West Seattle, Washington
01 Monday
Yet another bulletin from Lt. Steve Paulsen @ the Southwest Precinct, and this one we will take the liberty of quoting verbatim, because it’s about YOU! too:
Just arrested 3 more burglary suspects..The arrest included a stolen car and weapons. (I am losing count…I think we are up to 13 [arrests]) … In my entire 24 years with the Department, I have never experienced the level of teamwork between the citizens, patrol officers and detectives … truly amazing!
Details should be available a bit later. We were just down at the precinct reviewing report printouts for the first time in a while, and it’s true – so many arrests are coming with the help of alert, persistent, determined citizens. It’s not too idealistic/corny to say you CAN take back the streets.
Busy day for the Southwest Precinct – another update just in from Lt. Steve Paulsen: “We just arrested another burglar who has been working the North Admiral neighborhood. That is a total of 8 burglary arrests in the last week.”
Quick update from Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct: A suspect is now in custody in connection with the purse-snatching attack that preceded the now-famous citizen pursuit involving local businesspeople from Husky Deli and Mashiko. (We talked to the victim, a local real-estate agent, a few days ago, and she’s doing OK.)
(Updated 8:44 am to add the Gatewood report)
First, from Karla:
It’s 12:48 a.m. and my husband, son and I just got through cleaning up the two dozen eggs that were thrown at our house at approximately 12:30 p.m. We live just across from the Admiral Lookout — when I heard the first few eggs hit, I saw a boy approximately 17 years old in a black sweatshirt and black pants run north on 36th Avenue SW and then around the corner on Olga. I ran downstairs to tell my son who ran out our garage and saw some teenagers drive off in a black car. My husband saw the black car from our upstairs bedroom window as well. Just wanted to give everyone in our neighborhood a heads up.
Hours later, from Chris:
Just thought I’d write in about some vandalism that happened last night on Rose Street in Gatewood between 39th and 41st Avenues. It looks like someone drove up the street with a baseball bat, breaking all the drivers’ side mirrors on cars parked along the north side of the street. A neighbor of mine said he heard it happen around 2:30 Saturday morning. I don’t know if other streets were hit as well.
More reader reports from folks who want to warn other West Seattleites, just in case, including one lying doorknocker just spotted. Read on:Read More
Just one of those days – lots of crime news to be shared – first, from Detective Nick Bauer at the Southwest Precinct, confirmation that the suspect arrested this afternoon (mentioned here) was indeed the third suspect from this morning’s Admiral break-ins. He says police found this suspect with the help of some detective work from a citizen. He also notes that seven burglary suspects have been caught in the past week, which he says is fairly unprecedented; also, one person who reported their break-in here on WSB has been reunited with some of their stolen stuff, thanks to some of those arrests. Now, a reader report we didn’t get till just now, so can’t check it with police till tomorrow — this one involves Angelia’s Red Cup Espresso in The Junction, only 4 months removed from the death of owner Angelia Paulsen (amazing community outpouring in the comments here) in a crash on I-5. Dawn e-mailed WSB to say:
Wanted to report that my favorite coffee place got broke into last night …. I went to Red Cup Espresso this morning and noticed that there was glass every where and the drive thru window was broke. So I asked and sure enough was told that someone broke the window and took the register …. this is soooo low. not only is Sean dealing with the death of his wife and owner of Red Cup and trying so hard to make ends meet and keep the joint open but someone robs from him …. I hope this person has bad karma for the rest of his or her life.
(video added @ noon, quick look at police presence at scene)
ORIGINAL REPORT: Just in from a reliable tipster:
Attempted break-in 37th north of Admiral
Three black male teens – looked about 16-17 yrs old
Two PERHAPS apprehended on Admiral Way bridge over ravine
Police in neighborhood looking for third suspect
Remember, if you see anything/anyone suspicious, CALL 911 – police reiterate this over and over. More on this when we get it. 10:25 AM UPDATE: The WSB team member on the scene reports two suspects are indeed in custody by Merrill Gardens/Admiral Heights and being questioned now, after first having been spotted in the Metro Market vicinity. More later. 12:17 PM UPDATE: A few more details from Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct, who confirms the arrests and promises more info later:
We just arrested 2 burglary suspects ..They were 3 all together, one got away….tied to two burglaries in the Admiral neighborhood. Great work by all. … All juveniles who don’t live in West Seattle.
We’d been working to confirm this one after a tip; police hadn’t been able to confirm the identities for us, but apparently it made tv news tonight: Husky Deli owner Jack Miller chased after a robber who stole a local real-estate agent’s purse in the lot behind his business a couple nights ago. The agent reportedly broke three fingers trying to stop the thief; her purse was recovered but the thief hasn’t been nabbed yet.
As mentioned here last night, the city has narrowed its list of potential municipal jail sites to four, and two are on the eastern edge of West Seattle, as seen in city aerials above — Highland Park Way/W. Marginal Way (map) and 9501 Myers Way (map). For those seeking more information and opportunities for feedback, a new section is live on the city website (here’s the start page) with everything from the reason why the jail’s needed, to the rationale behind the site-selection process, to how to send in feedback (online form here). The timeline for the process (choose a site this year, open in 2013) is outlined here. As pointed out in this WSB Forum thread, the jail proposal may well come up at tonight’s Southwest District Council meeting (7 pm, President’s Board Room at SSCC) since Councilmember Tom Rasmussen will be there; we just checked with his staff and he doesn’t have an official position yet on where the jail should be built (the two non-WS options are Interbay and 11762 Aurora).
*We first told you yesterday morning about the deaths of a couple in a 2nd/Roxbury home. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms it was a case of murder-suicide; 48-year-old Traci Creamer, the first person murdered in West Seattle in 2008, died of head injuries and suspected strangulation blamed on her 44-year-old husband Jeffrey Creamer, whose death from wrist wounds was ruled a suicide. As we reported yesterday, police say they had a long history of domestic violence. Online court records we checked appear to bear that out.
*The city’s list of more than 30 potential jail sites for misdemeanor offenders is down to four, and two are on the eastern edge of West Seattle: Highland Park Way/W. Marginal Way (map) and 9501 Myers Way (map). According to Delridge Neighborhood Services Center Coordinator Ron Angeles, community meetings are expected this summer.
We told you Friday night about a report that the then-teen who killed West Seattle resident and Newport High tennis coach Mike Robb in 2005 was due in court today and expected to be formally found not guilty by reason of insanity. The P-I covered today’s hearing and says that’s exactly what happened.
One more report from the Southwest Precinct: This one somehow went all but unnoticed over the weekend — a man and woman found dead in a home on the southeastern edge of West Seattle, an apparent case of murder-suicide. Police say they answered a call at 9:45 am Saturday about a man found dead with wrist wounds at a home in the 2nd/Roxbury vicinity (map); relatives said they were worried about his wife, who no one had heard from in a while — officers subsequently found her dead, “locked in the family van.” Police say the couple had a history of domestic violence. No further details, but that would make her West Seattle’s first murder victim of 2008 (our area had three in 2007; all three suspects were still awaiting trial at last check).
Two items just in from Lt. Steve Paulsen at the Southwest Precinct: 
First, confirmation of something we got e-mail about over the weekend: Those WERE gunshots very early Sunday morning on Alki. At 12:44 am, a man heading south from 63rd/Alki “fired 5 rounds from a .38 revolver while driving.” Witnesses gave police a description of his vehicle; several minutes later, an officer found it at Delridge/Myrtle, and found the suspect “in possession of the loaded handgun and ammunition.” They say the suspect “later confessed to shooting up in the air while driving because, ‘he felt someone on the beach had been threatening him’.” and apparently thought that person had something to do with the recent death of the suspect’s relative. No injuries or property damage; the suspect is in jail. Next – three burglary arrests yesterday that may solve more than one recent break-in:Read More
KING 5 reported tonight (see the clip here) that a hearing on Monday could close the case of the June 2005 W. Marginal Way shooting death of Mike Robb, a West Seattle resident who coached tennis at Newport High School – with his killer declared not guilty by reason of insanity. (More background on the case in this September 2006 Times article; KING reported tonight that the lawsuit discussed in that story, against the killer’s parents, has been settled.)
Or should we say, cases and casings … Just spent some time on the phone with Detective Nick Bauer from the Southwest Precinct, and he provided updates on some recent cases reported here, as well as a new one for which police could use your eyes and ears:Read More
This time, though, arrests are reported, thanks in part to alert neighbors. The report comes from Scott, who was away from home when the burglary happened on Sunday, but says he’s just across the alley from this burglary (7300 block 35th SW) reported here 3 days earlier:
So, from what we’ve heard someone (4 of them) attempted to break into our house today.
They backed their vehicle up our driveway and went around the back to break into a door on the backside of the house, first attempting to get into the side garage window first. While this was happening -3- of our neighbors were already on the phone calling 911 !
The police caught 2 of the guys, both in their early 20s. Obviously our house is being watched!
I’m really surprised that they attempted to hit our house; it’s a lot more open than the house across the alley from us! No trees to block the view of our house, wide-open driveway, and obviously LOTS of neighbors watching!
First reader report: Officers with guns drawn earlier this morning at 46th/Andover. We are checking on that. 9:21 AM UPDATE: Sgt. Jeff Durden at the Southwest Precinct says “911 call of a man in a back yard with a shotgun. Turned out it was only an air rifle and the intent was to shoot a woodpecker.”
Second reader report: Burglary yesterday. Here’s what Joe e-mailed to WSB this morning:
We live on the 7300 block 35th Ave SW, I went home from work to meet a service technician at 12:30 pm and found that we had been burglarized. Entry through broken window. two tvs, two cameras, laptop, misc stuff . One tv was lying on floor as if the burglars were scared off before the were done. This happened between 9:oo am and 12:30 pm and nobody saw anything.
Update: A few folks asked about a followup on the two-car crash at 35th/Thistle the other night. It’s close to impossible to get an update on the victim’s condition — privacy laws have tightened in recent years so media cannot just call up a hospital and say “somebody was brought in from a crash, how are they” — but Sgt. Durden says the crash did NOT turn fatal. As for the cause, he says one of the drivers had run the red light, and was cited.
Early Sunday, we posted 3 reader reports about gunshots at 17th/Trenton and promised to follow up with the Southwest Precinct. Just heard back from Sgt. Jeff Durden, who shared this info from the report: A 22-year-old was having a party for a friend’s birthday; “uninvited guests” showed up, a fight ensued, “several rounds” were fired into the air. The shooter(s) took off. No arrests, no injury, no property damage … no description of the suspects’ car, either. Regarding readers’ reports that this house had problems before, Sgt. Durden, who leads the Community Police Team, says it wasn’t on their radar but CPT officer Adonis Topacio will investigate — that’s who to contact (info here) if you have info to share.
From the P-I: 32nd SW burglar(s) made off with $7,500 in athletic shoes.
From CL: Laptop stolen from a car in The Junction, but the owner doesn’t care so much about the laptop, just really needs the accompanying hard-to-replace notebook back.
Just got three messages about this in rapid succession: Shots fired and police searching in a Westwood neighborhood. (location map) Here’s one note:
Heard multiple rounds of gunshots interspersed with several people yelling outside. Called the police, who reported other calls had been received for same disturbance. Have yet to see any signs of the police- however can still hear some yelling. Curious if anyone has any details on exactly what is going on/happened- or if police responded.
That reader mentioned 17th/Cloverdale as the location; this next note has more details:
MANY gun shots were just fired in association with a house party at a notorious drug/party rental house. There are at least 5 police cars on the scene right now. 17th & Trenton. The house is (in the 8600 block of) 17th Ave SW. This is the 3rd police activity at the residence in the past year.
And here’s the third note received:
About 11:40 pm this evening there were about 12 shots fired. Directly after the shots were fired two cars sped north on 17th. Police responded right away. There were several police cars on our block investigating the scene. Just an FYI. It was rather frightening.
Monitoring the scanner now, will update if anything more comes in about this. (Likely unrelated but a WS police team has just been dispatched to a report of a “large group” fighting outside Morgan Junction Tully’s.)
So we checked with the Southwest Precinct after getting this e-mail yesterday from Sunny:
Our house was broken into on Tax Day :(
We’re on the 7900 block of 12th Ave SW and both the officer and I suspect the same bra-flinging/pizza-eating group. The thieves helped themselves to some candy and a Coke and made off with some replaceable electronics. They rummaged through my lingerie and really ripped the bedroom apart. The officer walked away with LOTS of evidence which I hope is enough to catch the thieves. I am annoyed about having to replace my pricey toys, but just sick over someone invading our home.
Sgt. Jeffrey Durden at SWP says there’s “no real leads, yet” on the “bra-scattering” burglar. However, he did have more details on the burglary suspect we mentioned in this report from Tuesday night’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting: “Thanks to good investigative work by patrol officers — three different officers lifted the same suspect’s fingerprints at residential burglary scenes –” prosecutors are expected to seek charges against the suspect, who’s currently in custody in Florida, in three burglaries from the past few months.
That’s a look inside Puget Sound Key and Lock in Morgan Junction while owner Michael Dein was there this morning to talk to news crews about what’s happened since the firebombing 4 weeks ago. As you can see, the view hasn’t changed much. But he’s managed to keep working by going mobile — he talked about that, and about how little time he would need to get set up again, once his landlord’s insurance coverage (for the structure, not his destroyed business) comes through:
Dein will be on hand for the fundraiser/raffle event that WSB Forum Community members are having Saturday night at Admiral Pub. One more clip … in which he shows the rock he says the firebomber(s) used … plus raffle/fundraiser details (including the list of what’s up for grabs so far!) … ahead:Read More
Look for coverage from all four TV stations and the P-I – that’s who came to the arson-gutted Puget Sound Key and Lock site in Morgan Junction this morning for an interview availability with owner Michael Dein, updating what’s been happening with him and his business since last month’s still-unsolved firebombing, and looking ahead to Saturday night’s Admiral Pub fundraiser/raffle, organized by WSB Forum Community members. The Forum Community also organized this morning’s interview opportunity and was represented on-site by JoB and Kathy, seen in the second photo above, talking with the KOMO 4 News crew. Full WSB story, with video, to come in a separate post. 1:29 PM UPDATE: Here’s a link to the first TV story to appear online, the noon coverage from KING5’s Roberta Romero. 5:37 PM UPDATE: Here’s the P-I story.
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