Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports – another case of hit-and-run damaging parked vehicles, and trespassing that appeared to be on the brink of theft. First, this photo from Darlene, with word of what happened early Friday:
The photo shows what [one of] our cars look like after a drunk couple slammed into them at 3:30 a.m. (Friday). The police have impounded the car that hit ours and we have photos of the offenders’ vehicle also. We have also submitted the offenders’ license plate to our insurance company. Our neighbors saw the couple walking away up 56th. Prior to them walking away one of our neighbors spoke to the female, who said “we’re fixing a flat tire”. I want to thank all our neighbors who called the police and described this couple. They had a baby seat in their car; no one saw them with a child. The car is registered to an address in Kirkland.
And received late last night from DG:
My son just found someone on our property (near 32nd SW and SW Cloverdale) about an hour ago. He went outside and heard a sneeze, then found a man hiding in shrubbery just off our carport. The man was next to the lawnmower which had the board used to weigh down the tarp removed, bungee cords loosened and the tarp pulled nearly off the mower. The man was about 30, 5’10”, about 170 lbs, probably Caucasian, and wore a red or orange jacket with a reflective stripe and dark pants. He ran off of our property and headed east as my son gave chase. The place where the man was hiding is about 25 feet from the street and surrounded by fencing and clearly private. The carport where the lawnmower is kept is brightly lit and the mower is chained to a post.
By the way, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets this coming Tuesday, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (Holden/Delridge), with guests including new precinct liaison Melissa Chin of the City Attorney’s Office and Jill Otake of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The man charged with second-degree murder in last August’s White Center murder of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi has struck a plea bargain. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB that Anthony Haroldlee Smith pleaded guilty this morning to that same charge, acknowledging he is to blame for the deadly shooting at 15th and Roxbury in the early-morning hours of August 16th. Sentencing range is 134-234 months; KCPAO spokesperson Ian Goodhew says the “agreed recommendation” for sentencing will be 15 years. He adds, “Sweetheart’s family felt the agreement was the right thing to do to assure a conviction and have the certainty of the mid-range recommendation as opposed to him possibly receiving a lower sentence.” Smith is to be sentenced March 23rd at 1:45 pm by King County Superior Court Mary Yu.
Someone hit our parked camper van last night at the top of Erskine Way by the 7-Eleven (in the Junction). It was a pretty bad hit, with the entire front driver’s side being dented from the fender up and the driver’s side mirror being torn off. There must be significant damage to the car/truck that hit our vehicle. The van is an old 1987 GMC camper van, old but low mileage, very nice and very loved/used by our family. We do not insure it in the winter because we don’t drive it, so this damage hits hard. We would very much appreciate someone coming forward and taking responsibility, not necessarily to fix it to new but to at least make it driveable again.
First: Police say they arrested a driver for suspected DUI in The Junction early this evening. WSB contributor Katie Meyer talked with officers at the scene, and took the photo above. Katie reports that, according to police and witnesses, the driver was headed westbound on SW Edmunds from California and made a too-wide right turn onto Edmunds, hitting the front of an occupied vehicle waiting at the stop sign, then continuing up over the curb and grass into the parking lot on the south side of the TrueValue store. No serious injuries reported.
Tonight we also have an “alert neighbor calls 911” report. Though this one didn’t end like the one from Puget Ridge earlier today, the person who e-mailed us about it thought you might want to be on the lookout for the people, and MO, they saw:Read More
(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Thanks to everybody who e-mailed us about what turned out to be another case of a watchful neighbor tipping police to a burglary. It happened in the Puget Ridge area; police at the scene near 18th and Brandon told us they had five people in custody. Here’s how SPD says it unfolded: A neighbor called around quarter till noon to say two people who had arrived in a car were kicking in a door, then while police were on the way, the neighbor called back to say both suspects were in the house. Police got there and wound up taking five people into custody, all apparently headed to the precinct for questioning. Too soon to know if there’s any chance they are connected to other break-ins, but we’ll follow up.
ADDED 3:10 PM: A little more info from Lt. Pierre Davis at the Southwest Precinct, who declares this, “Our West Seattle community and police partnership at work again” – He says, “Our officers, upon getting the info via 911, was able to locate and make the stop of the suspect vehicle. Upon the stop of the vehicle, two of the suspects fled on foot but were later apprehended by investigating officers. The witness was able to ID the subjects and their vehicle.”
Maybe, like Ryan‘s car, this vehicle also will be found by a WSB’er. Just received from Tim:
Wanted to report that our 2000 Jeep Cherokee Sport was stolen sometime last night, at SW Kenyon and 7th Ave SW. It’s maroon-colored, license plate 095-WMK; my wife has some work papers in the back that we’d like back asap. If you have any information or if you’ve seen the Jeep, please alert the SPD at 206-625-5011.
Don’t hesitate to call 911 about a stolen car if that number doesn’t work – it’s part of the standard boilerplate on the SPD stolen-vehicle Twitter feed (which has not tweeted this vehicle yet which *just* tweeted this, concurrent with an announcement over the police-radio airwaves, five minutes after we first published this).
While we hope for Just got good news in the missing/stolen dog case, and we have MORE good news tonight in West Seattle Crime Watch followups: Two thefts reported here last month are resolved – and one turned out not to have been a theft at all! One involved a sled, one involved a car, and we have details on both, ahead:Read More
4:05 PM: Two cars were broken into this afternoon after 1 pm outside the Walgreens at 35th and Morgan, according to Matt, and the only thing taken from his was the family’s Boston Terrier, seen in the photo above. He adds: “$500 reward. No question. He is like my wife’s child and she is inconsolable.”
8:13 PM: Matt reports in comments that their dog has been found! He adds to everyone who helped look and offered well-wishes, “THANK YOU ALL!”
Duane Starkenburg, the Gatewood man charged a year ago with attacking women joggers and then charged last fall in a years-old child rape case, was back in court today. The “omnibus hearing” this morning was to determine whether his case was ready to go to trial. Ian Goodhew from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB that it was agreed Starkenburg will stand trial starting March 7th for the jogger attacks, but the child-rape case won’t go to trial till after that.
Another apparent case of crime prevention via vigilant residents/neighbors. We just heard from one who doesn’t want to be identified but does want to tell the tale of what just happened in his North Admiral neighborhood about an hour ago – read on for that plus a Beach Drive burglary:Read More
2:24 PM: Big police search under way right now for armed robbers: Southwest Precinct Lt. Pierre Davis confirms a “jewelry/pawn shop” in the 9400 block of 16th SW (map) was held up by four robbers wearing masks. He says officers are currently “conducting a search for evidence and suspects.” We also heard some potential description information on the scanner – a Crown Victoria car that “looks like an old green-over-red taxi” might be associated with the robbers. As always, call 911 if you think you see or hear something related.
2:37 PM UPDATE: There’s a sizable police presence off Roxbury that we are told is related to the search for the robbers and ‘evidence.’ And this is indeed why there was at least one TV helicopter over the area.
3:21 PM UPDATE: Police are still searching – right now we’re seeing some in Roxhill Park. We stopped by nearby Roxhill Elementary, too, after hearing it mentioned as part of scanner discussion; the staff told us the school “sheltered in place” for a short time.
4:15 PM UPDATE: Per scanner traffic, three vehicles, including a Crown Victoria, were being searched in connection with this investigation. But Lt. Davis says nobody’s been arrested yet.
8:33 PM UPDATE: From SPD Blotter, more details and descriptions:Read More
Two reader reports to share this afternoon. First, from Kevin:
I’m writing to let you know that my 1996 Honda Accord was stolen off the street from in front of my house last night between midnight and 7 AM. I live in the 6000 block of 46th AVE SW between SW Graham and SW Raymond streets. It’s a four door Accord LX model. Maroon/Burgandy color. WA license plate 865 TZD. If you see it or have any information, please call the Seattle Police Dept.
(SPD suggests 911 if you see a stolen car.) Meantime, Jenni – who is a Block Watch captain in Highland Park – says they’re not taking car prowlers lightly in her neighborhood. This happened early Wednesday:
I went to check why my dog was barking& noted white male late 40s with graying facial hair trying to break into my neighbors SUV. I asked what he was doing and he fled via silver/gray 2 door sedan possibly ford no plate number obtained. I called 911 and some of our block watch went out on foot to patrol the surrounding streets. So, just another note about neighborhood block watch and calling police immediately.
She hasn’t heard whether an arrest was made, but notes that police arrived within five minutes of the 911 call. Meantime, Highland Park and other south West Seattle neighborhoods might be interested in this White Center event tonight: In case you missed the notice in our morning preview or on White Center Now, gang-activity trends, Metro Transit safety, and other topics are all on the agenda for the first in a series of Public Safety Forums presented by the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council, all welcome, 7 pm tonight at North Highline Fire District headquarters (1243 SW 112th – here’s a map).
If you were along 35th SW about two hours ago – as one WSB team member happened to be – you might have wondered why three police cars went roaring northbound with lights and sirens. They, and other units, were bound for a home on 47th SW in North Admiral, and we just got the details from Seattle Police Det. Mark Jamieson in media relations: Someone called 911 to report a suspected burglary, with a screen pried off a window. Officers and burglary detectives responded. They eventually surrounded the house and went inside. Nobody was there. The witness described seeing a white man, 25-30, 5’7″, green stocking cap, blue windbreaker, but no one fitting the description had been found as of our conversation with SPD, which at last report was working to contact the homeowner to see if they could come verify whether anything had been taken. (Coincidentally, as this unfolded, we also had someone at the Southwest Precinct, where its commander Capt. Steve Paulsen spoke to visiting WS Chamber of Commerce members; he talked about the importance of calling 911 when you see something suspicious. More on the lunch event a bit later.)
We’re at the King County Courthouse, where Lovett Chambers has just pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of (Michael) Travis Hood. His lawyer actually would not allow the suspect to confirm that to be his name (court documents have indicated multiple aliases); she also asked the judge to prohibit photography, contending that identity was still an issue, but – after the prosecutor pointed out that Chambers was identified by multiple witnesses and had the reputed murder weapon in his possession when arrested soon afterward – Judge Theresa Doyle denied that motion, so he was photographed by us and by the three TV news photojournalists who comprised the rest of the media corps today. Aside from the not-guilty plea, the only other action taken was to set February 29th as the next hearing in the case. It’s been two and a half weeks since Chambers’ arrest shortly after the January 21st shooting alongside Morgan Junction Park, two weeks since a first-degree-murder charge was filed. Chambers remains jailed in lieu of $5 million bail; we have video of the hearing and will add it when we’re back at HQ.
11:34 AM: Video added. Note that Chambers was not present for the first few moments of the hearing, while lawyers argued over the defense request to prohibit photography. Also note that the courtroom separates the gallery, media included, from the actual bench and tables where proceedings are held, with thick panes of glass.
Earlier today we got a call from a woman who said she had tipped police off to burglars in her neighborhood, after seeing people running through her neighbors’ yard with what seemed to be loot – even dropping an XBOX game console at one point. We headed to the area, couldn’t find any police, but were pursuing a followup; SPD Blotter beat us to it by publishing the tale of how it unfolded:
On 2-7-12, at approximately 10:56 a.m., officers responded to the 1200 block of SW Myrtle St, to investigate a burglary in progress where the three suspects had fled from the house.
The victim called 911 when she observed the three suspects flee out the back door of her residence. Officers quickly arrived in the area and began a search. One suspect was located within minutes, a few blocks from the scene. The other two suspects were quickly located and positively identified by the witness.
All three suspects are male and 18-years-old. The trio was processed and booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Auto Theft and Burglary.
The suspects drove a stolen Honda to the scene. The Honda was recovered and held for processing by detectives.
Another reason why police make the request over and over again – if you see something suspicious, please call 911!
I’m hoping because West Seattle is such a tight community that someone will have witnessed this event. I was driving west from downtown Seattle via Spokane Street at approximately 6:30 p.m. last night. Where the two lanes on Spokane street merge into one for a brief span for construction, a full size white truck merged into the side of my vehicle and then sped off up the Admiral hill. I got a partial license plate number and a hit-and-run report was filed but no one has been caught at this point. If you were a witness to this event or see a full size white truck with red paint down the passenger side and/or running boards, please give me or the SW Precinct any information. My family has called West Seattle home for a long time and we value the integrity and small-town care that is ever present. Thank you for any assistance in this matter.
The partial plate number starts with A4142, according to Christine.
We have multiple reports this morning of another street where parked cars were hit by prowlers/vandals – FLS reported at least two in the 37th SW/Hanford vicinity – “windows smashed in, vehicle ransacked.” Police were on their way when he e-mailed us earlier. Rena mentioned it on the WSB Facebook page, too. Earlier this week, at least half a dozen cars were vandalized on Beach Drive, according to this report from Beach Drive Blog. Even if damage wasn’t too serious and nothing was taken, police ask that you do file a report for these types of crimes, which at least helps them track trends and figure out where to focus more patrol resources.
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.
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!
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.
We’re at the King County Courthouse, where Lovett Chambers has just pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting death of (Michael) Travis Hood. His lawyer actually would not allow the suspect to confirm that to be his name (court documents have indicated multiple aliases); she also asked the judge to prohibit photography, contending that identity was still an issue, but – after the prosecutor pointed out that Chambers was identified by multiple witnesses and had the reputed murder weapon in his possession when arrested soon afterward – Judge Theresa Doyle denied that motion, so he was photographed by us and by the three TV news photojournalists who comprised the rest of the media corps today. Aside from the not-guilty plea, the only other action taken was to set February 29th as the next hearing in the case. It’s been two and a half weeks since Chambers’ arrest shortly after the 
We have multiple reports this morning of another street where parked cars were hit by prowlers/vandals – FLS reported at least two in the 37th SW/Hanford vicinity – “windows smashed in, vehicle ransacked.” Police were on their way when he e-mailed us earlier. Rena mentioned it on 
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