELRY, CURRENCY COLLECTION TO WATCH FOR: From Dawn:
My house at 12th SW and Henderson was broken into over Thanksgiving weekend while I was out of town (not sure if it was Thursday or Friday).
They stole a vintage jewelry box (black painted with an Asian theme). It had 2 of my grandmother’s opal rings, my son’s baby teeth, lots of jewelry that doesn’t mean much, but has sentimental value.
They also stole my son’s bank and coin/money collection. He had a lot of bills and coins from all over the world. If anyone sees anything discarded, please let me know!
While checking the jail register for an unrelated case, we discovered a suspect had been arrested and charged in two armed robberies last Saturday, one of which happened in West Seattle. 21-year-old Seth C. Tapaka is in the King County Jail in lieu of half a million dollars bail, charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of unlawful gun possession, since he’s a convicted felon who wasn’t supposed to have a gun at all, because of a 2015 robbery conviction for which he cleared probation just a month ago.
He is accused of holding up the South Delridge 7-11 around 5:20 am Saturday, an hour after holding up a Circle K store in South Seattle. At both stores, court documents say, he got away with cigarettes as well as hundreds of dollars in cash. Police reviewing security video from buildings near the 7-11 found that Tapaka’s girlfriend was waiting in his car nearby. Detective Michael Magan noted distinctive features of the green 1997 Honda Accord – particularly a wheel rim that was different from the rest. When the detective returned to the South Delridge area this past Tuesday in hopes of finding more video, he instead spotted that same green Accord, with Tapaka and his girlfriend inside. Det. Magan called for patrol units to stop the car, which they did, at 15th and Roxbury. Subsequent questioning led police to find the handgun used in the holdups, a 9mm semiautomatic Ruger that belonged to a former girlfriend of Tapaka’s, who lives with their child at Tapaka’s mother’s house on Beacon Hill. The report says the former girlfriend also noted, when shown video from the South Seattle holdup, that the gray backpack that Tapaka used was their baby’s diaper bag.
Police are finding shell casings in the 12th/Trenton vicinity, per radio communication, after multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunfire in the area. One caller is reported to have seen someone firing a gun from a car that was seeing going northbound on 13th, then southbound on 12th. No reports of any shooting victims so far.
That’s Israel‘s car, stolen last night in Westwood:
It is a maroon 1999 Subaru Legacy and was stolen from the 9300 block of 30th SW (off Barton) the night of 11/28. The plate starts with “AOL” and it has a roof rack. SPD incident #18-445245.
Call 911 if you see it.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:
BURGLARY ALERT: E. in South Delridge e-mailed to report, “Just witnessed an attempted burglary on the 9000 block of 16th Ave. SW. Police responded, no one caught. Just a heads up. People should keep an eye out tonight for suspicious activity.”
THIEF ON CAM: Kirsten says this security-cam video recorded in the Admiral District early today shows the (thoroughly covered) thief who stole from her porch and prowled two vehicles, getting away with:
Skateboard
Fold-up camp bench chairs
Paper prescriptions
Sunglasses
Bowling ball, shoes and league shirt
Coat
SEEN THIS QUILT? Ben‘s car was stolen in the University District last week and found in West Seattle, off West Marginal Way. But what had been inside was missing … including this quilt made by his mom and grandma to commemorate his graduation from high school:
He’s circulating the photo far and wide – maybe it’ll turn up dumped somewhere, or on sale at a thrift shop … Police report # if you have any info is 2018-435916.
(WSB photos)
6:08 PM: Sylvan Way is blocked both ways by a crash in the 6900 block [map] that briefly drew a sizable SFD “extrication” response. Everybody’s out, per radio communication. More info to come.
6:17 PM: Police are searching for someone in connection with this and the Guardian One helicopter has joined the search. Our crew says apparently one of the drivers fled – two vehicles were involved. Two children are hurt and will be taken to a hospital.
6:29 PM: We’re told the children’s mom also will be taken to a hospital. But none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
6:52 PM: Police have detained a man near 25th/Myrtle.
7:03 PM: We’ve confirmed with police that the man is being questioned in connection with the crash; G-1 has tweeted that, too.
7:26 PM: Our crew tells us Sylvan has reopened.
11:56 PM: SPD says the man was arrested for suspected DUI as well as hit-run.
1:18 AM: Husband/dad of pregnant woman and kids hit by the suspected drunk driver says in a comment that they’ll be OK.
12:48 PM: Last night, we reported on the letter sent home by two schools after a student was “inappropriately approached” at a bus stop on Delridge on Monday. Today, SPD has just published a report of an arrest following a luring attempt on Tuesday, saying they’re investigating to see whether the suspect might be linked to other incidents:
A 25-year-old man was arrested last night for attempting to lure a 14-year-old girl in West Seattle.
Just before 6:00 pm Tuesday, officers responded to 16th Avenue SW and SW Holly Street where a 14-year-old girl reported she had been grabbed by an unknown suspect minutes earlier. The victim told officers the suspect had followed her off a Metro bus near South Seattle College. According to the victim, the suspect approached her, grabbed her hand, and told her to come with him, but she was able to pull away. The suspect eventually left the area after the victim stated she would scream. The victim was not injured.
The victim provided a description of the suspect and officers searched the area, locating the man at 16th Avenue SW and SW Holden Street minutes later. He was taken into custody without incident.
The suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for investigation of luring. Detectives are investigating the case, and are reviewing whether the man may be involved in any other similar incidents.
We just checked the register; the suspect remains in King County Jail.
3:46 PM: New information – at a hearing this afternoon, the suspect’s bail was set at $100,000, with the judge finding probable cause to hold him for investigation of attempted second-degree kidnapping and fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He is due back in court Friday. Court documents describe him as “a suspect in an indecent liberties call” two weeks ago but have no further details; the jail register shows he was booked three times earlier this year, for a DUI case, a trespass case, and a car-prowl case.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
BUSINESS BREAK-IN ATTEMPT: Paul shares the security-camera images from behind two of the 35th/Kenyon businesses: “Suspect is seen attempting to break into an external commercial refrigerator and attempted to pry back door open at business next door as well.”
He continues, “Police report has been filed. If anybody knows of any information that would help, please contact SPD in regards to incident # 2018-443379.”
TRUCK MIRROR THEFT: Terese wanted to sound an alert about a thief west of The Junction: “Our truck mirror was stolen from the street near 47th SW & SW Oregon.”
A student waiting at a bus stop was “inappropriately approached” by a man on Monday, according to this note e-mailed to families today by Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark and Chief Sealth International High School principal Aida Fraser-Hammer:
We want to actively share any safety-related information regarding any of our scholars when they are out in our community on their way to and from school.
Yesterday, as one of our 8th grade scholars was waiting at a metro stop on Delridge, an adult male inappropriately approached her and attempted to touch her. She did everything right, including running away and calling her mom, who made a police report and notified our school.
As a reminder, the following tips are recommended by the Seattle Police Department for Metro bus riders:
*Pay attention to your surroundings when walking to or from transit stops and on buses or trains.
*Thieves on transit are on the lookout for cell phones, jewelry or other valuables.
*Keep all personal belongings close by.
If you have concerns about safety at or near your stop, contact your driver or call 911.
Please be assured that the safety and security of our scholars is a top priority at both Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
That’s the entirety of the note, forwarded by a parent (thank you!) – no descriptive information – we’ll check with police tomorrow to see if they have a report available with more details.
Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
STOLEN CAR: Katharine‘s green 1999 Honda CR-V EX was stolen from the Westwood Village QFC parking lot last night (Sunday, November 25th) at 9 pm.
The plate starts with BJQ and the vehicle has bumper stickers “West Seattle” and “Plant-Powered.” SPD incident #18-440904. Call 911 if you see it.
STOLEN MAIL: From Morgan:
We returned on Sunday afternoon around 1:00 pm from the holiday weekend to discover our mail had been stolen. Our mailbox is a locked box, not a great one, and it was open and our mail was gone. A few hours later a nice neighbor returned it saying they found it in the gutter by 29th Ave SW and Myrtle. We are on 34th Ave SW and Webster Street in the Sunrise Heights neighborhood. Just wanted to get the word out since our neighbors’ cars were also vandalized (windows smashed) between Webster and Othello on 34th while we were out of town.
(WSB photos)
ORIGINAL MONDAY REPORT: We usually don’t fully show graffiti vandalism.
The West Seattle residents who found this vandalism outside their homes contacted us about it and asked that we do show it.
They wonder if it has happened to anyone else.
The vandalism appeared behind their homes along an alley in Sunrise Heights – in red paint on a garage, “JEW,” and on the pavement, “F— JEW THIEVE.”
The residents believe it was painted overnight.
The residents say they are Jewish, but they haven’t had problems or threats and have no idea who would do this and why.
Police have been to the scene and photographed the vandalism (here’s background on hate-crime laws), and they are investigating. If you have any tips, call SPD.
TUESDAY UPDATE: We talked a little while ago by phone with the neighbor who first contacted us. She wanted to convey that they are all grateful for the expressions of support and offers of help, but neighbors painted over the vandalism soon after police had been there to investigate, and there’s nothing they really need. She also wanted to convey that the neighbors directly affected by the vandalism are of multiple faiths, including Judaism.
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