West Seattle, Washington
23 Tuesday
Two reader reports tonight, both with messages – to neighbors, and to crooks. First one’s from Jennifer in Gatewood:
Our neighbor that lives on SW Elmgrove, just east of California had their home burglarized in broad daylight on January 31st. The thieves took electronics, higher end clothing and purses, jewelry, etc. Although neighbors were home during the day and 1 noticed the back door of the house open for several hours, no one seems to have seen or heard a thing. Fortunately, our neighbors chocolate lab did not run away, even with the door open.
I am reporting this incident in the blog for 2 reasons: 1) I think it is important for neighbors to know what is happening in our community and 2) I hope these scum bags read the blog and know that we are on alert – move on to another target!!!
This one’s from Adriana, and it also happened on Tuesday:
My husband’s Toyota Tacoma was broken into around 11 PM. We live on 37th inbetween Dakota and Genesee. My husband parks his truck in the back in our driveway off the alley behind our house. He went down into his office right around 11 PM and before he turned on the light, he noticed that his truck light was on and the door was open. Before he really thought about it, he pounded on the window in his office and then opened it and yelled at the people in his truck.
The two men ran down the alley and my husband called the police. They were very quick to respond but since it was dark my husband could not give a very detailed description of the two men. They only stole a hunting type knife he had in his console. We are unsure as to how they entered the truck, there were no windows broken or lock damage (the truck was locked). They were two men probably in their early to mid-20’s, dressed in dark clothes and of average height and weight. As of yet no one was found. We hope that this is the first and last time our neighborhood sees this kind of crime. I’m pretty sure these guys were scared out of their minds, and they must have been pretty confident if they thought 11PM was late enough to start their break-ins!. Be on the lookout and don’t forget to lock up your cars and turn on your alarms!
Heard fragments of this one on the scanner late last night, and now Seattle Police have just published details on SPD Blotter: One arrest followed a “home-invasion”-type robbery in the Westwood area:
The victim is a licensed medical marijuana grower and user. On February 1st at 9:45 pm, he answered a knock at the door of his home in the 8600 block of 24 Av SW [map]. Upon opening the door, he was suddenly “bum rushed” by four males who stormed inside. One of the suspects described as a white male was armed with a handgun and threw the victim down onto the ground.
The victim was ordered to place his arms behind his back and he was immediately handcuffed. The suspects demanded money and marijuana. The suspect placed a knee in the victim’s back holding him down onto the ground, while the others went through the house. The suspect repeatedly told him not to move or he would shoot him.
More ahead:Read More
Like the totem pole stolen from a West Seattle park two-plus years ago, this one goes in the “they stole WHAT” file. That’s University of Washington professor Philip Thiel with a 70-inch, 1,260-pound propeller that was about to be donated to Seattle Parks for a north-end installation, till thieves made off with it in the U-District yesterday. Parks put out the citywide alert late yesterday, but didn’t have a photo till this morning; now that it’s available, even though the theft did NOT happen in West Seattle, we’re helping get out the word. If you happen to see it, Parks would like to hear from you at 206-684-7241 (and we’re sure police would, too).
Four reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight – starting with Ryan‘s stolen car:
My 1997 Subaru Impreza 4 Dr. white with black trim was stolen from 41st and SW College at approximately 3AM January 31st. License #085-ZOS. The car has a npr and NW native art orca sticker on the back of the car. A police report has been filed.
Three more reports – a bride-to-be’s car break-in, doorstep grocery theft, and suspected car prowlers to LISTEN for – ahead:Read More
Just in case it’s still in the area – keep watch for this stolen truck reported tonight by Ann-Marie:
Sometime today, Sunday January 29, 2011, between 3:45 pm and 6:30 pm, my father’s red 1987 Toyota pickup truck was stolen from out in front of his home on 34th Ave SW and SW Raymond St. The license plate number is A71496U. It has a manual transmission and a black canopy over the bed of the truck. If it is seen, please call it in to the police and then contact my father at marshameaton@comcast.net or 206-938-0488. Thank you for your time!
In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon – we start with some good news: A stolen car reported here yesterday has been found. From Kris:
Just wanted to let you know that the 94 Honda Del Sol that I reported to you yesterday (stolen on Wednesday 1/25), was found by Tukwila police this morning. It was parked behind an Apt. complex off of International Blvd. S. The car is running fine and it appears that only a few CD’s are missing. Thanks to all!!
On the flip side – from Kayla:
I was a victim of a serious hit and run around 11:30 (Saturday) morning. The car that hit me was blue and white with 20″ rims. Looked to be an old police car at one time, or a taxi, so I’m thinking it’s a Crown Victoria. Maybe even a caprice. The police said the car was reported as stolen yesterday, and was also reported to be linked with drug trafficking. If anyone sees this car it needs to be reported. Since it was a hit and run, and no one can identify the driver, I am now financially responsible with my own insurance.
Kayla says it happened around 26th and Brandon, and that the car reportedly has been seen before around Delridge and High Point. She wasn’t hurt but her car is totaled. Call 911 if you see a car resembling what she described.
One week after three shots were fired by Morgan Junction Park, taking the life of 35-year-old Travis Hood hours later, a small memorial is there in his honor. A few dozen people gathered as it was placed there late this afternoon; we received a few calls about the gathering and went over to see what was happening. The memorial includes the logo for the Jacksonville Jaguars, a nod to the hometown Travis left a few months ago in hopes, friends say, of a safer life here. The man charged with murdering him, Lovett Chambers, remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $5 million bail, awaiting arraignment on February 8th.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Kris:
My 94 Honda Del Sol, license plate # 848YQR (tabs expire 01/31/12) was stolen from our driveway on Wednesday January 25th, 2012, between 4 and 6:30 am. It was taken from the 10200 block of 1st Ave S. in Top Hat. It has been reported stolen to the police. It is a 2 door, Royal blue. cute little thing! It has a missing lens on the driver-side turn signal and is missing the Honda emblem on the rear trunk. It is NOT the one driving around West Seattle with red rims. If you see it please call it in or drop me an e-mail. Thank you very much for your time. kris.hopkins@live.com
Seattle Police still tweet plates/descriptions of stolen vehicles, but since this is just outside the city limits, you won’t find us there. We’re happy to publish stolen-vehicle reports in Crime Watch coverage; often the thieves dump them fairly close to where they were taken, and several published reports have led to “reunions.”
As Kari tells the story, what she saw at 8:45 this morning happened in a flash:
I was going south on Delridge between Thistle and Barton- two SUV’s pulled out in front of us without signals, went half a block, pulled over right without signals, and out popped undercover cops with rifles, forcing two men on the sidewalk to the ground.
We asked Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith what it was about. He says a regional task force arrested a “dangerous fugitive” on a warrant for robbery; they had “information from New Jersey that he was in Seattle.” That’s all the information we have so far; we’re seeking more.
After two notes and one call in the past two days about those signs (and more like them), we had to go check them out. On Fauntleroy Way along a block-plus stretch south of the ferry dock, more than a dozen hand-lettered, orange-flagged signs are placed in planting strips on both sides of the street. Not only do they warn prospective criminals they’re being watched, they have a warning for solicitors, too:
We only found one person to ask about the signs; actually, he found us, driving up while our photographer was starting to take pictures, and asking what we were doing. He wouldn’t comment except to suggest that we check the “police reports” for something that happened recently. One incident is listed, a daytime burglary in the 9200 block of Fauntleroy Way on January 21st, with burglars not only ransacking the house and stealing multiple items of value, but also taking the victims’ car. The police report says someone saw a “white Dodge SUV pull into the driveway one house to the south of the victim house” that morning, with a passenger getting out and going “through the bushes into the yard of the victim’s house. After a short time the passenger got back into the vehicle and the vehicle slowly drove around the block as if they were looking at every house.” (The report did not indicate whether police were called at the time of that sighting.)
On partner site White Center Now on Tuesday night, we reported on a “takeover”-style armed robbery at the Pawn Pros shop in WC. Today the King County Sheriff’s Office is distributing surveillance video recorded during the robbery, and asking that anyone with information about the robbers’ identities (or anything else related to the crime) please call them at (206) 296-3311.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Ron:
Someone stole our White Wells Cargo Trailer last night from the Gatewood area. The license plate is 1384 TI. It was filled with wood from my remodel and cabinet-making projects. The thieves cut the locks preventing them from towing it off and removed it from our alley.
6:42 PM UPDATE: Added a photo provided by Ron.
63-year-old* Gatewood resident Lovett James Chambers (right) is now charged with first-degree murder in the Saturday night shooting that killed 35-year-old 
Michael Travis Hood (left; known by his middle name). Charging documents were just provided by prosecutors; Chambers’ bail is now set at $5 million. Hood was shot by Morgan Junction Park; a friend then drove him to Providence Mount St. Vincent, thinking it was a hospital, and that’s where police and medics found him, taking him to Harborview Medical Center, where he died hours later.
At first glance the charging documents shed little light on the case beyond what has been reported already, except to say Chambers told investigators the victim and his friend were making “racial slurs,” and that Hood was shot three times, twice in the back. The documents detail Chambers’ past, as support for the increased bail:
… the defendant appears to have a substantial history of crimes of violence, which may increase his potential sentencing range. It is believed that the defendant’s criminal history began in the eariy 1960s and includes a conviction for Robbery in 1961; a crime identified as GL (possibly Grand Larceny) in 1962; Robbery (two counts) and Kidnapping in 1966; Escape with Force in 1966; Resisting Public Officers in 1972; Extortion in 1982; and Robbery of a Savings and Loan in 1982. It is anticipated that the State will amend the Information in this case to Íiie Unlawful Possession of a Firearm charges against the defendant prior to trial.
In addition, it appears that the defendant has prior arrests for Kidnapping for Ransom and/or Rape by Force in 1965; Armed Robbery and Felon in Possession in 1973; Robbery in 1974; Extortion in 1976; and Bank Robbery in 1980. The ultimate disposition of the latter group of cases is not yet known.
In court for Chambers’ first bail hearing on Monday, the suspect’s wife said he had had nothing more than a traffic ticket in the 20 years they had been together; county records show they have owned a home in Gatewood for 18 years, and he has run a home-based computer-tech business. Details of the charging documents, ahead:
West Seattle resident Melissa Chin (city-provided photo at left) has just been announced as one of four assistant city attorneys with whom City Attorney Pete Holmes is relaunching the “precinct liaison” program. This afternoon’s announcement says Chin is the only one who will be assigned to work with police at two precincts – Southwest and South; each of the other three gets its own liaison. Here’s the official news release:
Next month four assistant city attorneys will be deployed among Seattle’s five police precincts to augment the City’s response to emerging and increasingly complex neighborhood public safety and regulatory issues.
The precinct liaisons — Melissa Chin (South/Southwest), Jana Jorgensen (North), Sumeer Singla (West) and Matt York (East) — will provide critical legal services on the issues of high importance to their particular precincts. They also will be accountable for managing a number of regulatory provisions in a more effective and efficient manner because they will better understand the dynamics in the individual communities.
In the extensive comment discussion following our Monday followup on the deadly Saturday-night shooting by Morgan Junction Park, a friend of 35-year-old victim Michael Travis Hood said she wants to be sure he isn’t forgotten. (Travis is his middle name, but that’s how friends say they knew him.)
Jodie Davis (pictured with him, above) is the first person who told us he had died hours after the shooting, though authorities did not confirm that until Monday morning. We spoke with her by phone yesterday, and she provided the photos in this story. She also has spoken with our partners at the Seattle Times for this followup published last night, which notes, as friend and witness Jamie had told us on Sunday, that Travis had moved here just a few months ago in hopes it would be safer than Jacksonville, Florida, where his two brothers were killed in the ’90s (as detailed in this Florida story). Travis leaves behind a 12-year-old daughter named Destiny (pictured with him, at right). Jodie told us she is still trying to figure out how to get back there for Travis’s memorial service, once a date is set. Meantime, today is the deadline for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to make a decision about whether to charge the suspect, who was arrested at his Gatewood home shortly after the shooting. Homicide detectives asked publicly yesterday for any more witnesses to come forward; the documentation made public so far does not hint at any alleged motive for the shooting.
Tonight at 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains Network is back in action, and you’re invited to join them in learning the best way to convey information to police – how to describe a suspicious person, vehicle, etc. Meantime, the precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon has shared one of his periodic newsletters, with advice that might help you prevent a burglary – plus some insight into the current burglary “trends.” Read on:Read More
Though a suspect is behind bars, the investigation continues into Saturday night’s deadly shooting by Morgan Junction Park (original WSB coverage here; yesterday’s court coverage here). Given that the shooting happened near a busy nightlife area barely a block from a major intersection, police believe there may be more witnesses out there, and would like to talk with them. They’re asking that anyone with information contact the Seattle Police Homicide Division: You can leave a message any time on the tip line at 206-233-5000, or you can speak to someone by calling 206-684-5550 (answered 8 am-11 pm).
2:49 PM: The 67-year-old Gatewood man suspected in Saturday night’s deadly shooting in Morgan Junction has just appeared in a King County Jail courtroom for a bail hearing. The judge set his bail at $1 million, the amount requested by the prosecution, though the defense had asked for $50,000. Prosecutors say that he has a criminal history including armed robbery; the defense says that his record was in the ’80s, and his wife, who described him as disabled, told the court that he hasn’t had anything worse than a traffic ticket in the nearly 20 years they have been married. WSB and Channel 7 were the only media crews to cover the hearing; the judge ordered us not to show the suspect’s face (which would be against WSB policy until he is charged, anyway). No further details of the case were described in the hearing, but we expect probable-cause documents to be provided by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office shortly.
4:32 PM UPDATE: The “probable cause” documents are in. A transcription, ahead:Read More
(Saturday night photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
9:22 AM: We finally have official confirmation this morning that the man shot Saturday night by Morgan Junction Park did not survive. Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Police have both confirmed the death of the man identified by friends and family as 35-year-old Travis Hood. Friends say he had moved here just four months ago from Jacksonville, Florida, looking to live somewhere safer. His accused killer, a 67-year-old Gatewood man, is in the King County Jail; we’re awaiting word on whether he will be scheduled for a bail hearing today, at which time we should find out more about what investigators believe led to the shooting. Police have not commented yet on the circumstances, but as reported in our previous coverage, a friend of the victim, Jamie, told WSB on Sunday that he was with him when a man they didn’t know opened fire as they prepared to drive away after leaving a nearby bar; he says he drove his friend to Providence Mount St. Vincent, where police and medics found him, because he thought it was a hospital.
10:16 AM: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms the suspect is scheduled for a bail hearing this afternoon.
11:29 AM NOTE: In case you wondered: This is the first homicide this year in West Seattle. The peninsula had two last year – the February 2011 murder of entertainer Hokum W. Jeebs in Fauntleroy (accused killer Angelo Felice is currently set to go to trial in March), and the murder-suicide of an Admiral couple in October.
(UPDATED SUNDAY AFTERNOON – scroll down)
(Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
9:59 PM: Police and fire are in the 4800 block of 35th SW after a report of a shooting. The scanner says the suspect vehicle MIGHT have been a blue BMW, license plate starting with 478, “last seen northbound on California.” Scanner traffic also indicates the victim is a 46-year-old man shot four times. Our crew will be at the scene shortly.
10:10 PM UPDATE: According to scanner traffic, the man was shot somewhere else and taken to Providence Mount St. Vincent, where police found him. CPR is under way.
10:18 PM UPDATE: Minutes before the victim turned up at The Mount, we had a report of gunshots heard in Morgan Junction – and indeed, police are reporting that’s where the shooting happened, in the 6400 block of California SW. According to SPD via Twitter, he “drove himself” to The Mount, which is not a public hospital but rather a nursing home/retirement facility. He has since been rushed to Harborview Medical Center.
10:37 PM UPDATE: The scene is apparently closer to Morgan Junction Park, according to a witness who told us a vehicle associated with the victim – which we also saw at The Mount – was parked by the construction equipment outside the park. Police are there investigating – we’ve added a photo above.
10:58 PM UPDATE: The photo immediately above this line is the truck in which the victim is reported to have arrived at Providence Mount St. Vincent. We’ve also substituted a clearer photo of the shooting scene by Morgan Junction Park.
2:10 AM: No updates from police so far. We’ll keep following up.
7:13 AM: According to Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams, one person was arrested overnight in connection with the incident. But he said further details would have to come from the SPD Media Relations team (which has not yet published its account of the incident).
7:34 AM: Police have JUST updated SPD Blotter. Here’s what they write:
On 1/21/12 at approximately 9:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to a shots fired call in the 6500 block of California Av SW. The call was updated with the suspect and the victim leaving northbound in separate cars.
Several witnesses were located and interviewed. The victim and his car were located in the 4800 block of 35 SW. The victim was shot 4 times in the chest.
Utilizing good investigative techniques, patrol officers were able to locate an address for the suspect. The Anti Crime Team & Gang Detectives responded to the suspect’s address. The suspect was arrested and the gun recovered. Homicide and CSI responded and processed the scene. As of 2:00 a.m., the 36-year-0ld male victim was still alive at an area hospital. His injuries are life threatening. The suspect, an adult male was booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.
Police had gone to a Gatewood address in search of one person whose name they mentioned over the radio as a possible suspect. That name is not currently on the King County Jail Register, however.
3:32 PM UPDATE: Now it is. A 67-year-old Gatewood man is the suspect jailed in connection with last night’s shooting near Morgan Junction Park.
The status of the 35-year-old victim is not clear; a friend tells WSB his mother in Florida told them he did not survive, but authorities are so far not confirming (or denying) that, and Seattle Police spokesperson Det. Renee Witt told us, “I don’t anticipate any additional information being released today on this case.” The King County Jail Register lists the suspect as being held on suspicion of assault, not homicide, at this point.
One friend, Jamie, who says he was with the victim when he got shot and is the person who drove the victim to Providence Mount St. Vincent, thinking it was a hospital, has told us his story, by phone. (He has participated in the comment discussion, below.)
Caveat from your editor here: While there is no certain way to confirm that someone calling you by phone is who they say they are, saw what they said they saw – nor, frankly, is that sort of confirmation available if you talk to someone at a crime scene who says they are a witness – we will say that details Jamie mentioned include information that we heard police discuss by radio, but did not include in our published story. So here’s what he told us:
From Bob:
2 cars were broken into at Fire Station 11’s (16th Avenue SW & SW Holden Street) secured parking lot sometime late Friday night/early Saturday morning. Unnamed articles were taken and some were found across the alley. SPD was notified and a report was taken.
Judging by the city’s online “incident-response” map, the snow and ice kept most burglars home. But the latest West Seattle Crime Watch reports indicate thieves haven’t taken time off. They did take a unique sled, as Lynda reports:
I wanted to get word out that our sled was stolen from in front of A Terrible Beauty (Wednesday) night between 6:30 and 7:00. It is not an ordinary sled. This is a beautiful, custom, handcrafted wooden box sled that my husband built about 20 years ago. It’s a one of a kind and we had gotten numerous compliments on it all day yesterday. We are crushed that someone would have taken this, it has so much sentimental value. We are offering a reward for the return of this family treasure.
She is checking for a photo, which we’ll add if and when we receive one. One more theft report – this one, from Erin in Seaview:
At 3 pm today we had our mail stolen out of our mailbox by a couple in a dark-colored Subaru outback with a light panel on the bottom. The license plate was 273-H_W … They backed into our driveway and the female passenger got out and took the mail. She was wearing a white puffer jacket. They have been reported to police. If you have seen them or have had your mail stolen today too, let me know. We are in the Seaview area near the church.
Just got word from leadership of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council that they are NOT canceling tonight’s 7 pm meeting – during which, besides getting updates on local crime trends from Southwest Precinct police, they also are scheduled to hear from a representative of the Aggressive Driver Response Team. The meeting’s at the precinct, Delridge/Webster, all welcome (door’s on the west side of the building, by the public parking lot).
Meantime, we promised to follow up on the helicopter seen over Highland Park for a while last Saturday night. Took a while to get the answer because of the holiday weekend, but King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says it was a search for two people who had stolen from a White Center store and ran across the city/county line into West Seattle. Full story on our partner site White Center Now.
Last but not least, another car break-in reported – this one by Kristina:
Not only was our car broken into, they knocked over our snowman and our trash can. A video camera and a parking pass were the only things stolen also the insert inside the console . No damage to vehicle either. We live in North Admiral.
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