Thanks to the tipsters who texted/e-mailed about police activity on Beach Drive this past hour. We checked with Seattle Police’s Det. Drew Fowler, who tells us that one “juvenile” suspect is in custody after a purse-snatching incident. Information is still preliminary, but the police log shows that a woman reported someone had stolen her purse and phone around Weather Watch Park (Beach Drive/Carroll; map), and she or someone else was in pursuit. One person was taken into custody.

Those icons represent auto thefts in West Seattle in the past week – it’s our screengrab from a custom view of the SPD Police Reports map (you can follow that link and click individual icons on the “live” map there if you want specific locations/times). In addition to the 14 thefts on the map, we know of at least one more just today, because of this note from James:

My brother in law had his black 1999 Honda Civic, plate AND3427, stolen from the 9000 block of 34th Ave. If anyone sees it or reports an abandoned vehicle we would greatly appreciate if you would let us know.

Though the theft’s not on the map yet, it IS on the SPD @GetYourCarBack Twitter feed, which advises calling 911 if you spot a known stolen car. This area tends to average one a day, so this past week’s thefts are about twice the usual rate.

One more reader report today, from Shannon:

Just wanted to inform our neighbors that my car has been ransacked 3 times in the last month..I do leave my doors unlocked and nothing inside as we have had windows broken before. Everything was gone thru but nothing taken each time. CD’s, Stereo, change all left each time … 8100 block of 15th and Elmgrove.

Maybe you saw it on the SPD Blotter – a bizarre rampage of sorts on Wednesday that started in West Seattle and moved into other parts of the city before the suspect was arrested. We followed up today in search of specifics which were missing in that overall summary but were contained in the partial report we obtained. The 37-year-old suspect, shown in public databases with a West Seattle address, was reported to have started by showing up outside Providence Mount St. Vincent, ranting and yelling first about the facility and then, “about North Korea,” in a manner described by one witness as “almost mad or crazy.”

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A hit-and-run driver damaged two vehicles belonging to one Seaview household between 1 am and 5 am this morning – and the victims have collected enough debris to “get a part/model number,” traced to an early 2000s black Toyota 4-Runner, so they’re hoping you can help find the vehicle. The debris left behind included a “newer Toyota center hubcap/cover with logo on it”; it likely would have “emerged southbound out of the alley between 50th and 51st onto Hudson, heading west.” See anything in that area? Know of a vehicle matching the description that suddenly has damage it didn’t have last time you saw it? Contact SPD; the victims have filed a report (and have given police the information about the debris, too).

Several people have texted about a large police response in the Admiral area, in the 4300 block of SW College. Here’s what we know: It’s being investigated as some kind of an assault. The victim is being treated; a suspect was being sought; it was initially described as a case of domestic violence. That’s all we know, pending a call back from police.

ADDED: We finally heard back from police late in the day – a voice-mail message, while we were covering a hearing, so no chance for followup questions, and we don’t know the victim’s condition but one thing to add: The response was so big at least in part because there was a report the suspect was armed with a knife.

Just out of the WSB inbox, from Cathy:

My 1999 blue, 4-door Honda CR-V was stolen last night from 44th Ave. near Findlay. It has a bike rack on the back attached to the spare tire. License plate 230UZC. Please help – I love this car and besides that, can’t get to work.

If you think you’ve seen it, call 911.

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon – first, from Kristy:

Saturday night (8/2) around 10:15 pm I was driving north bound on 35th Ave SW when, at the Roxbury intersection, a brown two-door older car blew through his red light heading west and t-boned my black toyota prius. If anyone has information, please contact police (incident #14-254719). He backed east on Roxbury after it happened and then took off. His car sustained front end damage and we did get a partial license plate thanks to a helpful witness (who thoughtfully stayed with me until police arrived).

Thanks so much, West Seattle!

Not far south, Fumiko in Arbor Heights says package thieves have hit:

My friend suggested that I contact the blog and let you know that I had one package stolen from my front door step on July 23rd (USPS confirmed delivery on that day) and also about 6 months ago I had another package stolen from the same location. I live on 35th near 100th.

Please be on the lookout for these two stolen vehicles reported by WSB readers, and call 911 if you see either:

STOLEN CAR: From Thad, “… my 91 Blue Honda Civic 4-Door was stolen last night between 10 pm and 5 am from around 34th and Trenton st. It has been reported to SPD.”

STOLEN MOTORCYCLE: Justin just let us know about a motorcycle stolen from the Link Apartments garage (38th/Alaska) in The Triangle two weeks ago, “silver 2003 Harley Davidson V-Rod motorcycle, MN plate, license #88-686MD,” July 14 or 15th, when, he says, the garage door at the building was broken and stuck open overnight. Police have a report on this too.

(ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: 2002 mug shot from state Department of Corrections, at right) 37-year-old Duane Atwood, arrested in connection with a “flasher” incident on Beach Drive last week, is back in jail, charged with two felonies – indecent exposure and failure to register as a sex offender – and court papers say he is expected to be charged in another case soon. We first reported on his arrest last Saturday; his bail was set at $100,000 and, after posting bond, he was released that night, with a court date set for this afternoon. At today’s appearance, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells us, Atwood’s bail was increased to $250,000 and he was re-arrested. Court documents include more information on this case and on the conviction that led to his status as a Level 2 Registered Sex Offender, and they say he is under investigation for the two recent, similar incidents – both also reported here (July 15th report here, July 18th report here) – as well as an unrelated crime last year.

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Last stolen car reported in Crime Watch here was found by a reader – so maybe it’ll happen this time too. Keep watch for the car stolen from Michael, who sent this note today:

Yesterday I found that my car was stolen from the front of my house on the 5000 block of Beach Drive SW [map] between 11:30 am-8 pm. A report has been filed already. The car was a white 1998 Acura CL 3.0, license 609-MMM. If anyone notices anything, could they please contact me at satwick@mindspring.com, or police.

A hearing is set Wednesday for the man arrested Friday night in connection with one of the recent “flasher” incidents. As reported here on Saturday, the 37-year-old man was jailed for investigation of indecent exposure and failure to register as a sex offender. We’ve learned a bit more about the case today, now that we’ve been able to check with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

This incident happened last Tuesday evening near Beach Drive and Orleans (map). The victim (whose comment here is the only reason we knew about the case) is quoted as telling police that she was walking north on Beach Drive when she saw a Nissan Pathfinder parked northeast of the intersection. A man inside yelled over to ask her if she knew where Hanford Street is; she walked closer and saw through its front windshield that he was exposing, and holding, himself. She walked away, making note of the license plate and other descriptive factors. Police responded and went to the Admiral-area home of the car’s owner, who told them his son had been driving the vehicle, a 1998 silver Pathfinder, parked there and still warm (though the suspect was not found). After further investigation, the suspect was arrested on Friday. The probable-cause document makes note of the two similar incidents in West Seattle over the past two weeks – one in Admiral on July 15th, in Gatewood on July 17th – but does not say if he is officially suspected; we’ll see what happens if and when charges were filed.

His status as a Level 2 sex offender is related to what’s described as convictions for arson and burglary with a sexual motivation in 2000; the court documents are not available online so we don’t have details of the case. He was reported to have moved out of state in 2007, apparently to Idaho, where he was found guilty of failure to register in 2008, and should have registered within three days of returning to this state, which might have been as long as two years ago. Since he was arrested Friday, a bail hearing was held Saturday, and bail was set at a total of $100,000; the suspect posted bond and was released from jail afterward, and is due back in court Wednesday afternoon, by which time we might know about charges in the case.

TUESDAY EVENING UPDATE: The suspect, Duane Atwood, is now on the sex-offender registry, so we are identifying him with this public information now published on the county website. No photo with the listing, though.

Two more quick West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight – From LS:

I just discovered my car was stolen from my driveway in Highland Park (police report was just completed) either last night or this AM. It’s a teal 1993 Honda Civic EX coupe. Please post to the WSB so that if someone sees it they can contact the police.

And from Gretchen:

I found the face of a Mercedes radio/navigation system on the corner of 18th and Thistle. I contacted police and they came to pick it up. Incident number 14-244731.

P.S. Is your block signed up for a street-closing Night Out party? If not, go here. The big night – Tuesday, August 5th – is only a week and a half away.

Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today.

First, police have arrested a suspect in connection with one recent West Seattle indecent-exposure incident. We’d been trying for several days to find out more about this case – the third in less than two weeks – since a reader mentioned it in this comment last Tuesday night. The commenter wrote of giving police license plate/description information after the incident that night on Beach Drive, and that officers said they had matched the information to a sex offender. Finally, after multiple inquiries, we got confirmation of an arrest today; Southwest Precinct commander Captain Steve Wilske confirmed a suspect in that case is in custody. He’s 37 years old and being held for investigation of indecent exposure and failure to register. No charges filed yet – but we’ll be checking first thing Monday, along with trying to find out more about whether he’s suspected in any of the other cases.

(SUNDAY NOTE: According to the jail register, the suspect has posted bond on $50,000 bail and got out of jail Saturday night, after a little more than one day behind bars.)

(back to original Saturday report) Second, Margaret reports her home in the 5200 block of 18th SW (map) on Puget Ridge was broken into during the day on Friday, with two specific stolen items she’s asking you to watch for:

… Sometime between 9:30 am and 7 pm. They smashed the back bedroom window, ransacked the house, and took a Sentry-brand putty-colored fire proof plastic lock box full of irreplaceable family papers, an array of electronics, and a wooden earring box with a leather inset of Raven stealing the sun, about the size of a business envelope and an inch high. It was full of cheap, craft-fair costume jewelry of great sentimental value. They did not get the key to the lockbox and I’m hoping they may not be able to get inside and may dump it. If the lock box or wooden box turn up anywhere, I’d be anxious to hear.

Third, TJ reports from Gatewood, “Two suspicious males were attempting to open car-door handles for the second night down Holden Street. Police were called at 1:30 am.”

Crime Watch info to report? If it’s breaking news, text or call 206-293-6302; otherwise, editor@westseattleblog.com – but not until after you’ve reported it to police! Thanks!

Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes: First, this is developing – Seattle Police are investigating another possible strong-arm robbery in the Roxhill Park area. Seattle Fire medics were sent to check out someone found unconscious in the bushes by the bus stop on the south side of SW Barton, reported as a possible victim of a robbery/assault. We’ll follow up later this morning to see what police determined.

Meantime, Creighton reports two incidents in Admiral:

Both incidents happened in front of my house during the daytime at 37th Ave SW and Admiral, just north of Belvedere Viewpoint Park.

Wednesday morning after breakfast, between 9 am and 11 am, someone started to steal my visiting-from-out-of-town handicapped father’s wheelchair from the side of my house, where it was placed to stay dry and out of the hard rain. Upon searching the neighborhood, we found it one house south of ours, stashed in the bushes. It looked like they started to steal it, but either decided it was too big to toss in their vehicle, or I’m hoping had a change of heart and realized it was bad karma to steal a handicapped man’s wheelchair.

Did they come back and try again later that day? Later that same day, after dinner (between 6 pm and 8 pm) I went out to clean my wife’s late-model MDX and discovered all of the contents of the glovebox (registration, manual, etc), center console and change dish were missing. We’re pretty sure we locked the doors, but there was no sign of forced entry to the car so we’re scratching our heads. Both incidents have been reported to the Seattle PD using the CORP online reporting tool.

Finally, Brian found this bike in Highland Park:

Brian describes it as a “Univega bike with Anacortes Cycle sticker.” If it’s yours, contact police and refer to case 14-242562.

Coffee shops, be forewarned. Out of the WSB inbox this morning, from Cheryl:

I was working at The Daily Dose coffee shop at 5214 Delridge Way yesterday. Around 1:15 p.m. I was in the restroom as I heard the front door open. I shouted out “hello, I’ll be right out,: finished washing my hands and came out. No one was there and the door was left open. I decided whoever it was had quickly changed their mind and left. About 10 minutes later, I realized my tip jar was gone! The thief was swift and deliberate as it was seconds from the time I heard the front door open and came out of the restroom.

It’s not the loss of tip money (maybe $35), but the sense of violation. I hope they really needed it, or at least bought themselves a nice meal! I will be locking the door in the future while in the restroom.

Thieves took Eron‘s skateboard in one of two car prowls for which we have reader reports tonight. Eron says it happened “in front of my house at 11th and Kenyon and my dog woke me up but not in time. … they took a lot of things; most of it was recovered by walking just around my block. The big score was a set of keys to nothing in this county and my custom longboard that I made from a vintage kids’ water ski. It is unmistakable. Yellow with red swirls and blue wheels. It is largely a sentimental loss and has very little ‘street’ value, as it is easily identified from any distance.”

Further south on 11th SW, in the 8800 block, Darcey reports: “Someone went thru my car last night. I left the door unlocked accidentally. Didn’t take anything- but we had nothing worth taking. Just threw stuff around, searching.”

P.S. Though local crime-prevention groups don’t meet again until September, you are now two weeks away from a prime chance to get together with your neighbors in support of safety and community – Night Out is Tuesday, August 5th, and you can sign up your block party by going here. (As always, we’ll be stopping by parties around West Seattle, and thanks to those who’ve already sent word of theirs without us even asking – editor@westseattleblog.com.)

Just talked with police about an Admiral incident that several asked us about this afternoon. According to Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Drew Fowler, it boiled down to a fight involving four people outside Admiral Safeway just before 3 pm. Two were brothers, ages 16 and 17; the other two’s identities aren’t known. Police are still sorting out the motive for the fight but say that at one point, one of the unknown two suspects shot one of the brothers in the face with a BB gun. There also were reports of punches thrown, but in the end, what happened was so convoluted that Seattle Fire medic crews came and went from the scene twice – finally, the victim was taken to a hospital. His injuries are not described as major. No one’s been arrested.

Three reader reports – first two are about overnight car break-ins in north West Seattle. First, from Sandra:

My car was broken into last night. it was parked on the street at 2008 California Ave SW. They took 3 bags; 1) yellow leather with brown trim, 2) black leather with gold trim, and a black “expanda” file with handles. Nothing of real value in the bags, but if the thieves threw them out and anyone sees them, please contact me at sandrakstark@live.com. Thank you.

And from Ian:

My 1992 Honda Accord was prowled last night, between 12 am and noon today. It was parked in the 2100 block of Alki Ave SW, underneath a street light in front of the condo I live in. Woke up to find the trunk partially opened and all the contents of my glove box thrown through out the car. Fortunately they didn’t steal my car since I had a club on the steering wheel which they tried to remove from all the scratch marks all over it. All they took was my GPS which was hidden in my glove box. No broken windows or scratch marks on my car door, which makes me think they had a master key to the car which you can buy online.

Third report is from last Thursday – Jeremy tweeted about a smash-and-grab car break-in in the south lot at Lincoln Park; his wife’s purse was taken.

P.S. In case you missed it over the weekend – a Crime Watch partial happy ending.

The other day, Mark sent a Crime Watch report saying his bicycle had been stolen, with a child’s bike left in its place. He included a photo in hopes of at least finding that bicycle’s owner. JP saw the note and recognized it as his daughter Claire‘s new bike – which indeed had been stolen – and now, she has it back, and JP sent the above photo to share:

Thank you Mark and West Seattle Blog for reuniting Claire with her stolen bike! You made my daughter very happy! We hope Mark’s bike is found as well.