Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes today:

CASINGS FOUND: Police reported finding shell casings in the 6500 block of Sylvan Way early today after a caller reported people “shooting (in their) yard.” No injuries reported. This is the same block where 14 casings were found after reports of gunfire one Saturday night in May. We’ll be seeking the report on last night’s incident tomorrow.

WALK-IN PURSE THIEF: Marie points out that the most brazen thing about the theft of her purse is that the thief – a burglar, really, under the definition of that crime – just walked right into her house across from Lincoln Park while her husband was home. She says it happened Saturday, after she left to walk their dog, and her husband, who had been sitting on the porch, briefly went in the house to use the bathroom. When he went back to the porch, he saw the thief/burglar at the end of their driveway but didn’t immediately realize what had happened – he said the man, described as “a large Caucasian man wearing a white shirt and dark pants, with long dark hair, approximately mid-20s,” had a strap hanging from under his shirt but then didn’t, after going into some nearby bushes. Later, Marie found her purse in those bushes – “with cash, cell phone, and ORCA card missing.” They believe the man walked in through an open garage door.

STORAGE UNIT BREAK-INS: Jasmine says her storage unit in the 2900 block of SW Avalon Way has been broken into twice in the past month and that she’s heard of others. Checking police-report records, we see two reports for the address this week and a report from late July involving six units. She wanted to warn storage-unit users “to take photos, have a good inventory, and check it often. The insurance company requires proof of interest via photos or receipts in order to file a claim.”

We have had a request out to Seattle Police all morning for information on possible gunfire in the Alki area early this morning. It just arrived via SPD Blotter, including word that while no one was reported injured at the scene, two victims showed up at the hospital later:

Gang Unit detectives are investigating after two people were shot in West Seattle early Friday morning.

Witnesses called 911 at 2:15 am when a group of 40 people began fighting near 59 Ave. SW and Alki Ave. SW.

Another caller said that two or three people now had guns and shots were being fired.

Officers arrived shortly after the shots but were unable to locate any victims. One caller found what he believed to be bullet damage to his home, but it was later determined to have been caused by a rock.

Two men drove up Harborview Medical Center at 2:30 am and checked themselves in for gunshot wounds. One suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back, while the other was shot in the arm. Gang Unit detectives spoke with both men and determined they were shot during the fight along Alki. Detectives do not believe this was a random shooting and that the victims may have known their attackers. Detectives continue to investigate and will provide updates when available.

If you have any information in this case please call the violent crime tip line at (206)233-5000.

This is the first case of anyone being injured by gunfire in the Alki area since last April, when gunfire in the same vicinity left one man with a hand injury.

Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

GATEWOOD CAR PROWLS: From Shawn – “I wanted to let you know about a car prowl last night/this morning. I came out to my car this morning around 6:30 to find the driver’s side door open and everything rifled through. They took some spare change and a handsfree device, and left behind some food. I found that the same thing happened to my neighbor’s car. This occurred in the alley between 36th and 37th Ave. SW, between Holden and Kenyon.”

ADMIRAL CONSTRUCTION SITE VANDALISM: Cindy reports this happened earlier this week at the Admiral site where she is building a house:

I am building a new modestly-sized house that is energy-efficient and environmentally responsible and sustainable in every regard. It will be net-zero in power usage as provided by the eventual roof-top solar installation. This is not a quick-turn developer box but rather a private home project. Someone opposed to this investment in our neighborhood did significant damage [one night earlier this week] to one of the retaining walls.

That included spraypainting the word UGLY on the wall.

ABANDONED BICYCLES: We have two reports, both from the Fairmount Ravine area, both with photos. The first one is from Breck:

Breck says, “Found this at the end of Sumner SW, down Fairmount SW. Hike into the path 30 yards and there it is … it looks like a teen’s bike.”

And from PHC:

PHC found it “on Fairmount, west side, under Admiral bridge. Suspect it is abandoned stolen bike.”

Recognize either one? Let us know, in comments or via editor@westseattleblog.com.

Two reader reports today:

STOLEN SHRUBBERY: From C:

Heads up to our West Seattle neighbors: These are what is left of the 8 shrubs we planted in June.

Someone has made two trips to dig up 5 of them. Probably only a matter of time until they come back for the rest. We are out $600. We suspect someone doing a landscaping job cutting their expenses. If you hired someone who charged you for these, we have all been ripped off. People, this is why we can’t have nice things.

RIPPED-OFF RINGS: Watch for these rings in online listings, pawn shops, etc.:

They belong to a West Seattle couple who are getting married in a week and a half … and are now ringless. Their friend Wil sent the photo; Wil says the rings were stolen from the couple’s car in a parking garage on First Hill. If you see one or both, contact police.

Another stolen vehicle to watch for – this one, reported today by Ron:

Sorry to have to report my [blue] ’99 Honda CR-V (WA plate 009-YQY) was stolen late Sunday/early Monday morning from my condo’s parking lot. This is the Town Square Condominium complex right across from Westwood Village. Surveillance cameras show the car driving out of the lot at 2:38 AM with the lights off. If seen, please contact Seattle PD and refer to Incident #16-294962.

At least in our reader reports, CR-Vs seem to be “popular” with West Seattle-area car thieves lately.

In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

ROXHILL BUS STOP RESPONSE: Thanks for the messages about a big police response in the Roxhill bus-stop area across from Westwood Village this past hour. Here’s what SPD told us at the scene: A man tried to hit a Metro bus driver. The driver wasn’t hurt, but the suspect was so intoxicated, he couldn’t stand up, and he’s being taken off by private ambulance to be checked out.

We also have five reader reports:

ALKI VANDALISM: Sometime overnight Friday into Saturday, SU writes, at least three cars in the 1300 block of Alki and vicinity had “small rear windows” bashed in, including this one:

It did not seem to be an attempt to break into the cars, just to damage them, the e-mail says.

ADMIRAL VANDALISM: From Luckie:

This afternoon we discovered that someone had slashed a front tire on one of our cars. The car was parked in our off-street space in the alley, in back of the house. We live near 45th and Hanford, two blocks from where The Great Tire Slashing took place a couple weeks ago, so perhaps the same perpetrators are at it again.

GARGOYLE THEFT: M says, “Sometime last night a gargoyle was taken from my front yard on 34th between Barton and Henderson. It’s an Orc-like guy, crouched, with 10 years of patina. Attached is a similar photo (but with horns, less ears and a snaggle tooth). If anyone sees someone with something like that I”d LOVE to meet them.”

STOLEN HOSES: On Saturday, Danny reports, “a tall late 30s male on cruiser bicycle in bright red t-shirt and yellow trucker cap (was) riding on Alki (at 54th) stealing garden hoses. Just watched him take our neighbor’s and has several more on front of his bike.”

And some good news:

TRUCK FOUND: On Saturday, we published Janice‘s report about the theft of her Toyota Tacoma work truck from the Beach Drive area. Today, she got word it was found – in Tukwila.

Out of the WSB inbox: Janice‘s 2003 white Toyota Tacoma is missing in the Beach Drive area; she says it “has a foot-long scrape on back, driver’s side; cab in back with missing door, loaded with tools and a sheet of plywood.” Call 911 if you see it.

Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight, two of them followups:

STOLEN PHONES: The mom of a West Seattle High School cross-country runner says he and some of his teammates were practicing at Hiawatha on Wednesday when someone stole their phones. She says, “If anyone encounters suspicious selling of cellphones in West Seattle, they are probably the ones belongings to the students.” If you have any info, report to police and refer to incident report #2016-288545.

Now, the followups:

STOLEN-BICYCLE REUNION: On Wednesday, we published Dave‘s report of a child’s bike, stolen from his dog-guarded yard in the 7300 block of 17th SW. He tells WSB that they got the bike back after a South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) employee found it abandoned alongside a campus parking lot. She took a photo and turned the bicycle in to security; she later checked WSB and found Dave’s description and contact information. They connected and Dave retrieved the bike from security.

STOLEN TRUCK FOUND – WITH SOMEBODY ELSE’S STUFF: On Monday, we published Mardi‘s report of a company-branded pickup truck stolen in Shorewood. Today, she reported that it was found “a few blocks” from where it was stolen. A suspect was arrested, too. But here’s the twist: “We picked the truck up this morning and there was a black backpack with rings and other jewelry” – belonging to somebody else. She’s planning to take it to the Southwest Precinct tomorrow, but if you’re missing a black backpack and/or jewelry, speak up.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this afternoon:

ATTACKED ON 35TH: Mike says his mother-in-law was attacked while walking to a bus stop on 35th SW near SW 99th in Arbor Heights [map] around 9:20 this morning. Someone “violently knocked her to the ground, from behind,” he says, but she didn’t see the attacker, so there’s no description. Nothing was taken from her. He says she’s “not badly hurt, but was dazed from hitting her head on the sidewalk and she has cuts and scrapes on her face and body.”

ADDED 4 PM – MORE DETAILS: We had asked Mike a few followup questions. He says his mother-in-law, who’s 68, is at the hospital now being checked out. To be more specific about where this happened, he says she “was walking north on 35th Ave SW between SW 100th St and SW 99th St, on the sidewalk on the eastern side of the street. An assailant ran up from behind, striking my MIL from behind, knocking her to the sidewalk, then ran off. As my MIL’s glasses were knocked off her face during the fall, she did not see the assailant. There was no apparent robbery, as she still has her handbag and cellphone.”

(back to original Crime Watch roundup) DUMPED AT 32ND AND TRENTON: From David – “Just reporting recovery of possible stolen property. Today found a Franklin badminton and ping pong set including four rackets, paddles, shuttlecocks, net and instructions (Frankin item #3944, Intermediate BM Set) but without box. Looks new, old stock, never been used or used very lightly. Just left by our car. We’re at the corner of 32nd & Trenton.”

The newest reader reports (editor@westseattleblog.com):

CDs TAKEN IN CAR PROWL: From Serena:

Just wanted to send a quick note that my son’s car was broken into Sunday night. This happened in the 2700th block of 38th Ave SW. No damage to the car but about $400 worth of CD’s were stolen. It is an eclectic collection of CD’s (heavy metal, reggae, Hindu music). If anyone sees a bunch of discarded CD’s, please let us know, he would love to have them back.

CAR PROWL #2: From Adam:

Victim of car prowl last night near Genesee. Car was parked in driveway off the alley between 46th and 47th. Criminal got nothing but a couple bucks in coins and a Starbucks card that was deactivated before they could use it.

BIKE THIEF DEFIES DOG: Dave says it took a lot for someone to steal a kids’ bicycle from his residence:

A 24″ kids Specialized Hot Rocks bicycle was stolen from the side of our house on the 7300 block of 17th Ave SW between the hours of 9 am and 1 pm. Here is a picture of what it looks like.

The thief had to deal with a barking dog and multiple gates to get into the yard so must have been determined. The bike was under a tarp and other bicycles. This was reported to the police and I believe is call 16-286935. The serial number is WSBC71104. Please contact Dave at 206-409-3439 with any leads, thank you.

ABANDONED, LIKELY STOLEN: Sue found this “dumped in our side yard on 47th.”

If it’s yours, contact her at suebhounz@gmail.com.

P.S. – HOW TO FIND ARCHIVED CRIME WATCH COVERAGE: Two ways. One, everything categorized as “crime” automatically goes into the newest-to-oldest archive here. We also manually add the links to the WSB Crime Watch page, but it can lag a little; that page is also where you’ll find all the West Seattle-area Tweets by Beat and some resource links.

In West Seattle Crime Watch, three reports:

WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE’S RIDING MOWER STOLEN: From Deborah:

The West Seattle Little League’s new 2016 Kubota riding lawn mower was stolen from the equipment shed at Bar S. The thieves broke into the shed during the middle of the day Saturday sometime between 1:00-4:00 p.m. According to neighbors, one of the thieves was a white man in his 30’s wearing an orange safety vest. They left Bar S by cutting the chain and exiting the Southern side of the ballpark. If you have any information regarding this theft, please contact wsllgeneral@hotmail.com or 206-790-6358.

Or, call police. (The stolen mower looks like this.)

STOLEN BICYCLE: Matt tweeted this photo of his bicycle, stolen from his apartment building south of The Junction:

He says, “Brand is Specialized and the model is “Ground Control” (or at least that’s what it says on the frame). It’s gray, unknown number of years old. I got it for free from a coworker. Handlebars are flat.” It’s been reported to police.

STOLEN CAR UPDATE: We published JW‘s auto-theft report here on Saturday. Her followup:

My Honda has been found at the bottom of Fairmount Ave by parking enforcement, fortunately drivable. Yea! By any chance someone has any surveillance from 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning that could have captured it heading east on Hanford and turning left and heading down the Fairmount ravine, that would be killer.

Two more stolen vehicles reported overnight – if you see either one, call 911.

STOLEN WORK TRUCK: From Mardi – “At 4:40 am, our 2016 Ford F-150 was stolen from our parking spot on our private road, Seola Lane. The quad-door truck is white with royal blue decals that say Multi-M Construction all over it. We live real close to Arbor Heights, White Center, and Burien. Please keep an eye out.”

STOLEN FROM OWNER’S WORKPLACE: Someone stole Robby‘s truck from in front of his workplace, West Seattle Produce (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW), sometime between 9 pm Sunday and 7 am today. It’s a 1994 white Jeep Cherokee (looks like this photo), plate 165-ZXN.

SUNDAY NIGHT: Now that the Fauntleroy whale situation is mostly resolved, we’re getting back to other news, starting with a stolen car: Scott reports, “My 2000 Honda CRV was stolen from in front of my house on 49th SW between Hinds and Spokane Streets sometime after midnight last night. I notified the police and hopefully will get it back but really just perplexed that anyone would take my old (but beloved) Honda.”

ADDED MONDAY MORNING: A little more information from Scott: “Plate is ANJ0347. It’s a pretty unique silver CRV, slightly lifted with bigger than normal all terrain tires and a bike rack on back. Black carrier basket on roof rack.” If you see it, call 911 (and then let us know!).

ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:42 PM SATURDAY: Two more West Seattle Crime Watch notes as evening arrives:

STOLEN ASHES: Car prowlers might not have realized what they were stealing from Meghan: “Another car break in (in the 2100 block of) Fairmount Ave. This time they stole fishing gear and an urn with ashes in it. It’s a wood box about 12 by 12 and in a red velvet bag. We would really like the ashes back, could you post something about it, in case they ditched it on the side of the road somewhere around West Seattle?”

UPDATE, 3:25 PM SUNDAY: We heard this afternoon from Maureen, who said she found the ashes and took them back to the funeral home on the label, which said they’d contact the family; then she found this story. We sent a note to Meghan to be sure she’d heard; Maureen, meantime, re-contacted the funeral home, which said it had reached the family.

(Back to the original story)

FAKE ‘CITY LIGHT’ SCAM CALLERS, AGAIN: This has been going on now for years, but just in case you haven’t heard or forgotten – Jenny from The Bridge says she got the classic scam call today: “I received a call from a person claiming to be a technician with Seattle City Light and that he was going to disconnect me unless I called a number and paid my bill. I called the number, asked them to verify my account number, at which point they hung up.” That’s not the way City Light works, as the utility explains on its Scam Alert page; SCL says you can report suspected scams to them at 206-684-3000 and to the SPD non-emergency line at 206-625-5011.

One reader report so far today – a stolen car in south Admiral. From JW:

My car was stolen last night (2000 white Honda CR-V, license AQK1600, bike rack) from Hanford and California, parked on Hanford between California and 42nd Ave SW. There was at least one other neighbor who had a break-in to his vehicle parked right next to mine, and there was a first aid kit left on sidewalk that doesn’t belong to either of us if anyone had a break-in and is missing that. Heard a noise between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m., but it’s so loud in the neighborhood nowadays, didn’t think much of it. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. If you missed the story late last night, the car-theft suspect arrested in Highland Park early Thursday has already been charged.

Two suspects whose arrests we reported earlier this week are now charged.

TRIPLE ROBBERY SUSPECT: Coleman E. Calloway is the 48-year-old man charged with one count of first-degree robbery and two counts of second-degree robbery for three holdups in three days. In charging documents, prosecutors describe him as “a career criminal with 13 felony convictions” who has spent “a large amount of his adult life in prison”; their request to raise his bail to $250,000 was granted. The narrative in the charging documents is the same as what we reported here last night after his bail hearing, detailing the robbery of the Capitol Hill QFC last Saturday morning, then West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) last Monday night, and the Washington Federal bank in Morgan Junction on Tuesday morning. No weapon was seen in any of the robberies, but Calloway is alleged to have told the QFC cashier he had one. Charging documents say he netted a total of almost $2,000 in the three holdups.

CAR-THEFT SUSPECT: Nicholas V. Renion is the 37-year-old man arrested in Highland Park early Thursday, as reported here. He is charged with one count of motor-vehicle theft, and prosecutors say he too is a career criminal – “arrested 44 times since 1997 … 59 warrants issued for his arrest in King County alone.” His convictions include multiple counts of theft, vehicle prowling, and assault. The charging documents have a few additional details beyond what was provided in the SPD Blotter report we quoted, including that the car was stolen in the 9400 block of 14th SW, blocks from where police spotted it on SW Roxbury. When police found Renion in a garage in the 1000 block of SW Portland, he claimed he lived there, but the homeowners told police that wasn’t true. Charging papers show his “last known address” was in Lakewood. They also show that prosecutors wanted Renion’s bail set at $25,000, but the King County Jail Register show it as only $5,000, and that he had just been released less than a week before this arrest, after serving more than a month in a theft case.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:22 PM: This afternoon’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with three bicycle reports.

First, Pam found this bike, abandoned:

She explained, “Girls’ Specialized, found ditched in alley between 47th and 46th sound of Edmunds.”

Next, Julie reports two stolen bicycles: “They were taken from California ave and Genesee – (one is a) hot rock bike; (the other) is periwinkle color, a little bit of rust on the shocks. My daughter was just riding it Wednesday evening. The Trek is probably about a 1994-1995 year, has the side grips that come out from the handle bars. I can describe specifics and scratches on it. Just want them returned please, no questions asked. We have done long-distance bike rides and they are both very sentimental to the family.”

From Justin:

’95 Specialized Stumpjumper, black, stolen from in front of Admiral Bird Cafe.

And now the hit-and-run report, from Lily:

This morning at about 6:45 am on 8/5/16 (Incident # 16-281319): A white older Model F250 was seen sideswiping a green Ford Ranger on Alki Ave SW between 55th Ave SW and 56th Ave SW.

The White F250 was an older model with a white canopy and a Dark (possibly black) shell storage on the top.

The license plate was an Idaho plate, but although there were many witnesses on the scene, no one was able to get the license number as the driver sped off at a high rate of speed.

Any help in identifying this hit and run driver is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help!

9:27 PM UPDATE: In case you haven’t seen this in the comments – the found bike in the photo turned out to be one of two stolen bikes another reader subsequently mentioned. Owner and bike have been reunited, though the family’s second bike is still out there somewhere.

Bail is set at $150,000 for the 48-year-old man accused of robbing three businesses in three days, two of them in Morgan Junction, eerily echoing the triple robbery case that sent him to prison a decade ago. We received documents this evening from his bail hearing. Here’s what they allege:

He’s accused of starting the robbery spree on Saturday morning, when, police say, he arrived at the Capitol Hill QFC in a cab, went into the store and robbed a clerk, claiming he had a gun, then hopping back into the cab three minutes later with $1,100 in stolen money.

The robbery and getaway were caught on surveillance video; police found out the cab had then taken the robber to West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), where he bought cigarettes and beer. He was gone by the time they arrived but store employees recalled that the man had been recognized and greeted by a customer they knew as a resident of Cal-Mor Circle across the street. Police, meantime, took images from the Thriftway surveillance camera and circulated them. A Department of Corrections community officer subsequently recognized the man as someone with whom they had dealt. Records showed the man’s last known address was his mother’s apartment at Cal-Mor Circle.

Then on Monday night, Thriftway was robbed by what surveillance video showed to be the same man; he demanded money from a clerk and got away with $320. Twelve hours later, the Washington Federal bank across Fauntleroy Way was robbed, and surveillance video showed another match.

After that, police caught up with the suspect’s mother and asked her to contact them if her son returned to the building. Later in the afternoon, she reported he had just arrived; when police got there, she and her son were waiting outside, and he was taken into custody without incident. The police report says he confessed to all three robberies and also made a point of saying he had never had a weapon and didn’t hurt anyone.

His criminal history in online records dates back almost 30 years; his most recent felony convictions were for another three-business-robbery spree in West Seattle and Capitol Hill, in May 2005 – at the former Video Vault store in Morgan Junction, at the Staples store in Westwood Village, and at a Safeway on Capitol Hill. Court documents from that case also show a cab used as a getaway car. He already had an “extensive criminal history,” as prosecutors described it, when sentenced to 11 1/2 years in prison for those holdups.

As first reported here last night, police arrested a suspect hours after Tuesday morning’s bank robbery at Washington Federal in Morgan Junction – and we now have confirmation from police that he is also the suspect in Monday night’s holdup at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) across the street from the bank, as well as an earlier robbery at a QFC on Capitol Hill. The 48-year-old suspect was booked into jail after midnight today, so his first bail hearing won’t be until tomorrow. We’ve been working to get even more information from police, but this is what we’ve been able to confirm so far through the Southwest Precinct. Online records show his criminal history in this state goes back almost 30 years.

Repeat burglar Jessica Detrick – known for prowling with her dog in tow – is now charged in two West Seattle burglaries, including the one in which she was caught on a security camera, as shown above.

When we first published that photo on July 18th, after the victim of the burglary in Upper Fauntleroy sent it to us, readers quickly noted the resemblance to the prowler-and-dog video we had published in May, weeks before her arrest in connection with Highland Park/South Delridge cases in June.

Detrick, 36, had been charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass in connection with those June cases, and got out of jail after three days. Since then, as we noted in last month’s story, a warrant had been issued for her arrest due to failure to appear for “day reporting.”

While making a routine check of the jail register early today, we discovered that she had been booked on July 23rd; four days later, she was charged with two counts of residential burglary – for the July 18th Upper Fauntleroy burglary and for a break-in at a home in the 8800 block of 16th SW on June 19th. Her bail is set at $101,000 – $100,000 for the burglary cases, $1,000 for the earlier warrant. Prosecutors asked for the relatively high bail amount, saying that they believe “defendant is escalating her serial (residential) burglary conduct and poses a danger to the community.” The charging documents summarize Detrick’s history as “38 warrants in King County alone since 2000 … multi-state criminal history, including arrest history in Illinois and conviction and warrant history in Arizona.”