West Seattle, Washington
25 Monday
11:11 AM: This week, Madison Middle School teacher Darren D. Hunter was placed on administrative leave because of a rape charge filed against him seven months ago. We received an anonymous tip about this earlier this week; here’s what we have since found out.
Hunter, 51, was charged in February with third-degree rape because of an incident at his home in Kent in August of last year involving a then-43-year-old woman he had been dating. The court documents say she contacted police in November to say he had raped her in August, via sexual contact to which she did not give consent. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells WSB the charge was filed shortly after they got case information from Kent Police in February. Hunter appeared at an arraignment hearing after the charge was filed but remained out of custody on personal recognizance. The case has been making its way through the system ever since and is slated for another hearing today, at which the case might be resolved via a plea agreement.
We asked Seattle Public Schools several questions about the situation and district policy on Tuesday. So far, this is the only response we’ve received, from assistant superintendent Beverly Redmond:
On Sunday, Sept. 18, Seattle Public Schools became aware that the employee had been arraigned in February on charges that stemmed from an August 2021 incident when school was not in session. The alleged incident did not involve a minor or take place on school property. The employee was immediately placed on administrative leave on Monday, Sept. 19.
Our source says that the district was notified by a community member who saw a social-media post about the charge against Hunter. So we’ve also asked the district some policy questions, such as what the policy is for notification – how should they have been notified that he had been charged with a felony sex crime? We’ve found some general district policies online here, but they don’t appear to address that particular question. We’ll update when we hear back, as well as when we get information on what happens at this afternoon’s hearing.
1:30 PM: SPS has responded this afternoon to other questions we also asked yesterday. Regarding notification, “The district has an agreement with local law enforcement to work together on cases involving child sexual abuse or assault. In all other instances, the district is not notified directly. SPS is working on self-reporting guidelines, which would be a change in working conditions and be bargained across all labor partners.” Hunter’s future status will be determined by the district per this policy below:
Certificated staff may be disciplined for engaging in unprofessional conduct according to School Board Policies 5280 and 5281.
Conduct violations that are contrary to the core values of the Seattle School District and involve a substantial risk of the safety of students, families, staff or the public including acts of serious misconduct or of acts of criminal conduct could disqualify an employee from continued employment. Convictions of crimes under RCW 28A.400.322, (see crimes listed below) or a crime that is directly related to the position held by the employee or impacts the employee’s ability to perform his or her job duties are subject to termination. Crimes outside of the ones listed below are handled on a case-by-case decision based on what the criminal charges are.
(a) Any felony crime involving the physical neglect of a child under chapter 9A.42 RCW;
(b) The physical injury or death of a child under chapter 9A.32 or 9A.36 RCW, except motor vehicle violations under chapter 46.61 RCW;
(c) Sexual exploitation of a child under chapter 9.68A RCW;
(d) Sexual offenses under chapter 9A.44 RCW where a minor is the victim;
(e) Promoting prostitution of a minor under chapter 9A.88 RCW;
(f) The sale or purchase of a minor child under RCW 9A.64.030;
(g) Violation of laws of another jurisdiction that are similar to those specified in (a) through (f) of this subsection.(2) RCW 28A.400.320, 28A.400.330, 28A.405.470, * 28A.410.090
(3), 28A.410.110, 9.96A.020, and 43.43.845 apply upon a guilty plea or conviction occurring on or after July 26, 2009, for any of the following felony crimes or attempts, conspiracies, or solicitations to commit any of the following felony crimes:
(a) A felony violation of RCW 9A.88.010, indecent exposure;
(b) A felony violation of chapter 9A.42 RCW involving physical neglect;
(c) A felony violation of chapter 9A.32 RCW;
(d) A violation of RCW 9A.36.011, assault 1; 9A.36.021, assault 2; 9A.36.120, assault of a child 1; 9A.36.130, assault of a child 2; or any other felony violation of chapter 9A.36 RCW involving physical injury except assault 3 where the victim is eighteen years of age or older;
(e) A sex offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030;
(f) A violation of RCW 9A.40.020, kidnapping 1; or 9A.40.030, kidnapping 2;
(g) A violation of RCW 9A.64.030, child selling or child buying;
(h) A violation of RCW 9A.88.070, promoting prostitution 1;
(i) A violation of RCW 9A.56.200, robbery 1; or
(j) A violation of laws of another jurisdiction that are similar to those specified in (a) through (i) of this subsection.
The district says Madison families were sent a letter this morning about the situation.
4:30 PM UPDATE: Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney says Hunter pleaded guilty this afternoon to a reduced charge of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, a gross misdemeanor. McNerthney explains: “After the filing of charges, the defense provided the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with additional information, including text communications between the victim/survivor and the defendant that occurred after the assault. Based upon this new information and after receiving defense mitigation, the KCPAO believed that a reduction of charge was appropriate. Senior Deputy Prosecutors twice met with the victim/survivor and her advocate to discuss the case and the reduction in charge prior to extending an offer to defense. The victim and an advocate were in court today for Mr. Hunter’s guilty plea.” He will be sentenced later this year.
One West Seattle case in the latest major-incident summaries from SPD. Police say this happened around 3 pm Monday afternoon in the 4500 block of 38th SW. The victim was selling items on OfferUp; he got a taker who said she would come to West Seattle to buy the items he was selling, Shortly after arrival, she looked at the items and, the report says, “had the victim follow her out to her car to get money.” She had an accomplice who subsequently “pulled out a handgun and stole the items the victim was selling.” The report adds, “She is described as a short female with black hair and blue strips in it” but doesn’t offer a description of the other robber; both got away. If you have any information for police, the incident number is 2022-250770.
Six reports in Crime Watch:
BULLET THROUGH WINDOW: Just before 11:30 Friday night, according to a police-report summary, officers were called to a residence in the 2700 block of Alki Avenue SW for a report of a shot fired through a window. The single round was found embedded in an interior wall, according to the summary. It’s believed to have been fired from a vehicle. No injuries reported.
UNLAWFUL GUN POSSESSION: Just before 8:30 Sunday morning, SPD and SFD were called to a report of an unconscious person inside a car on Harbor Island. The report summary says SFD got there first and alerted SPD to a handgun seen by the car’s occupant. The person was found to be a convicted felon, and the gun was stolen, so they were arrested and booked into jail.
STOLEN CAR: Riley sent this reader report: “We had a vehicle stolen in front of our property at the 3900 block of Morgan around 5 am on Sunday. The attached photo is a stock photo but identical. There is no defining appearances to set it out from others. Lic #485XFZ. 2008 Acura TL type S. Police report number 2022-249779.”
ANOTHER STOLEN CAR: Dan sent this reader report and photo from just south of West Seattle:
North of 11th and 100th: Stolen Silver 2015 Hyundai Elantra, license plate number CBB2126. Our neighbor was able to provide doorbell cam footage of two individuals scouting, entering, and driving away with the vehicle around 2:45 am this morning. Any eyes our neighbors could provide or any advice on getting word out would be greatly appreciated.
POLICE CAR HIT BY DRIVER OF STOLEN CAR: Shortly after 3 am Sunday near Delridge/Juneau, someone driving a stolen car emerged from a driveway “at a high rate of speed,” according to the SPD summary, and hit a police car headed for the precinct. Despite major damage, the car was driven away from the scene, then abandoned nearby, and two people bolted. The police car was damaged badly enough that it couldn’t be driven, but the officer was not hurt.
HIT AND RUN: Reader report:
Hit and run at the intersection of Walnut Ave SW and Hinds midday on Sunday, Sept. 18. ‘Seeking a greenish van that crashed into a small car with 2 people inside, pushed it into the telephone pole (above), and drove away without stopping. The hit and run driver’s car (pictured below in the distance north of fire hydrant) is an old Toyota Sienna with a stripe around it.
The people who got hit had their airbags blow up and both people were shook up. Their car is in bad shape. If you see the greenish van, take a photo of the license plate number, AND REPORT TO THE POLICE. SPD incident # 22-249758.
A Seattle Fire “scenes of violence” response is arriving in the 8100 block of Delridge Way SW, but it’d reportedly for an incident that occurred elsewhere. The initial dispatch said that the victim was injured in a domestic-violence attack in Tukwila this afternoon. We’ll be following up with SFD and SPD.
The report and photo are from Brianna:
ORIGINAL SUNDAY REPORT: Car stolen late Tuesday night: early Wednesday morning (Sept. 13-14) just off 4800 block Fauntleroy Way. Car stolen is a 2004 Subaru Forester XT. Black with gold tire rims and a few gold stickers on the back windows, also has tinted windows. License plate is BIT7898. Police report #: 2022-248136. High value items in the car that we are hoping to recover, including Pierce County fire uniform/gear. Fire Department is aware these items are stolen and keeping an eye out.
1:34 PM: Thanks for the tips. Two Fauntleroy businesses were broken into last night, though both tell us the burglars didn’t get away with anything of value – though the damage they left behind is costly.
At Wildwood Market (9214 45th SW), a glass company was there replacing the door when we stopped by – that’s how the burglar(s) broke in; we’re told they tried grabbing a cash box that had only coins.
At Endolyne Joe’s (9261 45th SW), someone broke in by busting a door lock (which they’ve already repaired). They told us the burglar(s) grabbed what turned out to be an empty cash drawer.
We’ve also received a reader report about what appeared to be a break-in attempt in Morgan Junction; a nearby resident says she saw someone with a crowbar trying to break into the back door of New Teriyaki and Wok (6540 California SW) around 4 am; she yelled to them to walk away and she says they did: “It was a person in a blue hoodie and a blue surgical face mask.”
ADDED 3:10 PM: Ian at Locöl (7902 35th SW) says they were hit too, and sent this security-video grab:
“looks like the same guy broke into Locöl last night was the same group that broke into Endolyne and Wildwood,” Ian notes.
P.S. The Southwest Precinct online community meeting to discuss crime/safety concerns is at 6 pm Monday (September 19th); details here.
Ann Marie emailed about that stolen pickup truck, which belongs to her neighbor, a firefighter who discovered it missing when she went out to leave for work this morning. Ann adds, “It’s a stick shift, and quite distinctive as it’s older and louder when the engines is on. It has a WA firefighter plate, 09607.”
UPDATE: The car was found less than 10 blocks from where it was stolen.
With the help of that video, Seattle Fire investigators have now ruled at least one of Morgan Junction’s recent fires as arson. As reported last night, the video shows the start of last Sunday night’s fire along an alley off the 4300 block of SW Graham. We had been asking SFD about the recent fires and noted that the video had emerged. SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley told WSB today, “The video has been shared with both SFD fire investigators and SPD for any follow-up that may occur. From this footage, SFD fire investigators have made the determination that the fire on 9/11 was intentionally set.” But that’s the only one ruled as arson so far; Tinsley says the Monday fire at California/Eddy is “not being investigated as suspicious after all,” and last night in the 6500 block of California SW, though the initial dispatch was labeled “dumpster fire,” she says “no evidence of a fire was found by responding firefighters.” She also recommends that the property owners on Graham file police reports if they haven’t already – the block had Saturday and Tuesday fires as well as the one on Sunday shown in the video (for which a police report has been filed, 22-920094). We also asked her if there’s anything people can do to try to protect their property from fires, intentionally set or otherwise; she recommended this link on the SFD website.
Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch so far today:
CAR THIEF HITS VICTIM: This appeared in Tweets By Beat as a “carjacking” but here’s what police say they found out happened, according to the police-report narrative we’ve obtained. They were called to California/Walker around 4:15 am for a report of a stolen white pickup truck. The officer looked around the area for the stolen vehicle and then went to the original scene, discovering someone “lying on the concrete in a parking lot, bleeding from the back of his head.” The victim’s son said he and his father were out searching for the pickup (stolen “earlier in the evening”) after tracking it via an Apple Air tag. They found it and opened a door to confront the thief, who, the report says, “immediately put the vehicle in reverse to flee the area.” The victim was “hit by the open driver-side door as the vehicle sped in reverse. (The victim) was slammed to the concrete and one of his shoes flew off his foot. The vehicle fled northbound through the alleyway.” The thief, now also wanted for hit-run, was described as a Black man, early 30s, 6′ tall, heavy build, wearing a blue sweatshirt. If you have any information on this case, the SPD # is 22-246364.
GUNFIRE INVESTIGATION: Last night before 10 pm, people called 911 to report hearing gunshots near 18th SW and SW Roxbury. Officers found “evidence of a shooting in the roadway,” according to the summary, and also found that an “occupied residence” had been hit by gunfire. No injuries were reported. The gunshots might have come from a vehicle, as, police were told, “A vehicle was seen speeding away SB on 18th SW but was unidentifiable.”
STOLEN WAGON: Reader report from David: “Last evening our beloved Veer Cruiser Wagon was stolen from our front porch off Spokane and 44th.” David is filing a police report; we’ll add the number when it’s available. (Added) Here’s what the wagon looks like.
5:37 PM UPDATE: David says he went looking for the stolen wagon and got it back: “Just took a little drive on Avalon, near the encampments cause I thought it was worth a shot. Saw a guy pushing a Veer Cruiser Wagon across the street. Confronted him and he gave it back to me. Sometimes the good guys do win. There were also some confidential financial documents in there that were probably stolen from a car at some point. I have them and will return them to [the person named in them].” We asked where exactly on Avalon; he said where it meets Spokane, under the bridge.
8:48 PM: After a string of “brush fires” in the Morgan Junction area, neighbors are circulating that video as evidence that someone set at least one of the fires – the one we covered along an alley off the 4300 block of SW Graham three nights ago. In the video, recorded by a camera over the back lot at The Bridge, you see someone lurking across the alley, and then around 1:45 in, you clearly see the vegetation lining the alley explode in flames. You can even hear it burning. We got there for the aftermath:
(WSB photo, Sunday night)
SFD logs show another fire on SW Graham within a block of that one a night earlier, on Saturday, and two fires since, one at California/Eddy on Monday, and another one on SW Graham last night. We have an inquiry out to SFD about whether these have been identified as a pattern of suspicious fires. In the meantime, neighbors want to be sure everyone is extra-watchful for suspicious activity. The resident whose hedge was torched in the video above has filed a followup report with police; we’ll add the number when we get it.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: A four-minute SFD call at 1:10 am is logged as a “dumpster fire.” A reader texted this morning to say “I think our apartment manager interrupted him last night around 1 am when he was trying to set fire to the Marnae (6533 California Ave). He was making a pile and she saw what she describes as flashes of light. We think he got scared when she started turning lights on and called SFD.”
Tbe report and photo are from Sara:
Our green and white Ford F-250 was stolen this morning at 4am from 36th ave sw and sw Dawson. License plate C84937U. Call Sara at 206-909-4595 if you see it. Thanks!
The report and photo are from Eric:
Last night our truck was stolen from the Gatewood neighborhood.
The truck was parked at SW Austin Street and 41st Ave SW.
The truck is white and a 2003 Ford F250 Super Duty with a Pennsylvania license plate.
Police incident number 2022-244409.
The truck was stolen at 2:22 am on 09/13/2022 and we saw it stolen on our camera when we woke up this morning.
Please contact the police if you see this truck.
ATTEMPTED SHOPLIFT-TURNED-ROBBERY: Thanks for the tip. This happened at Junction True Value about an hour and a half ago. We talked to a witness who just spoke with police. She said a man and woman had armloads of merchandise and tried to leave without paying. Staff and customers intervened and got the items back; she said some scuffling was ensued, which is what turned it from shoplifting to robbery. The witness said the would-be robbers ran out to a waiting getaway car with a third person driving. She described the two as a Hispanic man, 5’7″, in sunglasses and a ball cap, who limped as he crossed the street to the getaway car, and a Hispanic woman, 5’3″, very long hair. She described the car as a silver Honda type car, with CD and 91 in the plate. If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 22-242742.
ADDED MONDAY: A few other details in the SPD summary:
… When confronted by employees one suspect lifted the bottom of her shirt so the employee could see she had a silver handgun in her waistband. Suspects left the store but dropped all the items. Witness supplied a license plate for the suspect vehicle; however, when officers went to the address of the registered owner, they discovered the license plate had been stolen previous to the attempted robbery.
STOLEN BICYCLE: From Chris:
My wife’s 2013 Giant road bike was stolen from our garage yesterday between 7 am and 7 pm. I have filed police report T22022820.
We’re waiting to hear back regarding where this happened.
DUMPED SCOOTER: Another Chris sent this photo and report:
Found this abandoned scooter, probably stolen and left in pieces. Corner of 39th Ave sw and SW 98th St in Arbor Heights.
PACKAGE TAKEN: From Trevor:
Package theft that occurred (Saturday) at 6:30 am. 36th Ave Sw & SW Edmunds St near Providence Mount St. Vincent. Luckily is wasn’t anything super valuable but wanted to spread the word so people can be on the lookout for this person and truck. The truck looks to be a older model Ford Ranger.
Thanks for the tips. In our photo, that’s muralist Desmond Hansen, out at 35th/Alaska this afternoon restoring his signal-box portrait of Chris Cornell. As noted here last Sunday, it was defaced (literally, with black paint over the face) about the same time as Easy Street Records‘ south-facing multi-mural wall, which also included a portrait of Chris Cornell. That one, by a different artist, was restored on Labor Day; now this one is restored too. Hansen originally painted it four and a half year ago.
10:49 PM: Police have been searching a stretch of Harbor Avenue after a report of gunfire near Don Armeni Boat Ramp about half an hour ago – someone said they saw a man get out of a car, shoot at another man, and drive off. The target apparently was not hit. But police have been looking for evidence and just told dispatch they found shell casings “in the street” near the intersection with SW Maryland [map].
10:55 PM: So far officers report finding two 9mm casings and two .45cal casings in the street.
Four notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN MAZDA: Lynda sent the photo and report of her father’s stolen car:
Date taken: 9/7/22 before 4 pm
Location: 35th Ave SW and SW Graham
Red 2007 Mazda CX7
License #: BAL5763
Identifying feature: Black and yellow striped sticker on bumper
Case number: 22-238861
FLOWER-BASKET THIEF: A hanging flower basket was stolen from outside the Senior Center of West Seattle, whose executive director Amy Lee Derenthal sent the security video, wondering if anyone recognizes the thief:
On Sunday morning at 5:45 a.m. a person drove up to the Senior Center, brought a box to stand o,n and stole our hanging flower basket from outside the front door of the Senior Center. We pay for these flower baskets and the seniors love them. I’m so bummed someone purposefully chose to steal it.
BURGLARY ARREST: Just after 6 am today, police were called to Westwood Village for a report that someone had broken into a store (we haven’t confirmed which one) and was tampering with a cash register. Police arrived and made a quick arrest. They confirm the suspect was booked into jail.
WINDOW-SMASHING SUSPECT RE-ARRESTED: Last week we reported on the arrest of 48-year-old Gerald Hochstadt after a window-smashing rampage August 29th at the Morgan Junction Starbucks. He was released after two days in jail because the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said police hadn’t received all the evidence they needed – specifically, a damage estimate – to send them what they needed to file charges. One day later, last Thursday, that information came in, and Hochstadt was charged with first-degree malicious mischief. We’ve been checking the jail roster, and discovered he was arrested on Monday and has been in jail since then.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
DAYTIME CAR PROWL: From Galen, who says this happened around 11:15 this morning:
38th Ave SW and SW Olga St. (Admiral) – Dark gray Toyota Sienna 2010/2016 (3rd generation). I was on my front porch and saw this man pull up and park. Didn’t think anything of it and went into the backyard. My neighbor then watched them because they began acting odd (opened the back of his car and shuffled things around all the while NOT looking at what he was doing but instead looking around the street). Walked over to my minivan and proceeded to look inside rather intently (tinted windows makes it hard to see in) before driving off.
The suspect’s vehicle has Oregon plates starting with 477; Galen described him as, “White male, late 20s, dark hair.”
CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFTS: Michelle forwarded this alert from her condo board, saying they’d heard reports of catalytic-converter thefts around Alki, including one Monday night at the Lighthouse Point building. (UPDATE: We also got a texted report today of a cc theft in the 1700 block of Alki SW.)
WEEKEND ROBBERY: Among the SPD report summaries from the long holiday weekend was this one we should note for the record: Just after midnight Sunday morning, a man summoned police to Alki and told them he’d been robbed at gunpoint outside the Harbor Avenue 7-11 about 15 minutes earlier. He said he was approached by two people who asked for a light; one then pointed a handgun at him and demanded his jewelry before they ran away. The report describes the suspects only as “two males,”
(WSB photos)
A vandal’s damage to the mural wall on the south side of Easy Street Records didn’t stand for long. The wall, including its portrait of Chris Cornell, was restored this afternoon by its artist, Son Duong, with whom we caught up as he was close to finishing:
He and his daughter worked all afternoon to restore the art. (Thanks to the texter who tipped us that the restoration work was under way.) In an odd side note, he mentioned that this mural and the Desmond Hansen signal box at 35th/Alaska weren’t the only Chris Cornell portraits that had been vandalized – one by Silver Platters in SODO had been defaced too.
Thanks to everyone who has helped find stolen cars, sometimes abandoned close to where they were taken. Here are two more reader reports:
WHITE SUBARU IMPREZA: The report is from Lindsay on behalf of a neighbor:
“A white Subaru was stolen last night on 47th and Alaska. The car was used in a construction robbery and was last seen around the Alki area. if you see this car, please call the police. 1999 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, WA BZR4836.
RED HONDA CR-V: This report is from Grant on behalf of his sister:
Red 2007 Honda CR-V
Stolen on 36th Ave SW between Hudson and Dawson between 4:24 and 5:24 am
License#: BQL5587
Case number: 22-236545
One more West Seattle Crime Watch reader report tonight, followed by charges filed in two cases:
BUSINESS-BURGLARY ATTEMPT: From Peel & Press proprietor Dan Austin:
Someone pried the lock off my back door last night at Peel & Press. They were unable to gain entry to the building. Yet another expense that won’t be covered by insurance…
After that initial report, he sent this security-video image of a suspect and vehicle in the lot behind his restaurant:
Peel & Press has been hit by burglars before.
ASSAULT CHARGE FILED: We’ve heard a lot about trouble in Junction Plaza Park. One recent incident has resulted in a felony charge. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 53-year-old Chet M. Bilderback with second-degree assault for allegedly hitting another man in the head with a board in the park last Sunday. When they arrived at the park, they talked with Bilderback and found the bloody board but couldn’t find the victim, so the suspect wasn’t arrested. They finally heard from the victim the next day, after he had sought medical attention. That gave them probable cause to arrest Bilderback, who they found near Junction Plaza Park one day later (Tuesday); he’s been in jail since then, in lieu of $7,500 bail. Court documents say he does not have any prior felony convictions.
CAR THEFT CHARGE FILED: The KCPAO has charged 46-year-old Malcom C. Marx with possession of a stolen vehicle after police found him in a stolen Chevy Silverado. Charging documents say they were familiar with Marx’s criminal history, including auto-theft-related convictions, and spotted this vehicle, missing its front plate, in his South Park driveway on August 25th. After subsequently seeing him driving it in Highland Park, they caught up with him on West Marginal Way. They verified the vehicle was stolen and noted it was “running without anything in the ignition.” They also found shaved keys, black checks, and a stolen e-bike in the car. They arrested Marx and took him to jail. The next day, over prosecutors’ objections, a judge released him on personal recognizance. Four days later – last Tuesday – the KCPAO filed this charge. Marx is still out of custody.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
MUSIC MURALS VANDALIZED; Thanks for the tips. We’re not showing the vandalism, but at least three music murals in West Seattle have been vandalized – the Chris Cornell and Mother Love Bone murals on the south side of Easy Street Records in The Junction, and the Chris Cornell signal-box mural near 35th/Alaska. That’s sadly far from the first Hansen signal box to be defaced. He painted the Chris Cornell box four and a half years ago. The Easy Street mural was painted by Son Duong.
HIGHLAND PARK PROWLER: April reports a prowler Saturday afternoon in their yard on 14th SW between Thistle and Elmgrove, She says he “entered our side yard via a latched gate, closed it behind him, and proceeded into our backyard … carrying a small tool bag. When we confronted him, he said he was trying to get away from the cars on the road and asked to cross the yard and exit through the alley. We allowed him to do that, and told him to never enter our property again.” She sent this thumbnail-size photo.
Last week, in discussion following our Crime Watch story noting three West Seattle business burglaries, a commenter said they’d seen security video online of a fourth, at Cuts Hair Salon on the ground floor of Charlestown Center. They said it happened August 26th. As shown in our photo above, the salon’s rear door is still boarded up – and today the salon sent customers an announcement that it has permanently closed. Thanks to the many people who forwarded it to us – here’s what the announcement says:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Cuts Hair Salon is permanently closing its doors.
The unfortunate burglary we endured recently has left the staff feeling unsafe and they have all decided to move on.
As safety and happiness is paramount to anything else, we wholeheartedly support their decision and wish them all the best.
Thank you to all of our clients for your continued support of our staff and business.
(The email ends with a graphic of a peace sign.) We went over at midday to see if anyone was there to talk with, but the salon was dark and locked. It originally opened under different ownership as Budget Cuts in fall 2008.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
STOLEN BICYCLES, SCOOTER: From Greg:
I live at the top of 29th Ave SW as you go up the hill from Brandon (by the south side of the golf course). My house is past a “Road End” sign, so a person would not be in my driveway by accident. You cannot see my garage from the road. (In other words I feel that my house has been cased and watched)
Overnight on Sunday/Monday (August 29th) a person, or persons, came into my garage and stole a Motobecane HAL mountain bike, a Cannondale CAAD 9 road bike and a Segway Ninebot F40 scooter. All of this most have been done very quietly as my dogs usually go crazy if they hear noises.
Almost nobody around here has a Motobecane HAL Boost 27 Plus
VAN BREAK-IN: Terry reports that this happened last night at 64th and Admiral. Items taken included tools and a camp fridge.
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