West Seattle, Washington
29 Tuesday
The photo above is from Melissa, who e-mailed to report, “I woke up this morning to find a strange bike in my parking spot behind my house, and my son’s bike was gone.” This was in the 6900 block of California SW. The stolen bicycle is a red Genesis 20″ Boy’s Assault Bicycle. If you happen to find her son’s bike – or if the dumped bike is yours – the temporary police-report holding # is T18013140.
Lindsey sent the photo, hoping you might know who hit her car early today and took off:
My car was hit last night at around 2 am on 63rd and Marguerite. [map] I believe I heard the sound, as I woke up to a loud bang. Unfortunately I heard no further sounds and did not go out to the street to investigate. Police salvaged parts of the other vehicle at the scene. A black Ford, very likely 2004 Mustang, was involved. Please look out for a black vehicle with significant front-end damage in the area. Would probably be more so on the passenger side. Police stated they believe the driver to have been traveling at a very high rate of speed. Possibly 60 MPH or so.
We will add the police report # when we get it.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports and a reminder:
SUV STOLEN: The photo is from C:
The white Escalade, plates BBY1547, was stolen from behind a residence on Alki this morning. Call 911 if you see it.
CARS CASED: D sent this video:
This video of someone casing our vehicles was taken at 0130hrs on Friday the 19th in the Fairmount area – 36th and Raymond. Nothing was stolen from us but my neighbor’s red Subaru was parked out on the street and it was stolen. Unknown if this individual was involved.
CAR PROWLS: From David – “I live in North Admiral on corner of Walker and 49th – I just wanted to let you know that we found our cars had been gone through last night.”
SIDE NOTE: Last community meeting of the year at the Southwest Precinct, with a chance to bring up community concerns to local police, is the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting at 6:30 pm Tuesday (October 23rd) – all welcome.
As promised, we procured the police report about the Thursday street robbery that led to a search through south Morgan Junction and three arrests in west Gatewood.
(WSB photo, Thursday)
The report says it all started on board a bus headed northbound on Fauntleroy Way. The victim – 18 or 19, not a juvenile as first reported – said he got on board at the ferry dock. He said he was confronted on the bus and asked where to buy “weed.” The victim said he didn’t know but that the people who asked him continued staring at him. He felt uncomfortable so he got off the bus at Fauntleroy and Myrtle. They followed him. He crossed the street and they kept following him. Two of them demanded he give them his stuff and swung at him with closed fists. He tried to get away from them by going into nearby retirement center The Kenney but its doors were locked. So he ran north and wound up in the yard of a nearby house. Witnesses told police they saw the victim being beaten and kicked in the yard. The victim said they tried to steal his backpack and eventually got away with his iPhone and Gucci belt. The robbers/attackers then ran eastbound and by then police had been called. Three suspects were spotted at the Morgan Junction McDonald’s. When police arrived there, the three took off running eastbound. Patrol and K9 officers tracked them into the west Gatewood neighborhood where three juveniles were arrested near 41st SW/Heights Place SW [map]. The report says all three were booked into the juvenile-detention center. The victim, meantime, got his phone and belt back; police say he was curled up on the ground in “great pain” when they found him and that SFD medics recommended that he go to a hospital but he declined. We’ll follow up next week to see whether charges will be filed.
Three notes this afternoon:
SMASHED WINDOWS: That’s one of two cars we spotted with broken windows in the Alki area after a tip this morning. Haven’t heard directly from any victims so we don’t know whether these were break-ins or vandalism.
FOUND ITEMS: William found items behind his apartment building in the 3900 block of California SW, dumped and likely stolen, and would like to get them back to their owner(s):
While walking my pooch this morning I found several items that look like they were stolen from someone’s car.
There are two bins, and one fairly nice bag. I am sure that the owner of these items probably wants them returned. Maybe the owner can email me at dempsey.w (at) hotmail (dot) com and describe the items?
JUNCTION BUSINESS BLOCK WATCH: While passing through The Junction on Thursday, we spotted police on foot patrol and tweeted the photo:
Today, SPD Blotter has just published the news that The Junction has become the first business district in the city to launch a Business Block Watch.
Two reader reports – first, from Tammy in the Alki area:
Someone broke into our garage either late last night or today and stole my son’s (10 years old) dirt bike. He is devastated. It was a little red motorcycle made for a kid – Honda. Had a plastic piece on the front of it where there would normally be a number but has a pic of someone riding a motorcycle instead. Please let me know if you saw anything or saw someone pushing it around.
We’ll add the police report # when we get it. Same with the next report, from Dave:
A brand-new Salsa Journeyman Bicycle (700cX54cm) was stolen in front of the Southwest Library on 35th Avenue at approximately 6:00 pm on September 28th.
Dave is offering a reward for its return.
(WSB photo)
1:32 PM: Police are searching for three people believed to be involved in a street robbery in the Morgan Junction area. We don’t know exactly where the robbery happened – per scanner, a “phone and belt” were taken – but police are focusing on the south end of the Morgan business district right now (south of Fauntleroy). More to come.
1:39 PM: K9 has joined the search, which is also extending into nearby residential areas. And now there’s a report of three people “detained” somewhere in the search area.
1:46 PM: The search continues while police sort things out. The actual robbery apparently happened on Fauntleroy, west of where the search has been focused. Added a photo above of the K9 team that has been searching – some possible evidence was found in that strip mall off California south of Fauntleroy; the area where possible suspects were detained is east of there. Meantime, the victim is described as a juvenile.
2:10 PM: Arrests have been made (photo added – in west Gatewood).
If you’re seeing continued police activity in the business area, that’s because more potential evidence was reported to have been found in/near the nearby McDonald’s.
3:44 PM: All three suspects taken into custody were juveniles, SPD confirms. We’ll be checking tomorrow for details from the official report.
Home safety was the spotlight topic at the final West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting of the year, Tuesday night at the Southwest Precinct, so we’re starting with what the ~15 people in attendance heard from Jennifer Danner, the precinct’s crime-prevention coordinator:
She began by going around the room and asking people what they wanted to know about. Most had questions about video and cameras. Danner reminded everyone that she can do home-security assessments. She started with some myth debunking – “when a door is kicked in, it’s not the door that breaks, usually it’s the frame.” Changing the length of the screws with which your door is fastened is an easy, cheap way to help secure it, Danner said. When it comes to locks, exterior doors should have deadbolts – there too, the length is important; an inch-and-a-half throw is even better than the more-standard inch.
Window security – “You always want to add one more thing to your window,” since most windows can be broken into from the outside.
The photo and report are from Leanne:
As I now understand, Lincoln Park is unsafe and cars are broke into here daily. A Good Samaritan helped me to clean the mess. It happened around 3:30 this afternoon. They got a leather tote, purse, iPad, etc. … but not my wallet!! Haha!!!
Every year, Seattle University oversees the citywide Public Safety Survey about crime, safety, and policing, with findings that are then reported to SPD – and you. If you’d like to take this year’s survey, it’s now open – go here to start (and note the variety of language options). Want to know more first? Here’s the announcement published when results of last year’s survey were released.
P.S. If you want to talk about crime/safety in a more immediate manner – remember that tomorrow (Tuesday, October 16th) brings the last West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting of the year, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).
Saturday night, in the span of less than two hours and 4 blocks, police investigated two incidents that sent people to the hospital. What exactly had transpired wasn’t clear in the early going, so we requested and obtained both SPD report narratives this morning:
8800 BLOCK OF DELRIDGE: Here’s our Saturday coverage. The police report says the initial call to 911 was from someone saying she’d been called by her sister, who said her boyfriend had been stabbed and the suspects were “still there.” Police went to the apartment and found no one there – but they did find blood and broken glass. Outside the building, they found the girlfriend’s mother.
While they were talking to her, they found out that medics had been called to treat an injured man a short distance south, at Delridge/Henderson. He turned out to be the man who the girlfriend had said stabbed the victim, according to her mother. The man at Delridge/Henderson claimed his wounds were from trying to defend himself. In the meantime, the K9 team investigating near the original scene finally found the victim, who flagged them down. He was described as intoxicated and uncooperative, and made various claims about how he became injured. Then police found the girlfriend, who told police she used to date the alleged attacker, who is a longtime friend of her current boyfriend, and that the two men started arguing about the relationship. It turned violent, she said, with the former boyfriend breaking a bottle over the head of the current boyfriend, then stabbing him with a piece of broken glass, and trying to strangle her. The 35-year-old ex-boyfriend was eventually arrested and is in the King County Jail for investigation of assault.
9200 BLOCK OF 17TH SW: Here’s our Saturday coverage. According to the police report, a man knocked on the apartment door of a woman he knows in this building and said he had been shot. Police found him lying on her couch with a bullet wound to the left hamstring. The report said he was uncooperative, refusing to answer questions about the circumstances or location of the shooting. The acquaintance said she hadn’t seen anything but did hear a gunshot that seemed to have happened in the building’s parking lot; another person later told police he had been outside at the time and saw a group of five or six people who scattered after what sounded like a shot; a “light-colored mid-sized SUV” left the area shortly afterward. Police did not find any shooting evidence in the area. The report notes the Gang Unit is investigating.
10:39 PM: Another “scenes of violence” response in South Delridge: This time, per dispatch, someone showed up in the 9200 block of 17th SW [map] and said they had been shot in the leg. Updates to come.
10:43 PM: Police arriving at the scene – reported to be in an apartment-building parking lot – are getting reports that a vehicle might have been associated with the shooting, possibly a light-colored SUV.
10:57 PM: The 30-year-old victim is reported to have a gunshot wound to his left leg and is being taken to Harborview by SFD medic unit. No further description of circumstances or suspect(s).
(WSB photos)
8:59 PM: SPD and SFD have a “scenes of violence” callout in the 8800 block of Delridge. Updates to come.
9:05 PM: This was initially described as a possible stabbing and police have since reported finding ‘the mother of the victim’ but no word on the victim’s status. The SFD response has closed.
9:16 PM: Per scanner, another call a couple blocks on Delridge is being linked to this one.
9:25 PM: We have finally made it to the scene. Some police at Delridge/Trenton, more – plus an ambulance – at the business corner of Delridge/Henderson. One person found there will be taken to the hospital, police tell us, but they’re not certain yet if it’s the person injured a couple blocks north (where radio exchanges earlier mentioned blood found in an apartment). No one in custody and we’re now seeing a K-9 team arriving.
10:23 PM: Per radio exchange, police have yet to finish sorting this out. They’re talking to others who had some role in whatever happened, and an SFD unit is headed back to the original Delridge/Trenton scene.
The photo is from Susan in South Delridge, who e-mailed to say, “Found this little scooter on my property … It was hidden pretty well in the bushes. It’s a little beat up, but still belonged to someone. It is heavy and could only get it moved from the bushes (because it has a flat tire) to near the sidewalk and now visible from the street.” Yours? Let us know.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports, plus a reminder:
PACKAGES TAKEN: The video is from Brian:
He says the packages were taken around 2:45 pm Thursday near 47th/Alaska.
MAIL TAKEN: Chris says the same vehicle’s been caught on video in Arbor Heights for the second time in less than two weeks:
Chris says it’s a 2006 Honda. Here’s the previous report, from October 1st.
REMINDER: Questions/concerns for local police? Next Tuesday at 7 pm (October 16), bring them to the Southwest Precinct for the last West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting of the year. Be there even if you don’t have anything to bring up; special guest is the precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, who’ll talk about “home-protection devices (such as) doors, windows, cameras, alarms, and other devices.”
10:19 AM: If you’re wondering why police are currently searching in Arbor Heights: The search, including a K9 team, is in a wide area centered on 41st/100th but also stretching to the south and east. They’re looking for a woman suspected of assault in what’s described as a case of domestic violence. Partial description: 36-year-old white woman with dark hair, wearing a red shirt. If you have any information, call 911.
10:56 AM: No further updates; we’ll be checking later with police to see if they ever found the suspect, whose workplace was reportedly going to be checked too.
11:09 AM: SPD Det. Mark Jamieson tells WSB that the suspect was taken into custody and is being taken to King County Jail to be booked for investigation of assault.
That’s the mess left behind after a smash-and-grab car prowl at Jack Block Park on Sunday morning. Holly reports that she had just left her car for 20 minutes, parking it by the restroom building, and while she had her wallet with her, she left behind some other items that were taken, including this custom handmade wrap cuff:
If you see it, or any discarded clothing/makeup, Holly has filed a police report, 2018-909292.
(WSB photos)
9:20 PM: Thanks for the tips. Big police response right now at Delridge/Juneau as police investigate gunfire. No injuries; officers have more than a dozen evidence markers in the street (Juneau east of Delridge) and some damage is reported at Longfellow Creek Apartments on the other side of the intersection.
9:54 PM: Photos added. Police were too busy for further comment; no info so far on suspect description(s).
As recommended in connection with the plea bargain we reported here a week and a half ago, Gregory L. Thompson of Puget Ridge has received a prison-based DOSA (Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative). According to the online hearing record, King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer sentenced Thompson to 20 months in prison – minus credit for time served – including the prison-based drug treatment that’s a component of DOSA. Thompson’s plea bargain covered several cases in which he had been charged; the theft of fish that had just been delivered to Seattle Fish Company in The Junction last June was the highest-profile case involved. Other cases involved drugs, a stolen vehicle, and witness tampering.
Back in July, we reported that Admiral attack defendant Kierra Ward had been found incompetent to stand trial and would be sent to Western State Hospital for treatment to attempt to restore competency. This week, a hearing in her case revealed that it took some time for a space to open up for her there, so her treatment did not begin until mid-September. Her next status hearing is now set for December. It’s been a year since Ward was arrested and charged with assaulting an Admiral woman who was stabbed from behind while out for a walk with her baby.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports, and an FYI about newly available data:
STOLEN BICYCLE: Thomas reports this bicycle was stolen Tuesday around 4:30 pm from the 3100 block of Alki SW:
He reports a “white (man) in his 20s with blond hair and blue eyes” was seen cutting the lock and stealing the bicycle. It’s been reported to police.
STOLEN TRIKE: This also happened in the Alki area, 3000 block of 61st SW. Autumn‘s purple Schwinn Meridian adult tricycle was stolen from under a cover in her backyard sometime between Friday night and Saturday afternoon last weekend. A police report is also on file in this case.
CAR PROWL: Yma reports a car break-in in Gatewood, 4100 block of SW Portland, overnight, adding: “Not much of value taken – as we didn’t have much in there. If anyone finds some Rx Sunglasses – those would be nice to have back; they won’t be of any value to the scum that took them.”
NEW SPD DATA: We’ve talked about it in comment discussions over the years – many 911 calls for Seattle Police have nothing to do with crime. Now you can see what all those calls are about, and what areas of the city generate what number of calls, via a new SPD “data dashboard.?+: Here’s the SPD Blotter post announcing it.
Received this afternoon from Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Danner, it’s the latest newsletter with prevention/safety advice:
As we head into the fall months, there are a few important messages the SW Precinct would like to remind our community about. We would like to emphasize general property crime prevention (including residential burglary and auto theft/car prowl prevention), as well as pedestrian and traffic safety- specifically as it relates to schoolchildren.
When it comes to prevention techniques for residential burglary- there are several important things to remember. All exterior doors should be strong enough to withstand force and should be secured with a deadbolt lock that has a minimum one-inch throw. Try not to leave valuables (such as packages, electronics or cash) in plain sight through windows or doors. The main entrance door to a home/apartment should have a door wide-angle (180 degree) viewer/peephole. Make the home appear as if there is someone there by leaving lights, music and/or televisions on. Install motion sensor lights to be specifically directed and focused on entry points and vulnerable areas, use lights set to a timer or leave lights on. Secure and lock all windows and doors when leaving the premises- even if you plan to return within a short amount of time! Do not leave a spare key out. Secure and maintain yard, patios and outdoor spaces – making sure you trim back all concealing shrubbery. Engraving your items and keeping a household inventory list can be extremely helpful in investigations and it allows recovered items to be returned to you – the SW Precinct has engravers that community members can check-out to engrave their electronics and personal belongings with an identifying number such as your Driver’s License number. Be consistent, and always stay vigilant and observant to what is going on around you; remember to always call 9-1-1 immediately to report suspicious behavior and if you see something- say something!
Other than residential burglary, the SW Precinct is also seeing an increase in auto thefts. Here are a few important prevention techniques to keep in mind for auto theft-
-Never leave your car running or the keys in the ignition when you’re away, even for ‘just a minute’, please remember this is illegal in Seattle and in Washington (SMC 11.70.160, RCW 46.61.600)
-Remove remote garage door openers from vehicle
-Always lock doors and roll up windows, even if the car is parked in front of your home
-Never leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked
-If possible, park vehicle in a busy, locked, monitored and/or well-lit area
-Utilize anti-theft devices
-If possible, activate alarm
With children back in school, it is crucial to be reminded about general traffic and pedestrian safety as well! Pedestrians must be very mindful of how they are utilizing the street, sidewalks and crosswalks- children should be reminded to be extra cautious when walking to and from school. Motorists and cyclists must pay attention to traffic conditions and all pedestrians. The most important overall advice for any kind of pedestrian and traffic safety is PAY ATTENTION!! Drivers, please be aware that with school back in session, children will be walking to and from schools and transit stops. As autumn approaches- there will be less daylight; please pay extra attention, as children may be out early in the morning/late in the evening and may be more difficult to see.
The full newsletter, including contact info, upcoming events, and resource links, is here (PDF).
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
MURAL VANDALISM: Two readers report that someone has vandalized the new community-inspired mural at the northeast corner of the Roxhill Elementary at EC Hughes campus. It’s been reported to the school and to Friends of Roxhill, the community group that led the project; we’re checking with them on cleanup/restoration plans.
CONSTRUCTION SITE BURGLARY: Got some questions today about an early-morning police response to the mixed-use building site under construction at 4532 42nd SW. Police were called to the site after a report of someone seen there after midnight, stealing tools. After a search and what neighbors tell us were loudspeaker warnings (along the lines of come out or they’ll send the K-9 in), officers arrested a 44-year-old man.
MAILBOX THEFT: Chris sent the video of a driver going through mailboxes in Arbor Heights just before 1 am Saturday:
He says the car was a silver 2006 Honda Accord with aftermarket wheels.
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