The man charged with the November 25th gunpoint robberies aboard a Metro RapidRide bus three weeks ago is now charged in a robbery on another bus. As Trevonnte Brown of Beacon Hill appeared before a King County Superior Court judge today, prosecutors filed a charge of second-degree robbery in connection with an incident on a Route 36 bus at Hanford and Beacon on Beacon Hill (map) on the afternoon of November 16th, nine days before the Morgan Junction robberies. Charging papers say Brown walked from the back of the bus and wrestled a Samsung Galaxy phone away from a man sitting in the middle of the bus. The victim stopped fighting back when Brown claimed he had a gun. After Brown’s arrest here on November 25th, investigators compared surveillance images to his booking photo and to an image of Brown selling an iPhone at an automated Southcenter kiosk on November 18th; on the bus and at the kiosk, he was wearing what charging documents describe as the same “distinctive” knit cap. Brown pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the three filed in the West Seattle case, and remains in jail, with bail set at $350,000. He is due back in court December 30th.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:23 PM: A rape has been reported at Roxhill Park – already under scrutiny for crimes and overall safety concerns. First word is in this letter that Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark says is going to families of students at Denny and adjacent Chief Sealth International High School:

This morning, a Denny International Middle School student reported to a Denny staff member that she had been attacked on Thursday, Dec. 12, at approximately 3:30 PM at Roxhill Park.

Roxhill Park is located south of Westwood Village, across the street from Target.

She reported that she was raped by a stranger that she believed to be in his mid-twenties. She shared that last Thursday, after school was out, she had gone to Westwood Village with friends. After about an hour, as she was walking home through Roxhill Park, the attack took place. Denny staff immediately contacted her family, the Seattle Police Department, and nearby schools. The Seattle Police Department is actively investigating.

We want to inform all of the students at Denny and Sealth about this and remind you about safety tips for walking to and from school.

Those safety tips are ahead. We are checking, meantime, to see if police have any additional information to share.

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(UPDATED 1:08 PM: Second attempted theft added)

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:56 AM: With holiday deliveries peaking this week, it’s unfortunately also prime time for package thieves. One would-be thief was thwarted in West Seattle this morning, per a reader report we just received. It actually relates to something we tweeted after hearing a scanner snippet:

Scanner: Package thief spotted in 8800 block 17th SW. Fled in dark blue Honda with tinted windows.

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) December 16, 2013

An hour after that – just minutes ago – this note came in:

Thanks to a very alert neighbor and a prompt response by police, package was recovered. A neighbor saw a dark blue Honda sedan following the mail carrier, Asian youth got out of the car, went up to the porch and took a package and began to leave, neighbor shouted at him to put it back, he dropped the package, police responded quickly. Just a reminder these guys are out looking to spoil Christmas. I would also like to thank aware neighbors, quick police response, and the mail carriers who put the mail all the way in the mailboxes.

Haven’t heard of an arrest yet but we’ll keep the radar up.

ADDED 1:08 PM: Phillip sends word of another thwarted theft:

I just caught a guy trying to steal a package right off my porch in the middle of the day! I’ve called SPD and gave them a general description, but thought I’d share with WSB too. I’m in Luna Park (30th & Nevada).

I saw/heard USPS drop the package off, but hadn’t run out to grab it yet. Then, about 30 minutes later, I heard someone else, and this guy (picture) was grabbing my package and stuffing it in his red duffel bag.

When I confronted him he said that someone had “told him to drop it off here, as it was mistakenly delivered around the corner.” Mid-day! So brazen! SPD stopped by and said they hadn’t found him (yet) but it’s worth keeping a lookout.

Reader report via texts: “Our car was stolen out of the garage at The Residences at 3295 (SW Avalon Way) between 6 pm Saturday and midnight. Red Honda Civic, license plate 096 WDU, 2-door 1995 with spoiler.” As the SPD tweet advises, if you see it, call 911.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:46 PM: Police at the scene of an investigation at a home on High Point Drive are not commenting on what they are investigating. We went to the scene after neighbors messaged us about crime scene tape and CSI detectives. One source tells us a “suspicious death” is being checked out – we are working to confirm that.

5:26 PM UPDATE: Police now confirm it’s a homicide investigation:

Homicide detectives are on scene in West Seattle where a woman was found dead in her home early this afternoon.

At approximately 12:27 p.m. officers responded to the 5900 block of High Point Drive SW to check the welfare of a homeowner.  Upon arrival officers located a deceased woman in her 40′s inside the home.  There was nobody else inside the residence upon the arrival of officers.

Homicide and CSI detectives responded to process the scene and continue to actively investigate.

The suspect(s) remain at large.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Seattle Police Homicide Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.  Anonymous tips are welcome.

This remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation.

This is the first West Seattle homicide investigation since the still-unsolved murder of Greggette Guy more than a year and a half ago.

12:37 AM UPDATE: A few more details from police via SPD Blotter: They say the victim was 46 years old and describe her as the homeowner for the address where she was found. According to police, the call that led them to the residence was made by “a relative.” They are not saying how she died but “foul play is suspected.” TV reports quote family members as saying the victim had been stabbed to death.

Just in via SPD Blotter, an arrest early this morning:

Officers located and arrested a young male burglar inside a woman’s home early this morning in West Seattle. At approximately 3:31 a.m. officers responded to the 3200 block of 59th Avenue SW for the report of an occupied residential burglary. Preliminary investigation indicates that the female homeowner was inside her house and heard multiple voices. She called 911.

Officers arrived on scene and found the home’s doors unlocked. Officers entered the house and located one male suspect inside. There were no signs of forced entry.

The 14-year-old male suspect was arrested and booked into juvenile detention for Investigation of Burglary. The woman homeowner was not injured.

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch, starting with another stolen car to watch for. Colleen says it was taken from her home in the Genesee area:

Sadly, woke up (Thursday) morning to see that my car had been stolen from garage (yes, I accidentally left the door open). It’s a gray 2011 Audi Q5 license plate AFV4367. The police indicated that it’s likely it will be abandoned on a side street so would appreciate my neighbors keeping an eye out. Interestingly, when I went to pick up a rental car, I learned that they have seen a 3x increase in rentals from WS residents dealing with stolen cars!

And from Gretchen:

Our Honda was parked on the street (Wednesday) night and someone cleaned out the middle console and glove box. Took sunglasses, cassette tapes, registration, car manual and the controller that disables the alarm to let us start the car. The only one. Ugh. We’re at 17th and Thistle. It’s been reported.

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports – we request that you send WSCW reports via e-mail (editor@westseattleblog.com) but the first two happened to come in via other means:

*Via a comment on the morning traffic report:

PLEASE HELP ME; my truck just got stolen at 8 am this morning, I heard it start up and left. Its a BLACK Ford F250 with Colorado license plates, four-door, it’s dirty right now. VMI sticker on rear left window, another sticker in white “Nobody Cares About Your Stick Family,” my cleaning supplies were in it. Please help me. It was stolen from Highland Park on 7th SW and Kenyon.

*Posted in the WSB Forums last night:

My granddaughter’s car was stolen between (Tuesday) night and (Wednesday) morning. It has been reported to SPD. Anyone spotting this car please call SPD. It is 1995 black acura, license #AKM4431 with a volleyball sticker on the back. She is a hard worker and an excellent student and needs it for school and her job. Thanks in advance.

Both also have been reported to police – they’re on the @getyourcarback Twitter feed. Meantime, a mail-prowler sighting reported by Christopher:

Be on the lookout for an 80s era dark blue Toyota or Mazda pick up truck with chrome wheels. It was seen on Wednesday evening at 8:50 p.m. driving up/down 3rd Ave SW [behind Westcrest Park] looking in mailboxes. By the time we figured out what he was doing, he sped down the street and disappeared.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes – first, a stolen car that Tina hopes you will watch for:

My friend’s bronze 2000 Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck was stolen from the (Junction parking lot at 44th SW/SW Oregon) last Sunday. It was taken sometime between 12:30 pm and midnight. The license plate number is B33192Z.

My friend needs it to work; she is self-employed, and if she doesn’t have it to get to appointments, she doesn’t make any money. The truck has a camper shell, and the back is full of flooring samples. The gas tank was pretty much on empty, so whoever took it probably didn’t go very far.

Tina sent an update saying the truck was seen on SW Holly near Fauntleroy (map), where two men took the camper shell off and dumped it by a house. One more note: The truck has a faded American flag sticker on the back above the bumper. Call 911 if you see it, and then notify Tina, dohertym@gmail.com.

Second note: Late Tuesday night, an apparent hit-and-run at 39th and Raymond (map); a neighbor who wants to remain anonymous says a silver Acura crashed at the traffic circle and “four occupants fled the vehicle heading west toward Fauntleroy.” We are checking with police to see if the car turned out to be stolen and whether any suspects were found.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this afternoon: First, we received e-mail today from Jeff, who is still hoping to get his car back, stolen Tuesday near 27th and Kenyon, a gold Honda Accord, plate # ADU3170. Call 911 if you see it.

This next report’s sender asked to be anonymous:

We are in the 3800 block of Beach Dr., on the ground floor of the building is a locked door leading to 6 storage closets, also locked (but not, alas, with deadbolts). My neighbor went in there (Wednesday) and found all 6 doors open,with obvious jimmy marks on the outside door. I can’t tell if anything’s missing … but wanted to let the neighborhood know that thieves are on the prowl and this type of door (no dead bolt) is attractive to them. We’re having better locks installed.

And another reminder – if you haven’t read SPD’s holiday-season safety/crime-prevention advice, originally published here just before Thanksgiving, read it now!

(Also published on partner site White Center Now)

In the blue cap and gown is Michael Delfin-Rodriguez, celebrating his graduation from New Start High School in White Center, with his dad Sergio. Michael is the young man shot and killed the day before Thanksgiving, at 2nd SW and SW 108th, while he and his brother Saul were out for an early-early-morning walk to a store. This morning, members of Michael’s family were at the King County Sheriff’s Office headquarters downtown, meeting the media to make a public plea for help in finding his killer. Saul spoke for the family today:

As reported later that day (November 27th), investigators say it’s a case of mistaken identity – Michael and Saul were confronted by two people, believed to be teenage boys, who accused them of being members of a gang; they denied it, kept moving, then one of those boys pulled out a gun and fired, killing Michael. (added) Here’s King County TV video of the entire news conference:

If anyone saw anything or has heard any talk about it, there’s a Crime Stoppers reward in the case, and investigators are eager to hear from anyone with information that might help solve the murder. Crime Stoppers has multiple ways to report tips, including anonymously, or call KCSO at 206-296-3311.

Four West Seattle Crime Watch cases to report this morning:

BUSINESS BREAK-IN/VANDALISM: Police went to Amy’s Nails at 5631 California SW around 8:30 this morning after the salon’s glass door was discovered to have been smashed.

We talked with the salon’s owner at the scene; he told us that so far as he could tell at that point, it did not appear anything had been stolen.

STOLEN CAR: From a WSB reader who doesn’t want to be identified:

Our 1997 White Honda Civic LX Sedan was stolen from in front of our house in Highland Park (14th SW & SW Trenton) sometime between 6 pm Monday and 5 am Tuesday. WA License #AIZ6670. There is nothing too distinguishing about it, except for the black Britax car seat in the back seat of the car which has probably been dumped by now. If you spot the car, or know anything about the theft, please contact 911. Thanks!

Ahead – a stolen bike to watch for, plus, what a fast-thinking neighbor took to scare away mail prowlers:

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Relatively quiet holiday weekend so far as West Seattle Crime Watch reports went, but we have three things to note so far today – all thefts. Maybe you will be able to help find the stolen property, if not solve the crimes themselves. Read on for the reports (including one mom’s warning/wish for the thief who stole something belonging to her son):

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(Sunday photo by MARCUS YAM/The Seattle Times; republished here with permission)
3:36 PM: Though police initially quoted Victoria Clipper theft suspect Samuel McDonough as saying he had taken the boat to go to West Seattle, new court documents tell a different tale: His intended destination was actually Victoria, B.C. Bail was set today at $200,000 for McDonough, arrested aboard the Victoria Clipper IV yesterday on his 33rd birthday, in a drama at sea visible from north-facing West Seattle. As noted in our Sunday coverage, he is a registered sex offender after indecent-exposure convictions in the past few years (all from Issaquah, according to court archives we checked); today’s documents say he was supposed to be under GPS supervision – but did not have the device on.

ADDED 4:09 PM: The probable-cause document also says McDonough told police he had a close call with a state ferry while out in the bay with the $8 million boat Sunday morning. The dock is reported to have sustained some damage because he started it up and left the dock without untying it. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has until Wednesday to file charges.

(November 25th photo by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
The man arrested after armed robberies aboard a Metro RapidRide bus in West Seattle one week ago (WSB coverage here) is now charged with three felonies. The charges filed this afternoon against 19-year-old Trevonnte Brown are two counts of first-degree robbery, one count of attempted first-degree robbery.

Charging documents say Brown confessed to police, said he did not regret what he had done, and “confessed to being involved in multiple additional thefts and robberies over the past few years.” If you missed the story last week – police say Brown had boarded the bus downtown and then, as it got to West Seattle, started holding up passengers at gunpoint, until one passenger grabbed his gun-wielding arm and others joined in subduing him. Court documents say he told police he decided to rob people because he needed money to get his car out of impound, and that he told them he had previously committed several “snatch-and-run” robberies. Stolen iPhones, he is reported to have told police, get him about $400 on the street.

Brown, a Beacon Hill resident, remains jailed in lieu of $350,000 bail. If convicted, he faces extra time for using a gun while committing the crimes; police have said a semi-automatic handgun was found at the scene. We’re still reviewing the charging documents and will add anything else notable.

According to the Twitter log that automatically updates on the WSB Crime Watch page, two burglaries were reported in West Seattle today. We’ve heard from one of the victims, Tom, who tells the detailed story, and hopes you will watch for the distinctive items that were among the loot:

We live on SW Cloverdale Street off 35th, between Thistle and Trenton…

I left my home this morning to take our baby to day care at 7:15. I returned home from work for lunch at 11:30. I found that our front door was open. Nothing was broken on the door so I proceeded in thinking it was odd that it was wide open. Our dog was in the living room, visibly upset. I went into our bedroom and found that our pack-n-play was on end and our nightstand drawers were ajar. All of the jewelry we kept there was gone. Now knowing that we had been broken into, I grabbed the dog and headed outside, not knowing if someone was still down in the basement or garage. THANKFULLY, our dog was unharmed and still in the house.

I called the police. They arrived and swept the house. All was clear. They found that a window had been broken in our basement guest bedroom for entry. It is a really small window, so whomever broke in is either very small, or very limber.

Aside from all of our jewelry being taken, they took our Apple laptop, video camera, Canon Camera, iPad, Bose wireless speakers, our daughter’s baby monitor, a Red Gibson SG electric guitar, and red sunburst Fender electric guitar, a record player, a number of records, power tools, a very unique set of military-issued binoculars in a very worn case issued to my grandfather during WWII, and medication from our bathroom pantry. They had to have had a vehicle for this haul. There are marks in the front yard that look like they had a bin of some sort. Another very telling piece taken was a gold and onyx ring from the 1800s that belonged to the then-Gov. of the Philippines. It’s been in the family for over 100 years and should stand out if someone tries to hawk it. A gold engagement band with two baguette diamonds was also taken. The center diamond is not on this ring, so it too may stand out.

They jostled about through our entertainment center and it looks like the tried to unplug our equipment, but due to the weight of things and the location of the plug, the appear to have given up.

The police were able to lift a number of prints, so we hope that helps.

If anyone reading this happens to own or frequent any of the local pawn shops, we appreciate folks keeping an eye out for some of the more obvious stuff taken.

These fellows were quite brazen as this happened during the daytime. I have notified our neighbors and it appears that they did not see anything. My wife mentioned that she did see a white van parked out front of our house about a week ago…she made eye contact with the guys in side and they sped off. Not sure if someone has been casing the neighborhood. I did learn today that the house across the street and down a bit was broken into last month.

Just wanted to let folks know.

All that aside, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Tom

In a followup note, Tom added, “Both electric guitars have the wiring broken where the plug in is. So they are not currently functional, so to speak.”

The other burglary logged today was in the 8400 block of 20th SW. Haven’t heard from the victim(s) in that case, and detailed reports take up to a week to show up in the SPD online system, so we don’t have details.

(WSB photo from Monday night, near California/Raymond)
In a jailhouse courtroom, a King County Superior Court judge has just set bail at $350,000 for the 19-year-old man accused of robbing people on board a RapidRide bus north of Morgan Junction last night until passengers fought back, with one grabbing his gun and others sitting on him until police arrived. (Here’s our Monday night coverage.) The suspect waived his right to be present for the hearing, but a woman identifying herself as his mother cried out in the courtroom, “No! That’s not my son!” and told reporters (including WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand) afterward that she apologizes to Metro and the passengers, that her son is not like that, and she doesn’t understand what happened.

5:38 PM UPDATE: A statement from Metro, via spokesperson Jeff Switzer:

We’re cooperating with Seattle Police in this ongoing investigation. When the fight erupted, our driver followed longstanding procedures designed to keep our riders as safe as possible during a serious incident – he hit his emergency alarm, pulled over the bus and opened the doors to let passengers escape. We’re extremely relieved no one was seriously injured.

The suspect is due back in court next Monday morning.