West Seattle, Washington
23 Tuesday
In this edition of West Seattle Crime Watch – daytime gunfire and 3 stolen-car followups:
DAYTIME GUNFIRE: This unfolded during a busy time Monday afternoon and we didn’t get details until today, after someone called from out of town saying they had heard their business in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW had been damaged by gunfire. We found an incident number and obtained the report narrative from SPD:
Around 2:25 pm Monday, someone called 911 to say they thought they heard at least two gunshots in the parking lot of the Super 24 convenience store. When police arrived, they were told of a bullet hole in a red food truck/trailer parked behind the store, and that a white Buick and unspecified-color Mercedes had been involved with the gunfire. A witness told officers they had seen someone firing a gun from the white Buick and driving away southbound; police found “a silver 9mm Luger Speer casing” in the street nearby, on Delridge, and security-camera video showing a white Buick and silver Mercedes parked outside the store, but no imagery of the actual gunfire, as of the time the report was filed. No injuries, and no other damage, reported.
STOLEN-CAR FOLLOWUP #1: Todd e-mailed this update:
Just got a call from police and they found our stolen 2007 Honda Civic on Ferry and Massachusetts. It had been stolen the night got of March 24. Car was trashed inside and the windshield was cracked. There was also a lot of stolen stuff in the car. Mostly clothes and phone chargers. And several packages of stolen beef from Safeway. Definitely looked like someone had been living in the car.
Here’s our original report from after the theft; the car was taken from the 3200 block of 41st SW, about a mile from where it was found.
STOLEN CAR FOLLOWUP #2: The red VW Beetle mentioned in the “thwarted package theft” featured in Crime Watch last night was stolen, per commenter JHC, who spotted it and reported it to police.
STOLEN CAR FOLLOWUP #3: Also last night, commenter Mark spotted the stolen gold Forester from this Crime Watch story, and reported it to police; its owners have it back. Mark also shared a photo of the people he saw “dropping off” the car and getting into another one.
P.S. Interested in info on gangs and graffiti? That’s what a King County Sheriff’s Office detective will be discussing at Thursday night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting in White Center, 7 pm at the NH Fire District headquarters, 1243 SW 112th, all welcome.
First, three reader reports, two with video; then, details on an arrest in the Genesee Hill area on Sunday:
PACKAGE THIEF: Fabio says this happened near 14th/Henderson at 6:24 pm Sunday (April 2nd):
If you know the person in the video, you can inform SPD and refer to incident #17-115548.
PACKAGE THIEF, THWARTED: From Patrick:
Just wanted to let the community know about a package thief working in the vicinity of SW Hudson and Fauntleroy. I was working in my home office at about 2:45 PM (today) and saw a man get out of a ’70s VW Bug (bright red) and approach my neighbor’s. He took a package that Fedex delivered earlier. I ran out yelling at him. He apparently was having difficulty getting it in gear so I opened the passenger door and grabbed the package. He took off and headed north on Fauntleroy. Man had a goatee and was wearing a Navy blue/blackish hoody. I called 911 and also just spoke to an officer. Officer said that that car description is a new one for them but should be easy to find since it is distinct.
EGGING VANDALS: While this next clip is not crystal-clear, Timothy is hoping that someone will recognize the vandals throwing eggs at his house, and/or their car:
He says, “I’m hoping someone recognizes the car or the characters inside. I realize the video quality isn’t great, but enough to be identifiable to the right person. It’s also disconcerting that the perpetrator is heard gleefully exclaiming that he’d hit a window. They were trying to do damage.” It happened last Friday night and he says he’s heard reports of other houses hit too.
HIT & RUN ON 35TH: Maybe you know who hit James’s car sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning:
“Someone sideswiped their car into mine (a black 2013 Mazda hatchback). My car was parked on the east side of busy 35th Ave SW in the 7500 block. The hit & run caused body damage along my driver’s side door and broke-off my driver-side mirror. The police have been notified. If anyone was an eyewitness to this incident and/or knows any information, please call me, the vehicle owner, James @ (206) 658-5295. Thank you.”
SUSPECT FOUND IN STOLEN CAR: From SPD Blotter today, the details on a sizable police response in the Genesee Hill area on Sunday morning. In short, police found a 43-year-old suspect asleep inside a stolen car, “in possession of other unreported stolen items.” The 2016 Nissan had been taken early Sunday from the 3500 block of SW Trenton, and its owner used a tracking system to show it was in the 4700 block of SW Dakota, engine running, “full of unreported stolen items (clothing, power tools, air compressor, etc.). Officers took the suspect into custody without incident.”
Warmer, drier weather brings out more people. Some, unfortunately, are criminals, which is why we have another West Seattle Crime Watch report so soon after the last one. If you see a possible crime in progress, call 911 and you might be able to help bust someone responsible for multiple incidents.
Here are 3 new reader reports:
NEW PARENTS’ CAR STOLEN, WITH STROLLER: From Chris:
On Sunday morning, April 2nd, a gold 2009 Subaru Forester with YTG-862 plates was stolen from the 4000 block of 41st Ave SW near Holy Rosary School. The car had 2 bike racks on top of it and a brand new [in the box] stroller for our 21-day-old baby. Please call 911 if you see the car.
SAME CARPORT, DIFFERENT PROWLERS ON CAMERA: Just a few days ago, we shared video from David of prowlers in his carport near 48th and Hudson. Today, at 6:45 am, “when there are likely lots of people up and about,” he got somebody different on camera:
Here’s a cropped framegrab with the best closeup:
Let police know if you have a tip on who that might be.
SUPERMARKET LOT SMASH-AND-GRAB: This happened Saturday afternoon in the parking lot at Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor):
My car window was smashed in at the Met Market parking lot. On April 1st, 2017 around 4:15 p.m. It was a gray 2010 Prius. Canvas tote was stolen containg my dark brown leather day planner and headset and white mesh makeup bag among other miscellaneous items. Would love to have it returned if found or any info regarding the breakin.
The victim says the tote did NOT contain a wallet or anything else of value to anyone but her – given the calendar in the day planner. As police often warn, the criminals act so fast, they don’t stop to check whether it’s really worth their time – it’s grab first, look later. And they can go almost unnoticed, even in a busy supermarket parking lot in the middle of the afternoon. This too has been reported to police.
Thanks for the tips – we just found out what the police search in East Admiral is about. We caught up with the victim near 38th and Stevens and this is what he told us: He went out to his car to go pick up his child, and discovered a man in the car. He told the man he was calling police, and tried to hold onto him in the meantime, but the man pulled out a gun, and then ran. Police including K-9 have been searching all around the area, but no arrests yet. The intruder was described as white, male, 5-10, wearing a newsboy-style cap, armed with a small semi-automatic pistol.
P.S. We’ve been mentioning lately that tips are more important than ever because less information is emerging on the scanner, and this was exactly one such case. We heard that police were setting up “containment” for something – which generally means something fairly serious – but did not hear the locations and so until two people texted us with word of police sightings, we had no idea where to look. So, thank you – 206-293-6302, text or voice, any time.
In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
STOLEN CAR: Maybe you will spot Sam‘s car:
Stolen early morning 4/1/17. Parked in the 3500 block of SW Webster, in the driveway of a residence. Vehicle description as follows:
White 1999 Honda Civic 2-door. Aftermarket work has been done on the car and it’s fairly obvious to spot.
Dark tinted windows
Aftermarket white spoiler
Aftermarket wheels, black in front, silver in back.
Colorado license plates, 789 SQA.
Call 911 if you see it.
FOUND BICYCLE: Recognize this? Jena sent the photo and report:
My boyfriend and I just recovered what seems to be a lost/ stolen bicycle, on 106th Street near the Shorewood Market today, Saturday, April 1st. We were hoping that the blog would be able to share this, in hopes of getting it back to the owner. It seems like someone loves this bike! Attached is a picture. The owner can call us to arrange a pickup at 206-383-6999.
JESSICA DETRICK BACK IN JAIL: We mentioned earlier this week that a new warrant was out for convicted burglar Jessica Detrick, often seen on security cameras with her dog in tow. We don’t know the circumstances of her arrest but King County Jail records show she was re-booked just before 6 o’clock last night; we’ll check with prosecutors on Monday.
11:03 PM: On partner site White Center Now, we’re covering a shooting that happened in WC about half an hour ago. A man has serious but not life-threatening injuries. The shooter is said to have fled north toward Roxbury so Seattle Police are helping with a wide-ranging search in case he’s in West Seattle. Updates as we get them.
12:04 AM: No further information from KCSO, but we expect to get more details later this morning and will update here and on WCN.
From Tuesday night’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting at the Southwest Precinct:
NEW CRIME-PREVENTION COORDINATOR: Last October, we noted that the new city budget called for each Seattle Police precinct to have its own Crime Prevention Coordinator – Mark Solomon, assigned to the Southwest and South Precincts, has been one of two doing double duty. And now, the plan has become reality – precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis announced at the WSBWCN meeting that Jennifer Burbridge, who worked extensively with the precinct and community groups as a Seattle University graduate student, got the job. The centerpiece of her work during that longterm assignment was development of the Micro-Community Policing Plans. We’ll have a separate story Thursday morning with more about Burbridge and her new job.
Also at the meeting, local crime updates and a version of what you might call 911 101: Read More
STOLEN TRAILER: K just e-mailed to say this was taken last night from Othello/Fauntleroy:
As shown in the photo, the plate is 7052-VJ.
(Added 1:10 pm) STOLEN TRUCK: From Carol:
Our 2005 Ford F-250 was stolen around 4 or 5 am this morning. It is a white pickup , diesel, Super duty, crew cab with a black roll bed cover. License #B66224G. It was parked in front of our house just off of Admiral Way on 64th Ave SW.
CARPORT PROWLERS: From 48th/Hudson, David shares this video and report from Tuesday:
So it looks like they’re working in pairs, one guy checks one car and the other guy checks the next car. They obviously don’t care about flashing lights, security cameras or video surveillance warnings. As I suspected they appear to be hitting the same areas night after night and are working in teams. They have hoodies on and are carrying backpacks. They’re in and out in 5 seconds or less. They’re looking specifically for unlocked cars because you can see them check the doors, so make sure you lock your car every night. Online report made to police.
ANOTHER WARRANT FOR JESSICA DETRICK: A texter says today that neighbors in Highland Park believe they’ve seen Jessica Detrick around again. Court records, in fact, show she is again wanted on a warrant. Detrick is a convicted burglar known for taking along her dog. When last we checked on her a month ago, she was arrested on a warrant for not complying with conditions of the drug treatment included in her sentence last year. A subsequent hearing, prosecutors said, resulted in a condition that she would go back to inpatient treatment and would stay in jail until a bed was available at a treatment facility; apparently something went wrong along the way, because she’s listed on the jail register as “released” March 15th, and the warrant (dated March 17th) says she was due to enter inpatient treatment that day but did not. This is a $15,000-bail warrant, as was the last one.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 12:42 AM: Thanks for the tips. We have multiple reports of apparent gunfire along Delridge – described as sounding like five shots – and one person reports police are searching Delridge Way by SW Kenyon. No medical calls, so, no reports of anyone hurt, so far. (Just a reminder – if you think you hear gunfire, even if you didn’t see it and aren’t sure exactly where it happened, police ask that you call 911 – the more reports they get, the more likely they are to be able to figure out what happened and where.)
10:08 AM UPDATE: We followed up this morning with Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson, who tells WSB that responding officers did not find victims or property damage but did find, photograph, and collect five 9mm shell casings in the street.
The latest West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
VANDALISM: Suzanne says this happened overnight Friday into Saturday in the underground garage by the Admiral Bartell store:
Several cars that have monthly parking there had windows broken by a fire extinguisher. My housemate’s old Z car had windows broken & the spray of the Fire Extinguisher all over the interior of his car which is powdery. This is just ridiculous!! He has had both his vehicles vandalized before, his truck stolen, etc…
CAR PROWL: From Sierra:
My car was broken into for the second time in 5 months within less than a block of the Spruce apartments sometime between Monday evening and Wednesday evening. It was parked on 40th Ave SW just past Jiffy Lube. They sat in the car and went through everything and stole air freshener (weird), items from my roadside emergency kit (zip ties, tape, possibly for drug use) as well as my green iPod nano (engraved with my name Sierra S——-) and my Coach sunglasses (gold frames, Coach logo with green inside on the arms). I would appreciate an help keeping an eye out for these items or people in the area to stay mindful of suspicious activity since this happens frequently within a few feet of homes and apartments.
FOLLOWUP: The 44-year-old man pulled from the Duwamish River after an alleged burglary and assault at a nearby marina just got out of jail tonight. Prosecutors told us charges have not yet been filed against the suspect, who had an Admiral address listed on probable-cause documents. The documents say the suspect was found eating food from a refrigerator in a boathouse; he pepper-sprayed the person who found him and then started to punch him. After that, police say, he jumped into the water under the boathouse and refused to come out for an hour. The narrative concludes, “Suspect came very close to drowning.” His bail was set last week at $50,000 but tonight the jail register says that, after his second appearance, it was a “conditional release.”
TOMORROW – WEST SEATTLE BLOCK WATCH CAPTAINS NETWORK: Our area’s next crime/safety-related community meeting is Tuesday night, 6:30 pm, at the Southwest Precinct, when all are welcome at the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network‘s monthly meeting. You’ll get a briefing from the Southwest Precinct; WSBWCN leadership is awaiting confirmation of a guest speaker from the 911 Center. The precinct is at 2300 SW Webster.
Thanks to Lisa at CAPERS in The Junction for the heads-up after getting a scam call:
I just had someone call saying they were from Seattle City Light and that if I didn’t pay my bill in 20 minutes they would shut off my service. They also asked for a credit card to satisfy the bill.
She didn’t fall for it because she knew that’s NOT how City Light works – this is a phone scam that’s been going on for years, but it’s worth another reminder, since they’re obviously still getting some victims, or else they wouldn’t keep trying. Here’s the City Light webpage dedicated to stopping the scammers – with this advice:
If you suspect a scam attack or have questions regarding your bill, call our Customer Care Center at 206.684.3000 as well as the Seattle Police Department at 206.625.5011.
(WSB photos: Above, south section of the illegally cut site, photographed this weekend; below, same area, photographed April 2016)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One year has now passed since first word of a brazen round of tree-cutting on publicly owned slopes in east Admiral.
On Saturday, March 26, 2016, a stream of visitors made their way to the narrow street ends from which the cut trees could be seen (the photos above are from just north of City View/34th). The night before, The Seattle Times had broken the news, reporting that more than 100 trees had been cut on Parks– and SDOT-owned land, apparently weeks earlier.
Among those who visited the slashed slopes a year ago today were City Attorney Pete Holmes and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. As noted that day in our first followup, she reported being “assured that criminal and civil sanctions are on the table for the responsible parties.”
No criminal cases so far. But you might recall that midway through the past year – six months after the tree-cutting went public – Holmes announced two civil lawsuits on September 20, 2016. One involved “the northern site” (off 35th SW), naming nearby residents Stanley Harrelson and Mary Harrelson and Martin Riemer and Karrie Riemer, as well as Forrest Bishop and John Russo, who the city alleges “were hired by the Harrelsons and Riemers to cut trees on city property located adjacent and/or across from (theirs).” The second suit involved “the southern site” (off City View), naming nearby residents Kostas Kyrimis and Linda Kyrimis. Both lawsuits also mentioned John/Jane Does whose identities the city had not learned yet.
(March 2017 video by Christopher Boffoli)
Since then, we have continued to watch the online files of both lawsuits, which have tentative trial dates in fall 2017. Two months after the filings, we reported last November on some action in both cases: The Kyrimises had sought a stay, saying they “have good cause to believe that one or more criminal charges are potentially going to be brought against them.” They were granted a partial stay. The Harrelsons and Riemers, meantime, filed documents that acknowledged they hired Bishop and Russo for tree-cutting but specifically not admitting to any involvement in the illegal tree-cutting on the city parcels. The Harrelsons’ lawyer acknowledged that a month before the tree-cutting came to light publicly, they had contacted the city — “on February 5, 2016, the Harrelson Defendants sent a letter to the City advising the City of what had occurred on the Parcels and offering to share a remediation plan the Harrelson Defendants had developed with a former arborist for the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation. …”
Since that report, another four months have gone by; we’ve continued to check the files, and nothing else of note has happened in the cases. No criminal charges, either misdemeanor or felony, either. In preparation for this “one year later” update, we checked directly at week’s end with both offices that would be involved with such filings – the City Attorney’s Office (if misdemeanor) and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (if felony).
KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe said nothing has yet been referred to their office (which would have to happen before prosecutors could prepare felony charges). CAO spokesperson Kimberly Mills told us they have nothing to report yet but affirmed that the investigation is still very much active. So we haven’t heard the end of it, apparently. Stay tuned.
Two stolen cars to watch for, both Honda Civics – here are the reader reports we received this afternoon:
From Sibyl: “My car was stolen last night, ’96 Civic, red/rosy-ish color. License plate AHH7425.”
From Todd: “Just discovered our 2007 blue Honda Civic Hybrid 4-door car was stolen sometime between 7 pm Friday night and Saturday morning. It was parked in front of our house on 3200 block of 41st Ave. License plate is AON8130.”
If you see either one, call 911.
Five notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
STOLEN CAR: Lisa sent the photo, reporting: “Our 1999 white CR-V was stolen from 35th and Andover sometime in the last two days. Plate number BCX-8350. It has a Yakima rack on top, and the back window has a snowflake on the top left and WSEA sticker on the right.” Call 911 if you see it.
STOLEN PACKAGE: Thao reports from The Triangle: “Just wanted to notify that I had a package stolen today. FedEx had it delivered (I verified with them the correct address later and they confirmed the drop off) at 9 am. I came back to pick up my package at 11 and it was not there. Asked neighbors and they did not see anything at all. I know there has been a lot of theft lately, but this is the first time it has ever happened to me. I am on 37th and Alaska.”
CAR BREAK-IN: From Tiffany: “We had a car break in (Wednesday) night/(Thursday) morning at 39th and Stevens. Nothing material stolen but we can’t figure out how they got into the car. We just want the neighbors to know in case someone is stealing car signals or something!”
FOUND FISHING POLES: From John in Gatewood: “While out walking today, came across two discarded fishing poles (with reels) discarded at 39th and Cloverdale; possible that someone stole them and dropped them there (or set them down and forgot them?).”
BICYCLE REUNION: Happy ending for a bicycle-theft case in the Westwood area. Mark found one in his yard and sent the photo we published early Thursday. Hours later, Thad saw that photo here and immediately recognized the bicycle stolen from his son – who now has it back.
Thanks to everyone who shares Crime Watch reports! Once you’ve reported it to police – 911 if it’s happening now or just happened – consider letting us know so your neighbors all around the peninsula will be aware of what happened – 206-293-6302 text or voice, editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you.
3 items in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STREET ROBBERY FOLLOWUP: The Southwest Precinct tells us they are pursuing “leads” in Wednesday’s street robbery on the south end of The Junction. We obtained the report today; it says police found the victim on the northeast corner of 45th and Edmunds, a revolver on the ground next to her. She told them she was walking westbound on Edmunds, looking at her phone, then noticed the robber walking southbound on 45th toward her. Without a word, he grabbed her purse, a large brown Louis Vuitton handbag, and began tugging on it. She tried to keep hold of it; they struggled, “spinning in circles together,” the police-report narrative says. During that scuffle, the gun “fell off the suspect and to the ground.” Two water bottles fell out of the purse. Eventually, the robber pulled the victim to the ground, by pulling the purse, and started dragging her, at which time she said she yelled, “Get the f— off me.” The strap broke, and he got away with the purse, headed westbound on Edmunds. She picked up the gun, noticed it was loaded, and put it back down, so she could call 911. Police also talked with a witness who said he saw the robber and victim scuffling, and tried to chase the robber, but lost him in the southbound alley between 45th and 46th. Police meantime took evidence including the broken purse strap and the gun, described as a Smith and Wesson .38 special. The records check on it was “clear,” according to the police report. The robber description, which changed in broadcasts during yesterday’s search, is in the written report as “mixed-race male, 30s, scrawny build, black hat, black zip-up hoodie, black pants, large bluetooth in one ear, black beard/mustache.”
STOLEN BICYCLES: From Julie:
Our three bikes were stolen from our apartment building secure garage yesterday (03/22/17) between 5:30 am and 11 am. Police report: #1700010282. They were locked together with a bike lock behind my car, so they were taken as a grouping. Two of them were purchased in Fall 2013 and we would really like them back. The 3rd one was gifted to us and I don’t recall much information about it other than its a blue mountain/road bike. All three is very good condition and well maintained. Any information, please call the police and reference the report number.
Men’s Specialized AWOL 2013
Color: Satin Black/BronzeWomen’s Specialized bike
Color: Black with gold writing3rd bike:
Cannot remember the name:
Blue
VEHICLE BREAK-INS: From E: “I live on Belvedere and Manning and have had both my van and car broken into in the last 2 weeks. Both were right on my driveway on Belvedere. We saw a small silver car circling the block earlier in the evening with a man driving it. It’s happening after 11 p.m. at night.”
Three more things to report from the Crime Watch files before the night’s out:
GUNFIRE FOLLOWUP: We did finally get the police report on the North Delridge gunfire from early Tuesday. It says the reports started coming in via 911 about 2:38 am Tuesday, centered on the 4800 block of Delridge Way SW [map]. Many heard it; no one saw it. “After an extensive area search, multiple shell casings and property damage were located in the alley behind (a redacted address in that block). Two separate calibers of spent shell casings were located – nine 9mm shell casings (and) three .45 caliber shell casings … intermixed along the alley stretched approximately 20 yards.” Four rounds hit a Honda Accord in the alley, while another hit a Land Rover, and yet another was found embedded in a garage door, while one more hit a downspout and went through a fence. The report makes one more note: “Gang-affiliated graffiti” was found on one garage door, though the resident there said it had been there for about three months. If you have any information about the case, the incident number is 2017-99086.
DUMPED BICYCLE: Does this bike look familiar?
M sent the photo, saying: “Sometime in the last 24 hours, a kids’ bike was stashed underneath a large juniper bush in my yard near Westwood. I’m sure whoever owns it would like it back.” (UPDATE, THURSDAY NIGHT: The owner’s dad saw this, and now has the bike back!)
PACKAGE THEFT: Michael e-mailed to report: “Sad to say, we had a package stolen off our porch today (Wednesday). We live near 21st and Cambridge. Just wanted to spread the word.”
Thanks to everyone who shares Crime Watch reports! Once you’ve reported it to police – 911 if it’s happening now or just happened – consider letting us know so your neighbors all around the peninsula will be aware of what happened – 206-293-6302 text or voice, editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you.
(Added: WSB photo, police west of robbery scene)
5:30 PM: If you’re seeing/hearing the sizable police response on the south side of The Junction right now, police are looking for a man after a reported street robbery. Per police radio, the man stole a woman’s purse in the alley between 45th and 46th at Edmunds, and dropped a gun as he ran away with it, southbound. With the caveat that description information can change from what’s first reported, so far we’ve heard the robber described as a black man in his 30s, black jacket or hoodie, black pants. The purse is described as large and brown. If you have any information about the robber, call 911.
5:54 PM UPDATE: Added/changed description: White/mixed-race man, thin build.
6:39 PM UPDATE: No arrest reported yet. The search has included a K-9 team.
One day after a woman was robbed in her home northwest of The Junction, police have made a sketch based on the description she gave:
He is described as a white man in his 30s, 5’10”, medium build, short sandy brown hair, clean-shaven, wearing a tan “windbreaker” jacket and jeans. If you have any idea who he is, call detectives at 206-684-5535.
6:49 PM: Quick followup: The package-theft suspect arrested last night after reader videos/photos led to tips and a police search is out of jail. 35-year-old Kelly W. Klein was charged with misdemeanor theft and pleaded not guilty at a hearing this morning; he was set free on personal recognizance. We haven’t seen court documents related to the charge yet and will likely have to get them from the city attorney – which handles misdemeanor cases – tomorrow. State records show no felony record for Klein.
9:26 PM: One side note to this emerged at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (full meeting report tomorrow) – while officers were staked out/searching for Klein last night, they made another arrest in the area after spotting someone in a stolen car.
Just got information about the reason for a police search northwest of The Junction this morning – which included containment units at spots including the one in our photo above. Scanner traffic at the time talked about burglary – but now police say it was as a home-invasion robbery. Just published via SPD Blotter:
Robbery detectives are searching for a man who broke into a West Seattle home this morning and robbed a woman as she was watching TV.
The victim was watching television at her home in the 4400 block of 47th Avenue Southwest around 8:45 AM when she realized there was an unfamiliar man standing in her room. The man told the woman he wouldn’t hurt her, and said he only wanted cash. The woman pointed the suspect towards her purse beside the bed.
The suspect removed the cash and walked out of the home.
Officers searched the area, even employing a K-9 unit, but were unable to locate the suspect. The woman described the suspect as white, 5’8″ with a medium build, and sandy blonde hair. Police believe (he) entered the woman’s home after kicking in the back door. Robbery detectives are investigating. …
Last weekend, a huge volunteer turnout worked at West Seattle Little League‘s home field, Bar-S Playfields on Alki Point, to get it ready for the start of the season next weekend.
They put in hundreds of volunteer hours, league spokesperson Kathy Powers says.
Then Monday, the league’s field maintenance director went to Bar-S – and discovered vandals had struck, in a big, heart-sickening way.
(Photos courtesy WSLL. We don’t show tags in their entirety, so the photo is cropped)
Buildings were broken into, and facilities were tagged.
Also, Powers says, “The infields, already in rough shape from all the rain, were trashed by a vehicle. Most frustrating was the damage done to the newly rebuilt pitchers’ mounds and batters’ boxes.”
They’re working to fix the damage – only part of which is shown in the photos – and you can help – in two ways.
For one, Powers says, “We hope the entire West Seattle community will join us in keeping watch and reporting behavior that tries to steal our kids’ opportunity to play baseball.” (Call 911 whenever, wherever you see a crime or possible crime in progress and it’s happening now, or has just happened.)
For two, you can join in one or both work parties planned to clean up and fix up at Bar-S:
*Thursday night (March 23), 5:30-7:30 pm
*Friday night (March 24), 5:30-7:30 pm
The fields and facilities are off SW Admiral Way a short distance west of 63rd SW [map].
P.S. Yes, the vandalism has been reported to police.
As promised, followups on two cases from the past few days:
FAUNTLEROY/ALASKA STABBING: When we reported on this attack Saturday night, we didn’t know whether the person being questioned by police had been arrested. Tonight, we know the suspect, a 49-year-old Tukwila man, did get arrested and was jailed for investigation of assault. This afternoon, a judge set his bail at $100,000. The probable-cause documents say the suspect attacked two people that night – both strangers – first punching a man who was walking out of the Junction QFC at 42nd/Alaska. That victim’s wife yelled at him to stop; the documents say he did, and left the area. A few minutes later, the suspect turned up in the mini-mart at the Fauntleroy/Alaska Shell station, where, police say, he attacked a man paying for a purchase at the counter – stabbing him several times with a screwdriver. The suspect then ran from the store to a nearby bus stop, according to court documents; the store clerk ran after him, and police arrived shortly thereafter, taking the suspect into custody. The victim was treated at the scene but did not need hospitalization. The suspect is due back in court Wednesday.
JUNCTION GUNFIRE: We also asked the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office today about the two 17-year-olds arrested early Friday after a nearby police officer heard/saw gunfire and stopped them at 40th/Alaska, finding a gun in their car. KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe tells us they had a detention-review hearing later that day; the 17-year-old boy, who police say already has a felony conviction, was ordered to stay in detention, while the 17-year-old girl was released to her father (whose 2008 Dodge Avenger she was driving). Both suspects are listed in court documents as living in Tacoma. The report does not mention ownership of the gun found in the car, described as a black Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun; it says four 9mm casings were found at the northeast corner of 40th/Edmunds. Charges could be filed as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday).
(UPDATED Monday evening with arrest, Tuesday morning with status)
4:11 PM: Just got this from Megan – and if you compare the photos to the person shown in the video in this package-theft story, there’s a definite resemblance (assuming he doesn’t have an identical twin) – and she’s reporting a theft from this afternoon:
This individual has now stolen 3 of my packages since January. All have been reported to SPD. Since I caught it real time today, they said they were going to look for him. I know he must be hitting all the houses nearby as well. Just wanted to share in case anyone else has been having packages go missing, or has a better picture of this guy to share with police.
I live off Fauntleroy Way, near Morgan Junction. This happened around 2:30 pm.
We don’t have Megan’s incident/report number yet, but the one in the case from the reader report published here Saturday is 2017-902386.
7:30 PM: As discussed in comments, there’s an active search under way, thanks to people’s tips, so if you see/hear anything/anyone suspicious, please call 911. Also, we have the incident/report number for Megan’s case – 2017-98442.
8:46 PM: As noted in comments, just got word from SPD that they have made an arrest. This followed an intensive search, K-9 team included, following tips called in to 911. We photographed police in the Seaview/North Morgan Junction area, where they had been searching:
We’ll of course follow the case through the system.
7:51 AM: The suspect, 35, was booked into King County Jail late last night. His bail currently is $1,000, as he’s being held for investigation of theft, a misdemeanor. He’s scheduled for a hearing today and we’ll have a followup after that.
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