9:47 AM: Police are rushing to the California/Charlestown 7-11, after a report it was robbed by a man with a gun. Seattle Police media relations Officer Renée Witt confirms the robbery report and says they got the call at 9:41 am. Also using information via the scanner, we’ve heard a partial, early description of the robber – black, male, wearing a cap, braids, gray sweatpants, 5’9″, no facial hair, last seen headed east on Charlestown; his gun had been in his right jacket pocket. We’re headed to the scene and will have more from there shortly.

10:25 AM UPDATE: Added a photo. Police at the scene weren’t commenting. No word of an arrest.

11:58 AM UPDATE: There’s been a discussion in the comment section about area schools. We verified with Seattle Public Schools that there were NO lockdowns – the robber was running AWAY from the schools, not toward them (and the schools are about a half-mile away), so there was no danger.

12:51 PM UPDATE: Seattle Parks confirms, as discussed in comments, that Hiawatha was on lockdown for a while as a precautionary measure (though it too was not in the direction the robber was going). They reopened the doors shortly after noon, according to Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter.

3:09 PM UPDATE: Just talked with police. No arrest reported so far.

(Tuesday afternoon photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
As a followup to Tuesday’s gunfire at Westwood Village, which did not cause any physical injuries but did lead to lockdown/shelter-in-place precautions at three nearby schools (WSB as-it-happened coverage is here), we now have information from the initial police report filed afterward. While that first police report isn’t always the “last word” – the investigation is continuing – we thought you might be interested to hear what it says, since it adds some detail not available yesterday:Read More

Notes tonight on three defendants whose cases we’re continuing to watch in the courts:

DUANE STARKENBURG: More than a year after this Gatewood resident was arrested and charged with attacking three women jogging in or near Lincoln Park, he is about to go on trial, but the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB there’s likely to be a short delay. Starkenburg’s trial is on the books to start this Wednesday, but according to KCPAO spokesperson Dan Donohoe, the prosecutor assigned to the case is in another trial that may not be over till days after that. Starkenburg also is awaiting a separate trial in an unrelated, long-ago child-rape case.

LOVETT CHAMBERS: The Gatewood man charged with murdering (Michael) Travis Hood by Morgan Junction Park in January was scheduled to return to court last week; as is fairly typical at this stage of a murder case, a postponement was requested, as lawyers are still in the “discovery” process. His next hearing is now set for April 4th.

BRANDON CHANEY: The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office confirms they are planning to re-try Chaney, a South King County resident who is the only one of four men charged in the February 2009 Steve Bushaw murder whose case is not yet resolved. Last August, a King County Superior Court jury deadlocked on Chaney’s case, while convicting co-defendant Bryce Huber (the two “triggermen” in the case had already pleaded guilty). Chaney was back in court last Friday, at which time a tentative trial date of November 1st was set; he is expected back in court in three weeks, for a “status hearing.”

Two reports to share:

Early this morning, we tweeted three times about scanner traffic involving what was first reported as a truck that had driven over the 44th/Andover traffic circle and “high-centered” atop it. It was gone when police arrived minutes later, but they searched the area extensively after reports it was headed north; before long, they found the truck, but reported that its driver had fled. We don’t know whether they ever found the driver, but Hayla e-mailed us today about the incident, including the photo above:Read More

Updates tonight on two recent theft reports: A trailer and SUV reported stolen in separate West Seattle incidents have both been found. First – it’s been a month since Ron reported his cargo trailer taken from Gatewood; this past Thursday, he picked it up from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office after getting word it was found in Arlington, “in nearly the same shape as I remember,” and that arrests were made. He says he was told the suspects have a connection to Gatewood, and might be responsible for more than this theft.

Last Thursday was also when an SUV was stolen near Delridge/Holden; Shane told us about it on Friday, noting it belonged to a friend who is an amateur-radio operator and “gives a lot to the community.” The next morning, as he wrote in comments, word came from SPD that it had been found – with the electronics still in it, and only minor damage.

Shane e-mailed on behalf of a friend whose SUV was stolen in the Delridge/Holden area:

It is a 1988 Chevy Suburban, WA Plates: WA7TZ (her ham call sign).

It is golden brown with a wide black stripe and has chrome wheels and dark tinted windows. It has roof and mirror mounted antennas. I’m kind of hoping it sticks out and someone has seen it. There was some ham radio equipment in it as well that I doubt is still there although likely useless to whomever stole it.

The owner is a real nice lady who gives a lot to the community and I’d like to see her get it back.

Please call 911 if you see it.

Just up on SPD Blotter: Police have arrested a suspect in last December’s holdup at the Super 24 (here’s our original coverage of the incident), after a tip resulting from a TV show. The arrest was made in the 5600 block of 21st SW. Full story here.

Four reports this morning in West Seattle Crime Watch:

(Wednesday afternoon photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
We took that photo yesterday afternoon on 39th just east of Fauntleroy, after tipsters told us police had converged on the area. All officers would tell us at the scene was that it involved an arrest warrant. This morning, SPD has announced they actually made two arrests, in connection with the armed robbery two weeks ago in the 9400 block of Delridge (WSB coverage here), the third and fourth suspects arrested in the case. More details via SPD Blotter.

Also this morning – three Crime Watch reader reports, a burglary and two thefts:Read More

This afternoon’s West Seattle Crime Watch notes include a “happy ending” to a car theft reported here, plus 4 other reader reports, all ahead:Read More

Todd hopes you might be able to help him find his stolen truck:

This white Mazda B2600i 4×4 truck, with silver-gray canopy, was stolen from 4215 SW Myrtle st – one block east of California – sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning (2/19-2/20). The canopy rear window, shown in one picture, is now broken and covered with black plastic. In the other picture you can see a silver American Automobile Association sticker on the canopy front window. There are roof racks, with a bicycle holder on the passenger side, and on the rear of the truck is a towing insert, instead of a bumper. License plate is WA B89770H.

Call 911 if you see it.

1:46 PM: Police are searching right now for two armed men who are reported to have broken into a residence in the 4300 block of 30th SW. The only description they have of the intruders is, black men, late teens, with hoodies pulled up over their faces. More to come.

1:56 PM: Additional description information: The armed man had a silver .45 handgun, and was wearing a black windbreaker and blue jeans. (If you saw a helicopter in the area, by the way, it wasn’t a law-enforcement chopper – tipster Mary says it was a news chopper, though we’re not seeing it now.)

Out of the WSB inbox, a stolen-car report from Ken:

I live at 4800 Fauntleroy [multi-unit building], and my car was stolen this weekend. Silver 1993 Nissan Sentra with 250k+ miles, stolen from my assigned parking space between 9:00pm Saturday (2/18) and 3:00pm Sunday (2/19).

I’m a broke student and I loved that car. I would find a way to reward somebody for info about the car and/or who took it.

As Seattle Police request when they tweet about stolen cars (including this one), call 911 if you have seen it.

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.

Out of the WSB inbox, from Brittney:

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.