West Seattle, Washington
18 Thursday
On Thursday, several readers asked about an Admiral incident the night before. We had heard bits and pieces of radio traffic, with a dispatcher at one point describing the suspects as “wreaking havoc,” but were unable to get followup information from Seattle Police until the case number was made available today. So we requested and received the report narrative, with a few redactions, today. The report began with the officer who wrote it being dispatched at 11:16 pm Wednesday to a report of a collision in the 2600 block of 42nd SW. The report picks up from there:
En route, dispatch advised that there were reports of shots fired in the area and that the involved vehicle may have left the scene.
I arrived with other Officers and observed several people clustered around a vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle, a (redacted), had significant damage to the front end and windshield.
I spoke with the occupants of the vehicle (redacted). They told me the following. They had been at Alki Beach earlier in the evening and prior to the incident they were traveling eastbound on SW Admiral Wy. As they passed the 7-11 at 4312 SW Admiral Wy, they observed 3 vehicles in the parking lot revving their engines before leaving the area traveling westbound on SW Admiral Wy. They slowed down as they passed and they observed the 3 vehicles perform a U-turn behind them. They described these vehicles as a white sedan and 2 gray sedans.
They turned right at the intersection with California Av SW and cut through the parking lot at the Safeway … They emerged southbound on 42 Av SW and proceeded southbound. Another vehicle turned onto 42 Av SW facing northbound. The vehicle revved its engine and honked repeatedly. They stopped their vehicle in the roadway because they did not know what to do. There was an open lane of travel next to them for this other vehicle to pass them. The vehicle then proceeded forward at a high rate of speed and crashed into the victim vehicle. The vehicle then reversed at a high rate of speed. This vehicle was a white sedan.
(Redacted) all exited the victim vehicle and ran, fearing that they would be seriously injured or killed by this vehicle if it rammed them again. The vehicle then moved northbound again at a high rate of speed before driving around their vehicle and leaving the area northbound.
(Redacted) ended up hiding in a nearby yard. (Redacted) ran away southbound toward SW Lander St. As they approached the intersection, 2 gray sedans pulled up and demanded to know if they had seen a black male with dreadlocks.
These vehicles proceeded northbound on 42 Av SW and stopped mid-block in front of the victim vehicle. 6 black males exited the vehicles with bats and golf clubs and proceeded to strike the victim vehicle several times, shattering all the windows and causing significant damage to the body. They removed all of the items inside the victim vehicle and placed them in their own vehicles before leaving the area northbound.
(Victim names redacted) were afraid to confront the suspects stealing their property. They believed that the suspects would assault them with the bats and clubs if they approached. Several residents in the area heard the collision and called 911. They observed the suspects damaging the victim vehicle. They all provided similar narratives of what had happened.
No one was able to provide further descriptions of the vehicles or suspects. The victim vehicle was not drivable. An impound form was completed and Gerber Towing responded to the scene and removed it. Officers conducted a check of the surrounding area but were unable to locate the suspects or their vehicles. (Redacted) No evidence of a shooting was located at the scene or nearby. It is likely that the sound of the collision and the sound of the victim vehicle being damaged were misheard as shots by several callers.
(Victim names redacted) declined to be examined by SFD. They advised that they each had a backpack inside the vehicle that was missing. They all stated their backpacks were black in color and contained personal items including their clothing. They believed that the 2 gray sedans had been chasing the white sedan that struck the victim vehicle.
(Redacted) They were all provided business cards and they declined to provide audio statements. They all left the
area.Dispatch broadcast an auto recovery at 14 Av S and S Dakota St. (Redacted) This vehicle [a Kia] returned stolen out of Bellevue. The vehicle was described as having significant front end damage. … I responded to that location and observed a black backpack outside of it. I collected this backpack and submitted it to evidence. … There was a report of an assault or robbery at xxxx SW Waite St; in that incident the suspects were described as 6 teenaged males one of whom was black. They may have left the area in a dark-colored sedan. It is unknown at this time if these incidents are related.
Those two videos are from a crash-and-grab burglary at the nonprofit West Seattle Tool Library, which is on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge. Head librarian Micheal sent the report and videos today, and says this happened a week ago:
Around 3:30 in the morning of Friday the 11th, we fell victim to a “smash-and-grab” burglary: a 1998-2000 greenish-blue Ford pickup truck was crashed through our roll-up shop door, and the driver made off with several thousand dollars worth of tools and cash from the workshop. Fortunately, none of the tools we check out were stolen, but the stolen items were some of the most important for performing maintenance, as well as for our members to use for projects in the shop. We’re now hoping to raise $4,000 to replace the items that were stolen and damaged in the break-in, and to reinforce our security yet again. The police report number is 23-237581.
In case you can’t see the videos, here’s a screengrab:
The Tool Library’s donation link is here (via PayPal).
Sent by Christine:
Just want to get the word out that we have had an increase in criminal activity on the 3200 block of 44th Ave SW. (Tuesday) night someone entered our garage and stole a men’s bicycle, a cordless drill, a blower and hedge trimmer, two skateboards, and the batteries and chargers to the garden tools and drill. Two other neighbors have had similar incidents in the last two weeks. We are filing a police report. Just want others to be aware and to keep doors locked.
Meeples Games (3727 California SW) is looking for help in solving a theft that happened Tuesday night:
These two individuals were (first) seen outside Meeples; they seemed to be acting a bit strange. So one employee told the other to be on the lookout for them. The two came into the store separately and looked at different areas of the store. They seemed to be causing a distraction from the other person so that one could look at products. The one in the darker clothing with the Target bag was stalking the Magic the Gathering product and slowly started putting Magic the Gathering product into his Target bag. They both asked questions about expensive Magic the Gathering cards and when the one in the darker clothing went to purchase a deck box, the employee behind the counter noted to him that his Target bag wasn’t that full when he came in and asked to see a receipt of purchase for the items. He left immediately. They weren’t seen in any vehicle, at least from what our employees noticed.
If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 23-234751. You can also contact Meeples’ owner Laura at laura@meeplesgames.com.
Two reader reports:
TRAILER STOLEN: Sent by Dan:
Trailer in attached image taken from our driveway today in Fairmount Park neighborhood. No license plate or rear gate on trailer. An attempt to steal it occurred Saturday by a male and female in Ford Econoline van that now has front right damage after they smashed into my car!!
We’ll add the report # when we get it.
KIA THEFT ATTEMPT FAILS: From Carolyn:
Sometime late Sunday night/early Monday morning, someone broke into my car. Parked in front of the house (west of The Junction). They smashed the passenger-side window and attempted to hotwire the car but failed. The police report number is 23-232990. Nothing was (thankfully) stolen from the inside of the car. Car is a 2014 black Kia Forte.
From an Arroyos resident:
I live in the Arroyos neighborhood and last week we had a truck following a UPS truck in our neighborhood and stealing packages from porches in broad daylight. We have a neighborhood Whatsapp and a couple neighbors reported it, one neighbor caught the theft completely on video through Ring. Another sent a picture they took driving up our hill.
(Screengrab from video)
The truck is a Ford F-250 or F-350, white w/ 4 doors, and has a black “landscaping” gate around back. The truck is pretty unique, and no plates (of course). (Saturday) night my family was returning home around 10:45 pm from a long day out and we came up right behind the truck. We drove past the truck and I snapped another picture for a better close-up and the guy saw me do it, so he ran us down in his truck and almost hit us and then tried to run us off the road. He pulled up next to the passenger side with a face mask on and was yelling at us about taking his picture and he was taking a video of us. Fortunately he didn’t actually do any damage and we got away and home safely, but needless to say it shook us up and he clearly didn’t like being “seen.” … The driver was definitely the man in the earlier pictures. I got a better picture of the unique mud flaps on his vehicle, which my husband tracked down to a Foxboro, Mass Ford dealership called Rodman Ford (logo looks like a lion). The truck and the mud flaps are pretty distinct, not to mention no plates.
This happened so far south in The Arroyos that they’re working with the King County Sheriff’s Office on the case, the sender said. If you have information, KCSO’s non-emergency line is 206-296-3311.
Sent by Susan:
Was stolen overnight in Gatewood. Ford F-350 white King Ranch special Edition truck. W (University of Washington) sticker on back canopy window and also on trailer hitch. License plate B67087N, SPD incident # 23-232975.
Two stolen vehicles to watch for, as stolen vehicles have turned up in many different neighborhoods lately:
STOLEN GREEN YUKON: Michael sent this report:
I’m reporting my neighbor Linda‘s stolen vehicle. It’s a 2002 GMC YukonXL K1500. WA plate BPB8585. Dark green. Stolen last night at 11:07 PM from Dawson Street between California and Erskine. Police report # 23-231236.
8/18 UPDATE – Per comment, this was found in Burien.
STOLEN WHITE SIERRA: This report was sent by Ashley:
My niece lives in Port Orchard with her family, but her husband goes to South Seattle College. Their family truck was stolen out of the parking lot. The case number is 23-219742. Their truck is a 1994 GMC Sierra. Diesel. Automatic. Cloth seats, pink & blue lines that fade into droplets going down the sides. WA plate number B54865S.
Sent this morning by Seth:
We woke up this morning to find our car had been broken into and rifled through. Nothing of value was in there, so more just a pain to replace a window (and the general offense of someone messing with your stuff). It appears the prowlers hit multiple cars parked along the same side of the street – 34th Ave SW, between Holly and Willow. This is along the fence of West Seattle Elementary, so not directly in front of homes. The school site is still under construction so maintains a security guard there overnight, but I couldn’t find them to ask if they saw anything. I filed an online police report just to add it to their stats. Just sending as a heads-up since ours wasn’t the only car hit.
11:52 PM: Police have reported finding at least two shell casings so far while checking out 911 calls about gunfire north of Lincoln Park. One caller near 47th and Othello reported seeing shots fired, dispatch told officers. No reports of any injuries so far, and we haven’t heard a description of vehicle(s)/person(s) involved.
12:02 AM: Police just told dispatch they’ve found nine 9mm casings.
4:15 PM: SPD summary adds the detail that a witness reported seeing “a speeding white ‘boxy’ SUV.” If you have any information for police, the case number is 23-228204.
6:46 PM WEDNESDAY: Police are asking for help finding that car. They say it was stolen from a man found shot to death near 1st/Walker in SODO around 3:30 am Tuesday. They said little about circumstances initially, but now say the 52-year-old victim was a ride-share driver, apparently killed in the process of a carjacking. And they said tonight that the car was seen in West Seattle shortly afterward (where in WS, they didn’t say, but we’re asking). The SPD update tonight says, “The vehicle is a light blue 2014 Toyota Prius with Washington license plates BEP3940. Also, the vehicle has one mismatched rim. All other rims are silver in color.” Call 911 if you see it.
ADDED FRIDAY: SPD has arrested a suspect, an 18-year-old woman taken into custody in South Lake Union on Thursday afternoon. We don’t yet know if she has a West Seattle link but will watch for documents in the case.
Both of these incidents happened around midnight and we followed up with police today:
ADMIRAL SAFEWAY ATTACK: Two employees of Admiral Safeway were assaulted by a group of people, and one – a 36-year-old man – was taken to the hospital. Police say the two were attacked when they “interrupted suspects who were trying to push a motorized handicap scooter down an upper-level stairwell.” The attackers left in “multiple vehicles” before officers arrived. If you have any information, call the SPD Violent Crime Tip Line at 206-233-5000 and refer to incident 23-227148.
EXPLOSION: This was reported a few blocks west of The Junction, in the 4400 block of 48th SW. SPD says officers “found evidence of a fireworks explosion” as well as “minor property damage.” A reader says it happened in the alley behind a neighbor’s house: “The explosion put a hole in the bottom of the garbage can and blew the lid into the yard of the neighbor to the South and damaged the house next to the cans.”
Three reports:
GUNFIRE DAMAGES SCHOOL: From Seattle Police report summaries, this Monday discovery on the Highland Park Elementary campus:
At 10:32 [am], staff observed two children handling a spent casing in the playground area. The staff member then observed bullet damage on the building. Police responded and noted ballistic damage to a floodlight and on the exterior of the building where the floodlight was located. Staff indicated the light was functioning Thursday (8/3) and found damaged Friday (8/4).
If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 23-225299.
STOLEN SPORTAGE: From Molly: “We unfortunately woke up to our 2022 white Kia Sportage stolen from our driveway this morning in Gatewood. With the string of people joyriding and swapping Kia/Hyundais, we are really hoping it is still in the neighborhood.” License plate CAC0282.
ANOTHER BROKEN-WINDOW CAR PROWL: From Brigid:
Woke up to our driver’s-side door smashed Friday, August 4th. Parked on 29th Street SW in front of our house, between Cloverdale and Trenton. Nothing inside to steal, pure vandalism entertainment. Rash of cars’ windows being broken in our Westwood neighborhood :( Neighbors think it could have been between 530 am-700 am? Submitted police report.
First, from the inbox this morning:
BROKEN-WINDOW CAR PROWL: Sent by Donnie:
Neighbor on SW Barton/ 31st Pl, reporting to warn others of what’s been reported a few weeks back in the spree of car windows being broken. At some point during the night, my car window was broken — car seemed to be rummaged through but nothing was stolen, including an iPad I forgot to bring in that was clearly visible. It was noticed this morning around 4:30 as I was leaving for work. Police report has been filed and I’ve attached a photo to warn others and if anyone has any suspects in mind.
Two more reader reports:
DUMPED ITEMS: Sent by Tom:
These items were dumped on 12th Ave SW just north of the intersection of SW Webster. These were from a stolen car because the ignition switch was lying on a WeatherTech floor mat. Seen on Sunday around 5:30 pm.
He wasn’t able to take possession of them so if they might be yours, check that area.
FOUND LAPTOP: This turned up on Chris‘s mailbox in the Delridge area:
Chris says the side not shown has “identifying marks” – if you think it might be your lost/stolen laptop, contact us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – and we’ll connect you.
One case of confirmed weekend gunfire:
ARREST NEAR ROXBURY LANES: As reported briefly on our partner site White Center Now, the King County Sheriff’s Office says it arrested a suspect after responding to a report of someone “shooting into the air” near Roxbury Lanes early Sunday. No injuries.
And a report from last week that we just found:
PRIDE FLAG ARSON: According to a brief SPD summary, this happened just after 11 pm last Wednesday (August 2nd):
Officers responded to a report of a bias crime in the 4600 block of Southwest Stevens Street. Unknown suspect(s) set a victim’s Pride flag on fire. The victim extinguished the flag and reported to police seeing several subjects in the area. The flag was damaged and a small section of an exterior wall singed.
We just checked the SFD 911 log and did not find an accompanying response. If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 23-220377.
SIDE NOTE: If you have used our Crime Watch page, you’ve probably noticed the absence of SPD “Tweets by Beat” incident categorizations, locations, and case numbers. It’s been down now for going on three weeks; SPD says the problem is known but they have no ETA for restoration. Prior to the full outage, some sectors around the city, including the F (eastern) ones in West Seattle, hadn’t been showing data for a while. SPD has a few other options for finding case numbers/classifications, but none are as thorough as Tweets by Beat was. You can find our archived crime reports here but as for current events, many calls aren’t dispatched by radio so your texts are more important than ever when you see a significant response – 206-293-6302 – thank you.
(Reader photo, July 16th)
Three weeks ago tonight, a speeding driver on Alki Avenue smashed into another car so hard, it was pushed over the seawall and into Elliott Bay, with passersby jumping into the water to rescue that car’s driver, 24-year-old Madison Kelly. Harborview Medical Center is no longer able to answer media questions about her condition, due to her medical-privacy status. The most recent update on the crowdfunding page for Ms. Kelly and her family is from two weeks ago, at which time she was described as “breathing on her own (and) discharged from the ICU (but) in a comatose state.” The update says her recovery could take months or years. Meantime, the driver who hit her, a 23-year-old North Seattle man who was driving his brother’s car, has not yet been charged. He was arrested the night of the crash on suspicion of DUI but taken to the hospital rather than jail; he is no longer at Harborview Medical Center but we don’t know whether he was transferred to another medical facility from there. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told WSB late Friday that the case had not yet been referred to them by Seattle Police detectives; as discussed at the most-recent Alki Community Council meeting, discussions were under way regarding whether charges could be filed before the state lab’s toxicology report came in. Meantime, the City Council has since passed a bill that would enable speed-enforcement cameras in that area, but it’s up to SDOT to come up with a plan for installing them; that’s also the agency still mulling whether more speed humps should be added on Alki/Harbor Avenues.
(WSB photo, June)
In hopes that fewer Hyundais and Kias will wind up like that one – stolen and pushed down a slope at Westcrest Park – SPD is giving away more steering-wheel locks. After two giveaways in April, two more dates have just been announced for late August and early September. Sent today by Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite:
In response to a rise in vehicle thefts involving certain Kia and Hyundai models, SPD’s Crime Prevention Coordinators will be giving away steering wheel locks at each of its five precincts this summer.
Dates & Times:
Tuesday August 29th : 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Saturday September 2nd : 9:30 am – 11:30 amLocations:
East Precinct – 1519 12th Avenue
West Precinct – 810 Virginia Street
North Precinct – 10049 College Way N
South Precinct – 3001 S Myrtle Street
Southwest Precinct – 2300 SW Webster StreetThe devices are available at no charge to people who live or work in the City of Seattle, with a focus on those who own or lease a Kia or Hyundai vehicle. Due to limited availability, locks cannot be set aside or held. Only one lock allowed per person. Please go to the pickup event scheduled for the precinct where you live or work.
We just received this report from Chelsea:
This morning between the hours of 6-10 am, my husband’s shaved-ice stand that he runs through his non-profit, Enigma ASD Services, was vandalized and demolished. The shaved-ice stand is located next to Colman Pool in Lincoln Park. The stand provides first job opportunities for people with disabilities. It has been damaged beyond being able to reopen this season.
It was undamaged when he went on his morning run at 6 this morning. We are surprised by the amount of damage considering the beach/park/path are crowded with people fishing this morning.
This is the third incident involving the stand and theft/destruction.
It is a sad day for the employees who won’t have a job to go to this afternoon and this summer.
We asked Chelsea what people could do to help. First, if you were in the park early and saw anything, this has been reported to police, though so far they just have a tracking number (T23017099) pending the official incident number. You can also donate to Enigma.
Thanks to a reader who asked us about this incident; we asked SPD and they in turn have just posted about it on SPD Blotter:
Yesterday, police responded to an attempted luring of a minor in the 1100 block of Southwest Cloverdale Street within Highland Park playground.
Officers arrived just before 5:00 p.m. and spoke with the victim’s mother, who reported a man grabbed hold of her four-year-old son near the bathrooms of the park.
The male suspect was described to be a White male, who was approximately 70-80 years old, wearing a red shirt, black shorts, and black tennis shoes. He was also clean-shaven and bald with sunspots on his head. The suspect had left the area prior to police arriving at the location.
If anyone has information about this incident, please call 911 and reference incident #2023-220035.
One week ago tonight, we reported on two incidents of confirmed gunfire in West Seattle. Turns out there was a third gunfire incident that night, and charges are filed against the suspect, who is jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.
39-year-old Daren Atwood is charged with firing a rifle he wasn’t supposed to have, shooting twice into a neighbor’s home near Fairmount Ravine. Police found a bullet that had pierced that house’s walls just feet from where the residents were sleeping. Court documents say Atwood is not supposed to have guns because of a protection order resulting from a conviction for fourth-degree domestic violence; he signed a declaration of non-surrender, saying he didn’t have any guns, though the new court documents say he apparently has owned the rifle since at least 2015. When police made contact with Atwood last Tuesday morning, after the neighbor had called about the gunfire, Atwood reportedly told them someone had tried to shoot him. He consented to a “security sweep” of his house, police say, and that’s when officers found a bolt-action rifle that had been recently fired.
The circumstances of the case are reminiscent of a previous gunfire-related arrest of Atwood on which we reported in 2014, when a SWAT team was called in and five schools sheltered in place because of gunfire in the same neighborhood. Eventually police found Atwood, who claimed he had fired shots because someone was after him; no one was injured, but cars had bullet damage. Atwood was then charged with a misdemeanor that eventually was dismissed. Now after last week’s incident, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged him with second-degree unlawful firearm possession, unlawful firearm discharge, and reckless endangerment. He is scheduled to answer the charges at an arraignment hearing August 9th.
Almost two months after the City Council rejected a proposal to match city law with the new state law about public drug use, Mayor Bruce Harrell is out with his plan. It’s the result of the committee he formed after that vote (the members are listed here). At the heart of it is city legislation that the mayor’s announcement says would:
-Codify state law and make public consumption of illegal drugs a gross misdemeanor in the city of Seattle.
-For the first time in the City’s history, designate diversion and treatment as the preferred approach to addressing substance use issues – connecting people with care and responding to a public health crisis with evidence-based health solutions.
-Define a new threat of harm standard – differentiating between drug use that threatens others versus the individual alone, recognizing the real and perceived danger of consumption of illegal drugs in public places, and aiming to support safe and welcoming neighborhoods by reducing public use.
The aim is not to jail drug users, according to Harrell, who is quoted in the announcement as saying, “Success will not – and cannot – be measured on how many people cycle through jail; instead, our focus is on improving connections to lifesaving treatment and expanding program options to better meet the needs of those with substance use issues.” So what would the mayor’s proposal mean for law enforcement? The announcement says he’ll issue an Executive Order next week “providing guidance to Seattle Police Department officers on how the law should be applied, further detailing threat of harm standards, and defining tools to collect and analyze data to measure success.”
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN GRAY RIO: From Alyssa:
Hoping to get the word out that my boyfriend’s gray Kia Rio hatchback was stolen in front of my house on 42nd Ave SW near SW Graham. Last had eyes on it around 7 pm Friday night and found it missing right before noon Saturday. There was glass and the ignition box lying in the road. If anyone has any information, please call SPD and reference case no. 23-216571.
Car (similar to this) has a faded RockyMounts two-bike bike rack on the back (similar to this).
SEEKING HIT-RUN WITNESSES/SUSPECT: From Jon:
On Friday, my parked car was sideswiped at 4:14 pm while parked on the 2700 block of 49th Ave SW, resulting in a large scratch from the rear quarter panel to the driver’s door.
After reviewing security camera footage, I am particularly interested in talking to the driver of the silver Ford Fusion (2010 era), which passed my car then, and the two cyclists who witnessed the event. I am willing to return the side mirror cap which fell off the other vehicle to the driver of said car in exchange for insurance info!
My email is jonowen@hotmail.com
Colin‘s boat and trailer were stolen Friday afternoon in North Admiral:
It is a 19.5-foot Glasply, 1982, WN8999jr, with blue stripes and a Yamaha 9.9 gray extra motor. It was stolen from the 1900 block of Sunset Avenue. It was taken with the trailer, which is an EZ Loader plate number AM8397. Police report number 23-214615.
We’re told Colin and his grandfather had just finished fixing up the boat – and then it was stolen. Any info, email ellenzoffel (at) gmail.com.
UPDATE: Found in South Park.
1:20 AM: Seattle Fire is sending a “scenes of violence” response to the 7700 block of 34th SW, where a man is reported to have stab wounds. We haven’t heard much about circumstances. Police are already on scene.
1:22 AM: They’re downsizing the response and canceling the medic unit, indicating the injuries aren’t major.
4:18 PM: We followed up today with SPD to ask for details on what happened. The reply: “Officers responded to a ‘stabbing’ but when officers arrived the injury was minor, and it could not be confirmed to be a stabbing. Neither party wanted to be a victim. Officers documented the disturbance and cleared the scene. Based on the investigation, no arrests were made.” (“Wanting to be a victim” is roughly another way of saying “wanting to press charges.”)
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