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/Bronze

Women’s Specialized bike
Color: Black with gold writing

3rd 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, ed****@*************og.com – thank you.

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. …

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.

Three notes in Crime Watch tonight:

CAR PROWL: The latest one for which we received a reader report is this one from Anne, who’s west of California/Graham:

We had a break-in of our car last night, sometime between 11 pm and 7 am this morning. I think they were just looking for anything valuable to take; took the $20 from the glove box but left the change on the floor. The car has a steering-wheel lock so they couldn’t take the car.

Anne says car prowlers have hit them a few other times in the past 10 years.

CAR PROWL FOLLOWUP: A 40-year-old man remains in jail tonight, in lieu of $2,500 bail, after being arrested in the Alki area early Friday. SPD Blotter reports that officers responding to a call of a suspicious person lurking near a pickup truck at 61st/Admiral found the suspect asleep inside the truck. They say he told them he had permission to be there; the truck’s owner, whose home was steps away, said he did not. Officers “arrested the suspect and found he was carrying someone else’s tax forms, which had been stolen in another car prowl earlier that morning,” per the SPD Blotter report. The suspect is being held for investigation of criminal trespass and receiving stolen property. The jail register shows that he spent a day there a week earlier in connection with a failure-to-appear warrant in a drug case.

PACKAGE-THEFT VIDEO FOLLOWUP: Last night, we published Roger‘s very clear security-cam video of a package theft that happened March 9th. Since then, we’ve heard from multiple tipsters who believe they recognize the man in the video and are talking to police.

P.S. Another reminder that you can bring your neighborhood crime/safety concerns/questions to police on Tuesday night, 7 pm, at the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (Southwest Precinct, 2300 SW Webster).

The photos and video are from Roger, who belatedly discovered a package theft from a little over a week ago:

47th and Graham. Just wanted to let you know that we had a package thief on March 9th, we just tracked down that it was stolen, first time in 5 years this had occurred here.

He took the package at 2 pm, after the UPS man dropped it off at 11 am. Luckily it was just a cheap door mat that day. He was definitely on a mission looking for packages, parked his truck hitting the curb, jumped out, sprinted back and forth from our front door. Doubted he even saw our cams. …

Keep on the lookout, didn’t appear to be anyone from our immediate neighborhood but please pass around.

P.S. Next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – to which you are invited to bring neighborhood crime and safety concerns, so you can talk with, and hear from, police – is on for Tuesday, 7 pm March 21st, at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).

Another auto-theft report this morning. From Rachel:

My 1998 Honda CR-V was stolen from the street in front of my home on the 4500 block of 48th Ave SW. It’s silver with the license plate #921-ZVK. Here’s the police incident # 2017-83889. Additionally, earlier this week and on the same block, our neighbor’s car was rummaged through.

Please call 911 if you see it.

In Crime Watch tonight:

ANOTHER STOLEN CAR FOUND: Pat e-mailed tonight to say that “we recovered our Subaru Forester today. We are very grateful that it was only a mile or so from home and completely unharmed.” It was taken last Saturday night in The Junction. Pat didn’t mention where it was found, but SPD’s Twitter log includes a stolen-car recovery in the 4000 block of 40th SW today, and that would fit. (UPDATE: Different recovered car. Pat says theirs was found “in an alley near 35th/Alaska.”)

E-MAIL SCAM WARNING: Thanks to Susan for sharing this e-mail warning from the Seattle Public Library:

We wanted to let you know about an email scam that began yesterday afternoon and disguises itself as an official communication from The Seattle Public Library.

Several people in the area have reported receiving scam emails from “Joann” at the address “joan@seattlepubliclibrary(dot)com” that include subject lines about overdue and lost Library books. These emails are used to spread “malware,” or malicious software, to recipient computers.

Please note: any official communication from The Seattle Public Library will always come from our official domain: spl.org. The Library does not own or use the domain seattlepubliclibrary(dot)com.

If you receive an email claiming to be from The Seattle Public Library and it is NOT from an spl.org address:

Please DO NOT click on any links or attachments.
Please DO mark it as spam or junk and delete it immediately.
If you receive it at your work account, please also notify your I.T. department.

Your data privacy and security are very important to us and we want to assure you that the Library’s database of users has NOT been compromised. At this time, it is unclear where scammers collected their recipient email addresses and how many email addresses they have sent to, but there has been no security breach of our Library systems. Many recipients of this scam are not Library patrons. This is simply a malware scam disguising itself as Library business.

DAYTIME CAR PROWL: Most of the time, car prowlers work at night. Not the one Pete e-mailed to tell us about: “I live on 44th Ave SW between Brandon & Dawson. Between 3:30 & 4:45 this afternoon, someone came up our fairly long, steep driveway and broke into our SUV which was backed in up against the garage door while my kids and I were inside just 20′ from where the car was parked. The perp took various items including a box of valuables from the trunk. Brazen! Watch out, neighbors!

BOOKS STOLEN: The person who prowled Keri‘s car went away with unusual loot: “Sometime last night between 12 am-7 am, someone smashed my driver’s-side window and stole the box of books from my publisher that I had in there to re-sell. So, if anyone finds a bunch of copies of ‘Rain Gardens for the Pacific Northwest,’ please post, or take one home and build a rain garden!”

CITYWIDE STATS: SPD had another SeaStat briefing today; you can see the slide deck here. The categories of crime tracked in SeaStat are down, year to date, from the same time last year, except for two: domestic-violence aggravated-assault and arson.

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

CAR FOUND: Amanda‘s Mitsubishi Diamante, stolen in Highland Park last Friday, was recovered in South Park. “So glad it’s been found and in ONE piece!” she e-mailed to say.

CAR BROKEN INTO: Dan says this happened Monday night near 37th and Thistle in Gatewood:

The center console was rifled, though there was nothing of value. The only thing missing was a set of keys to my mom’s old place.

POLICE RESPONSE ON 36TH SW: We checked out what was reported as a sizable police response in the 6000 block of 36th SW just before 7 pm tonight. Police were getting ready to leave when we arrived, but did tell us that they rousted a trespasser who was sleeping on/in an outdoor hot tub at a currently vacant property. This type of situation is often the subject of questions at community meetings, and police have said they are continuing to work with the owners of vacant properties to get authorization to order obvious trespassers to leave – without pre-authorization, it’s more complicated than you might guess.

P.S. Next West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – your chance to bring concerns and questions to local police, and hear their updates firsthand – is next Tuesday (March 21st), 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).

That image shows the burglars who drove up to, and broke into, Hal‘s shipping container on Beach Drive SW around 12:30 am today and stole tools. The burglary was caught in its entirety on a neighbor’s security camera – it’s not embeddable but you can try watching it here (it worked for us on Mac Safari but not Chrome) – the actual break-in starts just after two minutes into the clip. Hal says, “What was stolen was SnapOn tools, engraved “Snyder” and a SnapOn special edition (Rick Mears) toolbox I believe it is one of 500. Also other tools in the Husky bottom box.” If you have any information about the burglars and/or the stolen property, you can contact SPD and refer to incident #2017-88925.

Auto theft continues to be one of the major current crime problems on the peninsula, police acknowledge, so we’re going to start putting the makes/models in the headlines when we can. Starting with Pat‘s Subaru Forester:

Last night, my car was stolen from in front of my house on 41st Ave SW between Edmunds and Hudson sometime after 6 PM. It is a 2015 blue Subaru Forester; the license plate number is ARP1994. If anyone sees it, please call (911).

Police say more cars are stolen to get from point A to point B than to be resold or stripped, so you really might spot one simply abandoned on the roadside or in a parking lot.

Two car break-in reports:

WINDOW SMASHED: From Mark:

Our SUV had its rear window smashed in our driveway last night sometime between 6 pm and 12:30 am. Near California and Webster. Nothing taken, just window smashed, apparently just for “fun.”

CAR PROWLED: From Martine:

(Friday) night, between midnight and 6 am, someone went through my car and took some items like my sunglasses and workout gloves. However, all my music CDs, phone charger, and loose change were NOT taken. My car was parked in front of my house on 34th Ave SW between Andover and Charlestown. I have reported this incident to the police.

Even if little or nothing is taken, you can file a report online here, so police at least have accurate records of where car prowlers are hitting. If the incident is happening now – or just happened (e.g. you just spotted someone leaving the scene) – call 911.

While some categories of crime are on the decline, per Seattle Police briefings at the community meetings we have covered lately, auto theft is not, and here’s the latest reader report: The silver Mitsubishi Diamante in the photo, license plate AZX8929, was stolen from 16th and Holden in Highland Park at 2 am, last seen eastbound on Holden. If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 2017-85119. (They DO turn up, as was the case with this one spotted by a WSB reader last weekend.)

Four reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

CAR STOLEN: Some types of crime are on the decline in West Seattle, but, police have said at recent community meetings, auto theft is not. Here’s a reader report from Nicole:

My 2000 white Honda CRV was stolen from my house (in the 3000 block of) 38th Ave SW in the middle of the night last night. It has a Seahawks license plate and a Seahawks 12 sticker.

The plate number is BCW4412.

CAR PROWL FOLLOWUP: We published Sara‘s car-prowl report yesterday, and now she’s discovered one particular stolen item that she hopes you will be able to watch for:

After getting a thorough look through the car – it looks like they took my work keys. There are quite a few keys on on an Oregon lanyard (black with green and yellow writing). This won’t help them get into anything as they are for an internal office.

The theft happened near 35th SW/SW Dakota.

Now, FOUND items that likely were stolen from somebody:

FOUND BICYCLE: Mike reports, “Found a beautiful 1-speed Raleigh bicycle in Pigeon Point. Hoping to return to the owner.” Let us know if you’re missing a bicycle that might match that description.

FOUND MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS: From Paul:

I found a tackle box, fishing bag, and brown jacket on the corner of Edmunds and 51st last night while walking my dog. It seemed really out of place and may be related to the prowler reported two nights ago in the alley on 48th and 49th.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this morning:

STOLEN CAR: From Michael near 42nd SW/SW Bradford – “Our silver 1997 Acura 2-door was discovered stolen this morning. License AOL6520 in case anyone sees it parked in their neighborhood.”

CAR PROWL: From Sara:

Just wanted to let you know that our car was rifled through on 35th and Dakota last night between midnight and 5 AM. They took the change they could find, cheap sunglasses, makeup, and some cheap jewelry. The only thing of value that they were able to get was a Kate Spade wallet that only had rewards cards and receipts in it. I would love to get the wallet back if anyone sees it dumped anywhere.