Four West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports from the weekend – starting with a bicycle theft; Daniel sent the photo and report:

I just wanted to share that my bike was stolen off our back porch Sept 15th. We live off Fauntleroy and Dawson (across from Fairmount Park). It was an old gray Raleigh beach cruiser I had turned into a lowrider. It wasn’t worth much by any means; I just feel cheated, is all.

Three more reports ahead, including a car prowl and a detailed account from a rollerblader who says he was attacked near Luna (Anchor) Park:Read More

In West Seattle Crime Watch this evening, Timothy reports his home was broken into this afternoon:

I wanted to alert the neighborhood (we live in North Admiral on 46th between Hill and Walker) of our house burglary today 9/14/12, around 12:30 pm. My wife, our two kids, and my visiting mother-in-law came home to a loud noise in the upstairs bedroom. A side ground level window was jimmied open, with a small hammer left on the ground which was used to pry the window up thus breaking the lock. My wife went upstairs to find a shoebox on the bed, where she keeps her meds, that had been rifled through. Her jewelry box was emptied, which fortunately mostly had costume jewelry in it. Her iPhone is missing too. The upstairs window was open with the blinds hanging on the outside.

It seems that this burglary was interrupted at the very beginning, and the thief exited the house onto the roof while my kids and wife and MIL entered the house. Fortunately, no one was injured and only a few things were stolen. … There were several neighbors around at this time, and only one finding was a “tall lanky white guy with light hair” was walking down the street, likely a coincidence.

If you have neighborhood crime concerns, note that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council resumes its monthly meetings next Tuesday (September 18th), 7 pm at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge and Webster).

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports to share this morning – starting with an interrupted car prowl. Karleen wanted to warn you and to also publicly thank someone who tried to help:

(Last night) around dusk I took my dogs for a walk near Salty’s/Alki, only to return to some strange guy sitting in the passenger side of my car, rifling through my belongings. My car was next to GT Towing (right near the West Seattle Bridge). I shouted at him ‘what are you doing in my car??’ then yelled for John the tow truck business owner – who I’ve come to know since I park near his business several times a week when I walk my dogs. Not a lot I could do with 3 little dogs with me, and the guy got out of my car and ran down toward Alki. John heard me and chased him, caught up to him but he pulled a knife so John let him go. Meanwhile I called 911, and they came and I filled out a police report. My car has a busted window and glass everywhere, but not much taken and no one hurt. The guy got away though, and it was scary that he had a knife. I am really grateful to John for helping me!

Two other reports, both involving theft, ahead: (ALSO, ADDED 9:58 AM – A report from another West Seattleite whose car has been hit by prowlers/vandals twice in the past five days.)Read More

Another stolen car to watch for. From Sarah:

My car was stolen on Thursday night in the Delridge neighborhood. It is a maroon 1988 Toyota Tercel. Passenger window is missing. The liscense plate number is AHR2334. If someone sees it, please contact me: sarah_e_fry@yahoo.com

And, as the official police advice goes, call 911.

The latest West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports: 2 more bike thefts. From Eric, who also sent the photo:

Last Thursday my gold Kona Kikapu was stolen out of my garage. I filed a police report and I’m keeping an eye out. The ironic part is my friend’s son had his bike stolen on Thursday, also a few blocks away by the Admiral fire (station) out of his garage, and my neighbor found it in our alley. My bike must have been a little nicer. The bike has small dent in the top frame tube between the seat post and the neck. Any info would be appreciated.

And from Leah:

Hi, just thought I’d let you know that our electric Hebb bike was stolen from the alley near 36th SW and Willow near Myrtle Reservoir park. The bike is silver with Hebb lettering in black on the frame. There is a black Burley bike rack over the back wheel that accommodates a Burley tag along. I can supply the VIN number if it turns up anywhere.

P.S. With a caveat that the city police-report map is not necessarily comprehensive, it still can at least offer a sense of trends – here’s what it shows for bike thefts reported and mapped in the past 3 weeks on the peninsula:

Just one Crime Watch report so far today – from Heidi:

Our vehicle (2009 brown Toyota Rav 4, plate # 802YZQ) was stolen from our driveway (62nd & Admiral) on the evening 8/28 or early am of 8/29. No broken glass. Just gone. Please contact police if found.

(Thanks to our tipster for the photo from the search/arrest scene)
If you’re seeing police in the Admiral District – they’re investigating a robbery at Luciano’s Pizza next to the Admiral Theater. A suspect is in custody, according to Seattle Police Det. Mark Jamieson, but they’re searching for the money he reportedly says he dropped in somebody’s yard near the north end of Hiawatha Community Center‘s park. The robbery happened just after 1 pm; they don’t know if the robber was armed, but police say no weapon was seen. (Thanks to the person who texted us about the search, which in turn tipped us to the robbery – 206-293-6302 any time.)

Before we get to the Crime Watch reader reports, we have finally been able to get details on a Friday-afternoon incident some have asked about, a street robbery in Delridge. Det. Renée Witt in Seattle Police media relations says, according to the report, the victim was washing a car in the 2600 block of Brandon when a 4-door silver Buick drove by, parked, then left – and came back. When the car returned, it pulled up near the victim, stopped in the middle of the street, and two passengers got out of the back and walked up to the victim. One (described only as a black man in his late teens/mid-20s, about 6 feet tall and medium build) showed a silver handgun and said, “Empty your pockets.” The victim complied; the robber got back in the car, which left southbound on 26th. According to Det. Witt, the victim reported being so focused on the man with the gun that he couldn’t describe what the others looked like or were doing.

Meantime, as is unfortunately somewhat frequent, there were scattered “sounds like gunshots” reports over the weekend, but – in case you wondered about one near you – none has resulted in a finalized police report of actual gunfire – which only means no one was shot, no casings found, no property damage. (EARLY WEDNESDAY UPDATE: One incident has now turned up on the police-report list, but didn’t show until late in the day Tuesday – listing a “weapons-discharge” call in the 8600 block of 14th SW around 3 am. No details in the report, but now that there is a report #, we can check with police later today.)

Now, to the reader reports – scooter theft (stolen from kids who had bought them with their birthday money!) and indecent exposure – times two:Read More

First, the arrest: Karen from Hansen View Blockwatch reports an arrest that may help solve multiple recent thefts in their area. A 31-year-old man is in the King County Jail, arrested for investigation of possession of stolen property.

She says a neighbor in the 5000 block of 37th SW (map) “happened to notice someone behaving oddly” and started watching. The neighbor noticed the man had a scooter and a van, and then saw the man take an edge trimmer from a nearby yard and put it into the van. Then, the neighbor saw the man take off on the scooter, and followed some distance through alleys while calling 911. The scooter crashed; the suspect ran into a house at 36th and Morgan (map). Police made the arrest there (finding the suspect, Karen says, hiding in the attic) and are reported to have found at least 10 bicycles in the yard, along with suspected stolen mail. We’ll keep an eye on this case and follow up on whether charges are filed.

Second, the search: It’s a request for help finding a hit-run driver. Ed shared the photo at left. He says the damage is from a dark metallic-green vehicle that hit his car around 3 am today in front of his home in the 3700 block of 40th SW (map). He says he knows the color “because it left some pieces behind,” so if you’ve seen a car that color with front-end damage, please contact police.

Quick Crime Watch note tonight – Paul reports someone stole his license plates overnight near 39th and Dakota: Washington plates B45069N. So if you happen to see a plate lying around in your neighborhood, take a closer look (and tell police if you find one, even if it’s not Paul’s).

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports: First, from Tom in North Admiral:

This morning, I woke up to both of my cars each with all 4 tires slashed. Called the police and they said that 6 to 8 other families were reporting the same issue with their cars. Great way to start a 3-day holiday.

And yet another bicycle theft – this one reported last night by Heather:

My bike was stolen from my home just north of Lincoln Park. It’s a red Diamond Back. It was loaded with green panniers and a striped bucket-style helmet. My white three-ring binder with teaching materials was in the pannier. I’d love to get that back, even if I never see the bike again!

To get involved with community crime-prevention efforts, now that it’s September, watch for the meeting announcements of the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council (9/18) and the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network (9/25).

Four reader reports in today’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup. First, three short theft notes, and then (after the jump, if you read this from the WSB home page), the story of a car-prowl arrest – and what police subsequently told us about it.

#1 – Mac reports a bike theft:

I just had my bike stolen (Thursday) from our apartment’s secure garage at California and Hudson. It is a teal and purple Novarra (I think that’s the brand), with black handlebars and a small cargo rack on the back. It has an old bike computer mount danging from the handlebars, and new tires. It wasn’t the nicest bike, but it got me where I wanted to go. Maybe someone will see it?

#2 – A mail-theft report from A:

My boyfriend and I live on North Delridge, across from the community center. We have been suspecting mail theft for a long time, but (Wednesday) night I finally found proof: our mailbox was left wide open and our junk mail was scattered down the street.

#3 – Also mail theft, reported by Tommy:

Just wanted to give a heads up that there has been a resurgence in mail stealing on the 5600 block of 26th Ave SW. It’s been a problem in the past; didn’t happen much this summer; seems to be happening again. It isn’t much fun trying to find a pet ID on the side of the road that was being sent from the City of Seattle (those little things aren’t cheap!).

After the jump, a Morgan Junction resident tells the story of how they’ve been hit by repeated car prowls and made the call last night that resulted in an arrest – plus, our followup with police:

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A 54-year-old Alki woman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars and jewelry from a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor for whom she served as a caregiver earlier this year. Mary C. Park was in King County Superior Court today and pleaded not guilty to first-degree theft. She spent a day in jail after her arrest earlier this month, but she has no criminal history, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says Park will remain out of custody while the case proceeds. Charging and search-warrant documents say Park started working last February for the family of the victim, who is said to have stored cash in her home because of fears tracing back to having been sent to the Auschwitz death camp during World War II. It’s suspected that Park stole the cash one day last month when the victim recalls having been told to get into the bathtub and ordered to stay there. Gold, opal, and diamond necklaces were discovered to be missing, too. The family fired Park at the end of July, documents say, and called police days later after realizing the money and jewelry were missing. Park is due back in court on September 13th.

Big roundup today for West Seattle Crime Watch and other police activity – with three notes related to bike theft (actual or suspected).

First one starts with an incident that several people asked about this morning on the WSB Facebook page – early-morning yelling in Morgan Junction, and eventually an ambulance. Nothing on the 911 log, so we checked with Det. Mark Jamieson of Seattle Police. He says one man thought he saw another steal a bicycle around 2 am – the second man was reported to be on one bicycle and pushing another, after having allegedly gone into the first man’s neighbor’s yard. The first man, police say, followed/chased the second man, who dropped the extra bike, and then, when the first man caught up with him near California/Graham, dropped the one he was riding. The first man “detained” him and the second one started yelling something like “Don’t hurt me.” That’s when multiple people called 911 – a passing ambulance even stopped, thinking they had witnessed an assault. Police could not prove that the bicycle was stolen, says Det. Jamieson, so there was no arrest, and nobody required hospitalization, so the final categorization of the call was simply “suspicious circumstances.” P.S. The bicycle was placed into evidence.

Whether related or not, we’ve heard more stories of bicycle thefts in Crime Watch reader reports lately. One is after the jump – along with the saga of a Crime Watch case closed when a bicycle-theft victim DID get her bikes back – via someone who saw the story here – and a few other WSCW notes:

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(TOPLINE: 20+ indicted in federal oxycodone drug-ring investigation, including 1 arrested in West Seattle)

(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
FIRST REPORT, 12:58 PM: We’re at FBI headquarters in the heart of downtown, where agencies and departments including the FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Seattle Police are about to brief the media on the raids/searches this morning at locations including the one on which we reported (5400 block of 30th SW). We’ve just been handing documents that say more than 20 people were arrested in connection with a “significant narcotics trafficking ring” involving “distributing thousands of oxycodone pills in the Seattle area.” More to come.

1:03 PM UPDATE: The briefing has begun. 24 arrests executed this morning by 100 law enforcement officers, we’re being told. Operation was code-named “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse“; the alleged ringleader’s name is Herman. Speaking first with details: US Attorney Jenny Durkan:

She calls this “a tremendous investigation over a period of years. We are focused heavily on ending prescription drug abuse … As you know, it’s a growing epidemic in America … Last year, it was estimated the deaths … exceeded the deaths for motor vehicles.” She says there’s a direct “nexus” between drug dealing and violent crime, and lauds the joint efforts of SPD and FBI.

SPD’s Deputy Chief Nick Metz (above) is speaking now (1:06 pm) – he says “it’s no secret that in past six-plus months, we’ve seen an uptick in violence …”and he believes this will affect that. Now FBI special agent in charge Dean says that 16 locations were searched in our state and California in relation to this case. 19 people were indicted, he says. He says that agents came here from other states including Utah and Oregon to help, as well as other partners around the region. The investigation dates back to February 2010, he says. He says one particular gang was the focus of the investigation, and stresses again the partnership between law-enforcement agencies. “We’re going to continue our efforts to disrupt violent crime.”

1:10 PM: The operation is being called “unprecedented” in its scope and scale. “I think today’s efforts have made the region a little safer.” After just a few minutes, the news conference is being opened to questions. First question involves investigative techniques, on which they don’t want to specialize; electronic surveillance is mentioned.

Second question – “We took the head dog out,” says FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steven Dean (above), responding to the role of Herman Roche, the first person whose indictment has been publicized. Roche is 43 years old and described in documents as a Kent resident. He says the investigation “disrupted” the organization and put most of its members in custody. “We think it’s going to make a dent.” Durkan says, “These operations rely on everything from (street cop undercover buys) to sophisticated surveillance … What the bad guys need to know out there is that state and federal authorities are going to cooperate .. We have a wide array of tools; we will use them all to stop crime in this community.” She says they wanted to make sure they “had the entire organization” so that when “we took it down, we knew what we were doing.” She talks about the organization members’ trips to California to get thousands of pills at a time. She says they seized 20 firearms, $40,000, and more that they are still inventorizing. “The next step is that all of these people have to make their appearance in federal court.”

1:15 PM: The news conference is wrapping up. Some of the suspects will be on the 2:30 pm court calendar. And the FBI spokesperson will tell us afterward about specific locations and how they figured into it.

1:29 PM UPDATE: 33 year old Brian M. Davis is identified as the person arrested at the home on 5400 block of 30th SW this morning. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics, authorities say. He was the only person arrested in West Seattle, according to the FBI, and the 30th SW house is the only WS location involved. What exactly was seized there – and what role that location played – won’t be known, says the FBI, until the search warrant returns are made public, probably in a week or so. The closest arrest to West Seattle, besides Davis, was that of 45-year-old Thomas D. Lee, arrested in the 6100 block of 4th Avenue S (a WSB Facebook commenter mentioned that location). They will be among those making a court appearance in about an hour. Seattle Police also confirm that Davis was the victim in a shooting elsewhere in the city a month ago.

2:44 PM UPDATE: Back at HQ now and will add video of the briefing plus a few more photos – unlike some briefings of similar magnitude, there was no “show and tell” component of seized items, in case you wondered. (added – here’s our video – starting with an overview by FBI Special Agent in Charge Laura Laughlin)

Also, if you’d like to read the full news release, which lists everyone charged, as well as all the participating agencies, it’s after the jump:

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FIRST REPORT, 8:08 AM: Thanks to everyone who texted and e-mailed to report federal agents searching a hillside home between High Point and Camp Long early this morning. At the scene, we saw FBI agents with unmarked vehicles, and a vehicle marked as belonging to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. They wouldn’t comment, referring us to local FBI headquarters; we just talked with Ayn Sandalo Dietrich in FBI public affairs, and she could only tell us that it’s part of an operation at “multiple locations,” but they’ll have more to say later. We also checked with Seattle Police, where Det. Mark Jamieson said the same thing.

10:35 AM UPDATE: The FBI has announced a multi-agency media briefing at 1 pm today – we’ll be there. They’re describing what happened this morning as a “Seattle Safe Streets Task Force operation.” The task force is described on this page as working “to identify, disrupt, and dismantle existing and emerging violent criminal enterprises and gangs in King County, as well as other individuals and groups whose criminal activity negatively impacts the Puget Sound area.”

NOTE: Our story on the briefing – and what we’ve found out about the suspect arrested in West Seattle – is here.

West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning: We heard overnight from an Alki burglary victim who requested anonymity:

Please let everyone know a guy walked into my gate, up the stairs, across my deck, into my home – meeting me and my dog upon entering … police arrested him in the alley near Alki Ave SW, between 63rd and 62nd. This happened around 10 pm. We need to start looking out for our community and getting to know our neighbors.

We checked with Seattle Police this morning; they confirm a suspect was arrested and booked into jail for investigation of residential burglary.

We also followed up on the High Point stabbing reported here early yesterday – a woman taken to the hospital after suffering multiple stab wounds in what was described by police as a fight. No word on the victim’s condition, but police do say they arrested a suspect at the scene, a 44-year-old woman who lives at the same address, and found the suspected weapon – a kitchen knife. The suspect is still in jail, booked for investigation of domestic-violence assault.

Side note – Another round of mystery booms last night (we heard them over Lincoln Park, and also heard via Twitter and e-mail from others in Morgan Junction and Gatewood), around midnight. No related incidents (damage, injury, fire, etc.) reported so far, so like many others, at this point, a mystery.