West Seattle, Washington
06 Sunday
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth weekly installment of this new WSB feature – if you missed the explanation/introduction with which we prefaced the first one, you can see it here.
By Megan Sheppard
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Just after midnight early Monday, a Highland Park man awoke to the sounds of a child crying outside his residence. He saw what appeared to be a three-year-old walking barefoot in the middle of the street. He also noticed the front door open on a nearby residence. He went out, picked up the child, rang the bell and banged on the door. When no one answered, he took the child home and called 911. Officers arrived, entered the home through the open door, and found a four-year-old sleeping alone in a bedroom. There was no bed, and he was lying on some blankets on the floor. No other adults were present, except for a renter who came out of a basement room. A Child Protective Services social worker took custody of the children.
Six more cases, after the jump:Read More
This afternoon, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed four charges of vehicular assault against 43-year-old Juanita Wright, an Admiral resident who also uses the surnames Mars and Carpenter, in connection with a crash outside Showbox SODO last Thursday night. Prosecutors allege Wright had a blood-alcohol level of .29 as measured two hours after the crash – more than three times the legal-drunkenness level – and hit seven people who were crossing 1st Avenue South after a concert at the venue. Four of them were seriously hurt, with multiple broken bones, including a 28-year-old woman with a head injury that required removal of part of her skull. Wright’s car is described in court documents as having been full of empty or partly empty 24-ounce cans of 8.2% beer at the time of the crash. has been in jail since early last Friday morning, with bail set at a quarter-million dollars, and is scheduled for arraignment on November 15th. According to the charging documents, her record includes an unresolved drunk-driving charge from Pierce County 20 years ago, and more recent violations including speeding and driving without a license.
Three weeks till the Seattle City Council is expected to take its final vote on next year’s budget, with whatever changes they make to the original proposal that Mayor Mike McGinn presented five weeks ago. Next Budget Committee meeting is tomorrow – and one of the agenda items involves reviewing specific parts of the Police Department’s budget, including one that’s been of particular interest in communities including West Seattle – the Crime Prevention Coordinators’ status. The mayor’s proposal would eliminate three of the seven coordinators citywide; those coordinators are civilian employees who handle a wide variety of programs dealing directly with the public, including Block Watch and the annual Night Out. If you have something to say about this (or any other aspect of the city budget), this page includes a variety of ways to do that; meantime, tomorrow’s all-day budget hearing is scheduled to focus on SPD at about 3:15 pm (here’s the all-day agenda).
3 West Seattle Crime Watch reports tonight – a car break-in with loot including a child’s prized skateboard, a custom model you would know if you saw; a home break-in with loot including a distinctive cutting board and a wedding video; and a case of gas siphoning. Read on:Read More
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share – two vehicle thefts from today (and a request to be on the lookout for the stolen vehicles), and a car prowl from earlier. The reports are after the jump:Read More
A new citywide group has formed to try to get the city’s public-safety plans aligned with community priorities. The group is called Community Leaders for Public Safety, and one of its founding members, West Seattle’s Pete Spalding, shared its proposal with WSB. On the list – a strategy to fight graffiti vandalism, including bringing back the Seattle Police graffiti detective position.Here’s the full list of the CLPS priorities – remember, these are citywide, but many are certainly applicable to West Seattle:
Seattle Public Safety Initiative
Facilities
* Find a suitable alternative for Rainier Beach Community Center during the two-year closure, such as Rainier Beach High School, with a seamless transition to ensure continuity for critical programs.
* Fund the North Precinct facility. If existing building cannot be fixed, the precinct should move to a site like the Seattle School District facility on Wilson and Pacific. Parking for employees and the public must factor into the decision.
* Re-examine neighborhood substations and drop-in centers.Community Policing
* Prioritize community policing in training programs and best police practices.
* Develop neighborhood engagement strategies so officers understand a place and its people. Reimplement Neighborhood Action Teams. Ensure that the City’s neighborhood plans reflect public safety principles, and that the City of Seattle honors the neighborhood plans.
* Fund current Crime Prevention Coordinator and Park Ranger programs, and re-examine using Community Safety Officers.Community Programs
* Youth Initiatives: Build on current programs, with community-based advisory panels, emphasizing a long-term generational model. Support activities at playfields, schools, and community centers. Seek corporate funding and partnerships.
* Nightlife Initiative: Prioritize a socially responsible, vibrant nightlife, with clubs funding solutions to problems that originate in clubs.
* Public Alcoholism: Support successful models to house chronic street inebriates. Working with the Washington State Liquor Control Board, create an Alcohol Impact Area for Beacon Hill.
* Gangs and Graffiti: Implement a city-wide strategy to address gang-related crime, including prostitution, and a coordinated graffiti plan that reinstates the SPD graffiti detective.
* Social Services: Distribute facilities equitably throughout Seattle, with a moratorium on subsidized housing for neighborhoods that have reached capacity.Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)
* Apply CPTED principles in public playfields, parks, and other green spaces, and to DPD building permits, neighborhood zoning, and landscape decisions, and the Urban Forest Management Plan.
* Work with the Washington State Department of Transportation to incorporate CPTED principles into state road development and maintenance projects.Cooperation
* Leverage existing assets and interagency taskforces to address specific issues, and establish a public safety adviser in the Mayor’s office to lead interagency coordination and policy development.
* Schedule SDOT projects to allow for public safety response and more efficient emergency access.
* Fund programs that use Washington State DOC work crews and Seattle Community Court and Pretrial Diversion service workers, to support street cleanups, environmental restoration, vacant lot mitigation, playfield safety, and graffiti removal.Policy
* Enforce the no trespassing ordinance, nuisance housing ordinance, and encampment protocols.
* Ensure citizen oversight, a comment period for proposed policy changes, and public notice of meetings by committees working on public safety-related policies.
* Establish a quarterly meeting between the Mayor and Community Leaders for Public Safety
Spalding says many of the founding members are from Precinct Advisory Councils (he chairs the one for West Seattle’s Southwest Precinct) or crime-prevention groups. They’ve already sent this proposal to Mayor McGinn, CIty Council members, City Attorney Pete Holmes, and Police Chief John Diaz; the cover letter, which you can see here, summarizes, “We believe the return on investment in community programs – that address the needs of youth, that counter gangs and graffiti, that encourage service and safe housing for homeless people and others at risk – will make a sustainable difference in the quality of life for all Seattle residents.” We’ll keep you updated on where this goes from here.
At last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Paulsen mentioned the ongoing search for a suspect believed to be responsible for at least half a dozen recent local burglaries. Just got word from Lt. Ron Rasmussen that the suspect is now in custody:
Through the excellent work of the Southwest Precinct Detectives and Patrol Officers, we arrested a juvenile male last night who we believe is responsible for the series of burglaries that have occurred in West Seattle area over the past couple of weeks. The investigation continues as detectives continue to follow-up on leads developed during the investigation.
Capt. Paulsen said last night that a search warrant had been served even before the suspect’s arrest, and stolen property had been recovered. Meantime, he also said police are actively looking for a suspect in connection with two recent “indecent liberties” incidents involving females walking alone, and he suggested extra precautions – read on:Read More
Right now police are searching in Westwood for someone suspected of stabbing two people – the injuries so far are not believed to be major – according to the scanner, one in the hand, one in the lower arm. It happened in the 9200 block of 31st SW (map). 12:46 AM: Scanner now indicates one person’s in custody and a knife has been recovered.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third weekly installment of this new WSB feature – if you missed the explanation/introduction with which we prefaced the first one, you can see it here.
By Megan Sheppard
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Two men called 911 late Sunday and said they were trapped inside a locked Avalon Way storage facility. As it turns out, they just didn’t see the “open” button for the roll-up door. Firefighters opened the door from the outside, but one man’s taste of freedom was short-lived: Officers arrested him when a computer check showed he was wanted on a warrant for driving with a suspended license.
*Early Sunday evening, two thieves were likely congratulating themselves for nabbing a compressor and a variety of tools from the bed of a pickup truck parked in Morgan Junction. But karma paid a visit and the pair ended up in a car wreck just blocks away. The culprits managed to escape, but the tools—scattered across the roadway near SW Raymond and Fauntleroy SW — were retrieved by their owner.
10 more reports, ahead:Read More
While WSB contributing reporter Megan Sheppard was going through police reports for the (forthcoming) weekly “from the police files” roundup, she happened onto a report that led us to this disturbing case involving a West Seattle 8-year-old hospitalized after being beaten and jumped on. The suspect: His father, now in jail, charged with assault, bail set at $250,000. The attack happened in Renton but we can’t find evidence it’s been reported anywhere else. Details ahead:Read More
News just down the block from WSB HQ right now. Somebody made a deafening racket crashing a VW Jetta through the DO NOT ENTER sign at California/Thistle (map), heading southbound on California (the dead-end direction in which you’re not supposed to enter), and ending up against the front steps of a house at California/Sullivan. Nobody hurt, but the driver, according to neighbors, took off, apparently northbound on California; the only description is male, in a white shirt. Police have been called. The car is still there in the stairs, DO NOT ENTER sign against its hood, smoking; chunks of debris, including the concrete that held the sign, litter the street. 3:48 AM NOTE: An officer arrived within minutes of a neighbor’s call; another one headed out in search of the runaway driver. First question some (including us) had – was it a stolen car? Responding officer checked and says it’s not reported as such.
4:51 AM UPDATE: Police found the suspect, brought him back to the scene for witness ID (we weren’t the witnesses, we only heard the crash; the driver had bolted before we went out to see what had happened), and took him away. The car’s being towed, and SDOT has arrived to clean up the street debris and mark the suddenly signless “wrong way” street end; the car pushed/dragged the DO NOT ENTER sign more than 100 feet.
These aren’t West Seattle cases – but there are calls to be on the lookout region-wide, so we’re sharing them here, one with a photo, one with a sketch. First is the recent attack on a jogger in Seward Park, with new information about the attacker, and second is a just-announced case of alleged “cyberstalking” that may have victims all over Western Washington (if not beyond) – read on:Read More
We just got more information about the police presence Wednesday morning at a home near 49th SW and Stevens (here’s our previous report; the actual location turned out to be closer to 49th than 50th) – police are able to share a few more details. According to Det. Mark Jamieson in the Seattle Police media unit:
Detectives served a warrant at that location and arrested a 19-year-old man. He was booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. They also seized items from the house of evidentiary value.
He says the investigation is ongoing but they’re not looking for any other suspects. As for what the “evidentiary value” items might be – the city’s crime-report map shows a report filed yesterday in that vicinity described only as “pornography”; the full report is not likely to be available for a few days. We’ll continue to follow up, including checking with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on whether the man who was arrested will be charged.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning. First, after a half-dozen notes/calls from concerned neighbors/passersby, we have a bit of information on the notable police presence near 50th/Stevens (map): Det. Mark Jamieson in the SPD media unit says it’s a search warrant, and that’s all he can say right now – not a currently active crime scene. We’ll be checking back later. (Added: Moments after we published this, another note came in from Laura, mentioning that the FBI is there too.) … Meantime, Jeff sends word of a stolen truck to watch for:
This weekend (Saturday) a friend of mine had his work truck stolen from his house near Genesee and 50th [map]. It is a large Chevy panel truck with “Express Cryogenics” painted on the outside, and is the only one of the same kind in the Seattle area. If anyone knows about this, or sees the truck driving around town, please call me (Jeff @ 206-933-6302) or (Paul @ 206-923-2699). It’s his work truck, and he can’t provide for his family without it. There is only one truck like this in Seattle.
9:30 AM UPDATE: Via Facebook, Julie says officers left the 50th/Stevens scene around 9 am. 5:55 PM UPDATE: Haven’t had a chance to mention this sooner – Jeff says they found the truck, in West Seattle, after getting a call less than an hour after this item was published this morning.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second weekly installment of this new WSB feature – if you missed the explanation/introduction with which we prefaced the first one, you’ll find it here.
By Megan Sheppard
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*A Fauntleroy woman returned home to discover one of her dogs missing and a bedroom window open. Initially concerned about a break-in, she and officers ultimately decided that a “break-out” was the likelier scenario: There were no signs of forced entry, and the dog (later found 11 blocks away) had apparently seized the opportunity to re-enact The Great Escape by jumping onto the bed and out of the window.
*Around 7 a.m. on October 5th, officers woke a homeless man who was sleeping on a Junction bus stop bench. As part of the information-gathering, they asked if they could search his backpack. The contents — none of which were in his name — might have warranted a round of the “12 Days of Christmas”: Five credit cards, three IDs, two drivers licenses, one passport, several blank checks, one crack pipe, rock cocaine … and a meeeeeethh-loaded syringe.
Seven more reports ahead:Read More
Our partners at the Seattle Times just broke the news: The second suspect in last May’s Highland Park attack is now in jail. According to the King County Jail Register, 22-year-old Ahmed Mohamed was booked just after 4:30 yesterday afternoon. As first reported here, the other suspect, 21-year-old Jonathan Baquiring, was jailed shortly after the charges were made public on September 21st. As detailed in the police-report narrative, the teen victim reported being assaulted for hours by two men who made racist remarks during the attack. Mohamed and Baquiring are both charged with robbery and malicious harassment; Baquiring has pleaded not guilty.
Two car-theft stories in this afternoon’s West Seattle Crime Watch update: First, if you didn’t catch it playing out in the comment section, Lee confirms that his stolen “beater” Acura – first reported here – is indeed the car that Kath spotted. (He also provided an update on its post-theft condition.) The site where it was found is less than a mile from where it was stolen. Meantime, we have a new car-theft (and prowl) report from a few miles south – click ahead:Read More
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this afternoon. First one is from JR:
We were alerted today, by VISA, of unauthorized charges on our credit card and the card was shut down. I am wondering if others in West Seattle had the same thing happen to them in the last few days? If so I would love to compare purchases and payment locations directly with respondents in order to help the police in their their investigation. I will not specify the business specifically, but we used this card at the following West Seattle locations:
Two different fruit and vegetable stands
One restaurant at the Junction
The above charges were made on Friday.On Saturday we bought coffee at a coffee shop in West Seattle and then went to Queen Anne lower hill where:
*We paid by card for parking at a parking lot west of Seattle Center
*We purchased stage theater tickets from a theater
*We bought sports merchandise at Seattle Center.The fraudulent charges started after 4 PM Saturday. Don’t know if they occurred in West Seattle or Queen Anne.
I do not want to name any specific businesses, but if you have had your card number stolen and incurred fraudulent charges after using your credit card at any of the types of places meeting these descriptions, contact police and Visa Fraud division, 1-800-383-0618.
We also received a recent report of a credit-card number apparently stolen after being used at an area gas station; the person who e-mailed suspected a card skimmer, but we have not yet seen a police report verifying that. It all is a good reminder to check your credit-card account online as often as feasible – daily if you can – to catch something like this.
Meantime, we also received a car-theft report from Lee (39th and Hanford), who is puzzled:
Just noticed my car was stolen overnight. White ’88 Acura Legend. Real beater. Why anyone would steal the worst car on the block (and probably the entire neighborhood) is beyond me, but there you go. Irony is that I recently bought a newer, much nicer truck that was parked right behind it. And I’d already donated the Acura to charity and was just waiting for them to come pick it up.
Thanks to Jonathan for the tip on this (via one of his neighbors): The pharmacy at Bartell Drugs in Jefferson Square was robbed this morning and was closed for a few hours afterward. When we went over late this morning to check in person, the pharmacy was closed, but the store wouldn’t comment, referring us to corporate HQ, where spokesperson Rebecca Siegmund has just confirmed via e-mail:
There was a robbery at our store this morning at approximately 9:00 am. Everyone is fine and the pharmacy re-opened before noon. Due to the ongoing investigation we have no additional information to share.
We have an inquiry out to police to see if there’s any further information on circumstances or suspect descriptions.
ADDED 10:08 AM SUNDAY: A few more details from Southwest Precinct Lt. Von Levandowski – The robber “implied a gun, obtained assorted narcotics, and fled westbound on foot.” Description: White man, late 20s-early 30s, tan beanie, dark blue jacket, blue jeans, black New Balance tennis shoes.
Quick West Seattle Crime Watch note tonight: Karen with the Hansen View Neighborhood Blockwatch shares a heads-up about metal thefts in the alley between 35th and 36th (the 5000 block; here’s a map). A neighbor reported two incidents this past Monday: A locked garage broken into, with a lawn mover and metal bed-frame parts stolen; plus, a razor scooter “taken out of (a) recycling bin.” As the same neighbor also noted, that’s the same day we published this report of a pickup truck trolling alleys in an area not far from HV.
Tonight Seattle Police have published photos that they believe show two robbers suspected in five heists around the region – one of them in West Seattle, at the Admiral Way 7-11 on September 12th. The photos are from a Renton robbery about two weeks ago. One’s at left; you can see the others on the SPD Blotter.
We’re at the King County Courthouse, where Thomas Qualls has just made his first court appearance since pleading not guilty to three counts of second-degree assault. Those charges are a result of the incident at his Alki home one month ago (original WSB coverage here) in which police say that, after they responded to a call about suicidal threats, they wound up firing at Qualls as he fired an assault rifle at them. He was hit once in the abdomen and got out of the hospital less than a week after the incident; he was in a wheelchair for his court appearance today, but did not speak (this type of hearing, it should be noted, is not often an occasion for defendants to comment). The hearing was for “case-setting,” relatively routine; lawyers asked for extra time, and mentioned a potential plea-bargain offer (no details), while also saying they are still awaiting key reports in the case, including one for ballistics (the charges against Qualls carry “firearm enhancements”). If the case is not resolved sooner, the next court date will be in January. Qualls remains in King County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Just reported (thanks to Katie for the tip): Two men held up Papa John’s on California SW north of SW Brandon (map). They’re described on the scanner as one black, one Samoan, both wearing ski masks and gloves, dark clothing, both displayed guns. They were reported to have left through the back door. A K-9 unit is helping police search. Witnesses are telling police, according to scanner traffic, that they got away in a mid-’90s silver Acura with a “mismatched wheel on the passenger side.” Call 911 if you have any tips. 11 PM UPDATE: Per the scanner, a car close to the getaway car’s description – with a “slope” that may be related to the “mismatched wheel” – was seen speeding across the West Seattle Bridge and exiting to northbound I-5. (Could be a coincidence, though, so do still keep an eye out here.) 12:21 AM UPDATE: Added photo by Christopher Boffoli, as police continued to search the alley behind the restaurant, where the robbers were last seen.
10:17 AM UPDATE (WEDNESDAY): Just checked with police – according to Officer Renee Witt in the SPD Media Unit, neither the robbers nor their car have been found yet.
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