West Seattle, Washington
27 Wednesday
If you know whose basketball that is, EB would like to get it back to its owner. He sent the photos and reports, “My car was broken into last night. The thieves left behind a scarf and basketball with initials PIR. The car was parked in the alley driveway behind 36th Ave SW between Graham and Raymond.”
Nothing was stolen from him – but those items were left behind. Yours? Contact us.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
PACKAGE THIEF ON VIDEO: Tweeted by Nick:
Hey @westseattleblog Help me make this package thief infamous. https://t.co/ABzsh25Y5R
— Nick (@Hawk35) January 28, 2019
Police report # is 19-036748.
SUSPECTED PACKAGE THEFT: From Jill:
USPS delivered a package to my house at 15th and Elmgrove at 10:19 a.m. When I arrived home at 6:30 p.m., I couldn’t find it anywhere. It contained a used women’s leather jacket I bought on Poshmark. Long shot, but if anyone sees a Madewell leather jacket (size M) in cabernet listed online, let me know (they don’t make the color any more).
TRESPASSING/BURGLARY/BREAK-IN ATTEMPTS: Ashley forwarded photos from her condo building’s security cameras last Wednesday night/Thursday morning, catching “3 groups of trespassers on our property” overnight, at which time tools were stolen from a work shack on site. Also stolen: An orange work vest branded with the on-site company’s name, Tatley-Grund. Ashley sent screen grabs – see them here, here, here, here, here, and here. Police report # is 19-031061.
(Added 11:39 am: SDOT cam framegrab of investigation scene)
11:28 AM: If you’re heading downtown, do NOT use 4th Avenue South – police have currently closed it at Walker because of a shooting investigation. It’s reported to have happened aboard a Metro bus. Two people were hurt, one from a gunshot wound, the other from injuries attributed to whatever “altercation” happened.
12:11 PM: Street is still blocked as the investigation continues but Pooja emailed us with this advice: “We just went on 4th and it’s possible to go around Lander to 6th to Holgate (and I think still faster than waiting on the West Seattle bridge and I-5 to get to 90).” SPD, meantime, says via Twitter that no suspects are “outstanding” though they haven’t clarified whether that means someone else is in custody or the shooting was done by one of the two people taken to the hospital.
12:28 PM: SFD says the shooting victim is a 51-year-old man and was transported in critical condition; the man with other injuries is 88 and in stable condition. Both were taken to Harborview Medical Center.
1:46 PM: Southbound traffic is now being allowed through. The northbound lanes are still blocked.
ADDED SATURDAY EVENING: According to SPD, the older man shot the younger man, and then fell and hit his head.
(August 2017 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Earlier this week, we reported that it appeared a plea bargain was in the works for Ryan Cox, the 40-year-old repeat offender who’s been in jail since his arrest for stabbing a man in Gatewood almost a year and a half ago. (Our report on the August 2017 charges details what the victim told police and what they found the night of the crime.) Today, court documents confirm a plea agreement, but with a twist: Cox has pleaded guilty to not a reduced charge, but an upgraded charge. He was originally charged with second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The amended version of that charge to which he pleaded guilty Thursday has an additional enhancement (“aggravating circumstance” under state law), that “… the injuries of the victim of the current offense substantially exceeded the level of bodily harm necessary to satisfy the elements of the crime.” While the documents note that the “standard” sentencing range for second-degree assault is six to 12 months, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is recommending what is categorized in court documents as an “exceptional sentence” – four years in prison, plus the 12-month consecutive sentence for use of a deadly weapon. Cox’s sentencing hearing is set for two weeks from today, 1 pm Friday, February 8th, before King County Superior Court Judge Susan Amini, who has final say on the sentence.
BACKSTORY: While Cox has a long criminal history, dating back to age 17, his convictions are almost all misdemeanors, including the homophobic-graffiti vandalism that first brought him to public attention in 2009. His only felony conviction was the result of a 2013 plea bargain in an assault/malicious harassment incident in 2012. The rest of his long involvement with the criminal-justice and mental-health systems is detailed in this WSB story from the day after the 2017 stabbing.
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Neighborhood advocates gathered on Tuesday night at the Southwest Precinct for the first 2019 meeting of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network (WSBWCN), to discuss issues and opportunities for the community.
It was the group’s first meeting since October, and featured idea-sharing for neighborhood improvement, an update from police leadership and a presentation about 9-1-1 effectiveness.
WSBWCN co-leaders Deb Greer and Karen Berge called the meeting to order and asked attendees to go around the room and share thoughts regarding two key questions:
We checked with police this moning about a dispatch we heard early today following reports of gunfire seen/heard in Highland Park. SPD spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson checked the resulting report for us and summarizes:
At around 12:35 am, 911 received several calls reporting possible shots being fired near SW Holden St / Highland Park Way SW. A witness was standing on his ground floor balcony and reported hearing a single shot to the west of that location before observing a vehicle traveling east on SW Holden St. The vehicle stopped in the street near the witness and one occupant fired three additional shots into the air before the vehicle left the area heading northbound on Highland Park SW. No victims, property damage, or shell casings were located. An area check was conducted but officers did not locate the vehicle.
Almost a year and a half after repeat offender Ryan J. Cox was arrested and charged with stabbing a man in Gatewood, the case may again be on the verge of resolution. His omnibus (trial readiness) hearing has been postponed twice in the past week; the document filed today says, “Parties have a resolution with all terms finalized” and that Cox is expected to enter a plea Thursday. Nothing’s final, of course, until it actually happens: Last July, as reported here, there was also word of a “resolution” but it fell through; today’s document also notes, “Parties will be asking for a continuance if case does not resolve.” Cox has been in jail since the night of August 8, 2017, when he was arrested after allegedly stabbing another man, and himself. We detailed his criminal history in this followup the next day.
As announced by the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network for Tuesday night ([corrected] 6:30 pm January 22nd):
Our main presentation topic is 9-1-1, something most of us take for granted until something goes wrong…
Our guest speaker will be Kayreen Lum, the E-911 Outreach and Training Specialist for King County. She will talk about the recent 9-1-1 outage, what caused it, and what to do if it happens again. She’ll also explain when and how to use the relatively new option, to send text messages to 9-1-1 (which is now available in Seattle and King County).
As always, a police briefing/Q&A will be part of the meeting too. WSBWCN meets at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), all welcome – you don’t have to be a Block Watch captain or even member.
Three reader reports and a reminder in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ARBOR HEIGHTS CAR PROWL: From John:
The one night I forgot to lock my doors, my car gets prowled (west end of 107th near California). Nothing of significant value taken, but console and glove box rummaged through.
They took the parking key card for my office garage, so if anyone sees a discarded ‘thank you note’ w/ a white office key card, please let me know.
A police report has been filed.
PACKAGE THIEF WHO TOOK HER TIME: Usually security video shows package thieves stealing in seconds. This one took her time. You can watch the video here; Brett, who sent it, included this screengrab:
This happened in the 4800 block of 38th Avenue SW on Wednesday.
FENCE-MANGLING HIT-RUN: Not far from there, also on Wednesday, David is wondering if anyone witnessed this:
(Wednesday) sometime between noon and 3:00 pm, somebody drove his or her vehicle onto our property and did substantial damage to our cyclone fence, taking the post with it. The damage extends to our neighbors property as well, taking out an ajoining gate and affecting the operation of separate gate. An eight foot arbor vitae and Mason bee house were also a casualty.
The only entrance in and out of this location is the alley entrance on Findlay just SE and across the street from Fairmount Park Elementary School.
Police were contacted via online. We’re hoping somebody saw anbody coming and coming during that time. There’s only a few vehicles that regularly use it as it’s a dead end. And we’re at the end of the dead end which is why people try to turn around in our in yard when I leave the gate open.
And now a reminder:
WEST SEATTLE BLOCKWATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: Your next chance to bring concerns to local police is during the first WSBWCN meeting of the year, Tuesday (January 22nd), 6:30 pm, at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). The guest speaker will talk about 911 – spotlighting both the new texting access and the recent outage – as previewed here. All welcome.
12:35 PM: If you’re wondering what police are doing north of The Junction – they tell us they are looking for a suspect who ran as they were trying to serve him with a warrant after he didn’t show up for a court date. The search is happening near Holy Rosary and Seattle Lutheran and the schools are reported to have been notified. We don’t have the suspect’s name but police did give us a description – 6-feet tall, black, male, dreadlocks, red shirt an dark shorts. The searchers include a K-9 team.
(Added: Photo texted by Mirsepasy Law Offices during search, from 3400 block California)
1:42 PM: We have been out chasing after this. Yes, the search continued north, to the WSHS area.
1:58 PM: Police confirm that the person they were seeking is in custody. They say schools have been notified.
2:35 PM: We’re told police started trying to serve this warrant last night, then got word of the suspect’s presence today and tried again – that’s what started it all. We’re told the arrest was made in/near the 4100 block of SW Manning.
5:54 PM: A bit of additional information from Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Steve Strand: The suspect “is suspected of recent local robber(ies). He is a juvenile.”
(June 2018 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Seattle Police have just released a video that says they’ve made a breakthrough in last June’s murder of 22-year-old Jonathan C. Pecina near Luna/Anchor Park. Pecina was stabbed to death after what police described then, and again now, as an argument with someone else. In this new video updating the case, SPD has a direct message to the killer: “This case will never go away. We have your DNA.”
They are also still seeking more tips, via the Homicide Unit office at 206-684-5550, or their tip line at 206-233-5000.
Stolen-vehicle report from Kris: “My Jeep was stolen from Top Hat overnight. 1998 Jeep Cherokee, burgundy, plate # 767-ZZV. Email to: kriswantsyou@gmail.com” And of course call 911. (Stolen cars are often brought across the city/county line, in both directions, so we’ll publish North Highline reports like this one when we get them.)
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch, and a reminder:
STOLEN CAR: The 2012 Ford Focus, license BFH4131, in the photo above “was stolen from 38th Ave between Hanford and Stevens some time between Wednesday evening 1/9 and Friday afternoon 1/11.” If you see it, call 911.
STOLEN MAIL, FOUND: From DeAnna: “FYI: A pile of mail was found in our yard on the 9400 block of 5th Ave SW on Friday morning – several addresses – some of the envelopes had been opened and contents removed. We reported it to non-emergency police number and were told they’d come check it out when they could. It was still here this morning so I bundled it, put a note on it for USPS, and put it in our outgoing mailbox.”
REMINDER: Got a question/concern for police? Your next chance to ask them face-to-face is Tuesday night, 7 pm, when the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
7:36 PM: Police are at Hamilton Viewpoint Park, reportedly closing it off while they investigate an incident. We’re on our way to find out more but we’ve heard via radio communication so far includes that an injured man is getting treatment, and that police are looking for a vehicle last seen heading downhill northbound from the park, possibly a white Dodge SUV. The injured man will be taken to Harborview Medical Center. Just as we published this, the incident was described by the dispatcher as an assault. More when we get it.
8:05 PM: Police haven’t been available to talk with us so far but firefighters tell us the injured person was a man in his 20s who likely had been hit with some sort of blunt object.
ADDED 9:59 PM: The only additional detail we were able to get from police is that the initial report is that someone saw a man down on the ground, being hit by someone. We’ll see if we’re able to get the report on Monday.
In West Seattle Crime Watch, one new incident plus two followups:
HIT-RUN DRIVER DAMAGES 2 CARS: P reports this happened on Halleck SW:
Yesterday morning, Thursday, January 10, approximately 615 AM, an off white Jeep Wrangler, probably in the early 2000s era, with hardtop and KC off-road lights mounted on top, smashed mine and my neighbor’s cars while apparently trying to navigate getting out of a parallel park situation. My neighbor heard the sounds and was able to make it outside to see the end of the incident, but was unable to get a license number because of darkness and rain. The driver of the Jeep sped off erratically. Drunk/drug induced driving is suspected because this was no small bumping of cars. My back left quarter panel and bumper is bent in, my fender was completely ripped off, my exhaust was bent entirely vertically down, and my back left wheel is bent in, most likely making the entire rear suspension out of alignment and rendering the car un-drivable. My neighbor’s car was also damaged in a similar way, with easily 1k in damage. A police report was filed yesterday afternoon.
Any help identifying the car/driver would be most appreciated! Most likely the Jeep will have damage to its front, probably more specifically the front right.
We have asked for the police report # and will add it when available. (UPDATE: 19-012991) Now, the followups:
ROXBURY SAFEWAY SUSPECT CHARGED: Charges are now filed against 18-year-old Khalia I. Wimberly, who as reported last night has been arrested in connection with Monday’s incident that sent a King County Sheriff’s Office deputy to the hospital. She is charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, and hit-and-run. Bail on these charges is set at $300,000. The court documents include this:
(Wimberly) committed this offense while on a deferred disposition in Juvenile Court for charges of Taking Motor Vehicle Without Permission in the Second Degree and Trafficking Stolen Property in the Second Degree … Based on the probable cause certification for that case, the defendant and three other females approached a 72-year-old, 5’3’’, 130-pound victim in a Kirkland library parking garage. Without provocation, they attacked the victim, throwing her to the ground at least twice and causing injuries to the victim’s face, arms, and hands. The females then robbed the victim of her car, and also stole her purse, cell phone, and financial documents. According to the Victim Impact Statement, the victim’s daughter and grandchildren were in a car just feet away when the victim was attacked. Originally charged as Attempted Robbery 1, the defendant entered into a deferred disposition to the reduced charges. The defendant has done poorly while on the deferred disposition. The defendant was ordered to participate in “Restorative Mediation,” but repeatedly failed to do so.
The charging papers say Wimberly also has a juvenile conviction for car prowling.
HIGH POINT GUNFIRE SUSPECT’S BAIL SET: The 37-year-old man arrested on Wednesday remains in King County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail. Probable-cause documents quote a witness as saying he was targeted along with friends for unspecified reasons while they were in a car in the Walgreens parking lot at 35th/Morgan. The suspect is alleged to have fired the gun at them, from inside the car, through its windshield/window, after screaming threats.
Police found casings inside the damaged car, which belongs to a family member who lives where it was found near 31st/Bataan, but the suspect doesn’t live there. He was arrested after another family member reached him by phone in South Seattle and talked him into giving up. The probable-cause documents also say he is facing an unlawful-gun possession charge for two reasons – one, he is a convicted felon, having been found guilty of assault in 2016, and two, he is the subject of a protection order that bars him from gun possession.
1:16 PM: Police are arriving in Arbor Heights for a search centered at 39th SW and SW 105th. Details to come.
1:19 PM: This was an apparently unfounded report of burglars. A neighbor tells police that the people reported as potential burglars were house cleaners who had a key to enter the house. They’ve just confirmed with the homeowner by phone – per the scanner – that she was expecting new house cleaners today. They’re now making contact with the people in the house.
1:25 PM: Per scanner, confirmed, they’re cleaners. Equipment and all.
Just in from the King County Sheriff’s Office, word that one of the suspects in Monday’s Roxbury Safeway incident has turned herself in. Khalia Wimberly is being booked into jail, according to KCSO. She is one of two people sought after a deputy responding to a shoplifting report was hit by a car fleeing the scene. (That car, which investigators say Wimberly was driving, has already been found, too.) KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott says that the deputy has a broken leg and is “resting at home comfortably.”
FIRST REPORT, 4:29 PM: Not long after multiple people called 911 to report hearing gunfire in the High Point area, police got a report of a damaged vehicle near 31st and Bataan. They’re investigating, but there’s no report of any injuries so far. Updates to come.
4:36 PM: Photos added. And our crew says the helicopter in the area is just TV.
5:37 PM: Per scanner, police are looking for a suspect, and the search has blocked some parts of the area.
5:54 PM: Also per scanner, a suspect is in custody, after an arrest outside West Seattle.
11:52 PM: The jail register shows the suspect, a 37-year-old man, was booked for investigation of drive-by shooting, unlawful gun possession, and assault.
ADDED THURSDAY: The incident was written up today on SPD Blotter.
FRIDAY NOTE: The suspect remains in jail, bail set at $150,000. We’ll be checking later today on whether he is charged.
SHOT-UP SIGN: Vlad sent the photo after spotting the bullet holes in that stop sign at 37th & Ida Thistle in Gatewood. “It appears that there are still bullets lodged in the center section where the pole is located behind.” No way to know how recently this happened – he spotted it while walking on a street that’s not his regular route – but he reported it to police.
PACKAGE TAKEN: This security video is from the front porch of a house in the 3800 block of SW Graham last Friday night:
While it might look as if the person in the video dropped something off while picking up the package that was taken, the sender says nothing was actually left behind.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: The community groups that regularly meet at the Southwest Precinct are emerging from holiday hiatus, starting with the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, next Tuesday (January 15th) at 7 pm. It’s your chance to bring neighborhood crime/safety concerns directly to local police. The precinct is at 2300 SW Webster
First – Todd just found this bicycle in Riverview:
Second – A texter found this one on a trail in Roxhill Park “behind the ballfield”:
If you recognize either, please let us know and we’ll connect you with the finder. Also a note – another reader asked us to remind bicycle owners to register with Bike Index (it’s free) as another way of increasing the chance of a reunion if yours is ever taken.
4:41 PM: Thanks for the tips about the police response at Roxbury Safeway. King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott says it started as a shoplifting incident and a suspect who was being sought hit a deputy with (updated) her car. Non-life-threatening injuries. More to come.
P.S. Those are TV helicopters.
4:59 PM: More info from KCSO: “1 female suspect in custody, another female suspect intentionally struck deputy with vehicle and fled at high rate of speed.” No description yet of the vehicle/suspect they’re seeking.
10:48 PM: Just in from KCSO, here’s who they are seeking:
The King County Sheriff’s Office has PC [probable cause] to Arrest KHALIA WIMBERLY for Assault 1 and Robbery 1. There is a temporary warrant in the system for Wimberly’s arrest.
The evening of 1/7/19, Wimberly, her boyfriend Davevion Irving, and another associate did a shoplift at the Safeway in White Center. Law Enforcement was called and arrived on scene as they were exiting the store being chased by loss prevention. Wimberly and Irving ran past a Deputy that was on foot and in full uniform, got into a black 1996 Lexus LS 4 door. Wimberly, now the driver of the Lexus, struck the Deputy head-on causing serious/ non-life threatening injuries. The associate was arrested on scene but Wimberly and Irving escaped.
There is NO PC or temporary warrant for Irving but he does have an active felony warrant and misdemeanor warrant for his arrest.
Wimberly and Irving are dating and said to be couch surfing, possibly in the Tacoma area.
Please call 911 if you know where either Wimberly or Irving is or the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206/296-3311.
11:12 PM: A little more information: First, we asked Sgt. Abbott a followup on how the deputy’s doing. Still in the hospital, but in stable condition. Regarding the suspects – Wimberly is 18 years old, 5’3,” 180 pounds, last known address in Top Hat; Irving is 19 years old, 5’10”, 150 pounds, last known address in Kent. The car’s plate is BJX9158.
Seen that 24-foot Fleetwood Jamboree motorhome? It was stolen within the past few days from the 3700 block of 38th SW, with its owner’s house broken into at the same time. The plates are Washington ARF9265; SPD incident # 2019-007891. Call 911 if you see it.
Another West Seattle business got the utility-bill scam phone call today and wanted to share the alert. Sleepers in Seattle in The Junction tells WSB they got one of those calls where the claim is made that a utility bill has gone unpaid and cutoff is looming unless payment is made immediately. All local utilities have issued repeated reminders that they don’t do business this way – here’s the City Light scam-alert page, for example.
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