West Seattle, Washington
21 Thursday
(Photo of suspect Carolyn Piksa, added 3:47 pm – call 911 if seen)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:51 PM: Community centers in West Seattle are currently under lockdown because of a situation in the North End – a woman is being sought after a shooting at a Parks facility in North Seattle. Parks spokesperson Joelle Hammerstad confirms that all community centers in the city are under lockdown except for the ones closest to the shooting scene, which have been closed/evacuated. While waiting to hear back from her, we went over to our nearest center – Southwest Teen Life Center – and it indeed has a sign on the door confirming the lockdown (photo added 2:57 pm).
More info as we get it.
ADDED 3:02 PM: SPD tweets that the North Seattle shooting might be “a case of workplace violence.” The suspect they are looking for after the shooting – which sent a 70-year-old man to the hospital – is described as a white woman, 46 years old, wearing a blue stocking cap and beige or army-green jacket, might be driving a dark-colored SUV.
3:06 PM: Per the scanner, plate for the suspect’s vehicle is B03450D, believed to be a blue 2007 Chevy Colorado pickup or similar vehicle, and the suspect is a Burien woman.
3:25 PM: No additional information but police have circulated a name on the scanner. Cross-referencing that name with the city employee directory, it checks to someone who works for Parks in the North End. Waiting to see if they will distribute her photo.
3:33 PM: Per the scanner, the suspect has worked in the past at Hiawatha and High Point Community Centers. She is identified as Carolyn “Zoom” Piksa. The victim is identified as 
Bill Keller, executive director of the Associated Recreation Council, which runs programs at many centers. (Photo added at right from our coverage of Keller’s participation in a 2011 news conference announcing community-center changes.) He is reported to be in critical but stable condition.
3:50 PM: Photo of Piksa now added above. Commenters have shared e-mail they received from the school district saying that all Parks facilities are closed now and that children who would normally be taken to a Parks facility for after-school programs will instead be at their “schools of origin” awaiting pickup:
On Friday, March 8, the Seattle Mayor’s office closed all community centers, pools and Seattle parks facilities in response to an incident of violence in the north end.
Students citywide who were expected to be transported to a Seattle parks facility for after-school activities and were not already dropped off will be returned to their schools of origin to await pick up.
Thank you,
Office of Public Affairs
Seattle Public Schools
4:04 PM UPDATE: Tiffani from Hiawatha Community Center says that if you have kids there, please come pick them up ASAP, since the facilities are being closed for the rest of the day/night, and programs canceled, including Madison basketball.
4:16 PM UPDATE: Per scanner, the suspect’s vehicle has been found in Burien. She is not in custody so far. Also, we have added a photo of shooting victim Keller to this story, from the 2011 event at High Point CC announcing community-center budget changes.
4:25 PM UPDATE: New message from Seattle Public Schools:
Due to the City of Seattle’s closure of all community centers citywide, Seattle Public Schools is returning all students who were on buses bound for after-school programs to their schools of origin. In some cases, students were delivered to community centers before the closure announcement was made. In that case, the community centers are calling parents and asking them to pick up their students. Students returned to their school will remain at school with adult supervision until their parents can arrange for pick up.
Again, all activities are CANCELED at city-run centers for the rest of the day/night, not just afterschool events.
4:50 PM: The suspect’s in custody, police say. (Added – here’s video from KING5.com)
5:27 PM: The mayor, SPD, and Parks plan a briefing at 6 pm, and we’re told it will be streamed – we’ll add a video window here as soon as we find the code. (added – just click the “play” button around 6 pm)
(Substituted late Friday – archived video of briefing)
The victim was last reported to be in critical but stable condition.
6:06 PM: The briefing has begun – hit “play” on the video window to see it live.
6:29 PM: The briefing is over. We’ll substitute archived video above when it’s available. Toplines:
-Victim now in serious but stable condition, an improvement from earlier report
-No word on the suspect’s potential motive
-Police tracked her through her cell phone
-She was arrested peacefully – they called for her to come out of her home in Burien, and she did, unarmed
-They are still looking for the weapon she used
-After shooting Keller, she threatened someone else and brandished a gun
-Mayor and police stressed that this was a “citywide emergency” because Piksa potentially had access to many Parks facilities (it was reported on the scanner and elsewhere that she had keys)
-The shooting happened at 1:52 pm; the arrest at 4:49 pm
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.
(SCROLL DOWN for updates)
12:02 PM: We started this coverage as part of our earlier story about helicopter sightings – but it’s ongoing, so we’ve moved it here. Here’s the man deputies are looking for in the Shorewood Market vicinity (map) – escapee Alan Polevia:
He had been arrested on theft warrants last week and was being taken to Harborview Medical Center after apparent drug ingestion, when he bolted – still in handcuffs. (Read more about the case in this Monday update from CapitolHillSeattle.com.) KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West says Polevia’s head is now shaven, since that photo. He is described as 5’8″ and about 170 pounds. ADDED: Here’s what Sgt. West told us a few minutes ago:
12:26 PM: Just checked back in the search zone – deputies still staked out. Will check back again shortly.
12:52 PM: Still searching. We’ll update if and when he’s found. If you see him – call 911.
1:41 PM: See comments for some reports of schools that took precautions, though there is no report at this point that he was seen anywhere near a school. We’ve got an inquiry out to the district for a topline report on public schools’ status. Meantime, we looked up Polevia’s background. In November 2006, he was found guilty of third-degree assault for an incident involving him and his father getting kicked out of Poggie’s in The Junction, then going across the street and attacking a man outside Talarico’s with a beer bottle and a tire iron.
1:51 PM: Two more updates. First, from Teresa Wippel at Seattle Public Schools: “Sanislo, Roxhill, Arbor Heights, Sealth/Denny, Boren STEM, Highland Park, West Seattle Elementary” were under “shelter in place” at least for a while – she’s checking on who still is. Second, we are reminded by the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network leadership that Polevia has one more West Seattle tie: He is the suspect arrested – but apparently to date not charged – in connection with the theft case related to the 36th/Morgan nuisance house in September.
2:12 PM UPDATE: Wippel says no one (in Seattle Public Schools, anyway) is in shelter-in-place – they’re all allowed to end their days as usual.
3:06 PM UPDATE: From Sgt. West at KCSO – an updated photo of Alan Polevia:
4:23 PM UPDATE: Just checked in with Sgt. West again; he’s still on the loose, no new updates. She is researching a case that put him in jail for a short stay in December – we saw that on the King County Jail Register, a four-day stay for investigation of burglary and for a “failure to appear” case involving theft, for which he had spent a day and a half in jail a week and a half before that. The jail register also shows his two-day stay in the 36th/Morgan related case, for investigation of stolen-property possession.
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.
(UPDATED THURSDAY NIGHT with new charge filed)
(WSB photo of February 15th arrest scene at 48th/Findlay)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Two recent burglary arrests reported here – exactly one week apart – involve the same suspect, WSB has learned. And court documents say he has confessed to more than 20 other break-ins.
The first arrest was at 48th and Findlay in Seaview, on February 15th. Police arrested 24-year-old Justin Wood for allegedly trying to break into a house there. Court documents say Wood told police that day that he had committed other burglaries, as noted in our two updates last week – in the February 20th WSBeat roundup and our February 21st report on last week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.
We don’t know why Wood wasn’t booked into jail on February 15th. But we do know now that exactly one week later – last Friday, February 22nd – he was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a home near Camp Long (here’s our report from that day), caught after an alert neighbor called police. This time, Wood was booked into jail – after confessing to more burglaries, none of them, court documents say, covered in the previous confession.
Yesterday, after five days in jail, Wood appeared before King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler, who agreed to set what by any account is an extraordinary bail amount for a property-crime case: Half a million dollars.
While Wood has not yet been charged in the recent burglaries, we are identifying him by name because of the report that he has confessed and because he already was charged in another case – a Morgan Junction burglary last October. Before that, according to court documents, Wood’s history included 2009 charges of theft and trafficking stolen property, which led to a conviction on a lesser charge. According to documents from the October case, Wood was tracked down via fingerprints, and arrested at a Genesee Hill residence in November. Jail records show that his bail was set at $5,000 and he got out less than 24 hours after he was booked.
Now, he’s jailed in lieu of a hundred times that. While charges haven’t been filed in connection with either of this month’s cases, we have a message out to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to find out if there’s an estimate on when that might happen; court records show that Wood was scheduled for a hearing today related to the October burglary, and we’re keeping an eye out for results of that.
Meantime, in case you are wondering – so far as we know, this has no relation to the case reported here on WSB last night, also expected to solve multiple burglaries, though we did come across the new information on this case while talking with police about the other one.
ADDED 9:21 PM: Checking the online case files one more time before they go offline for the night, we discovered that prosecutors charged Wood today with one count of attempted burglary for the 35th SW incident last Friday. They are asking that his bail remain set at half a million dollars, explaining in the charging document:
… the defendant is a serious threat to the West Seattle community and now faces significant jeopardy on numerous charges.
… On February 15, 2013, the defendant was arrested for another Residential Burglary. During the investigation of that case, the defendant confessed to 10 burglaries in West Seattle. The defendant was released from custody on the February 15, 2013, case, and only a week later, was arrested on February 22, 2013, for the Attempted Residential Burglary charged in (the document). During the investigation of that case, the defendant confessed to an additional 13 burglaries in West Seattle, none of which duplicated his earlier confession. The defendant showed officers the location of each burglary and provided specific details about each crime.
In total, Seattle PD is now investigating 24 residential burglaries that the defendant committed in West Seattle from September 2012 to present. At least three of those burglaries involved a theft of firearms. Seattle PD is in the process of investigating all of these cases and contacting the victims and will forward these cases to the prosecutor’s office for filing when the investigation is complete.
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
A followup today on our report last week about Southwest Precinct Lt. Pierre Davis telling the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council that SPD would soon use Predictive Policing – a new way to use crime data to work on preventing crime, not just responding to it. This morning, the mayor and police chief announced its debut in the Southwest and East Precincts. Official announcement, with details on how it works, ahead:
Two neighborhoods with multiple car prowls are among the newest reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch. From Tommy:
Over the last week, there have been at least two vehicles with broken windows. One was a minivan near SW Juneau St and 25th Ave SW (first a broken front window, then the next night all side windows were broken).
This morning, walking my dog, I saw a neighbor on the 5400 block of 26th Ave SW picking broken glass out of her car door. She said that overnight, someone broke out the window, then stole nothing. Just wanted to get it out there in case someone sees something.
(added) CM sent word of this car break-in, not far from Tommy’s area:
My car was broken into early Sunday morning in the 4800 block of Delridge. Police said it looked like they were trying to hot wire it – damage to the ignition. Hard pressed to afford the repairs.
(back to original report) And this report from Fauntleroy:
Wanted to report several car prowls early Saturday morning 2/23 on Director St. at the bottom below 45th Ave SW.
At least 3 cars were broken into sometime between 2 am and 4 am, all parked in residence driveways. Small items were taken, and in one case, and expensive stereo/navigation unit was hacked out of the dashboard.
Police were notified and reports filed. If anyone else in the adjacent area was affected, please let us know. We’re wondering how far-reaching and organized this might have been.
Ahead, two more reader reports – a patio theft, and a “suspicious person” situation that might not have been a crime, but yielded some advice that a witness wants to share with you:
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).
1:51 PM FRIDAY: Thanks to the WSB’er who texted us about police cars near Camp Long. Just checked with Seattle Police, whose Det. Mark Jamieson says an arrest was made shortly after a neighbor called 911 about a burglary in the 5000 block of 35th SW, which would be just north of the park. The neighbor reported seeing someone break into the back of the house just after 1 pm; an officer arrived quickly and reported a suspect in custody at 1:06 pm. There was some discussion of a possible second suspect, Det. Jamieson says, but officers concluded that the person they arrested was alone. No other details about the case or the suspect so far.
SATURDAY NOTE: The arrest is on SPD Blotter today.
(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:
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:
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports tonight – first, Lizz reports a car theft:
Hey, my car was stolen from the corner of 9th and Thistle in the Highland Park area, in the middle of the night between 2/15-2/16, not sure what time. It is a light blue Honda Civic ’91, with a fuzzy steering wheel, cherries and a yellow air freshener tree hanging from the front mirror. There is no side mirror on the right side. The license plate number is 530YTG. Please keep an eye out, and if spotted, please call the police and Tina at 206-321-5660. Thank you!
And from Diane, a car prowl:
I want to report that we had our car prowled (Charlestown &52nd Ave SW) sometime late last night 2/16/13 or early this morning 2/17/13. The car was unlocked and there was nothing of great value in it but the contents of the glove box were strewn all over and my dog barrier was broken. It seems they did not take the change from the door pocket but did make off with some leather gloves and I’m hoping nothing else.
Yet another reminder – your next chance to bring neighborhood-crime concerns/questions directly to local police, and to hear about the latest trends, is Tuesday night (February 19th) at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council’s meeting, also including guests discussion Seattle Parks security/safety and the SPD Victim Assistance Program. 7 pm at the precinct (Delridge/Webster), all welcome.
While there’s no update on the armed street robbery we reported last night in the 28th/Adams area of North Delridge, SPD Blotter has published summaries of two others from last night – one in the Admiral area, another one in North Delridge. In the first case, the victims and suspects were all juveniles – 3 victims, 4 robbers, around 9 pm in the 2600 block of California SW – here’s the summary. In the second, a man walking in the 4800 block of Delridge Way just before 11 pm, after leaving what police describe as a “large party,” was held up; police found the suspect, and the items he stole, by going back to the party. Here’s that summary.
Also, a reader report of a man who she says was behaving lewdly – not a complete flasher but seemingly on the verge – on Marine View Drive this afternoon between Roxbury and 104th (map). She described him as “seemingly Latino or Middle Eastern with facial hair, probably in his 30s” and says he was “walking along with his shirt rolled up and the top of his pubic region exposed,” and after they passed, pulled his pants further down to expose more of his backside. She says she tried calling the non-emergency police line but gave up after being bounced around. As we told her, police advise that you call 911 in most cases, including something like this; the dispatchers are the same and will route you if need be.
Watch for that wedding ring – which belonged to the late husband of a West Seattleite who says her family’s home was broken into Friday. The burglary victim, who asked that her name not be used, says there were also irreplaceable items – photos of her late husband – on an iPod (described as “5th generation, blue”) taken by the burglar(s). The break-in happened sometime between 8 am and 3 pm Friday near 50th/Edmunds (map); if you have any information about the ring, or the burglary, contact police.
7:51 PM: In North Delridge, police are searching after a report of a street holdup near 28th and Adams (map), per scanner traffic, in the Dragonfly Park area. The victim reported being held up by two people. We don’t have descriptions at this point but are publishing this preliminary information just in case you see the search – for which a K-9 team has been summoned – and wonder what’s going on. Updates when we get them.
10:41 PM: Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams tells us that the suspects are “four teenage males – at least one of whom was wearing a mask. Officers are attempting to get more specific descriptions. No one is in custody.” This is being investigated as an armed robbery, Lt. Williams says, because a gun was reported to have been displayed.
Just got word that the Discount Smoke and Beverage armed robbery we covered two nights ago is indeed believed to be the work of the White Center serial robber first reported on partner site White Center Now – and that a suspect is now in custody in connection with the robbery spree, including both holdups at the 35th/Roxbury shop, and four in the unincorporated area. That’s the word from King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West, who says the 49-year-old man was arrested last night in a trailer in the 11000 block of 18th SW. Here’s the list of robberies in which he’s suspected:
January 11th, the White Center Mini Mart in the 1500 blk of SW Roxbury,
January 13th, the Zip Market in the 10600 blk of 16 Ave SW,
January 30th, the 76 Gas Station in the 2800 blk of SW Roxbury,
February 1st, the Rainbow Mini Mart in the 11400 blk of 16 Ave SW,
the Discount Smoke Shop in Seattle Wednesday night and on January 21st
Sgt. West says search warrants were served this morning at the suspect’s house and “on a relative’s house in the 9700 blk of 32 Ave SW February 1st, and his vehicle.”
Reporting for WCN, we first learned, and reported, January 31st that a serial robber was at work in the area, after KCSO said a holdup the night before at the 76 station/mini-mart on the county side of 30th/Roxbury was at least the third one by what they believed to be the same suspect:
The surveillance photos at the top of this story were released by KCSO last week.
P.S. Sgt. West says the suspect was caught through work done by detectives from south-end Precinct 4 who were determined to crack the case and staked out some area convenience stores, looking for a specific vehicle believed to be linked to the robberies. Once they had a plate, they had a name, and their work on Wednesday night right after the 35th/Roxbury holdup made the connection and led to the arrest.
7:44 PM UPDATE: Looked up some background on the suspect, who we won’t identify until and unless he is charged. He admitted to holdups in August 2005 in the same area – at the same 76 station he allegedly robbed recently, and at the nearby 28th/Roxbury Shell. He was sentenced to 50- and 45-month prison terms, but the documents don’t indicate if they were concurrent. We’ll check Tuesday (Monday’s a holiday) on when he got out of prison.
Today’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with video that might help solve a car theft:
CAR THEFT ON VIDEO: Tracy published this video to YouTube. He got it from a neighbor’s camera after his navy blue 2012 Subaru Outback (WA plate A128625) was stolen Thursday morning near 33rd and Hinds (map). The video shows Tracy’s car being driven away, and Tracy suspects the two males shown earlier in the clip are the thieves. If they aren’t, they are certainly witnesses, because, Tracy explained in an online chat answering our followup questions, the street in the video is a dead-end driveway and his house is the only thing they would have been walking toward. Tracy says a witness who saw the car go by afterward noticed two males inside. If you see the car and/or know who the people in the video are, contact police.
BURGLARY ATTEMPT THIS MORNING: From Mel in Westwood/Roxhill:
Just wanted to let the blog know that we had an attempted break in at our house today, it’s in the 34th/Henderson area [map]. Happened about 9:15, I had just left the house for work about 8:40. We live on an alley and they came in through our alley gate We have an alarm and it stopped them. they kicked in our door and then the alarm went off, and we have a sturdy door that we must now replace. They kicked it and heard the alarm and ran, according to the police. Alarm company called me, police were dispatched and showed up pretty quickly–i had asked my neighbor to head over and check things out and she met them. They waited for me to get home. they had checked the place carefully. They said there has been an uptick in burglaries in this area, and to especially be on the lookout for old u haul trucks, as these scumbags are using them to clear out entire houses. They also walked the house with me and gave me other safety tips re doors, locks, using 3 inch screws to secure your door/deadbolts, etc. Nice guys.
A reminder that a new neighborhood council is forming in Mel’s area – Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights for now – and public safety will be on next month’s agenda. If you’re interested, the Facebook group is here, and the invite for the March 6th meeting is here.
Ahead, three more reports, including a hit-run victim looking for witnesses, and two reports of suspicious circumstances:
(WSB photo by Katie Meyer)
11 PM: Another armed robbery tonight, and according to scanner traffic, investigators will be looking to find out whether there is any link to the series of robberies just over the city/county line. Police are at 35th and Roxbury, and we are working to verify whether the business robbed tonight is the same one hit 3 weeks ago. Tonight, they are again looking for an armed robber and according to scanner traffic are trying to determine if there’s a link to a series of robberies on the other side of the city/county border. The only description we have so far is that the male robber was wearing a light blue bandana covering his face and a light blue windbreaker jacket. (Photos of the King County serial robber are in our report from last week.)
6:08 AM UPDATE: Police confirm the robbery was at the same business hit last month, the smoke/beverage shop.
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