West Seattle, Washington
24 Wednesday
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:54 PM THURSDAY: The two men arrested two nights ago for alleged car-prowling and gun-brandishing remain in jail tonight, hours after a judge set bail for each at $100,000.
Court documents from this afternoon’s hearing tell us more about the allegations against the two men, ages 25 and 19, both of whom are listed as living at Admiral District addresses.
The narrative says police were first called to Bonair and Alki around 11:40 pm on Monday night. A man told them he was walking along Alki Avenue when he heard the sound of glass breaking and saw what he described as two males hit a side mirror of a black Dodge Ram truck and then break one of its windows, taking items out of it, then getting into a white Ford F-150 pickup truck (described as having a white sticker on the back window) and leaving. The pickup’s owner and three friends were in the area and the witness was telling them what he saw when, the report continues:
… the driver of the F-150 drove north on Alki Ave. SW; as they passed the Ram, both occupants of the F-150 waved pistols at the group. Approximately three blocks east on Alki Ave SW, the truck did a U-turn and began traveling back toward the Ram and group of individuals. As the F-150 approached the group of individuals, the driver turned the headlights off and stopped next to the Ram. The passenger held a small black “Glock subcompact” pistol out the door and was banging it on the outside passenger door of the F-150, while the driver held up another black pistol. The group of individuals feared they were going to be shot so they all ran and ducked behind the Ram. The F-150 left west on Alki.
As I did an area check for the F-150, a road-rage call was aired, stating a vehicle was being followed by a white Ford F-150 with a sticker on the back window in the vicinity of 50th Ave. SW/SW Charlestown.
The officer went to that area but didn’t find the F-150. The officer talked to the victims, a man and woman, around 12:15 am, and this is what they reported:
They were parked on the north side of Madison Middle School talking in the car when a white Ford F-150 pulled up behind them and turned its headlights off. The passenger of the truck got out with a golf club in his hands and approached the passenger side of the vehicle (the two victims) were in. The driver of the F-150 approached the driver’s side with an unknown “metal” object in his hand, which may have been a large wrench. The passenger held the golf club up like a baseball bat and yelled for the two to get off their block. In fear of being assaulted, (the victims) drove off and the F-150 followed.
The woman told police she recognized the passenger but not the driver. Less than 10 minutes later, another officer noticed a white Ford F-150 at the California/Charlestown 7-11, matching the description that had been circulated among police. The report says the driver was standing by the truck, while the passenger was walking out of the store toward it. Police took them into custody; the 19-year-old suspect was reported to have had a Glock 42 in his left front pants pocket, with “4 rounds in the magazine (but none) in the chamber.”
The report continues, “There was a Glock 10mm pistol lying on the dashboard of the truck, golf clubs in the back seat, and miscellaneous tools in plain view throughout the vehicle.” Victims from both incidents came to the scene and, the probable-cause documents say, identified both men as the pickup driver and passenger involved in the earlier incidents. Both are under investigation for harassment and theft; the older suspect is under investigation for unlawful firearm possession, as he is a convicted felon, while the younger is also being held on a warrant from southwest Washington for driving with a suspended license. Both are due back in court tomorrow, and we’ll find out if prosecutors will charge them or whether they’ll be released with charges possible later.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Charges are now filed against the two suspects, 25-year-old Jory Preston and 19-year-old Justin Hoyt. We’ll have a separate followup later tonight with full details.
(Added: WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
3:22 PM: The Guardian One law-enforcement helicopter has been over Alki/West Admiral while police have been responding on the ground to what sounds to have started as a suspected package theft – they had been tracking possible suspects along SW Lander. Now Seattle Fire is responding to a possibly related medical call at 56th/Lander. We’re still gathering information as we send a crew that way. More to come.
3:47 PM: Our crew has arrived and here’s what they have been told by police: No crime committed, after all. The people who were reported as suspected package thieves were carrying a package of firewood. The person who was hurt was the person who reported them, who slipped and fell and hit his head. Guardian One just happened to be up and around and that’s how they got involved, police said.
9:04 AM: Bicycle thieves seem to have been particularly prolific lately. Earlier this week, we featured four bicycles – three “found” (check the photos if you’re missing one), one stolen, and here’s another theft report, from Peter:
Would like to report a stolen bicycle from alongside my residence (5900 block of Beach Drive SW), sometime between 4 pm Monday, June 20, and 2 pm Tuesday, June 21. Bike is a Black 2005 Marin Muirwoods commuter bike, 24 speed, serial number C145GSB003. (I saw the abandoned bike postings from this afternoon, but none of them are mine.) The thief had to come onto private property to take the bike from alongside my house. Stock photo of bike (here).
A police report has been filed, and the bike is also registered on BikeIndex.org, and has been reported stolen to them.
ADDED 9:18 AM: This photo and report just came in from Melissa:
We live at 50th and SW Waite and someone went through our neighbor’s car last night, though they didn’t take anything. Our cars weren’t touched but we did find this on the sidewalk by our house – confirmed that it is not our neighbor’s- but maybe someone else is missing this from another prowling? It appears to be full of dog toys and pet care items.
What started as an Alki car-prowl report and continued with alleged brandishing of “guns and golf clubs” resulted in two arrests late last night, according to SPD Blotter.
On June 21st, at about 11:40 pm, officers responded to a report of a car prowl near Bonair Drive SW and Alki Avenue SW. A victim reported one of the suspects in the break-in had flashed a gun at the victim and his friends before fleeing in a white Ford pickup truck.
The victim told police he and his friends had returned to their parked vehicle and found the driver’s side window was broken. A bystander pointed out the suspects to the victim just before the two men rolled past them in a pickup truck. As the suspects drove by, the driver and passenger reportedly flashed handguns at the group. The truck then made a U-turn and came back toward the group, and the two suspects began shouting threats.
The victims ducked behind a parked car and the suspects drove off.
Officers took statements from the victims and photographed the prowled vehicle. As the officers were processing the scene, police received another report that two men in a white Ford truck had just brandished golf clubs in another incident near SW Charlestown and 50th Avenue SW. The original responding officers went with other officers to the new call in an attempt to locate the suspects.
Officers found the suspect’s truck parked at a 7-11 in the 3800 block of California Avenue SW and soon spotted the two suspects, ages 19 and 25, walking out of the store. Police discovered the 19-year-old was carrying a handgun in his front pocket, and also found a handgun, golf club and metal pipes inside the pickup truck.
Both suspects were arrested and booked into the King County Jail for felony harassment and theft. The 25-year-old, who is a convicted felon and unable to lawfully possess firearms, was also booked for unlawful possession of the firearm.
The two men remain in jail, according to the register; we’re checking on whether they’ll appear for bail hearings today or tomorrow.
5:06 PM: After multiple secondhand reports about this, we haven’t been able to track down the police report yet, but a warning seems to be in order about a robbery/theft reported in the West Seattle Trader Joe’s parking lot this afternoon. The first person to contact us said she is a friend of the victim: “My friend was robbed at approximately 1:20. She screamed for help and no one responded. Police later notified. Robbery: Man took her money, phone, credit cards, etc, while she was unpacking groceries, then another guy drove him away.” We have a followup message out to that friend asking about suspect and vehicle description, etc. Another friend says the victim posted on social media that the thief/robber was driven up, got out of that vehicle, grabbed the purse, and then got into another car to get away (but still no descriptive details). If we don’t get more info sooner, we’ll pursue it at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
6:43 PM UPDATE: We just spoke with the victim by phone. She says it happened in the center of the main lot, where she was parked not far from the exit onto Fauntleroy. The thief was a passenger in a dark-red or maroon older Ford Bronco/Explorer-type “smaller, older SUV with a squared-off back, 4 doors” that drove up next to her car. He got out, walked toward her “mumbling” – she’s a nurse so she says she wondered if he was OK – then suddenly, she says, as she was reaching for her last bag of groceries, he lunged into the back of her car, which was open, grabbed her purse, got back in his vehicle, and it left.
She describes him as “probably 5’5″, 5’6″, stocky, pale complexion, round face, stubbly,” wearing some type of hat, but she cannot recall anything about his clothing. The “strange mumbling” was his most distinctive feature, she says, adding that police told her the description and MO matched an incident elsewhere in the area within the past week.
Also, regarding the report that no one answered her calls for help after the theft, she said a woman did eventually come over and ask what she could do and offered her phone for the 911 call. The theft victim did talk with the store manager and staffers who she said came out, but she was told there are no cameras outside the store.
We’re heading to the Crime Prevention Council meeting now and if someone doesn’t bring it up, we’ll follow up with precinct leadership about the report that this was a repeat incident.
Four bicycles – stolen or abandoned/”found” – start off this West Seattle Crime Watch report:
VINTAGE BIKE STOLEN FROM SHED: From Marcella:
We live on the 6000 block of California Ave. Last week someone went through our cars in the middle of the night – didn’t get anything of value, mostly just looked through everything.
(Monday) morning, our shed has been broken into. The only think stolen was my bike – a vintage red/white/blue Huffy from the ’50s that my dad had refurbished. It is probably too small for anyone to ride or worth much money, but it was very meaningful to me. Please let me know if anyone sees it.
Now, three bicycles that have turned up, apparently abandoned, which tends to mean “stolen and dumped”:
FOUND NEAR A DUMPSTER: Connie says this bicycle turned up near a trash bin along Harbor Avenue:
FOUND ON 48TH SW: That’s where Erin found the next bike, “a Novara Forza, size small,” on Monday morning. Recognize it?
FOUND BY A BUSINESS: Rick says this bicycle has been near his West Seattle business for more than a week:
If any of those bicycles might be yours, let us know and we’ll connect you.
We also have one non-bicycle-related Crime Watch reader report:
‘BAD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS’ … is how Russ slugged this:
Bad news: someone prowled one of our cars on Saturday night in the 10200 block of 39th Ave. SW. (Shame on us for apparently leaving it unlocked.) Several items were missing, although nothing of particular economic or sentimental value.
Good news: a gentleman who lives of 31st Ave. SW appeared at our door after finding the stolen items dumped in his yard. Kudos to you, sir — although we regret we didn’t ask your name!
It appears that the thief (thieves?) decided that our possessions weren’t worth keeping; everything taken from our car was recovered.
However, there was one item that was not ours: a small black coin purse. (Update: See the photo in this WSB comment.) It’s completely empty, but someone out there may want it back. If so, they can e-mail me: rdy5591@gmail.com
And we’ll mention it one more time – TONIGHT is the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, best place to bring your neighborhood concerns/questions directly to Southwest Precinct leadership. WSCPC president Richard Miller also has booked SPD’s Chief Operating Officer Brian Maxey as the special guest, with a plan to discuss 911 operations. 7 pm, SW Precinct, 2300 SW Webster.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight, a painful reminder that even the trunk isn’t a safe place to leave valuables in your vehicle. Gabriel reports: “My wife’s car was broken into around 11 am at the larger Lincoln Park parking lot. They shattered the driver’s window and stole items from the trunk (purse, credit cards, etc.). There were a lot of people around, but if anyone saw anything, they ignored it. … Small black leather purse, small black wallet were taken. Credit cards and a birth certificate were the main items of value (out of town traveler) taken. Several charges in West Seattle (Big 5, gas station, Home Depot) were made before the theft was discovered.” Police have said that car prowlers in parking lots can move quickly and stealthily without others nearby realizing what’s going on.
P.S. Another reminder that your monthly chance to bring crime/safety concerns to local police is this Tuesday (June 21st), the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster). SPD’s chief operating officer Brian Maxey is the scheduled guest, focusing on SPD’s 911 system.
Five West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
TONIGHT – RING GONE AFTER SOLICITOR LEAVES: Danielle believes her engagement ring, left on the shelf in her bathroom, was stolen by a solicitor a little over an hour ago in the Fairmount neighborhood, near 38th and Raymond. “Around 7 pm a young black male wearing a bow tie and feminine backpack came to the door to sell magazines. My fiancé naïvely let him in to use the bathroom while he wrote a $25 check. I now realize my engagement ring that I had taken off to garden and left on the bathroom shelf is missing. Please keep an eye out for this person and do not give him any money. Please call the police immediately.” We asked for further descriptive information before publishing this and she replied:
Height: probably 5’10”
Clothes: button-up shirt (white) with a bow tie with a sweatshirt on top. He was wearing a backpack that reminded me of one I’d seen at Forever 21 in the women’s section (might have been floral). May have been wearing a hat but we can’t remember so we can’t really remember what his hair looks like. Definitely black hair though.
Side note – we’ve had a few questions about door-to-door sellers in general recently. The second half of this SPD Crime Prevention newsletter from 2013 recaps the rules, as well as police’s advice.
WHEEL STOLEN: From Michael in Seaview:
We live at 46th Ave SW and Findlay. Thieves stole one wheel this morning off our car, and almost had a second (picture attached).
Removed the lug nuts from both and from all appearances the front one fell back to rest on the loose wheel since the jack was not set up well. From talking with the neighbors across the street it sounds like it happened around 10:30 this morning. Usually we have a fair amount of traffic and it sounds like people might have mistaken it for us working on the car.
HIT AND RUN: From Brad:
This morning at 1:10 am, my Jeep was hit and run by a yellow / light color medium sized pickup. This pickup truck was drifting up the corner of Spokane Street and then the corner of 58th and Hillcrest when the impact occurred. They fled the scene up Hillcrest, which turns into Charlestown.
This yellowish pickup will have front damage and a headlight out. In the broken glass debris is a ‘Made in the USA’ stamp. So, either the vehicle was made in the USA, or the headlight was. If anyone sees this damaged vehicle, please notify police (and refer to) incident # 16-216446.
3 CAR PROWLS, 2 REPORTS: Meghan reports two on Thursday in the 2100 block of Fairmount Avenue: “Luckily, there was nothing of great value in either vehicle; however, they did rifle through personal items (mail, address books, etc).” And Kristiana reported on Friday: “Reporting our second car break in 6 months. Nothing valuable to take in our car but they tossed the contents all over our seats and made off with a phone cord. Sigh. … We’re at Spokane and 48th. Car was parked on street in front of house.”
REMINDER: If you have neighborhood crime concerns to bring to police, next Tuesday (June 21st) is the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster), with guest SPD Chief Operating Officer Brian Maxey, focusing on questions and concerns about the 911 system.
Just out of the WSB inbox:
I wanted to report something that happened to me Friday night as I was walking on Myrtle by the playfield at 31st. It was around 11 pm and I was walking alone west on Myrtle. A red SUV (Mazda, I think) drove up 31st to Myrtle and idled at the intersection. Two young men, late teens or early 20s, slight build) got out and walked across the street and came quickly up behind me. I turned to face them and the one closest to me punched me in the face and told me to hand over my money. I fell back on the lawn of the house I was in front of and kicked out at him, screaming, “I don’t have any money, get the f— out of here! I’m calling the cops.” The two guys ran back to the car and then peeled out and turned the corner to drive south on 32nd. Although the lights were on in most of the houses and a dog started up barking, nobody came out of their house to help me. I called the police and they took down my account and escorted me home.
We asked the victim, who didn’t want to be identified, if she is physically OK; she replied, “Face hurts but he got me in the back of my jaw near my ear, so no teeth loose or anything.”
The incident number for the attack, categorized as strong-arm robbery, is in this tweet, if you have any information for police.
(March WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
If you’ve been wondering what’s going on with the investigation of the illegal Duwamish Head Greenbelt tree-cutting in East Admiral – City Councilmember Lisa Herbold confirms it’s continuing, and that criminal and civil action are both possible. From an update she published today:
… The Seattle Police Department is continuing its investigation to determine if there is probable cause for criminal prosecution and will prepare a case to submit to the King County Prosecutor. The King County Prosecutor has jurisdiction over criminal felony prosecutions. The Police Department has conducted interviews and distributed flyers in the adjacent neighborhood for any information or leads. Last month, the Parks Department removed blackberry bushes for evidence of any previous cutting beyond the recent example, but didn’t find any additional tree cutting.
Separately from this effort to prepare a potential criminal violation, the City Attorney’s Office is also working to pursue potential civil action. It is likely that the office will issue one or more demand letters in the next few months, asking potentially responsible parties to pay the City damages and fines. If the King County Prosecutor declines to prosecute, the City Attorney’s Office may – at that time – decide to pursue a criminal action. Responsible parties may (1) be required to pay the City damages, civil fines and penalties, including restoration work, and also (2) face criminal penalties. It appears that the City has between 18 and 30 months during which to timely file a court case.
The City Attorney’s Office and Seattle Police Department are reluctant to publicly disclose additional information or additional specifics on their timeline as they believe that doing so could limit the effectiveness of the investigation and any prosecution or civil actions. …
Herbold’s update continues with details of the laws that could apply, and potential penalties – read it in its entirety here.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports tonight:
STOLEN CAR: Rebecca‘s neighborhood in Gatewood has been hit again by car thieves. Her car was taken two months ago; we published her report, and an observant neighbor spotted the car nearby. Tonight, she says, two sisters visiting the neighborhood reported someone stole their car just feet from where Rebecca’s was taken in the 3900 block of SW Elmgrove [map]. It’s a 2009 Nissan Versa, baby blue, WA plate ending in 632, “trim near driver-side door hands loose near keyhole.” Call 911 if you see it.
DOORSTEP THEFT: In the 9000 block of 4th SW [map], Sheila reports a doorstep theft last night:
Our neighbor returned a car battery recharger he borrowed, left it on the front step at 10 pm. We have video of a man quickly walking up the front walk at about 11:20, grabbing the small pouch with the charger in it, and walking quickly away. I’ve reported to police. … The guy was wearing a hat so can’t see his face. Short, apparently dark hair is best we’ve been able to make out. Coat with bright tape (like safety jacket) and high-top sneakers.
P.S. Reminder – this month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is next Tuesday (June 21st), 7 pm, at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster; map).
P.P.S., ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: WSCPC president Richard Miller tells WSB that the guest on Tuesday will be SPD’s Chief Operating Officer Brian Maxey, who will be able to speak about the operations of the 911 Center, among other topics.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share this afternoon. First, posted by SPD Blotter‘s Jonah Spangenthal-Lee:
A complaint about a sleeping passenger on a shuttle bus Wednesday led police to arrest an armed felon with a stolen handgun.
Officers Michael Sudduth and Todd Wiebke boarded the bus in the 1600 block of Harbor Avenue Southwest around 3:15 PM, approached the slumbering suspect and asked him to leave. The man waved them off and went back to sleep.
Officer Wiebke once again tried to rouse the man, shaking his shoulder, but the man stirred only stirred enough to roll over onto his side, revealing a handgun in his waistband.
Officers quickly arrested the man and took his gun. Although someone had tried to destroy the gun’s serial number, officers were still able to decipher it, leading them to discover the weapon was reported stolen last year in Kent. Police also learned the suspect is a convicted felon, unable to legally possess firearms.
Police booked the man into the King County Jail for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of stolen property.
The suspect, 28, is still in jail as of this hour; we’re checking to see if he has a bail hearing this afternoon, and will update with any additional information. (4:59 PM UPDATE: His bail is set at $75,000. His last known address, as listed on documents submitted for the hearing, was in White Center; the jail register shows this is his fourth booking in just under a year, following bookings for drug cases, an assault case, and at least one failure-to-appear warrant.)
Second, a followup to the case of the missing art, reported here last week – art that was supposed to be shipped back to local artist Rebecca Woodhouse after a California exhibit instead was labeled with someone else’s name; that person picked it up and did not respond to repeated inquiries, so police considered it theft (yes, state law says that can include misdelivered items).
Rebecca tells us finally heard from a relative of the man who picked up her art – and learned he’s been in jail since a week after the art was picked up on May 16th. This week, the detective on her case retrieved it and got it back to her; one box had been opened, she said, but the artwork was intact and undamaged.
10:03 AM: Thanks for the tips about a big police response at Cal-Mor Circle in the 6400 block of California SW. Officers responded to a report of a gunshot in the building. No reports about any victim(s) so far. But SPD confirms SWAT is being called out. We are at the scene and working to find out more.
10:16 AM: Some of the building’s residents have been evacuated. Also, police are closing off the California/Fauntleroy intersection.
10:29 AM: Avoid the area – California is blocked off between Holly and Graham, Fauntleroy about one block each side of California, and the side streets you’ll be detoured onto are mostly one lane because of parking on both sides.
By the way, if you’re seeing/hearing the helicopter, it’s TV, not law enforcement.
10:42 AM: To be clear (in response to questions in comments), there is no one “on the loose” or being sought here. Police have confirmed that the person they are focused on, who they believe fired a shot, and who they’ve apparently had contact with before, is in his apartment. Again, please stay away from California/Fauntleroy because police have it blocked off until this is resolved.
10:57 AM: The person is in custody. The roads will be reopened shortly. No injuries reported.
11:18 AM: Bus reroutes (128, C Line) also lifted. We’re still at the scene waiting to ask police a few more questions.
11:23 AM: The person who was taken into custody will be taken to Harborview Medical Center to be evaluated. Meantime, the building’s residents are being allowed back into their apartments. We don’t know yet if a gun was found.
1:44 PM: We just checked back with SPD. So far, no gun or related evidence found, but the incident “remains under investigation.” (Also, we’ve added a few more of our photos from this morning.)
Two incident reports from readers – first, from Libby:
(Saturday) at 1:45 pm, my husband, kids, and I were merging onto I-5 south from the West Seattle Bridge. We were in the merging lane when, seemingly out of nowhere, we saw a giant wooden doghouse fly out of the back of a navy blue pickup truck and bounce onto the freeway. The body of the house bounced up 8 feet into the air and then landed behind a semi truck in the middle lanes while the roof flew onto the freeway directly in front of our car. My husband attempted to swerve to avoid it but did not want to risk getting hit by oncoming traffic in other lane so was ultimately forced to drive right over the structure which caused tremendous damage to our white Subaru Outback. We pulled over at the next exit (Michigan exit) to call 911 about the debris and the possible aftermath. We were told a state trooper would call us back to get a statement. As of (late Saturday night), no call has come our way.
We never got a license plate of the driver of the truck and would like to know if anyone else witnessed this. It happened in just seconds and we weren’t fast enough to grab plates. There were several cars behind us coming off of the West Seattle bridge to merge onto I-5 south and if anyone at all has any information we would so appreciate it.
We can be reached at 206-782-9671 call/text (Jay) or by email at sivak.jason@gmail.com
From Bethany:
Highland Park resident here, wanted to shoot you guys a heads-up about a weird hit and run outside our home to our two cars on 13th between Elmgrove and Kenyon – one car had the side mirror removed (no other damage, and the mirror is nowhere to be found, so whomever removed the darn thing either ACTUALLY removed it, or hit it and cleaned up after themselves), and the other car was hit with such force it shoved the rear wheels up onto the curb. No other vehicles on the road seem to be damaged, but there’s suspiciously little debris in the street. No bueno.
That was reported on Saturday morning.
Just in from Seattle Police, via SPD Blotter:
Police arrested a 16-year-old Friday in West Seattle after he reportedly showed off a stolen handgun to his friends before trying to ditch it near a school.
Just before 9:30 AM, police received a report that the suspect was showing off a handgun to a group of teenagers in the 8600 block of 24th Avenue SW and SW Cloverdale. According to a 911 caller, the suspect had flashed a handgun in his waistband, pulled out the clip and then pulled the trigger of the empty weapon.
Police notified nearby Denny Middle School and Chief Sealth High School about the incident and began searching for the 16-year-old. Within nine minutes of the initial call, officers found the gun stashed in some bushes in the 8400 block of 26th Avenue SW and discovered it has been reported stolen in Snohomish County. Police found and arrested the 16-year-old minutes later and booked him into the King County Youth Service Center for unlawful possession of a firearm.
(UPDATED 5:04 PM with new information on burglary suspect)
In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
BURGLARY SUSPECT ARRESTED, WITH DOG: A burglary suspect who neighbors believe is the door-trying “prowler with pooch” shown here in mid-May is due back in court today. After a tip that the suspect had been arrested Monday afternoon in the 9400 block of 24th SW, we followed up on the case: Police say a realtor found the 36-year-old woman and her dog inside a house listed for sale. Probable-cause documents say she appeared to be under the influence of drugs and begged officers not to take her dog; though she suggested someone who could come get it before she was taken to jail, that person was unreachable and the dog was taken to the shelter. The suspect, who gave a Burien address, has a long record of property crimes, including at least two featured here, but has never spent time in the state prison system (we checked to see if they had a mugshot, to compare to the “prowler with pooch” video). Her bail was set yesterday at $25,000 and we’ll be checking to see what happens today. According to the police report, the house on 24th SW had not been entered forcibly, and it hadn’t been determined whether anything was stolen.
ADDED 5:17 PM: The suspect is now charged with criminal trespass, so, per our policy, we can identify her: 36-year-old Jessica A. Detrick. Her bail is now $1,000; if still in custody, she is scheduled for arraignment tomorrow morning. Detrick figured into two cases we reported here in 2013, both with the same accomplice, Sean Jeardoe, who is currently in was recently released from prison: They were both arrested in a Morgan Junction parking lot in July 2013 after a WSB reader spotted him in a pickup truck reported here as stolen.
They were not charged at the time, though he confessed to multiple burglaries, but he was charged after they were arrested on Vashon Island two months later. As we reported at the time, investigators believed they were “responsible for up to 22 burglaries, 4 gun thefts, 3 auto thefts, and other crimes.” He reached a plea deal and was sentenced to 4 1/2 years including mandatory drug treatment; court records do not show any evidence Detrick was ever charged. She does appear to have had some arrests in the ensuing two years, but no felony prosecutions. (Friday afternoon update: She’s been released from jail.)
(back to original report) GUNFIRE/CRASH FOLLOWUP: Since Monday, we’ve been trying to get the report narrative on the 10th/Roxbury incident we covered Saturday afternoon. We confirmed that while both Seattle Police and King County Sheriff’s Office responded, the investigation is a KCSO case. Media-relations officer Sgt. Jason Houck talked with detectives, who are still looking for tips/witnesses, and provided this summary/update:
Two vehicles were involved in a running gun battle. Per witnesses, there were at least two people in each car. The car being chased, a gold-colored Buick, collided head-on with a car going west on Roxbury.
(WSB photo from Saturday)This led to several other collisions. The car following the Buick was described by a witness as a black Chevy Impala. It fled from the scene. The occupants of the Buick fled from the scene, but the driver returned a short time later. Several fired cartridge casings were recovered. Although there were several people injured during the collisions, no one has been found with gunshot wounds. No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information about this shooting can leave information by contacting 206-263-2090 – Major Crimes Unit
KCSO would not release the full report narrative, saying its policy is not to do so with open cases, even if a public-disclosure request is filed (which we did), so this is the entirety of what we have so far.
POSSIBLE GUNFIRE: Just in case you were wondering – we got one report late last night of possible shots, heard from 14th/Kenyon; when they called 911, they were told others had called in, too. Police responded but, according to Lt. Alan Williams, did not find any evidence of gunfire (shell casings, bullet holes, etc.) and didn’t find anyone who had seen someone firing a gun.
CAR PROWLS CONTINUE: We’ve reported before on car prowls in the garage at Spruce, the Fauntleroy/Alaska/39th building that houses apartments and LA Fitness. A frustrated gym employee contacted us today, saying break-ins are continuing there and on surrounding blocks, concerned that their employer is getting the blame but shouldn’t be. The employee says the garage does not have adequate security. The online police-report map does not not show a recent concentration of prowls there, but we’ve heard this anecdotally from multiple sources including this one (if your car is broken into, please report it, wherever it happens, even if nothing is taken).
HIT-RUN – SEE ANYTHING? From Daniel:
My 2010 Subaru Outback was side swiped the afternoon of Sunday, June 5th . It was sitting in front of my house, at the corner of 42nd Ave SW & Spokane St SW. No note was left. It was hit by a blue SUV or light truck. Damage is to passenger front and rear door (estimate of damage is $1756.00). A police report was filled with the Seattle Police (case #2016-200484).
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight. First one’s a followup, from Sarah:
Remember the Gibson guitar and Fender amp that were stolen out of my son’s car? They were recovered by the police after the robber tried to sell them this week at a Capitol Hill pawn shop! We had serial numbers that we had given to the police pawn shop squad (a very important step: make sure that happens so that they alert pawn shops). We are very happy and relieved! The broken car window was a $50 deductible, but all things considered, a good outcome to what had been a very no-good bad-day two weeks ago.
Second, recognize this potentially stolen-and-abandoned bicycle? Amy sent the photo:
She says it’s been parked on a sidewalk near EC Hughes Playground, and that it has a broken chain. If you recognize it, let us know – comments or editor@westseattleblog.com.
Third and final, a new round of safety advice from SPD, in the latest newsletter from Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon. Read it here as a two-page PDF.
4:54 PM: Eight months after kicking her boyfriend’s toddler son to death in their Morgan Junction apartment, 21-year-old Alicia Goemaat pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder. We just found that out after checking court files. Goemaat was arrested less than a week after 17-month-old Drue Lehto was found dead; investigators say she kicked him and then placed him in his crib, where he was found. She eventually was reported to have said she was mad at Drue for fighting with her own young child over a toy. Second-degree murder is the charge originally filed against Goemaat last fall; we have no other details of today’s hearing but will update with anything more we find out. Her sentencing is set for July 8th.
6:18 PM: We now have information from KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe regarding the sentencing recommendation: “The sentence range is 123 to 220 months in prison, and prosecutors will recommend 140 months.” (That’s 11 years, 8 months.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s now up to the state Court of Appeals to decide whether to uphold the manslaughter conviction of Lovett Chambers for shooting and killing Travis Hood by Morgan Junction Park in January 2012.
Three Court of Appeals, Division 1 judges and two lawyers – neither of whom were on the original defense/prosecution teams – spent 21 minutes on the case in the COA’s Downtown Seattle chambers this morning.
Chambers was charged with murder while contending self-defense; a King County Superior Court jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter in April 2014 (during which the file photo at left was taken – he was not at today’s hearing), and he is serving an 11 1/2-year sentence.
While his appeal brief (read it here) argues seven points, this morning’s arguments focused on just the first one: The claim that the jury should not have received an instruction about finding him guilty of manslaughter.
He shot to kill, his lawyer David B. Koch argued. Read More
After two years, it’s down to 20 minutes.
That’s the total amount of time allotted for both sides to make their respective cases tomorrow when they argue for and against the appeal of Lovett Chambers, the Gatewood man convicted two years ago of manslaughter for the Morgan Junction shooting death of Travis Hood.
Though the verdict itself was a charge reduced from the one with which Chambers, now 71, had been charged – second-degree murder – his appeal challenges it and six other points. The written arguments by Chambers’ lawyers say jurors shouldn’t have been instructed that manslaughter was an option, because there was no “factual basis for that charge.” They also argue that the search of Chambers’ home the night of the shooting was illegal.
Chambers has never denied killing Hood, who was 36, but contended that it was self-defense. He was sentenced to 11 1/2 years and has been behind bars now for 4 1/2 years, since the night of the shooting in January 2012. Tuesday’s oral arguments are on the morning docket for a three-judge panel of the State Court of Appeals meeting in Seattle.
In West Seattle Crime Watch today:
ART THEFT: Artist Rebecca Woodhouse is asking you to be on the lookout for her stolen artwork. It’s an unusual theft case: She shipped 4 boxes containing 6 linocut-paintings to Ventura, California, for an art show and included the return shipping labels. The gallery didn’t tell her the work had been shipped back, and when it arrived at a mailing center here, it had someone else’s name on the labels. She says the center called that person, who then picked up the items and signed for them. She has been trying to reach that person for more than a week and since the messages have not been returned, it’s now being treated as a theft. “I was trying to give the guy the benefit of the doubt; he didn’t know what they were, took them home, works a lot, and didn’t prioritize calling the mailing center or the people who sent the boxes, but enough time went by, and with all the phone calls, it’s crossed the line to theft. The officer said it himself.” She says her name is on all of the art. We couldn’t post all the photos here so she has collected them on this page of her website as a gallery of stolen art. Let her and SPD know if you have information.
SEEN THIS MATH HOMEWORK? From another Rebecca, a car break-in report, with missing math homework:
Sometime between 5 pm Sunday and 6:45 this morning our car was broken into, and a blanket and 2 backpacks were taken from the back. One had school books, one had basic medical supplies in it (icy-hot spray and bandages for sports injuries). I am sure we left a back window open too far (it was hot!! we were tired). How they didn’t set off an alarm interests me, but so it goes.
Learning lesson, but also wishing there was a collection point for “oops, we stole some stuff that is of no use to us, so we can drop it here judgment free, since a semester of math homework probably means more to somone else than it sells for on the street.”
A police report is on file.
PACKAGE PROWLERS: The photo and report are from Patrick:
This is a photo of a package prowler I saw entering my neighbor’s yard as I was returning from work on Friday around 5:30 PM. This was on 34th between Webster and Holden in the Sunrise Heights neighborhood. The neighbor had packages and my wife had seen them driving slowly, stopping, and reversing back to the house. African American female driver, white tank top, African American male companion. Both late twenties to early forties. Car was a ’90s Chrysler or Dodge. Suspension completely blown, loud distinct rattle. Trunk appeared unlatched. Moments after posting this photo to the neighborhood FB page, another neighbor reported seeing the same car attempting to take a package before being confronted. It should be noted these people were doing this at 530, when most people are returning from work, with witnesses outside. Very brazen and most likely desperate. … Call 911 if you see suspicious behavior.
(Added: WSB photos)
2:45 PM: Big police response right now in the 10th/Roxbury vicinity, where police have found “multiple shell casings” after a report of gunfire. No shooting victim(s) reported so far but a crash nearby might somehow be related.
Per the scanner, police say witnesses reported seeing at least one person shooting on the passenger side of a “black Impala,” described only as a “black male, bald, white shirt, firing out the window.”
3:05 PM: We are in the area; Roxbury is closed 9th to 12th for this investigation.
Our photographer says King County Sheriff’s Deputies (some units are Burien PD, which is part of KCSO) also are investigating; they and SPD are canvassing both sides of the street looking for witnesses.
4:05 PM: Photos added. We’re heading back over shortly to see if the street has reopened.
5:16 PM: Finally got back over to check. All clear and open.
(WSB photo)
Police investigated a report of gunfire at 15th and Roxbury after 5 pm tonight; we found out about it after a texter (thank you) reported multiple police cars heading south. Police say witnesses told them that two men exchanged words and “gang signs”; one fired a shot at a car, possibly an Acura, that subsequently took off. No injuries reported, and no arrests so far.
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