From King County online court documents, two followups of note tonight:

MURDER CHARGE REDUCED: A year and a half after 35-year-old Travis Hood was shot and killed just outside Morgan Junction Park, the charge faced by his suspected killer was reduced today to second-degree murder. Lovett Chambers, arrested at his Gatewood home shortly after the shooting in January 2012, originally was charged with first-degree murder. (Details of the alleged circumstances are in our original report published when that charge was filed.) Changes in charges often accompany plea bargains, but in this case, court documents indicate plans for a trial are still moving forward, though its start date was pushed back again, and is now penciled in as November 5th. The document noting the delay says more time is needed because, among other reasons, the defense is calling a witness specializing in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and self-defense, and prosecutors are preparing a response. The only reason given in documents for the reduced charge is that it “more accurately reflects the defendant’s conduct.” As soon as we found these documents, we put in a request for comment from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, but it was late in the day and we did not hear back, so we’ll ask again Monday.

CAR-RAMMING CASE: As first reported here Thursday night, the 23-year-old man suspected of stealing a pickup truck on Alki Tuesday and then ramming two other occupied cars – one, a Seattle Police car – was set free the day after his arrest. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told us Thursday a judge (whom we have since confirmed through documents was District Court Judge Johanna Bender) did not find “probable cause” to keep him in custody until a decision on charges could be made. However, District Court files we found online today show that a $10,000 arrest warrant was issued for him that same day, because he hadn’t shown up for a court hearing on Monday related to a case involving an arrest July 13th in Seatac, with allegations of reckless driving and failure to comply with police. On July 15th, documents show, he was released on his own recognizance, despite a substantial criminal history.

Out of the WSB inbox, from a reader who doesn’t want to be identified – word of an apparent burglary attempt interrupted at 47th and Charlestown:

My 7 year old son was sitting on the couch and happened to look up to see 3 men staring in our living room window. Here is the description via my son: All three men had “tanned” skin, but not super dark and were wearing blue jean shorts. The oldest, possibly in his late 20s wore a blue shirt. The other two were late teens, one in an orange shirt and the other in a green shirt with a muscular build. When they saw my son, they looked very surprised and fled down our driveway. This all happened while I was in the shower downstairs on basement level. All I heard was our two dogs going nuts – which is pretty normal . I had a look around outside and it appears that they were attempting to break into my outbuilding, adjacent to our house. We presume there was a 4th person doing this. Police have been notified and are supposed to come take a report. Just wanted to make area neighbors aware and to be on the lookout.

The man arrested on Tuesday after a cross-peninsula series of incidents involving a stolen truck is out of jail, though not necessarily off the hook. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirmed to WSB today that a judge did not find probable cause to keep the 23-year-old suspect in jail when he appeared for a bail hearing on Wednesday. If you missed our coverage on Tuesday – the incident began with a truck full of landscaping equipment stolen from Alki Avenue SW next to Cactus; a citizen pursued the stolen truck, which reverse-rammed the citizen’s car at 53rd and Stevens; the truck continued on to Morgan Junction, where it did the same thing to a police car (photo at right, tweeted by Robert). Officers found the truck ditched shortly thereafter on Gatewood Hill, and found the suspect hiding under a deck at a home nearby; he was arrested and booked into King County Jail – where the jail register shows he was released hours later. Since he was not held, paperwork related to the hearing is not available – so far – but we are told that charges are still possible, as police continue to process and compile evidence. Court dockets show the suspect has a record with more than half a dozen felony convictions as a juvenile and one as an adult, a plea-bargained case three years ago in which he was found with a stolen car.

Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch is a followup – we finally have details on the two street robberies mentioned in Monday’s report. Seattle Police public-affairs unit Det. Renée Witt says neither case has resulted in arrests so far, and they don’t know if they’re related – detectives are investigating but here are the basics of the two incidents we asked about:

Thursday night (8/1) – The victim (a South Seattle Community College [WSB sponsor] student, according to a safety bulletin from the college) was walking home when four or five people confronted him in the 5200 block of 16th SW, pushing him to the ground and taking his iPhone as well as $160 in cash. Det. Witt says the victim described the robbers as black males, one in a red shirt, one armed with a handgun, but could not provide any further description. The victim, she said, did not want medical attention.

Early Saturday (8/3) – This actually happened at 30th and Myrtle, Det. Witt explained – the 34th/Willow address on the report is apparently the home of a friend of the victim, to which he went to report the robbery. The report says the victim was walking when confronted by three people who demanded all his money; he refused, and one struck his face with a handgun, knocking him to the ground. The robbers – described only as black men about 18 to 22 years old, one wearing a green shirt – took the victim’s wallet and iPhone. After he got to a friend’s home, she called police, though, the report says, the victim “did not want to report the incident because he didn’t think anything would happen to the suspects.”

ADDED 10:54 PM: As noted in comments, SPD now says via this SPD Blotter update that it’s looking for a group of robbers who have struck around the city, and one of the aforementioned incidents is believed to be part of their rampage – the one on 16th SW last Thursday night. While the Saturday incident on 30th is NOT mentioned, SPD mentions an additional West Seattle incident – saying that on Saturday, “just after noon, one of the suspects ran up to a 13-year-old girl and stole an iPhone out of her hands near 60th Ave SW and Alki Ave SW.” That incident was not on our radar, as it’s not shown as a robbery on the crime-report map, it’s listed as “theft-other.”

We start this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup with two incidents we’re still working to find out more about – two gunpoint street robberies in the past four nights. We requested the details from Seattle Police today but did not receive them; reports with narratives are unfortunately not usually available online for up to a week, if at all. Anyway, what little we do know: The most recent one happened at 34th and Myrtle early Saturday, just after midnight, and neighbors saw police searching the area; the one before that was late Thursday night in the 5200 block of 16th SW, and we know a few details because a safety bulletin was subsequently circulated over the weekend by South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) – someone with ties to the school forwarded it to us. It noted that the robbery happened off-campus: “A student was reportedly robbed at gunpoint by four individuals at approximately 11:30 pm on Thursday, August 1. The student was uninjured but shaken up; the robbers reportedly stole the student’s iPhone and approximately $150 in cash.” Again, we are still trying to get the detailed reports on these two street holdups and will publish more information in Crime Watch when we get it.

Ahead, a burglary today, and a suspicious person spotted Sunday night:

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Thanks to a WSB’er for the tip on this: Convicted kidnapper/rapist Donald Randolph Hooper is out of prison, after a ruling by the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board.

Longtime West Seattleites might recognize the name. In December 1982, at which time he happened to be working for Washington State Ferries on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route, Hooper kidnapped a 14-year-old girl at gunpoint from a bus stop in West Seattle. She survived an ordeal that also included molestation and rape, at multiple locations in King and Kitsap Counties, before Hooper dumped her in the water of Hood Canal after binding her hands and partially binding her feet. She managed to struggle to shore after he left, and found someone who called police.

Hooper also was eventually convicted of a separate incident that had happened weeks earlier, involving raping a hitchhiker at gunpoint, though that conviction was reversed on appeal because of a technicality; ISRB documents say he admitted he committed the crime.

His sentence for the West Seattle kidnapping and Kitsap County rape was life in prison. But because Hooper’s conviction and sentencing predated our state’s mid-’80s fixed-sentence laws, Hooper was eligible for the equivalent of parole, which is granted by the aforementioned ISRB.

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43-year-old William Kelly Edmon is now charged with vehicular homicide and reckless endangerment in connection with last Saturday night’s deadly crash at Delridge and Kenyon. Prosecutors say he was allegedly under the influence while driving the 1988 Chevy S-10 truck that ran a red light at a witness-estimated 50-60 mph, collided with a Honda CR-V, and rolled over, ejecting 43-year-old Michael Fisher, who had been riding in the back of the pickup, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people were hurt in the crash, as we reported Saturday night; one was the CR-V’s 55-year-old driver, the other a 40-year-old riding in the pickup’s passenger seat.

Edmon’s bail remains set at $1 million, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which says his arraignment is set for August 14th. As noted in our Monday followup, Edmon has a record including DUI arrests. More details when we get the full paperwork on this shortly.

ADDED 5:31 PM: The court documents say the bail request is because Edmon is considered a “grave danger to the community and a flight risk.” His record includes 13 instances of driving with a suspended license, dating back to 1990; he was convicted of DUI in 1998 and 2010, with an amended DUI in 2007; other cases listed on the court documents include inattentive driving, ignition-interlock violation, reckless driving, property destruction, harassment, hit-and-run, malicious mischief, and several “failure to appear” charges along the way. Regarding the license suspension, the charging document says, “The defendant’s privilege to drive has been suspended for quite some time.”

How fast do criminals move? This fast, reports Rich, sharing that surveillance photo with the subject line we used in the headline – car break-in (followed by) purse theft (and) shopping spree:

My wife’s car was broken into this morning around 8:00 am in front of the Link Building in The Triangle, and the thief made off with her purse. In the time it took to notify all of the authorities, she and her male accomplice had already run up thousands of dollars in charges in Westwood and White Center businesses. She and her partner hit Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, O’Reilly Auto Parts and the Safeway on Roxbury, each time buying several hundred dollars in gift cards and other items (computers, seat covers, floor mats, Kindle covers, framed art…)

The thief is a white female, mid to late 20’s, about 5’5″, with straight shoulder length auburn hair. She’s wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a black hoodie sweatshirt. The most distinguishing item the store clerks have mentioned, because it’s so out of place, is the expensive handbag she’s carrying (my wife’s stolen bag), which is a large brown leather Michael Kors. The male accomplice appears to be late 30’s to early 40’s, balding, with what looks like a beard. He’s wearing jeans and a gray short sleeve collared shirt.

If you have any information on these reprobates, please contact the Police Department at 206-233-2623, and reference case number 2013-272983.

We asked Rich how he got the surveillance images so fast: “When we were shutting down the cards, the credit card companies were telling us where they were active. I found out 25 minutes after they hit O’Reilly, and contacted the manager there. He jumped right on it and found the perps.” He says video from two other stores confirms it, too. P.S. Besides the number he gave – if you see these people, you can also call 911, if it’s a current sighting.

Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning, starting with the case of the stolen unicycle, reported by Jenn:

We were on 35th and Brandon. Sunday between 5:30 and 7:30, the red unicycle was stolen from the bed of our pickup. It was a birthday gift from my daughter’s grandpa. She is taking it well, but it sucks that someone thought it should be theirs just because it didn’t have a lock on it. It’s not worth much, and I called a few pawn shops, but they don’t seem to be interested in unicycles. So, I am hoping that it will turn up in the bushes somewhere!

On Saturday, Ari woke up to discover a bicycle thief had struck:

We heard some noise around 11pm (Friday night) but hadn’t paid it much mind. On the intersection of 29th Ave SW & SW Othello st. It was a vintage green Fairway Flyer.

Finally, a car theft thwarted early today – around midnight – by a Highland Park resident who doesn’t want to be identified:

Someone just broke into and tried to steal my ’96 Honda Accord from my driveway. They weren’t scared off by the flood lights, but ran when they saw me look out the window. Kudos to the cops for quick response, but my ignition is destroyed. This was on the 7500 block of Dumar Way SW, just up the hill from Home Depot. This is only a couple of blocks from where a car was stolen on 18th and Holden.

Yet another reminder: Night Out block parties, one week from tonight – sign up ASAP! And please let us know if you’re having one.

(WSB photo from Saturday night; pickup is behind tape in upper left, CR-V in foreground)
3:50 PM: Bail is set at $1 million for the Highland Park man jailed in connection with the deadly Saturday night crash at Delridge and Kenyon. That’s according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which says the 43-year-old man admitted to police that he had been drinking earlier in the evening before taking the wheel of the Chevrolet pickup truck that rolled after colliding with a Honda CR-V. The victim was riding in the back of the pickup and died after being ejected during the crash. Probable-cause documents say the driver was behind the wheel despite having a license suspended for unpaid tickets, including one for violating an order to have an ignition interlock, and had been arrested for alleged DUI in Island County, with the charges eventually reduced. He is due back in court on Wednesday, which is the deadline for prosecutors to file charges. His record includes two days in the King County Jail this past February on a charge of domestic-violence assault.

ADDED TUESDAY: There have been a few questions about circumstances. Here is the entirety, transcribed, of the police-written narrative contained in the probable-cause documents (with names omitted); we’re likely to get something longer if charges are filed tomorrow:

I responded to a traffic collision in the 7900 block Delridge Way Southwest where one person had been killed as a result. I learned from one driver identified as [CR-V driver] he was driving east on SW Kenyon St. behind another vehicle and they both had a green signal in their favor. Another vehicle apparently being operated by [suspect’s name] was southbound, failed to stop for a red signal and they collided. [Officer] reported that the [suspect’s] vehicle rolled over and a person riding in the back was ejected and killed. [Suspect] was transported to Harborview Hospital and the officer guarding him received information from a Seattle Firefighter that [suspect] appeared to have been drinking alcohol. I secured a sample of [suspect’s] blood under authority of a search warrant. The results of the analysis are pending. I met with [suspect] and advised him of his constitutional rights. In response to my questions, [suspect] admitted to drinking alcohol earlier tonight and is a marijuana user but had not used any tonight. [Suspect] had no memory of the collision or what led up to it. According to Washington Department of Licensing (his) driver’s license is suspended 3rd degree for unpaid tickets, one of which is for a conviction of Ignition Interlock Restriction in Seattle Municipal Court. Also (he) has one DUI charge that was reduced to Negligent Driving 1st degree from Island County. While I spoke with (him), I detected foul breath but no odor of alcohol. His speech was slurred and thick tongued and eyes watery and bloodshot. He was also crying.

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

This morning, a case we’ve been checking on since last fall is resolved: The hate-crime case against 35-year-old Ryan J. Cox has ended with a guilty plea, and he is out of jail after sentencing last Friday.

This case dates back to last October, when Cox was charged with malicious harassment (hate crime) and third-degree assault after hitting a man four times with a baseball bat as they exited a bus on Avalon Way, with Cox shouting homophobic slurs because of his perception of the man’s sexual orientation.

Police arrested Cox the next day at Solstice Park northeast of Lincoln Park, an area he has been known to frequent since his previous involvement in high-profile cases.

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Four reader reports to share in West Seattle Crime Watch, starting with a stolen car to watch for:
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Two quick West Seattle Crime Watch notes to share. First, from Sue in Gatewood:

My house was (burglarized) in broad daylight (Wednesday) between 9:30-11 AM. I live on SW Elmgrove between California and 41st. They entered through a side window using a screwdriver and left through the front door. I have 2 large dogs who bark a lot but aren’t vicious who were unharmed. They took mostly jewelry, 2 cameras, iPod, small amount of cash.

And from Erika:

Last week, my boyfriend and myself had someone siphon gas and take our gas caps some time during the night on Alki Avenue. We live next to Anchor Park.

SIDE NOTE: We’re pitching it again – hurry up and register your Night Out block party for August 6th – and if it’s OK for us to possibly stop by for a photo, send the location (and who to ask for) to editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

Five reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight.

First, from Paul in the 4100 block of 48th SW, where his motorcycle was stolen from in front of his home:

It was a (red) 2003 Honda RVT1000R, AKA an RC51. … I’ve spoken with all my neighbors and nobody saw anything.

Paul was awaiting police when he e-mailed us, so a report will be in the system soon.

In Fairmount Springs, a resident who doesn’t want to be identified is the victim of the type of theft we’ve never heard of in our years of West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

I wanted to let you know that we had an unfortunate and bizarre event take place last night (between Mon-Tue). Someone(s) had stolen the whole freakin’ windshield of our old 1989 Suburban truck. I couldn’t believe my eyes but indeed, the whole windshield was gone gone gone!!! We are on the 5900 block of 42nd Avenue, between Raymond and Juneau.

I had just moved the truck yesterday afternoon, so instead of being parked in an open space with great visibility on all sides it was parked under the neighbor’s cherry tree and lots of shrubbery around. We had tools inside the truck but nothing else was taken. Doors were still locked and nothing else had been touched as far as we can tell. Someone obviously needed an old Suburban windshield with a crack in it! Our neighborhood will be on the lookout moving forward, and let’s warn other owners of old Suburbans that someone is prowling for parts!

And Dave reports a case of package theft and vandalism in North Delridge:

We live on the 50xx block of 26th and we had a package stolen off our porch today between 2p and 330p. Adding insult to injury, some inflatable kids toys were popped.

Now two found items that might be stolen property – first, a bicycle found by Vanessa in Highland Park:

It turned up in front of her home overnight earlier this week, near the south side of Henderson/13th SW.

And a backpack, found by Zach, who has been trying to turn it in to police:

I found the Nike backpack on SW Brandon in the grass on the side of the road outside the golf course near the gate for Camp Long. The backpack has some light blue basket shoes, a leopard purse, and some other small items. In the backpack was a student ID; however, the wallet was completely empty when I found it at 6:30 am on the 22nd of July. … I’m going to try and drop it off at the police station again tomorrow morning.

Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning, starting with a burglary attempt at an Admiral District restaurant. Pizzeria 22 proprietor Cary Kemp says it happened last night:

Burglars broke off our back door handle to the restaurant and tried to pry open the door, couldn’t get past deadbolt. Then attempted to enter through small window in front. Broke all the Italian pottery in the windowsill but could not fit through window.

We also have two car-break-in reports – first, from Jeff:

Our minivan was the subject [of a break-in], at 39th Ave SW and SW Austin Street in the Gatewood neighborhood. It seems the the prowlers were looking for items of value, rather than to steal the vehicle. The glove box had been emptied onto the passenger seat, and other things had been moved around enough for us to notice. Missing is our CD case, containing about $500 worth of music. Fortunately most of the CDs were copies; however, there were enough originals in there to make us pretty mad. A police report has been filed.

And from Mia:

My SUV was broken into Friday night around 7:45 pm at Lincoln Park’s south end lot. Please don’t leave valuables in the car even if they are covered. Although it is a busy parking lot, there are prowlers sitting in cars waiting for you to make that one mistake. Please be more vigilant, as my family and I learned the hard way. We came back to find a smashed window and two hidden purses with wallets gone.

SIDE NOTE: Just two more weeks till Night Out (Tuesday, August 6th) – registered your block party yet? P.S. – if you’re having one and are OK with us stopping by, please let us know – every year Team WSB hits the road for “as-it-happens” coverage, and we appreciate having a list of potential stops all over the peninsula – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight – first one from a Gatewood resident who interrupted a burglary at her home near 44th and Othello:

Despite having protective film on our basement windows, intruder punctured window to unlock and slide open. He didn’t get anything and drove away in his own car parked right out front. He didn’t injure me and wasn’t armed. I got plate number. SPD says plate matched car I described and car owner matches my physical description. A known burglar on probation just arrested a few days ago.

She says it was a red ’92 Toyota sports car, first three digits AHZ. The other report comes from a Highland Park resident

I live on the 7500 block of 15th Ave SW, between Holden and Webster. During the day on Tuesday July 16th, someone (or two) broke into my house, through a small and high “back of house” window I had stupidly left unsecured. I’ve talked with the police and filed a report. The thieves entered my house and grabbed small items (sentimental to me) they probably thought might be worth something, and emptied a container of pennies. They could only exit through the same small window so that was all they stole, thankfully. When I returned home, it took me an hour of feeling like something was “off” before I finally realized I had indeed been burglarized. It pisses me off that my house was invaded/violated by little s—heads (clearly wee s—heads due to the size of the window), and they stole things my deceased family had given me over the past 55 years, but they also put my indoor cat at risk. I’m extremely angry right now for multiple reasons.

Side note from the crime-prevention department: Is your neighborhood signed up for Night Out (two weeks from Tuesday)? If not – go here.

A witness who wanted to be anonymous reports a hit-and-run Thursday night:

I was traveling West on Fauntleroy just past the Morgan Junction when 1 car with three teenagers come around the corner heading east on Fauntleroy going about 70 mph are fishtailing around the corner. The driver overcompensates and fish tails into on coming traffic just missing me, but hitting the SUV behind me head on. I pull off the road looking to give aid and act as a witness to the entire accident when I see the teenagers start to flee the scene in the car pictured (above). I see them turn down that side street and knowing it’s a loop I can head them off at the next street, so I go and block their escape with my truck. I pull up just as the driver is opening the door for his passenger. The driver run into a neighbor’s yard while his two passengers head straight toward me acting as if they’re just taking a walk in the park. I dial 911 and tell them I am holding two kids involved in the hit and run. A neighbor gives assistance, but one kid runs off while I keep the other by the shirt collar.

Police then arrived, the witness reports, but we haven’t yet found a related police report, so we don’t know whether an arrest ensued, or whether the other suspects were found. The Seattle Fire log entry for the crash shows an engine dispatched but not a medic unit dispatched, which generally means no major injuries.

Meantime, a bicycle-theft victim shares a surveillance photo, in hopes you might recognize the thief:

This tipster says the theft happened back in May – the timestamp is accurate – but hasn’t been solved yet, so he’s distributing the photo. The building where it happened is near 54th and Alki. If you have any information, contact Seattle Police and refer to incident #13-162005.

FOUND BICYCLE: These often tend to be stolen bikes, so in case someone is looking for this one, here is the information sent by Leah:

We found a women’s mountain bike, maker Norco, in the street (Wednesday) morning just north of the waters towers on 35th and Myrtle. There is an intact cable lock wrapped around the base of the bike. If it’s yours, please email us at llacivita@hotmail.com and let us know what the color is.

A judge has reduced bail for the woman charged with three felonies in the South Delridge crash that sent two people to the hospital last month. According to court documents, 26-year-old Kalameu Paulo of Seatac pleaded not guilty yesterday; she is charged with two counts of vehicular assault and one count of hit-and-run. Prosecutors allege she was under the influence when her van smashed into a smaller car at 17th and Cambridge early the morning of June 23rd, sending driver Logan Wicker and his passenger to the hospital; police say they caught Paulo running away from the scene.

At the arraignment, King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler granted her request for lower bail, reducing it to $5,000 from the previously set $75,000. If she posts bond and gets out, she is supposed to participate in the alternative program known as CCAP (explained here), but will not be allowed to drive. If she does not post bond to get out of jail, she will be able to leave during the day for work or school release, according to court documents, which say that in either case, Paulo is supposed to be tested for drug or alcohol use twice a month. She is scheduled to return to court on July 24th. Meantime, as reported here earlier this week, a fundraiser for Wicker’s medical bills is set this Saturday at his workplace, Skylark Café and Club.

SATURDAY UPDATE: According to the jail register, Paulo posted bond and was released Friday afternoon.