Police investigating a report of possible gunfire have found evidence. They got a report from High Point around 1:55 am that someone heard suspected gunfire and the sound of a car taking off; about 10 minutes later, an officer told dispatch they found “a couple of casings” a few blocks east of the caller, in the 2600 block of SW Brandon. No reports of injuries.

Two weeks after three teenage boys were arrested following three Alki/Beach Drive robbery/carjacking attempts and a police chase, two had detention reviews today. The one we labeled suspect #1, the 14-year-old allegedly driving the stolen car while leading police on that chase, will stay in juvenile detention at the Youth Services Center. The other 14-year-old, suspect #2, is now on electronic home monitoring. Today’s hearing for suspect #3, who is 16, was postponed until next Monday; his detention status will be reviewed then. Each of the three is charged with one count of first-degree attempted robbery and one count of second-degree robbery, plus one auto-theft-related charge. The robbery and attempts were reported to 911 within the span of eight minutes just before 10 pm on December 18th – first 2800 block of Alki, then 59th/Admiral, then the 5700 block of Beach Drive.

(WSB photo, December 29)

Last Friday, we covered a two-scene West Seattle incident that had started with a carjacking in Burien. The stolen vehicle, the Chevrolet Suburban shown above, had been tracked to Alki; when King County Sheriff’s Office deputies/Burien Police moved in, the driver and an accomplice took off. The driver was arrested at Harbor/Spokane after getting out of the car when it was stopped at the light; the juvenile left inside got behind the wheel and took off, crashing into a semitruck at West Marginal/2nd SW a short time later. The juvenile was taken to the hospital in critical condition and we don’t yet know his status, but we did get information today about the suspect who was arrested. He is 20 years old and in the King County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail; tomorrow is the deadline for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to rush-file charges. According to documents from his bail hearing, he is a White Center resident who got out of jail a year ago after being sentenced for stabbing a mini-mart clerk in the Northgate area. Those documents say he stabbed the clerk twice in November 2021 after being told to leave the mini-mart because he wasn’t wearing a mask (a few TV reports ensued). According to the documents from the 2021 case, police found him because a security-camera image was circulated and officers recognized him from previous contacts; they got a warrant and arrested him at the North Seattle apartment where he was living at the time. After a year in jail, he pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to nine months, less time than he had already served, so he was released.

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

TWICE-STOLEN YUKON: The report and photo are from Linda:

I want to report the theft of my 2002 GMC YukonXL K1500, dark green, license plate number WA BPB8585. It was taken last night – for the second time since August- from the 4400 block of SW Dawson Street (between California Ave. and Erskine Way). Last time it was recovered in Burien in the possession of a person who had been arrested four times in the previous year.

We’ll add the police-report number when we get it.

HIT-RUN WITH PLATE LEFT BEHIND: This report and photos are from Kevin:

My car was the secondary victim of a hit and run last Friday morning on 35th and Austin. The car that did the damage was a 2018 Acura and they were nice enough to leave their license plate.

Awaiting a report number on this too.

(Images from Tails to Astonish)

For the third time in a little over four months, burglars have hit West Seattle’s only comic-book store, Tails to Astonish just south of The Junction. They report it happened around 6:45 this morning and sent these security-camera images:

We woke up this morning with someone having broken into the store. So we will be closed today and tomorrow (Monday/Tuesday) to clean up and do inventory. We will be back open on Wednesday with all the new books! If you recognize them please call us or SPD case number 24-000302.

Last year’s burglaries were on August 23rd and September 30th.

We received both of these reports today from readers who wanted to alert the community:

INDECENT EXPOSURE: The teenage victim’s mother sent this:

A couple of weeks ago, while my 15-year-old daughter was walking home from school by Holy Rosary. A car pulled up along side of her and stopped. She looked at the person and realized that he was masturbating while staring at her. She ran as fast as she could to our house. She described this person as older male 40-50 yo., black hair, dark complexion. The car was light blue and was beat up. My neighbor provided me a photo of the car driving.

My daughter confirmed this was the car. Unfortunately, it doesn’t capture much. I have made a police report. So incredibly horrible for her to be assaulted and so angry that this coward is getting away with this.

The police report number is 23-358983.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT: From the victim:

I wanted to share a harassment event that happened to me on 12/28/23 at approx 3:40 p, I was screamed at by a man (appeared to be in mid-late 40s?, dark hair and skin, slim to medium build) in a truck at the intersection of 35th Ave SW and Thistle who said “man, you’d be fun to [sexually explicit term].”. It appears that this is likely a repeat offender – with something similar happening to my friend who lives at the same intersection with a similar vehicle last year. It’s highly concerning that this has happened again and the things being said are increasingly explicit and want other women to be aware of this person and vehicle.

(Photo from 12/28/23 incident)

Color: Black, Model: Maybe Silverado, Year: Older, Type: Truck

In the 2022 event, the victim reported that the man in the truck parked and watched her mow, then showed that he was recording her on his phone, and hollered (in crude language) that he would watch the video and gratify himself. When the recent victim posted on a social-media site earlier today, she said, another person commented, “This same person shouted something similar to me on Roxbury and 29th on Wednesday around 3:30 pm.” The recent victim’s police-report number is 23-373893.

We’re catching up with the files in some long-running criminal cases. First: A reader tipped us that the case of a quadruple shooting at Alki Beach in June 2021, killing one person and injuring three others, has ended in a plea agreement.

(June 2021 photo by David Hutchinson)

Milton Arnold III of Des Moines, now 21, originally was charged with second-degree murder for killing 22-year-old Tilorae Shepherd of Federal Way and two counts of first-degree assault for wounding a man and woman (the fourth victim was a friend of Arnold, hit accidentally). The gunfire followed a confrontation over fireworks, as detailed in our first report on the original charges. At some point Shepherd reportedly displayed a gun but did not pull it. Arnold claimed he fired in self-defense, and prosecutors cited that as the reason for reducing the charges; he pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault. He had no prior convictions, and court documents show that last month King County Superior Court Judge Ken Schubert sentenced him to a total of four and a half years in prison. That will include credit for time served since his arrest two and a half years ago.

If you happen onto an abandoned electric scooter, it might belong to Joel, who emailed to report: “I today had my Nami Burn-E 2 Max electric scooter stolen from the South side bike rack of the Admiral Junction Safeway across from Hiawatha park at approximately 12:40 PM. It is black and weighs about 100 lbs. There is a security code for starting it.”

Reader report from W:

Just want to report mail theft at 4866 Beach Dr SW – doors completely ripped off and mail gone :/ I’m reporting it to USPS.

If this happens to you – you can file reports online with the US Postal Inspection Service.

Two incidents, including one unfolding right now:

BUSINESS BURGLARY: Police were called to West Seattle Smoke Company in The Junction about half an hour because of a broken window; security video showed the shop had been burglarized and showed the burglar leaving on foot. Right now they’re questioning a suspect, a man who was reported to 911 for showing up at a Morgan Junction business with bloody hands. No word yet on what was taken from the shop, but video there showed the burglar carrying two bags when he left. (Tuesday update: The suspect was arrested.)

PACKAGE THIEF: Kevin sent the video:

He says the person in the video “was casing cars and stealing packages along Beach Dr SW just south of Jacobsen=(Friday) around 10:20 am.”

SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Remember the food-bank-fundraising buskers we told you about earlier? We just found out that one musician’s car was stolen while they were performing:

Stolen VW Golf, 2005
Gray, WA plate 612-ZHK
(Pic shows roof just before it was repainted, roof now has new paint)

Parked at the paid lot on 44th, between Alaska and Edmunds
(paid and have the receipt!)
Parked at 10:50 am today, Saturday Dec. 23 to busk for the Food Bank
Returned to the lot at 1:15 pm and the car was gone.
It’s a manual transmission, so hopefully it didn’t go too far.

Police report filed.
If you see the car please call 9-1-1 and give report # 23-367922

SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Found … abandoned one lot away from where it was taken … with a candy cane and “Merry Christmas” note on the door.

(SPD dash-cam image from charging documents, showing pursued vehicle knocking down road markers)

10:40 AM: The three teenagers arrested Monday night after a police pursuit that followed three West Seattle incidents are now charged.

All three are scheduled for arraignment at 1:30 pm today on three charges each, according to the documents we received from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office early this morning. We are not naming them because they are charged as juveniles. Each is charged with one count of first-degree attempted robbery and one count of second-degree robbery; Suspects #1 and #3, 14 and 16 years old, are each charged with second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission, while suspect #2, 14, is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.

The narrative in the charging documents says the three calls came in to 911 within the span of eight minutes just before 10 pm on Monday – first 2800 block of Alki, then 59th/Admiral, then 5700 block of Beach Drive. All listed similar descriptions of the people involved and a “silver vehicle.” One officer saw a silver Hyundai U-turning on Beach Drive while he was responding to the Beach Drive call – the victim pointed to it and he asked “is that them?” – and the pursuit began shortly after that. The driver – allegedly 14-year-old Suspect #1 (identified later via a specific piece of clothing seen on dash-cam video) – subsequently led officers on a chase at – as we reported that night – speeds up to 90 mph, before police deployed a “tire deflator device,” which led to them stopping and running near the north end of Boeing Field.

Here’s what the victims told police about what happened: In the 2800 block of Alki, he left his workplace and crossed the street to his parked car, and when starting to open it was approached by a masked person who said “give me your car, I have a gun.” He closed and locked his car and ran away back to his workplace to call 911.

At 59th/Admiral, three minutes later, a woman had just parked near her home and was responding to a text message when someone started banging on her car windows. She backed out of the space in a panic – reportedly hitting the suspects’ car in the process; as she drove away, she told police, they pursued her, but she lost them.

In the 5700 block of Beach Drive, the victim had just walked back to her car after viewing Christmas lights when “three males … swarmed” her, police wrote, demanding “give me the keys, give me the car.” One went into her car and stole her phone as well as one belonging to a friend who had accompanied her. She fled to a nearby house, tried to seek help “but was unsuccessful,” went back to her car figuring they were gone, but they weren’t; she said one grabbed her legs and threatened to shoot her, before they took her key fob and fled. Police were on the way because a witness had called, hearing the victim scream.

The charging documents do not include information about where the suspects live. Online records do not show previous cases for any of them. They continue to be held in juvenile detention; that will be reviewed again when they are arraigned this afternoon, and we’ll update.

8:50 PM: All pleaded not guilty at their arraignments today, and Judge Nelson Lee ordered all three to remain in juvenile detention. That will be reviewed again when they return to court January 3rd.

3:45 AM: Police responding to an alarm at the Westwood Village Game Stop store around 2:45 am reported finding “a vehicle in the building.” Whoever was in the vehicle was gone before officers arrived. No further details so far, but we’ll follow up.

8:47 AM: Here’s what SPD tells us: “Officers arrived and found a KIA sedan had been reversed into the entry doors of a business in the Westwood Village. Once inside the store, the burglars stole various game consoles before fleeing in a second vehicle. All three suspects were described to be Black males wearing masks, hooded sweatshirts, black pants, and black shoes. The keyholders of the business responded after the building was cleared by police. The vehicle used to break into the business was abandoned and an unreported stolen. It was impounded for evidence processing.” (“Unreported stolen” means the owner didn’t know it was gone until contacted by police.)

9:22 AM: We just went over. They’re closed while still doing inventory and cleanup.

Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

TOOL THEFT TURNED ROBBERY: We noted a robbery call logged very early this morning and asked SPD for details: “Police responded to a report of a robbery in the 4500 block of 36 AV SW around 4:30 a.m. this morning. Officers responded and located the victim, who was pepper sprayed. It was reported the victim was confronting two suspects who were stealing tools from his vehicle. The suspects left in a truck northbound from the location. SFD responded to provide aid. Unknown what was taken at this time.” No description of the truck or robbers yet, pending the full report.

STOLEN VAN: More stolen tools – inside the work van taken from Jayson:

I just bought an older work van. Last night it was stolen. 2002 Ford E150 (cargo style van). It’s all black (black wheels) with knobby tires. It was parked at 4727 42nd Ave SW in front of Safeway. It had all of my bigger work tools and some lumber in it.

License number CKF 1516
Police/Incident report: 23-364747

If you see it, please let me know. 206-696-3429 Also, if anyone needs a handyman within walking distance of the Alaska Junction, call me. I still have hand tools and need the work!

APPARENTLY ABANDONED VEHICLES: The gray Kia reported yesterday has been claimed. Maybe one or both of these have owners out there too. Daniel sent the report and photos from the neighborhood just south of Admiral Church:

Reporting on two seemingly abandoned vehicles in North Admiral. The black KIA with a broken-out rear window and ignition/steering column damage has been parked on Ferry Ave for over a month.

The dilapidated RV with both expired tabs and a funky looking short term parking permit (the second of two) also expired has been there for a couple of weeks.

He says both have been on Parking Enforcement radar for at least a week but they’re still there.

24 hours ago, we were reporting on the arrests of three teenagers near Boeing Field, pursued there by police after a three-incident crime rampage in West Seattle. This afternoon all three had their first court appearance, and we just received the toplines from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Two of the suspects are 14 years old; the third is 16. Probable cause was found to hold all three for investigation of two counts of attempted first-degree robbery. All three were ordered to remain in secure detention, at least until their next hearing on Thursday, which is also the deadline for rush-filing charges. And assuming they’re charged, that’s when we’ll find out more about them, such as whether any of them have records.

Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

MAIL THEFT AT THE WHITTAKER: The big apartment complex at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW has sent this alert to its tenants:

We are writing to inform you regarding a recent theft incident that occurred within our community. It has come to our attention that a male individual gained access to the North building mailroom early Saturday morning and committed mail theft. This individual appeared to have the postal office’s master key and opened the mailboxes. He gained access to about half of the North building’s mailboxes.

We are actively working with local authorities and the Postal Office to investigate this matter. In the meantime, we urge you to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the local authorities immediately…. We understand the concern this may cause and want to assure you that we are taking the necessary steps to prevent any recurrence. If you have any information related to this incident, please contact Seattle PD or Postal Office.

Management also has offered advice to residents such as “retrieve your mail promptly after delivery” and to call 911 about suspicious activity in the mailbox area or parking garage. They’re also reminding residents to “remain at the gate until it closes behind you” when driving into the garage, to “prevent anyone from slipping past the gate and entering the residential space.”

ABANDONED/POSSIBLY STOLEN KIA: Dave sent this report:

At 9:45 pm last night I saw a gray Kia with its lights off taking a right onto Barton street from 36th. I thought the car was acting strange because it was going so slow and when I tried to signal the lights were off the person was clearly trying not to look at me. At 9:48 as I was walking back home I saw the car take a left back onto 36th but from Cambridge so it circled the block. The car stopped on the corner and parked the wrong way. I was waiting for my dog to go to the bathroom and saw the car’s interior lights turn on and then someone exit 2 minutes later walking up Cambridge toward 35th. I checked on the car this morning and it’s still there with its license plate gone, driver-side window broken, steering column messed up, and it had been rummaged through.

Dave was having trouble reporting it; since it was parked the wrong way, we suggested he try Parking Enforcement, 206-386-9012.

MORE CAR BREAK-INS: Kiera sent this report:

We live in the Fairmount Park area and came out (Monday) morning to find a foreign jacket in the front seat of our car. Apparently, we had accidentally left the doors unlocked. Luckily, there was nothing of value inside, but still a bit unnerving. My husband was about to throw the jacket in the trash bin when our neighbor said it belonged to him and his truck was broken into as well. Unfortunately, his window was smashed but he got his jacket back so I guess it could’ve been worse. As a 5th generation West Seattle-ite, I am so heartbroken about the ever-increasing crime that is plaguing our beloved community. It’s not something I will ever get used to. We need to do something, it needs to stop.

10:04 PM: Police suspect the same people are behind three incidents they’re investigating right now – all involving a vehicle described as a gray Nissan Murano SUV or something similar – first a robbery attempt at 63rd/Alki, second a carjacking (or attempt) on Admiral Way, then a robbery on Beach Drive. No other details yet except that police are pursuing what might be the suspects’ vehicle in the Alki area right now. Updates to come.

10:07 PM: The plates on the vehicle have checked to a Hyundai Santa Fe registered in South King County. The pursuit – reported at up to 90 mph – is moving up to the West Seattle Bridge.

10:10 PM: Now they’ve moved on to southbound I-5. While on the bridge they deployed “stop sticks” and are reporting that tire(s) on the suspects’ car have deflated and are shredding.

10:13 PM: They’re off the freeway and the suspects have bailed out of the car, with a foot pursuit ensuing. At least one person is in custody.

10:16 PM: They’re now reporting two in custody, one still on the run in a rail yard, described as “unknown male, black hoodie, jeans, late teens/early 20s.” They’re near the north end of Boeing Field [map].

10:38 PM: And officers have just told dispatch they’ve taken the third suspect into custody.

10:54 PM: Since this all initially happened so fast, police are now sorting out the original incidents. They’ve said it started with a robbery attempt in the 2800 block of Alki near Cactus, then the carjacking attempt near 59th/Admiral, then the robbery (or attempt) in the 5700 block of Beach Drive. They’re also trying to catch up with the victims (so if by any chance that’s you, you might consider calling 911).

11:43 PM: Two commenters note that the Beach Drive incident happened near the Menashe Family Christmas lights display. Meantime, one suspect has been described over the air as 14 years old.

TUESDAY MIDDAY UPDATE: Here’s how SPD summarized it, in response to our inquiry, including confirmation that all three suspects were booked into juvenile detention:

Police received reports of carjackings in the 2800 block of Alki Avenue Southwest, in the 3800 block of 59th Avenue Southwest, and in the 5700 block of Beach Drive Southwest around 10:00 p.m. yesterday. The victims were approached by the suspects to steal their vehicles. In all three incidents, the victims reported a firearm being involved.

SPD officers located the suspect vehicle and a pursuit ensued. Police deployed stop sticks which caused the suspect vehicle to come to a stop near the intersection of South Corgiat Drive and Ursula Place South. The suspects fled on foot and after a foot pursuit two of the three suspects were taken into custody. KCSO K9 responded to the scene and assisted with locating the third suspect. The suspect vehicle was an unreported stolen vehicle. The three male juvenile suspects were booked into the King County Child and Family Justice Center for robbery, eluding a police vehicle, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Commenters below include at least two of the victims.

ADDED 12:57 PM: The three suspects have hearings in about half an hour. We’ll update.