West Seattle, Washington
24 Wednesday
Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark is sharing the letter sent to his school’s families, following up on the Sunday and Tuesday Roxhill Park robberies reported here earlier this afternoon, and he says the district will have a letter for more families tomorrow:
As a result of Denny International Middle School students being the victims of recent crimes in the Roxhill Park area, we are contacting all families to remind them of safety-related recommendations for walking to and from school. Recommendations include walking with other students and heading directly home.
We have contacted the Seattle Police Department and have learned that a detective has been assigned to these cases. If anyone sees any suspicious behavior on the part of anyone in our community, we encourage you to call 911. Also, as always, if any student has any problem on the way to or from school, please tell any staff member at school. Tomorrow, Seattle Public Schools central office will be sending home a letter to all families with children who attend schools in the area.
Sincerely,
Jeff Clark, Principal
Denny International Middle School
1:09 PM: For the first of this afternoon’s two West Seattle Crime Watch reports, we are still working to get more details from police, 
but for starters, they confirm the robbery happened: Stacey e-mailed to say she was walking through the Westwood Village parking lot yesterday afternoon “when four 8th grade boys asked to use my phone. They were visibly shaken up and had, they said, just been robbed at gunpoint by three masked men while walking down an alley near the park across the street (Roxhill Park). The robbers each had guns and the boys gave up their phones, wallets and in one case a backpack.” That’s all we know so far; police tell us more details will be available via SPD Blotter later this afternoon, and we’ll add to this report when that information is in. We have no idea at this point if there’s any relation to the armed robbery at a 35th/Roxbury business on Monday.
3:13 PM UPDATE: The SPD report says this was one of TWO robberies targeting kids that age, in that area, in the past four days – the first one was near 27th and Cambridge last Sunday, and yesterday’s robbery is now described as having happened in Roxhill Park itself. Details here.
(back to original report) Second, a stolen truck to look for: In the Hansen View area south of The Mount, a locked work truck – white Silverado with a Charter Construction logo and the word HEROIC on the back – was reported as stolen overnight. Here’s the @getyourcarback tweet; call 911 if you see it.
Speaking of stolen cars – the blue Camry reported as stolen in our Monday night Crime Watch roundup has been found on White Center, according to this comment from Melissa, who sent the original report.
A 30-year-old man is now in jail for investigation of burglary, thanks to what Seattle Police describe as “an alert neighbor” who called 911 this morning after seeing a stranger “lurking” before vanishing into a yard. From the report on SPD Blotter:
This morning just shortly after 9:00 am, a woman saw an unknown male roaming around in her neighbor’s yard in the 3700 block of SW Donovan St, she then heard the sound of glass breaking. The woman immediately called 911 and gave an excellent description and direction of travel as the suspect was leaving her neighbor’s yard.
Officers were close by and quickly responded. They located the suspect in the immediate vicinity. The suspect was identified and detained for an outstanding warrant. He was subsequently identified by the caller as the subject in her friend’s yard. Officers determined that the suspect attempted to gain entry by breaking the window on the north side door.
P.S. We don’t know whether this neighborhood has a Block Watch but whether you do or don’t, if you’re interested in banding together to prevent/fight crime, here’s one more reminder that the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meets at 6:30 tonight, Southwest Precinct (Webster west of Delridge).
Every so often, a thief makes off with a boat on a trailer. The one reported in South Park over the weekend is not your everyday stolen boat on a trailer. We just called Seattle Police to follow up on an over-the-air “be on the lookout” heard on Monday, and here’s what Det. Mark Jamieson told us: The “fast-attack prototype” boat was on a three-axle, 40-foot boat trailer with a red and white 1987 Freightliner cab, taken from a fenced area on the east side of a commercial building in the 1400 block of South Henderson (map). The report says it had been parked there since March of last year and was believed to have been stolen Sunday night; the gate lock had been cut. Asked if there were any other identifying features we could mention about the stolen boat, Det. Jamieson says the trailer was reported to say “Maaco” on the side, and the trailer “might have a white, yellow, orange, and blue cargo box on the back.” As with all stolen vehicles, if you think you’ve seen this, call 911.
First – no arrest so far in this afternoon’s armed robbery. We do have 3 Crime Watch reader reports. First – Melissa asks that you be on the lookout for this stolen car:
My boyfriend’s car was stolen today in Westwood between 2 pm and 7:15 pm. It’s a blue 1991 Toyota Camry with the plate 695-ZHJ. There’s noticeable damage to both the front and back bumper. It’s scratched up and pretty much black on the corners. Nothing valuable inside, just hoping to locate it.
Call 911 if you see it, as advised by SPD via @getyourcarback.
The other two are car prowls. From Amie:
Car was rummaged through. Nothing valuable taken because nothing valuable was in the car, but papers were strew on the seat from the glove box. Seaview neighborhood.
And from Conor:
We live on 47th SW between Charlestown and Spokane and had our car window smashed (early Monday) at 2 am. Cameras show a man and a women team working each side of the street. They wiped the fog off nearly every car on the block looking for stuff.
Cameras are in fact on the agenda for our area’s next crime-fighting meeting: West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets Tuesday night, 6:30 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), all welcome, even if you’re not a BW captain or even (yet) in a BW.
4:17 PM: Police are searching right now for someone reported to have held up a business in the strip mall on the northeast corner of 35th and Roxbury. The robber is described in scanner traffic as black, male, about 25 years old, red bandana over his face, 6 feet tall, slender, black beanie, dark puffy jacket. He was reported to be armed with a 9-mm handgun. He was last seen headed northbound on 35th. The address given for the robbery is the smoke shop at 9650 35th; we have a crew en route.
4:52 PM: Adding a photo. Not much additional information at the scene – police confirmed Discount Smoke and Beverage is the store that was robbed; they got conflicting reports about which way the robber was seen running, so they’re searching in all directions. They were also still working to find out what the robber got away with. No injuries reported.
After a few intense days, crime reports have calmed a bit, so far as we can tell from the inbox and 911 map. But we do have two burglaries and two car prowls to report:
Stephen discovered Thursday night that his home in the 6000 block of Fauntleroy Way had been broken into while he was away at work – and that burglars had struck elsewhere on their block, leaving (besides fingerprints) a footprint that police told him resembled one found at the other scene. He says the burglar/s entered by tearing a basement window out of its frame; they stole jewelry and an iPad, but left other electronics behind. He also says police mentioned “a band of about 5 people” are believed to be responsible for many of the West Seattle burglaries happening right now.
Car prowls: Betsy says her car was broken into early Thursday morning in the 6400 block of 36th SW, but “nothing of value in the car, so nothing stolen.” Then Friday between 9:30 am and 1 pm, Beth‘s Civic was broken into near 35th and 100th in Arbor Heights. She’s hoping her brown-leather purse was dumped somewhere by the thief/thieves – let police know if you spot one.
Last but not least – if you have a “nuisance property” in your neighborhood, the newest newsletter sent by Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon includes LOTS of information on what you can do about it, compiled, he writes, with the assistance of precinct liaison Melissa Chin from the City Attorney’s Office. See it here.
P.S. As noted here earlier, the next crimefighting meeting is the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network, 6:30 pm Tuesday at the precinct (Webster/Delridge).
Interested in surveillance cameras to deter crime or record it if it happens? That’s a major topic of next Tuesday’s West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meeting – and you don’t have to be a BW captain (or even part of a BW) to attend. Also on the agenda, new Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Joe Kessler is expected to drop in for a (re-)introduction (here’s our recent story on his return to the precinct). The meeting’s at 6:30 pm Tuesday (January 22nd) in the precinct meeting room, which is right off the parking lot on SW Webster at Delridge – full details on the Blockwatch Captains Network website.
Two notes that came in after this morning’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup – First, watch for Amber‘s car, stolen overnight near 18th/Thistle, a black 2-door Nissan 200SX, with a cracked bumper and Obama sticker, plate AGE7999. Amber says, “I have a club and just happened to not put it on the car last night.” We’ve also heard from Kristen, who says the stolen car she reported here two weeks ago is back, “found by a SPD officer running license plates about a mile and a half away when he noticed the window was down. Other than some water to clean up and some odd things being taken (the faceplate to the stereo but not the stereo), the car was completely intact!”
Two burglaries discovered one block apart last night top this West Seattle Crime Watch update. First we heard from Jim, who reported via Twitter that his neighbors’ home in the 7300 block of 27th SW had been broken into; the burglar(s) smashed the windows with “large rocks.” Then we heard from Kevin:
Came home to a robbed and ransacked house at (7300 block of) 28th Ave SW. Broke through the back door and broke in the garage door too. Happened between 8:20 am and 5:20 pm. Electronics, jewelry, credit cards, passports among other things. Every single cabinet drawer and closet gone through and thrown on the floor.
One other burglary was reported last night, according to the SPD map – and it too was in the 7300 block, but this time the street was 36th SW.
Car prowlers continue to show up all over the peninsula. The latest reports, and new information about this week’s Arbor Heights mail theft, after the jump:Read More
Before we get to the toplines from last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, two crime reports.
First, two reader reports about open mailboxes in Arbor Heights. Paula reports:
All of the mailboxes on 37th place between 102nd SW and 104th SW (map) were open this morning when I was leaving for work. They were like this Monday morning as well.
Jeff also e-mailed about this – saying he noticed it at 37th Pl/102nd at 6:45 am – and points out that SPD’s auto-tweets include a “suspicious vehicle” reported in that general area around 2:45 am.
Second, a car-vandalism report from Jamie:
I just wanted to give a heads-up to residents of Highland Park. Sometime between 7 PM Monday and 7 AM Tuesday (1/15) both my car and my husband’s were “paintballed”. No real damage to report – just clean-up needed. I’ve already reported it to the police, but thought neighbors should be aware.
And third – the WSCPC meeting. It was a wide-ranging West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting – from crime trends to cannabis.
Five reader reports today – we start with Hilary‘s report of a bizarre vandalism spree in The Triangle, around 38th and Alaska:
ADDED 8:46 PM: From a firsthand report by Jess, who was among the victims says the same thing happened to her car in the same place last Thursday:
… The vandals sprayed some kind of white foamy acid substance across my car that ate the paint all the way to the metal. I have filed a police report with SPD and recommend that anyone else that has experienced this do the same.
(back to original 5:08 pm report) Next, a burglary reported by Brian:
Came home this morning after being out of town for the weekend to find my home in Highland Park burglarized. Someone had forced entry via the back door and thoroughly ransacked the place, stealing several things of value. Police came out and took a report. Have started talking to neighbors but no leads so far. Just wanted to let the blog know so that you can warn/inform other area residents.
And we have three separate reports of mail theft/tampering – read on:
Five West Seattle Crime Watch notes: First, a reported car break-in at Westcrest Off-Leash Area in Highland Park, near the end of the west side of the lot. A witness wrote:
The car next to me had had the driver’s door smashed and the lady’s purse was on the front seat. Stolen. All her credit cards, etc. … As busy as the parking lot was, with people constantly coming and going, I wonder how they got by with it. It is pretty unbelievable that this could happen while it was so busy! When I got to the park at 2pm the cars were parked on the street all the way up the hill. When I left at about 3:45 lot was still full but street had thinned out a lot. If anyone saw anything suspicious please report it! And please, do not leave your valuables in your car, especially in sight!
As we’ve seen in Crime Watch reports, “busy area” is no deterrent – criminals know how to act fast, and often without attracting much notice.
Another car break-in report from this weekend – Mo says this happened early Saturday, near Roxbury/Delridge (city side):
Between 1 am and 7 am … someone smashed in the passenger window of our car parked in our driveway. This is our old car that we use for the dogs and all things outdoors – pretty nasty inside.
What is odd to us is that they didn’t take the stereo. Other than that there was nothing of any value in the car. They instead just made a mess and rifled through a tub of spare bike (spandex) clothing in the back.
The biggest pain is dealing with the broken window.
Two notes from Sunday night, regarding sightings we were called/texted about:
*Boat apparently searching off Beach Drive in the early evening – Seattle Police tell us it wasn’t theirs. No active search/rescue operations by anyone. We have a few more places to check later this morning. (Added later: SPD Lt. Alan Williams later told us he learned it was the Coast Guard. Still working to find out what the incident was about.)
*Notable police response at 29th/Raymond – Scanner traffic described it as a domestic-violence incident; a juvenile suspect was taken into custody.
One note from Saturday: We got a question about possible gunfire heard Saturday afternoon. No additional details but the SPD call map does show a “weapon discharge” call around 4:14 pm Saturday in the 6900 block of Delridge Way. (No related injuries were reported.)
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this afternoon – first, a followup to the photos from last month’s Admiral Way 7-11 robbery:
The SPD Blotter item including seven photos from the robbery – as noted in our Crime Watch report late last night – is updated with news that police arrested the suspected robber, 15, in Kent today after a tip. The other two are now said NOT to be suspects.
Second, two reports of what’s believed to be the same man exposing himself in an Alki neighborhood. First, a woman spotted a man – wearing only a light-colored tank top – on Lander near Teig (map) at mid-afternoon Wednesday. She said he stared right at her; she describes him as white, very dark hair and eyebrows, “receding hairline along the sides of the top of his head.” She was so startled, she shouted at him, and he subsequently jumped into the bushes. Talking with neighbors later, she discovered one had seen the same man on December 26th – at that time, wearing nothing at all, and also “jumping into and out of the bushes.” Our tipster says it’s all the more alarming considering that Alki Elementary is not far from this area. It’s been reported to police.
(Photo from witness on board Route 125 bus; man being treated blurred, except feet)
FIRST REPORT, 12:40 PM: Traffic alert too big to just add to the daily tracker – the bridge offramp to Northbound 99 is closed right now – and we’re just getting details: First we got a text from someone on board a bus who said they witnessed an incident involving a man who jumped onto a building roof. Here’s the transcript of the text:
Man involved in robbery took West Seattle Bridge and was transferring to the freeway downtown and hit a car, man proceeds to exit vehicle, jumped from bridge to building warehouse and then jumped to ground, injuring self in process, allowing police to capture, completely in view of everyone on my Route 125 bus headed downtown just now.
We called Seattle Police, whose Detective Renee Witt tells WSB: This started at Don Armeni Boat Ramp, where a woman said her ex-boyfriend had been following her and took her purse, then got into a vehicle and left. Officers were following him; he was speeding, wouldn’t yield, eventually stopped his vehicle on 99, took off running, jumped from the highway onto a building, then jumped to the railroad tracks. He has injuries including a suspected broken leg.
12:55 PM UPDATE: Northbound 99, and in turn the ramp from the WS Bridge, is reopening shortly, according to scanner traffic.
1:15 PM UPDATE: Talked to Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore, since SFD medics treated the suspect. He says the man, in his mid-30s, has multiple fractures – and wasn’t wearing a shirt. We’re adding a photo shared by our source from aboard the bus, but have blurred out the injured man, who was face-down on the ground – it was not a gory scene, though, and he was covered up.
9:57 PM: SPD Blotter published its version of the story tonight. Read it for yourself here; besides a few additional details about how it unfolded, the suspect’s background is of note – he is on our state’s version of probation:
The suspect is currently under active Department of Corrections supervision for Manslaughter, Robbery, and felony drug violations. A search warrant will be served on the suspect’s vehicle to recover additional evidence.
Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with robbers caught on cam:
That’s one of 7 photos released by Seattle Police from last month’s Admiral Way 7-11 holdup. We reported briefly on the robbery the morning it happened; SPD says the young robbers made off with very little, but need to be caught – take a close look at all the photos on SPD Blotter, which also has the number to call if you recognize any of them.
Also on the loose: The hit-run driver who smashed into David‘s black Kia Soul tonight:
My car was hit at about 5:30 pm (tonight) at the corner of 41st Ave SW and Alaska. Witnesses describe the car as a dark, possibly green, sedan driven by two young men. It fled the scene, turning north on 42nd Ave SW. The car will have damage on the front/passenger side.
David says witnesses described the two as “hipsters, and one was wearing a wool hat with tassels.”
And another report of bikes stolen during a break-in at a condo building. In our last roundup, it was along Harbor Avenue; this time, south of Morgan Junction:
We are e-mailing to inform the blog that West Water Condominums at 6970 California Ave SW has experienced at least 2 (possibly 3) garage break-ins over the past month. … Burglars broke into our garage by removing a metal plate, then used bolt cutters to steal the bikes. The police and management were notified. On the 15th, 2 more bikes were stolen, for a total of 8+ bikes in the past 2 months. Please post, as we are noticing a trend of this type of crime in our area.
Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today:
The surveillance photos above show two women who police say used stolen credit cards at Target in Westwood Village. The cards were stolen in a burglary north of Lincoln Park, at Amy‘s house; she writes: “My family came home from vacation to find our home burglarized. They have stolen all our valuable goods, including my wedding ring” – and the aforementioned credit cards. Amy adds, “There is a cash reward for anyone who can solve the burglary. Thank you and please help my family!!!!!” If you have information, Det. Adonis Topacio at the Southwest Precinct: 206-233-7830.
Next, a multiple-bicycle break-in, reported by Gary:
Harbor Place Condominium, located on Harbor Ave just north of Luna Park Café, was hit by bike thieves around January 4 – 7. After breaching the parking garages, thieves used bolt cutters to cut bike locks and at last count, around 8 bikes were stolen from condo building “B.” Police and condo management have been contacted. Review of on-site video surveillance cameras will hopefully produce some clues or leads, and websites selling bicycles will be monitored.
Brady‘s hoping to get his car back – again. Four months ago, someone stole his black Subaru (here’s the 9/8/12 West Seattle Crime Watch report about it). Now it’s gone again, from 38th just south of Alaska in The Triangle, near Fire Station 32, between 9 pm last night and noon today. License #045-VTO. As the Seattle Police @getyourcarback tweet advises – call 911 if you see it.
11:35 PM: Police are searching right now for someone who robbed the Papa John’s pizza shop on California SW north of Brandon. A K-9 team is joining the search too. According to scanner traffic, this happened after closing time – the robber is reported to have broken glass to get in and steal cash. It’s described as a strong-arm robbery, no weapon reported to have been seen. The suspect was described as a white man, 20s to 30s, stocky, dark clothing, possibly carrying some kind of bag. A fire crew is going to the scene too, because one person is reported hurt.
2:01 AM: Just checked with Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, who says no one’s been arrested, but they might have some evidence: “Officers did locate some clothing in an alley that may or may not have been worn by the suspect.”
11:05 AM: SPD Blotter now has a report on the robbery – no major new details – see it here.
Almost a year after the deadly shooting of 35-year-old Travis Hood alongside Morgan Junction Park, a trial date has just been set for his alleged killer. May 1st is the trial date set for the man arrested at his Gatewood home shortly after the deadly shooting on January 21, 2012. He continues to refuse to confirm that he is Lovett Chambers, the name by which he has been charged; today’s court documents and others preceding them have been signed with an X and a notation that they were signed “by the person alleged to be Lovett Chambers.” Also at this afternoon’s hearing in King County Superior Court, a pre-trial readiness hearing was set for March 24th. Chambers was charged with first-degree murder last year and pleaded not guilty in February 2012. According to investigators, the victim and alleged killer were strangers to each other but had both been in a nearby bar until moments before the shooting, for which no clear motive has been suggested; the reported circumstances were detailed at length in our report on the charge filed against Chambers last year.
Just out of the WSB inbox:
My friend’s car, in my possession, was stolen from in front of my house in Highland Park, 7000 block of 13TH AVE SW (Between HOLDEN & KENYON) last night.
The car is a 1993 Honda Accord, teal/light green, license AAX 1269. The back bumper is covered with bluegrass/music stickers. It was last seen by a neighbor in front of the house at 10:30 PM 1/4. Wasn’t noted missing until 4:00 PM today 1/5.
As we always note, many stolen vehicles are found within a relatively short distance – so if it happens to you, after you’ve notified police, let us know too so that we can also get the word out.
Two theft reports to share this morning, from West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports. First, a car theft reported by Kristen near 13th and Cloverdale:
I was hoping to get the word out there that my boyfriend had his car stolen between 12:30 am – 4 am this morning from right in front of our house. It is a 1997 Green Honda Civic license plate AGX 4662. I literally looked out the window and saw it right before bed and it was gone just a short time later when he was leaving for work. I know there have been quite a few car thefts in the area lately and am just trying to be as proactive as we can at getting the word out there, with the hopes of getting it back.
If you see it, please call 911, as advised by SPD’s @getyourcarback tweet about this theft.
**ADDED 11:18 AM** In comments, DJ Allyn suggested a map of area thefts. This data is not always reliably available but the city’s police-report map looks fairly up to date now (yesterday, for example, it wasn’t) – here is a screengrab showing the 11 thefts it lists for December 28th through today:
(back to original 10:47 am report) Also out of the WSB inbox – the second catalytic-converter-theft report this week:
Just want to report that the catalytic converter was stolen from my Toyota Tacoma, sometime between Wednesday, January 2nd, mid-morning and 6:00 pm (Thursday, January 3rd). The pipe was cut and a couple of rubber rings were cut and a piece of metal bent to remove the converter. The truck was parked on 36th Ave SW, between Hanford and Hinds. The alarm was on, but it wasn’t activated by the theft.
SIDE NOTE: In our ongoing New Year’s resolution to share more reminders about WSB site features you might have missed – here’s a note about our Crime Watch page, which is another way to catch up on links to recent crime-related reports AND also a place to see the latest SPD West Seattle/South Park incident tweets. You also can access the archive of front-page crime reports here.
In We checked with Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Mark Jamieson, who says that the suspect who crashed a stolen car into another car by the Southwest Precinct is still in the hospital at last report, and will be booked into jail when released. As for the truck that hit parked cars before crashing into bushes outside a South Admiral apartment building – no arrest in that case yet.
Now, as to what’s new: First, if you heard about a White Center shooting this morning, investigators aren’t clear yet on whether it was an attack or an accident – the story’s on our partner site White Center Now.
Here in West Seattle, two reader reports – both are crimes that targeted the same type of vehicle, miles apart, apparently coincidentally – read on:
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