3 reader reports in this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup. First, from a Gatewood resident who didn’t want to be identified:

The night/morning of March 13/14, our car was prowled in our driveway– 3700 block of SW Elmgrove. We may have accidentally left the doors unlocked; however, a Club was locked on the steering wheel. We found the glove box and middle console open, as well as items in the trunk area disturbed. Items were taken and some strewn down the street.

Second, we received a brief note from a Fairmount Park-area resident about a tire-slashing overnight, Wednesday into Thursday, in their driveway.

Next, we have two reports of suspicious behavior involving people in vehicles – Bill reported this from Lincoln Park:

Noticed a suspicious vehicle (dark Chevy SUV, tinted windows, license 723-Y–) pull up in front of a neighbor’s house and park (near 46th Ave SW near Monroe). It’s an odd, out-of-the-way place to park, unless you live in one of the houses or are visiting someone there. Male passenger got out and walked toward a mailbox, then returned to the car. He and female driver lingered around the car, then got back in and started to drive away. I was able to get the plate and, as a precaution, decided to call 911.

About an hour later, I got a call from an officer saying they had located the vehicle and briefly questioned them. They say the male passenger is a known burglar. While they couldn’t find any evidence a crime had occurred, they were appreciative of the call and encouraged me to spread the word to neighbors. The officer reiterated to call 911 every time you see suspicious activity like this. I didn’t get a good look at them, but the male appeared to be late-20’s, medium-build, caucasian with a shaved head. Female was also late-20’s caucasian.

And this one from an anonymous Seaview resident:

My neighbor reported a suspicious white panel van casing the 5400 block of 49th SW this afternoon just before 2:30 PM. She reported it to the police to advise them.

This is after a reported stolen car just off of Genesee Hill a few days ago. Our neighborhood has been fairly anxious because of the numerous reported burglaries recently.

This month’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting is just days away – next Tuesday, March 19th, at the Southwest Precinct. Graffiti is the featured topic, but all issues/questions are welcome.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch cases tonight – and three reader reports from earlier. First, we have information now from police regarding the reason for a search around the Fairmount Park and Triangle areas – a street robbery in the 4700 block of 40th SW (map) around 8:30 pm. According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, the victim said he was confronted by a white man in his 20s wearing a gray hoodie and demanding money. “The suspect struck the victim on his head with an object that the victim described as a handgun, took some cash, then ran off. Patrol officers and a K-9 unit checked the area but were unable to locate the suspect. The victim did not require any medical attention.”

A few hours later, 911 received multiple calls – and we received a note – about possible gunshots heard in the Gatewood/south Morgan Junction area; our note was from someone near Gatewood Elementary. We have not yet heard if there was any confirmation of gunfire, such as casings or property damage; we’ll check again later.

Ahead, three Crime Watch reader reports, two with photos – a stolen bike to look for; a car-prowling MO to watch out for; and another garage break-in:Read More

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Greggette Guy loved the Girl Scouts, and the outdoors.

That’s why her family considered this to be the perfect tribute: A memorial plaque unveiled by her husband and daughter this weekend at the base of a totem pole at a Girl Scout camp in east King County:

Today marks exactly one year since Mrs. Guy’s life ended, decades too soon, at age 51.

The evening of March 11, 2012, she is believed to have come to West Seattle for a walk along the water, far from her home in Kent, but she had lived here decades earlier. The next morning, her body was found in Puget Sound, off the Harbor West Condos, half a mile north of where her car was found, by Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook. Three days later, police announced it was a case of murder; they kept the cause of death quiet for a while, but eventually disclosed she had suffered neck wounds.

One year later, no arrest, nor even a suspect description; a detective who came to the Saturday ceremony told us they remain very eager for any tip that might help solve the mystery of who killed Greggette Guy.

But on that sunny afternoon, the focus was on celebrating her memory. It was a simple and touching ceremony, not even 15 minutes long; we recorded it on video:

Mrs. Guy not only had volunteered with Girl Scouts, she had been one herself – her husband Dwight Guy shared this photo:

The Saturday tribute included a Color Guard ceremony, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Girl Scout Promise, led by the Guys’ 22-year-old daughter Darilyn and alums of her former troop, who carried the flag:

Girl Scouts organization representatives included West Seattleite Wendy Colton, who called Mrs. Guy “the epitome of everything that is good about Girl Scouts.” Her husband also shared a photo of her as a Girl Scouts volunteer:

He spoke briefly before unveiling the plaque with their daughter: “I still miss her. I always will.”

They had been married for 30 years. (The day before what would have been their 31st anniversary last September, he joined other murder victims’ loved ones at an event announcing billboards meant to bring in tips, billboards featuring photos including that of Mrs. Guy.)

September is also when Dwight Guy told us about the tribute involving the totem pole, which was carved and donated last year by a local artist, in honor of the organization’s 100-year anniversary, depicting levels of the program from Daisy Scout upward, and also paying tribute to Girl Scout volunteers like Mrs. Guy.

The ceremony honoring her ended with the singing of “Daylight Taps”; family and friends then gathered in a camp shelter where a slide show of photos played:

Refreshments included, of course, Girl Scout cookies.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE MURDER OF GREGGETTE GUY: Seattle Police stress that you can call the SPD tip line at 206-233-5000. Or even 911 – be clear you are calling with information about a murder investigation. Or, use CrimeStoppers (which can accept anonymous texted tips – here’s how to do that; the information is permanently atop our West Seattle Crime Watch page, in case you need it again sometime). And here again is the CrimeStoppers poster, first posted soon after Mrs. Guy was killed last March:

For the second night in a row, someone has fired a gun from a car in West Seattle. Saturday night, a car and home were hit at 20th and Cloverdale, no injuries; Sunday night, again no injuries, and this time no property damage, but Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams confirmed to WSB that spent casings were found after shots were reported to have been heard around 10th SW and SW Elmgrove. Also, he says, whoever did it was nowhere to be found.

From SPD Blotter this morning:

Officers are investigating a possible drive-by shooting that occurred last night in the 2000 Block of SW Cloverdale Street [map]. No one was injured, but a parked car and a house were struck.

Officers from the Southwest Precinct responded to a report of shots fired last night around 10:35 pm at that location. The occupants of the home told officers they heard the bullets hit the house, but did not hear any gunshots. Officers located a parked car that had been hit by a bullet, and a bullet was removed from the wood door frame on the house. It is presumed that the shots came from a car on the street. Officers conducted an area check, but did not locate any suspects.

First of all, in case you wondered: The man that King County Sheriff’s Office deputies were looking for yesterday in the Shorewood area, Alan Polevia, hasn’t been caught yet. See our Tuesday coverage for his mug shot, background, and other info.

Next: Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports – two car prowls and a stolen bicycle. Cori first reported in the WSB Forums that her daughter’s car parked west of Chief Sealth International High School was broken into Tuesday afternoon, with a variety of items missing. This morning, she added an update that much of what was stolen has been found – via an arrest (we’ll check with police on that) and also thanks to a helpful neighbor who spotted schoolwork-related items dumped nearby and brought them to CSIHS.

An earlier car-prowl report was from Kerri in Sunrise Heights:

I live near 34th and Holden. My car was parked behind my house, and was rifled through (Monday night-Tuesday morning) between 8 pm and 8 am. I must have forgotten to lock the doors because no windows were smashed. Items taken include CD’s, loose change, car registration, ring of keys for my other job. I have reported it to the police and my neighborhood Block Watch.

And Mark asks that you be on the lookout for a new black TREK Crossrip road bike – “stolen out of my open garage while I was in the kitchen ten feet away. … I live on Webster Street behind Home Depot off Delridge. Just a reminder to keep your eyes peeled and your garage doors closed!”

That photo is a followup to our report last week on the storage-facility-burglary arrests that Southwest Precinct police think might have solved multiple burglaries. Police are trying to find its owner:

Most of the stolen property inside the storage unit has been returned to the appropriate owner. However, we have been unable to locate the owner of this Sentry Safe. If any WSB reader can identify this safe please have them contact Officer Eshom at 206.233.1547.

If someone believes this is their safe, they must be able to provide a combination and/or serial number when calling.

Meantime, we checked on the two people who were arrested. The female suspect got out of jail one day after her arrest; online records show more than 40 previous cases involving her, misdemeanors and felonies, over the past 21 years (though records do not include details on the nature of the allegations/charges). The male suspect was not booked; he was already facing charges in connection with a Southeast King County burglary weeks earlier. Records show no charges in this case yet, but we’re continuing to follow up.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

First, happening right now, police have taken someone into custody from a Metro bus stopped in Fauntleroy, after an incident at the 35th/Barton 7-11. We’re not clear from scanner reports whether the store was robbed or the clerk assaulted by an armed person, or both; we’re following up. (Sunday morning note: Official information isn’t available yet, but one commenter offers a report.)

Also in Crime Watch, a stolen vehicle to watch for: Tod says his work van, white and bearing the company name Leibold Communications on its door, with a ladder rack on its roof, was stolen from Fauntleroy/Brandon last night. Call 911 if you see it.

Zach‘s day got off to an unpleasant start:

This morning at 6:00 am I walked out from my apartment on SW Trenton to where my car was parked on 25th near Westwood and discovered it was stolen. No broken glass on the scene but car was missing none the less. It is a White 1999 Honda Civic with Montana license plates.

Just wanted to get the word out for those living in the area, so if you see any suspicious activity make sure to report!

While Zach’s car theft isn’t on the map yet – it lags several hours – we checked the past week’s worth of theft reports, and here’s the screengrab – eight reported thefts in the past week:

For specific locations, you can check the map here (click on any icon for more info). And SPD continues to tweet reported thefts (minus locations) at @getyourcarback.

P.S. If you’re one of Zach’s fellow Westwood residents – or Arbor Heights, or Roxhill – public safety/crime is part of the agenda for the second meeting of the area’s new community council, next Wednesday, March 6, 6:30 pm at the Southwest Branch Library (35th/Henderson); here’s the Facebook event page.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:14 PM: Word tonight from Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith that West Seattle officers have made a big bust that might solve numerous burglaries. Here’s what happened:

At a self-storage facility, victims confronted two suspects last Sunday who were reported to have “the (victims’) stolen items in another unit.” Those suspects “locked up and left” – but police had been called, and tracked down and arrested the suspects. Search warrants followed, for the suspects’ unit and a U-Haul van a block from their residence. The searches happened yesterday and “recovered massive amounts of stolen property from multiple crimes” – at least 119 line items of evidence, including boxes of recovered items worth thousands of dollars, even a safe.

Lt. Smith says the arrest and property recovery might solve “multiple commercial and residential burglaries.” We’re working to get more information – including the storage facility’s location.

8:16 PM UPDATE: Finally dug up the address to match to the case number, thanks to Tweets by Beat (which you can see on the WSB Crime Watch page any time – though take note, not all calls turn out to be the kind of violation they’re described as): 2900 block of SW Avalon Way, location of Public Storage.

It’s been a busy news day so our toplines are going to have to wait to be added later – but for starters, here’s the video of the hour-plus presentation by Seattle Police Officer Jon Kiehn and U.S. Postal Inspectors Matt Rintoul and Sumyra Duy, talking about mail theft/fraud at last night’s meeting of the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network. (There weren’t any revelatory visuals, so if you just want to play it back as background audio, that works too.) More than 40 people filled the room at the Southwest Precinct. Tips were shared, myths debunked, and helpful information offered – including how to report mail theft online: postalinspectors.uspis.gov.

ADDED: Some toplines – though we highly recommend listening to/watching the clip to get all the info.

OFFICER KIEHN’S POINTS: A couple were general – don’t ever call the precinct if you’re looking to get an officer dispatched; they are dispatched via 911. When you do call 911, realize that it’s not a call “for conversation” – the person you’re talking to is filling out a list, and it’s your job to help them fill out that list so that they get information and get you help. If you are reporting a suspicious vehicle, the license plate is the most important piece of information you can provide; make and model and color, etc., come after that. Overall, be aware of what’s going on around you – always.

POSTAL INSPECTORS: A few key points – right now, only four inspectors are working on mail theft in all of Western Washington, so your action to stop or prevent it is vital. “Target hardening,” for example – get a locking mailbox, or a private mailbox with either the USPS or a mailbox business. If you can’t do that, make sure your mail is picked up as soon as possible after it’s delivered; make arrangements with a neighbor, if you’re not there to do it yourself. And call police about any suspicious activity around a mailbox.

SCAMS THAT ARE STILL ‘BIG’: The “foreign lottery” – a claim that you’ve won a prize but have to pay to claim it. Usually, those who fall for this are warned not to tell their family; one area woman was bilked out of tens of thousands of dollars, and even after authorities got involved, refused to believe them: The inspectors say they intercepted $10,000 of her money “but she sent $8,000 right back!”

Especially if you have elderly, or otherwise vulnerable, family members, warn them about this – don’t just wait to discover they’ve come into contact with it.

Also, they warned about the “mystery shopper” scam, and other “work at home” schemes.

There’s a “scheme alert” page on the Postal Inspection Service website – see it here.

To contact the inspectors who spoke at the meeting:
mcrintoul@uspis.gov
sduy@uspis.gov

That surveillance camera image, says Pete, shows a thief rolling his package away – after an earlier image showed her heading toward his house with nothing in the stroller/cart. He says the theft happened Friday of last week: “I reported it to the police but I was seeing other people in the Highland Park area also reporting missing packages. … I live in the area of 14th and Thistle … be on the lookout for people using this tactic.”

From Admiral, Brian reports his vehicle was broken into – in the underground garage of his building in the 2600 block of 42nd SW:

Sometime during the night of 2/20 or early morning of 2/21 my Suburban was burgled while parked in the underground parking garage. They smashed two windows and stole several thousand dollars of professional video and audio equipment. The officer who took my report said there had been several other parking garage incidents in the WS area, going along with the general rise in crime in our neighborhood.

Be careful … parking in a “secure” garage isn’t a guarantee of safety!

And a reminder: Your next chance to learn more about crime prevention/crimefighting is this Tuesday night when the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network meets at 6:30, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster) – mail theft and mail fraud are the focus. All welcome, even if you’re not part of a Block Watch (yet).

(2/13/13 WSB photo by Katie Meyer; scene of robbery that led to Willis’s arrest)
46-year-old Paul Eugene Willis – the man arrested in connection with six recent armed robberies in West Seattle, White Center, and vicinity – is now charged with three counts of first-degree robbery. Partner site White Center Now had first word of the robbery spree in January; then we learned the same suspect was also believed to be responsible for both recent holdups of the Smoke and Beverage Shop at 35th and Roxbury, the second of which led to his arrest, reported here last Friday (when we also reported that he served prison time for other holdups on Roxbury – including the same 76 station he allegedly recently robbed). The charging documents exhaustively detail the detective work that led to Willis’s arrest – from studying similarities in the robberies’ M.O., to discovering a certain vehicle on surveillance footage. We’ll summarize as soon as we can, but wanted to get word out about the charges. Willis remains in jail, with bail set at half a million dollars, and arraignment scheduled in early March. (Mug shot is from state Department of Corrections, taken in 2006; they tell us he’s been out since 2008 after serving time for those earlier robberies.)

Two reader reports from one Avalon Way condo-building break-in top this round of West Seattle Crime Watch. First one came from Blair, whose building is in the 3200 block:

The intruder broke into the lower parking garage and stole things from a few storage units, including mine. There was a white specialized woman’s bike and a bunch of tools including a Bosch Saw. They broke out a piece in the garage door to get in and broke the locks off our units. The case # is 2013-54488.

Later we heard from H:

We had a break-in last Friday night (2/15/13) that I’d like to let you guys know about. It happened at about 10:50 pm and he was captured pretty clearly on our building’s security cameras. A single male dressed in baggy cargo pants and a camo-colored parka removed a metal grating panel in the door of one of our building’s two garages. He was able to climb through and spent quite a while in the garage, breaking in to several storage units, making off with a bicycle, tools, clothes, and other random stuff. He wasn’t able to get into the second garage or into any other parts of the building. The amazing thing is that at least three residents came into the garage while he was in there, but nobody noticed anything out of the ordinary. It’s a good reminder for those who live in multi-unit buildings to stay alert and know who your neighbors are. And don’t leave valuable stuff in your car, even if you’re in a secured garage! Police were contacted.

Jamie reports a package theft:

We’re missing a package – UPS has it listed as delivered and someone with the initials “MO” signed for it around 11:30 today. We weren’t home during that time. Unfortunately (neither) my initials, nor my husband’s are MO, and the neighbors didn’t sign for it. Ironically, our mail in our mailbox was left untouched. I’m in Highland Park near 14th and Trenton – please give the neighborhood notice.

And on a positive note – Jeff‘s stolen Subaru is back:

I’m happy to report our car has been recovered. It was found up on Capitol Hill by the Seattle Police. Other than a dead battery and a scattered glove box, it appears to be OK. Many thanks to the SPD, they were very helpful.

P.S. We’ll report later today on Tuesday night’s Crime Prevention Council meeting, which included an update on a recent burglary arrest of even more value than it seemed of the time, plus new crimefighting technology.

Another stolen Subaru to watch for – topping tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup of reader reports. From Jeff:

Our car was stolen from in front of our house near 50th and Edmunds sometime between 10:00 pm last night and 9:00 am this morning. It’s a green 1998 Subaru Legacy wagon with a roof rack, license number 961 VBQ. Please call the police if sighted.

Thanks to the Seattle Police for being extremely helpful and prompt. An officer was here to take my report within half an hour of my call, and by the time I checked it had already been posted online. I really appreciate their responsiveness!

Ahead, two car prowl reports, from the Alki/Beach Drive vicinities:

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