West Seattle, Washington
23 Tuesday
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes today – the first, a reader report from Daniel:
This morning between midnight and 8 am, someone broke into my car and stole my briefcase that was sitting in the back seat. The cross streets I live near are 63rd Ave. SW and Admiral. I wanted to let you know just in case if anyone heard or saw anything suspicious. … Attached is a photo of the damage.
Also – after Lauren e-mailed us to ask about “heavy police presence” and medic crews at 16th/Trenton early this morning, we checked with SPD, and though it doesn’t appear to have been a big incident, in case you saw/heard it and wondered, here’s what police say: Officer Renée Witt in SPD media relations explains that it was a fight that started with an “unwanted guest” getting kicked out of a party around 5:30 am. Two men got into a fight; one got hit and fell down in the road at that intersection, and that’s where authorities came in. The victim was 20 and suffered only a “small cut above the right eye.”
ORIGINAL 7:42 PM REPORT: The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council seldom draws citywide media coverage, but a crew from channel 7 dropped in tonight to hear what Seattle Police had to say – and what citizens wanted to ask – about the Beach Drive murder case. Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen spent about half an hour talking, and answering questions. We have it all on video so you can see for yourself if you couldn’t be here; topline for starters – no breakthroughs to report, but Capt. Paulsen reiterated that if there was something the public needed to know to be safer, they wouldn’t hesitate to share it, and that the department “is putting everything we have” toward solving the case. The only bit of information about the case itself that he revealed, in response to a question, is that they do believe Greggette Guy was killed at or “very close to” the lower level of Emma Schmitz Memorial Viewpoint, during “evening” hours (the night before her body was found half a mile north). The meeting is still under way; more to come.
ADDED 9:36 PM: Added the video atop this story. It begins when Capt. Paulsen started speaking about the case, after spending about a minute and a half discussing other crime trends (major topline: car prowls are down dramatically), but otherwise is unedited, running 26 minutes, until no one had any more questions and he yielded the floor. Along the way, you will hear him address a few unrelated questions, including one about the recent Westwood Village gunfire (bottom line, no one arrested yet, but the Gang Unit is handling the case, and they don’t believe it was a random occurrence). (Still more to add from the meeting, re: other topics. P.S. We have created a coverage archive for all stories about this case, while it remains unsolved – find it here, with, as always, newest stories first.)
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: In case you can’t view the video, we have transcribed Capt. Paulsen’s opening statement about the Beach Drive case, before he invited Q/A, which focused on safety questions overall. Read on for that and notes from the meeting’s other speaker, an insurance-fraud expert with some eye-opening insights into car theft:Read More
In the foreground, flowers and a candle, almost certainly a tribute to murder victim Greggette Guy; in the background, trimmings from plants along Emma Schmitz Viewpoint, where her car was found, after her body was found a half-mile north, eight days ago. Though this comes as safety concerns have been raised (and replied to), Parks Department spokesperson Karen O’Connor tells WSB that some of the pruning “is work that is normally done during this time of the year,” but she added there’s something extra: “To improve visibility into the lower plaza area, we are removing 3 large clumps of Escallonia. We are waiting for the backhoe to come it to complete that work.”
As of about 2 pm, when we took that photo of an escallonia shrub with a white line painted onto its east side (and the blue letters “OK” on the grass below), that work hadn’t happened yet, but O’Connor mentioned they were hoping the weather would calm a bit.
Meantime, we expect to hear something about the case at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, to which the public is welcome – 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct meeting room (entrance is from the parking lot along Webster, west of Delridge). Last night at an otherwise-unrelated neighborhood meeting in Arbor Heights, SW Precinct Sgt. Joe Bauer, asked about the case, reiterated that SPD was pouring “resources” into getting it solved.
On a more personal note about Ms. Guy, we have learned that her memorial service is planned for this Saturday at a funeral-home chapel in Kent. A little more about her apparent West Seattle connections has emerged, as well; if you saw our report on Sunday night’s vigil, you heard her father mention having walked with her on Beach Drive many a time. We have heard from multiple sources that she and her family lived here at some point in childhood – she is reported to have attended Fairmount Park Elementary (now in its fifth year of closure). Again, here’s the flyer that’s been distributed:
Police want to hear from anyone with any bit of information that might help the investigation, no matter how small.
In the neighborhood along SW Spokane by the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, a neighbor who goes by “Shout” reports a bizarre case of vandalism late Monday night. He says the utility installation up on the slope was being pounded on by somebody who sounded as if they had a sledgehammer. “Shout” called police, and though they appeared to him to have checked out the area cursorily and left, the would-be vandal did stop… but not before scuffing up the facility (see the photo above).
Also tonight, for those keeping an eye on the case: The indecent-liberties trial of alleged Lincoln Park attacker Duane Starkenburg has been pushed back a couple more weeks because of factors including lawyer scheduling. It was supposed to start this month – but now a new date of April 2nd has been set.
(Sunday night photo by Karen Sykes)
Seattle Parks has just shared the response it is sending to people who have voiced concerns about safety along Beach Drive, in the aftermath of the so-far-unsolved murder of Greggette Guy, found dead offshore in the 3800 block one week ago today, remembered at a waterfront vigil and walk last night (WSB coverage here).
Thank you for getting in touch regarding the recent unsolved murder in West Seattle, and expressing your concerns about the safety of a stretch of Beach Dr. SW in the area where the young woman was found.
Following … is the text of a timely and thorough response to Sandi Repetowski from Capt. Steven Paulsen of the Seattle Police Department’s (Southwest) Precinct. In it he:
· Describes the low crime statistics for the area
· Recommends walking with a buddy and not alone
· Reports on his visit to the Alki Community Council meeting on Thursday, March 15
· Describes SPD’s plans to respond to the event with more patrols and its summer emphasis plan that they carry out from the third weekend in April through September
· Offers to have the SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, Mark Solomon, conduct an assessment using Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.
[editor’s note – the following is the SPD letter]
Thank you for taking the time to write in regard to your concern of lighting and general public safety in the area of Beach Drive SW. I am unable to provide any information in regard to the tragic homicide – in order not to compromise the integrity of the investigation, but I can provide you with some information that may assist you and your neighborhood.
I feel confident to tell you that Schmitz Park and Me Kwa Mooks Parks are safe. Activity in the parks does increase during the warmer weather months as it does the activity along Beach Drive and Alki. The particular area where the homicide occurred (along the beach) is also considered quiet and safe. The best advise we can provide our citizens is to always walk with another person and to be aware of your surroundings.
911 calls for the area are considered very low. In the past 15 months, the following 911 calls from citizens have been received…(the geographical area is from Alki Point to just south of Mee Kwa Mooks Park):
51 calls for suspicious persons (most of these occur during the day and during the warmer weather months)
25 calls for False residential alarms
21 calls for disturbances
11 calls for mental complaints
10 calls for Domestic Violence
8 calls for Harassment/assault/threatsMe Kwa Mooks Park (same 15-month window)
5 Parks Exclusions for inappropriate behavior
3 suspicious persons calls
3 fireworks complaints
2 complaints of noise disturbances
2 complaints of Mischief/Nuisance.
Note: No calls for Drugs or Graffiti (not that it is not occurring, just that folks are not reporting it)On Thursday, March 15th, I attended the Alki Community Council Meeting. I updated the group on our annual summer emphasis plan that pertains to Alki and neighboring City Parks. The plan starts in or around the 3rd weekend of April and continues through September.
In regard to the recent homicide, I told the group that the Seattle Police Department is putting forth all the necessary resources in order to resolve this tragic event. I also provided a briefing on the quiet nature of the neighborhood and that they will see an increase in patrol cars in the area. I advised that the additional patrol cars will not change or help solve the homicide, but more for neighborhood peace at mind, given the fear a crime such as this creates for a normally quiet/tranquil neighborhood.
In regard to street lighting and/or Lighting near parks, I am more than happy to have our Crime Prevention Coordinator – Mr. Mark Solomon do a Crime Prevention Environmental assessment for the neighborhood. Mark is able to work closely with our Parks Department, City Light and SDOT folks if additional measures are needed.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write us in regard to recent events. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Lt. Pierre Davis at 206-233-2033 or Community Police Team Officer Ken Mazzuca at 206-386-1088.
Sincerely,
Captain Steven Paulsen
Seattle Police Department
Commander, Southwest Precinct[editor’s note – the remaining text is how Parks closed its letter]
We appreciate suggestions for improvements to the site, and I’m sure SPD will consider them in the context of the CPTED assessment, which will involve Parks and Recreation, City Light, and Seattle Department of Transportation staff.
Thank you again for taking time to write, and we will let you know when the assessment is complete.
Speaking at last night’s vigil (the video is in our report), Ms. Guy’s father Gregg Smith referred to the area as a “deathtrap.”
ADDED 11 PM MONDAY: A Southwest Precinct sergeant, questioned about the case’s status at a neighborhood meeting in Arbor Heights tonight, said he had no new information that could be shared – but sought to assure those on hand that “a lot of resources” were being applied to the unsolved murder. (The meeting otherwise had nothing to do with the Beach Drive situation- it was a “living room conversation” meeting arranged by the local Block Watch captain a month earlier – and we’ll be writing the full story about it on Tuesday.)
(Photos and video by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Against a heartbreakingly beautiful sunset – half the sky and water shimmering pink, the other half under dark storm clouds – more than 75 people gathered as a tribute to murder victim Greggette Guy, and a declaration that they would not be frightened away from one of West Seattle’s most beautiful places.
Seattle Police detectives were there too, low-key, in plainclothes, talking to people away from the crowd, still seeking anyone who might have seen something a week ago tonight.
And then there was someone no one expected – interrupting the moment of silence after participants had walked the length of Emma Schmitz Memorial Overlook and back, identifying himself as Ms. Guy’s father Gregg Smith:
The safety concerns he voiced were top of mind for those who organized tonight’s walk and vigil on just hours’ notice, as well as those who came to join in:
Organizers circulated a sign-up sheet so that residents could find people to walk with in the days and weeks ahead, so no one would have to take a risk alone. Here’s what organizers, starting with nearby resident Judy Bentley, told participants; our video continues for 3 minutes as the walk begins:
Police have said they believe that Ms. Guy came to the Beach Drive shore a week ago for a walk, perhaps that same stretch of shore. Last Monday morning, a Beach Drive resident saw her body in the water near Harbor West Condos, the complex built in pilings over the water, and called 911. With boats and divers, public-safety crews brought it to shore (WSB coverage here); within hours, they described the death as “suspicious,” but it was not publicly declared a case of murder until last Thursday (WSB coverage here).
As evidenced by their presence tonight – and the flyers on every utility pole – police remain eager to hear anything you think might be relevant to the case. Here’s a closer look, if you haven’t seen the flyers in person:
Though not much has been said about Ms. Guy, 51, online research indicates she had been married for 30 years, with a 21-year-old daughter, and had long been employed by a South King County aviation-industry firm as a credit manager.
Three days after police announced that 51-year-old Greggette Guy had been murdered (WSB coverage here), likely hours before her body was discovered in the water off north Beach Drive, neighbors are planning a vigil and walk. Just received from Judy Bentley:
Neighbors of Emma Schmitz Park and Me-Kwa-Mooks Park will gather at 7 p.m. tonight, Sunday, March 18, for a walk and vigil to remember Greggette Guy and to claim the park as a safe public space. Please join us at the north end of the park, on the waterfront side of Beach Drive at 7 p.m. Bring flashlights and candles although it will still be light at the beginning of the walk. We’ll walk the length of the park together. We’ll anyone who needs company walking home. Please join us.
We have been following up with police, but so far they have no new information to report, and continue to request any and all tips that might help them solve the mystery of who killed Ms. Guy, who is believed to have come to the area for a waterfront walk last Sunday evening. On Thursday, they published this photo of her car, found Monday at Emma Schmitz Overlook:
That’s close to where the vigil/walk will start tonight (here’s a map). In a report published Saturday, Beach Drive Blog shows why there have long been concerns in the area.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch notes today – burglars spotted by a neighbor, a possible case of casing, a stolen car that’s been found, and the latest Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention advice (focused on burglary trends and prevention). Read on:Read More
(Thanks to Anthony for the photo)
3:03 PM: Police are looking for a bank robber after a holdup at Washington Federal Savings at California and Fauntleroy. Only description so far: Black man in his 20s, “tightly pulled hoodie.” The bank is closed for a while as investigators work.
4:35 PM UPDATE: Commenters asked about past robberies. Our archives indicate this bank was held up last October. The suspects were arrested five days later. We lost track of that case, so we don’t know their current status.
9:50 PM UPDATE: We have some additional information, from Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith responding to our inquiry. He says the robber “presented a note to the teller” and got away with “an undisclosed amount of cash.” We also asked him about a van that we photographed in the West Seattle Thriftway parking lot across the street, being guarded by multiple officers:
Lt. Smith says they were tipped to the van when “witnesses contacted officers and advised that they had seen a suspicious male leave a vehicle in the lot. Their description closely matched that of the suspect. The vehicle was impounded to SPD Processing. The suspect has not been located.”
SATURDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: SPDBlotter just published a short item about the robbery, but the only thing it mentions that we didn’t already report here is a bit more descriptive info about the robber: “black male, 40 years of age, last seen wearing a blue hooded jacket under a dark blue jacket, and khaki pants.”
P.S. THANK YOU to the WSB’ers whose texts/phone calls were our first word about the robbery shortly after it happened on Friday afternoon. We are not always in earshot of the scanner and your tips help immensely, so we can get out the info and get busy finding out more. (206-293-6302, voice or text, any time, day or night, weekday or weekend.)
Police think they have solved several burglaries with two arrests in West Seattle this afternoon. First, we heard from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen, who says that a vehicle description provided by neighbors after a burglary in the 9200 block of 13th SW led officers to a car in the 1900 block of SW Brandon (here’s a map of the 2 locations), and the 2 suspects. And then, we got this report from Zach – whose home was the one broken into on 13th (he shared the broken-window photo above):
Thanks to a good neighbor and some fast-acting cops, the teenagers who broke into our home were nabbed and our belongings were recovered. One of our neighbors had noticed a suspicious car cruising the neighborhood earlier. Later, our neighbor noticed a stranger opening our front door and letting in another person who emerged from our backyard. In moments, the pair of teens left carrying our flat screen TV and a laptop. They dumped the items in the trunk of their car and drove off. … The car is a silver, four door sedan.
Our neighbor alerted the police, who were able to identify a partial plate using some of the photos our neighbor took using a cell phone. The police, Officers Thompson and Longley, were not only familiar with the owner of the car, but they were able to catch up with the suspect and recover our things. Granted, we’re out a window, but it could have been much worse.
He says one officer told him they believe the suspects “are affiliated with a network of thieving minors who are ‘hammering’ the greater Seattle area. And Zach added, “I only wish that our courts weren’t so lenient on minors. It seems like we’re making teenage crime a deal that’s just too good to pass up.” Following juvenile cases through the court system is difficult, because the documentation is not openly available as it is for adults, but we will do our best to followup. Meantime, Capt. Paulsen says police appreciate another case of “alert citizens calling 911 when they are observing suspicious circumstances in their neighborhood.”
(Scroll down for tonight’s newest info)
(Monday photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
2:32 PM: Three days after a woman was found dead in the water off Beach Drive, near Cormorant Cove Park – as covered here extensively on Monday – Seattle Police finally have announced that it’s being investigated as a murder case.
We have checked daily since then, and until this afternoon, they would only characterize it as a “death investigation.” But now, here’s what police are saying:
Seattle Police are asking the public for assistance in an active homicide investigation. On March 12th at approximately 7:30 a.m. a citizen reported seeing a body floating in Puget Sound approximately 30 feet off-shore of the 3800 block of Beach Drive SW.
Homicide detectives believe the victim (photo right) parked her car in the 4400 block of Beach Drive SW on Sunday night, March 11th. The victim had planned to take a walk along the beach but was found deceased just offshore the next morning. The suspect(s) remain at large.
If you have information about this incident or if you saw any suspicious activity, vehicles or persons in the area on the evening of Sunday, March 11th, please call 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Tip Line at (206) 233-5000. Anonymous tips are welcome. You can also call Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Police say the cause of death will have to be released by the Medical Examiner, which also will be the source for her name; we have heard a name from a source but will not publish it until we have confirmed it with the Medical Examiner. Police also have released this photo of her car, a 2010 Buick Lacrosse, which appears to have been photographed across from Me-Kwa-Mooks, a few blocks south of where her body was found:
Police added this to their report on SPD Blotter:
The Seattle Police would like to remind everyone to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings anytime you are outdoors and especially in the hours of darkness. This remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation.
This is the second murder of the year in West Seattle; the first was a deadly shooting next to Morgan Junction Park in January (a suspect is jailed and awaiting another hearing next month).
3:20 PM UPDATE: The Medical Examiner identifies the victim as Greggette Guy but says final word on how she died is “pending.”
ADDED 5:35 PM: For those not familiar with the Beach Drive area, here’s a Google Map showing the spots where Ms. Guy’s body was found and where her car was found:
One commenter wondered if flyers would be distributed in the area, to reach those who don’t see news reports about this (citywide organizations have picked it up now); we have heard from two police sources that flyers are indeed planned. (Let us know if you see any – we don’t know the timetable, but have already taken one drive through the area to look.)
6:29 PM UPDATE: We just received a scan of the flyer from Richard Worthington of Seattle Real Estate Associates (WSB sponsor):
He says police are indeed canvassing the area to ask if anyone saw anything or anybody out of the ordinary.
Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with two court notes:
COURT-CASE UPDATES: No definite date yet for the start of Duane Starkenburg‘s imminent trial on indecent-liberties charges for the 2010-2011 Lincoln Park attacks – the prosecutor’s still busy finishing another trial. We’ll keep you updated. … Meantime, the trial date for Angelo Felice, charged with murdering vaudeville entertainer Hokum W. Jeebs in Fauntleroy last year, has been pushed back five months to September, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB, as the result of a hearing last week.
READER REPORTS: A theft report from VCA:
Thought I would let people know that there are probably metal/copper thieves combing the alleys etc. near Alki. I just had two large copper pots (planters) stolen this morning. One was on my porch right next to my door which is on the alley side. I was only gone for 1 hour, and one of my cars was parked in alley, with my blinds open! Checked in with one of my neighbors across the alley and she did not see anything.
More reader reports ahead:Read More
9:47 AM: Police are rushing to the California/Charlestown 7-11, after a report it was robbed by a man with a gun. Seattle Police media relations Officer Renée Witt confirms the robbery report and says they got the call at 9:41 am. Also using information via the scanner, we’ve heard a partial, early description of the robber – black, male, wearing a cap, braids, gray sweatpants, 5’9″, no facial hair, last seen headed east on Charlestown; his gun had been in his right jacket pocket. We’re headed to the scene and will have more from there shortly.
10:25 AM UPDATE: Added a photo. Police at the scene weren’t commenting. No word of an arrest.
11:58 AM UPDATE: There’s been a discussion in the comment section about area schools. We verified with Seattle Public Schools that there were NO lockdowns – the robber was running AWAY from the schools, not toward them (and the schools are about a half-mile away), so there was no danger.
12:51 PM UPDATE: Seattle Parks confirms, as discussed in comments, that Hiawatha was on lockdown for a while as a precautionary measure (though it too was not in the direction the robber was going). They reopened the doors shortly after noon, according to Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter.
3:09 PM UPDATE: Just talked with police. No arrest reported so far.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this morning:
ANOTHER MISSING OUTBACK: For the second day, we have a stolen Subaru Outback whose owner is asking for your help, though this theft happened a week ago. Michelle says her red 1996 Outback Impreza was stolen in the North Admiral area on the morning of February 29th. Distinctive features: “It has a rusted dent on the drivers side front tire area and on the driver-side tail light, the inner part is covered in red tape. All hubcaps missing!!” If you see it, call 911.
SUSPECT ARRESTED: From SPD Blotter this morning – police went to the 4800 block of 47th SW (map) southwest of The Junction late last night with a warrant for a suspect’s arrest, and found more than they expected:
Officers contacted the homeowner who let the officers know that the suspect was in a downstairs bedroom. Officers went downstairs, only to find a locked door. The suspect’s roommate was located in the garage and opened the locked door with his own key. The 23 year old warrant suspect was located sleeping inside and was arrested without incident. Officers observed guns and drugs inside the room. Officers wrote a search warrant and then arrested the roommate as well for Violation of the Uniform Firearm Act (VUFA) and Violation of the Controlled Substances Act (VUCSA). The roommate, a 49-year-old male, is a convicted felon and two of the guns recovered were stolen. Officers recovered a large amount of methamphetamine and other drugs, as well as a large amount of cash.
(Tuesday afternoon photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
As a followup to Tuesday’s gunfire at Westwood Village, which did not cause any physical injuries but did lead to lockdown/shelter-in-place precautions at three nearby schools (WSB as-it-happened coverage is here), we now have information from the initial police report filed afterward. While that first police report isn’t always the “last word” – the investigation is continuing – we thought you might be interested to hear what it says, since it adds some detail not available yesterday:Read More
Topping West Seattle Crime Watch this morning – Christian‘s Outback was stolen overnight in North Admiral, and he hopes you’ll keep an eye out for it:
It is a 1996 Green Subaru Legacy Outback, License # AGF1432. I attached a photo to help with the description. Its a very distinctive outback because of the roof rack, lights, and spare tire. Also it is missing the front license plate, its in the front window instead of on the front bumper. Last seen in front of my house last night. Noticed it was gone at 7:30 this morning.
As SPD always says in its @getyourcarback Twitter feed of stolen-vehicle info (which just mentioned this one) – call 911 if you see it.
Speaking of stolen property, in case you missed the citywide-media reports, if you have been a theft victim, you might want to check the photos SPD has posted in connection with a big bust announced yesterday. The links are in the announcement on SPD Blotter (which this morning, by the way, has posted the first Aggressive Driver Response Team roundup in a while, with speeding-stop info from four West Seattle areas).
Finally, from Anita, word of a bizarre case of vandalism in the 3200 block of Belvidere:
Not even sure where you file this one. On Saturday morning, my husband came out of our house to find our car, which was parked in our driveway, covered in flour and Splenda. There was an open bag of flour and lots of little bags of Splenda strewn about our driveway. The car was a mess. We don’t have any teenagers or any other reason to think we would be targeted. We’re a plain old middle aged couple with one little kid. Wondering if anyone else has had this happen.
Notes tonight on three defendants whose cases we’re continuing to watch in the courts:
DUANE STARKENBURG: More than a year after this Gatewood resident was arrested and charged with attacking three women jogging in or near Lincoln Park, he is about to go on trial, but the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB there’s likely to be a short delay. Starkenburg’s trial is on the books to start this Wednesday, but according to KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe, the prosecutor assigned to the case is in another trial that may not be over till days after that. Starkenburg also is awaiting a separate trial in an unrelated, long-ago child-rape case.
LOVETT CHAMBERS: The Gatewood man charged with murdering (Michael) Travis Hood by Morgan Junction Park in January was scheduled to return to court last week; as is fairly typical at this stage of a murder case, a postponement was requested, as lawyers are still in the “discovery” process. His next hearing is now set for April 4th.
BRANDON CHANEY: The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms they are planning to re-try Chaney, a South King County resident who is the only one of four men charged in the February 2009 Steve Bushaw murder whose case is not yet resolved. Last August, a King County Superior Court jury deadlocked on Chaney’s case, while convicting co-defendant Bryce Huber (the two “triggermen” in the case had already pleaded guilty). Chaney was back in court last Friday, at which time a tentative trial date of November 1st was set; he is expected back in court in three weeks, for a “status hearing.”
Via SPD Blotter, police have just confirmed what Brittany reported last night on the WSB Facebook page – shots were indeed fired outside High Point Community Center, with one hitting a nearby house. The SPD report says in part:
Responding Southwest Precinct officers located evidence of a shooting in the north lot of the High Point Community Center. A van that was parked in the lot (unoccupied) had been struck, as well as the exterior wall of a house across the street in the 3400 Block of SW Willow Street. The residents of the house heard the shots and the bullet hit the house, but it did not penetrate to the interior of the house, and there were no reported injuries. Officers were able to recover shell casings from the parking lot, and the rounds that struck the van and the house.
The SPD report doesn’t mention the types of vehicles seen leaving the area after the gunfire, but Brittany described them as “black newer Jeep Cherokee and red Pontiac Firebird.”
Two reports to share:
Early this morning, we tweeted three times about scanner traffic involving what was first reported as a truck that had driven over the 44th/Andover traffic circle and “high-centered” atop it. It was gone when police arrived minutes later, but they searched the area extensively after reports it was headed north; before long, they found the truck, but reported that its driver had fled. We don’t know whether they ever found the driver, but Hayla e-mailed us today about the incident, including the photo above:Read More
Thanks to Kevin McClintic for sharing a photo and toplines from last night’s Arbor Heights crime-prevention/Block Watch-formation meeting, which he says about two dozen people attended. Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon (next to the pulpit in Kevin’s photo) was the guest speaker for the meeting coordinated by AH residents Sherry Fullerton and Kathy Ward. Mark stressed what you have heard from police over and over – if you see something suspicious happening, call 911. If you see someone who looks unfamiliar – say hi, “let them know they’ve been seen,” as Kevin summarized the message. Interested in getting involved with Arbor Heights Block Watch efforts, but couldn’t get to the meeting? You can e-mail arborheightsblockwatch@gmail.com and/or join the new Facebook group Arbor Heights Block Watch.
Got confirmation today that the rescheduled Arbor Heights crime-prevention/Block Watch-organizing meeting is happening tomorrow – Thursday, March 1, 6:30 pm, at Arbor Heights Community Church (41st/102nd). The announcement invites Arbor Heights residents to:
Meet with your neighbors to:
¨ Get information on the recent area crimes
¨ Strategize on actions to reduce area crime
¨ Get printed material on improving home security, enhancing personal safety, and reducing car-related crimes
¨ Learn what WE can do, working together, to reduce neighborhood crimeCome prepared to share your experiences about recent crime and public safety concerns in the neighborhood.
Come ready to become an active participant in reducing area crime and improving neighborhood quality of life.
Driving northbound on Delridge this afternoon, we noticed the Boren campus, which the district is reopening this fall for a new elementary school, had been hit again by a particularly prolific wave of tagging. Then we spotted the district paint-over/cleanup crew, so we stopped for a photo. Community volunteers painted the bright mural panels that cover the school windows, which were boarded up a year and a half ago, hoping to discourage taggers, but a drive around the school suggests the vandals have hit most of the non-mural surfaces.
Updates tonight on two recent theft reports: A trailer and SUV reported stolen in separate West Seattle incidents have both been found. First – it’s been a month since Ron reported his cargo trailer taken from Gatewood; this past Thursday, he picked it up from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office after getting word it was found in Arlington, “in nearly the same shape as I remember,” and that arrests were made. He says he was told the suspects have a connection to Gatewood, and might be responsible for more than this theft.
Last Thursday was also when an SUV was stolen near Delridge/Holden; Shane told us about it on Friday, noting it belonged to a friend who is an amateur-radio operator and “gives a lot to the community.” The next morning, as he wrote in comments, word came from SPD that it had been found – with the electronics still in it, and only minor damage.
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