One month ago, we reported on a work-van theft that left Alejandra and Obed unable to operate their small business. Their friend Brenda then sent organized a crowdfunding campaign to help them get back to work, and now she has this update:

Thanks to the amazing support of the West Seattle community, the crowdfunding campaign has raised just over $6,000, allowing the couple to replace nearly all of the tools and equipment that were stolen and have their business up and going again! They are very thankful for the community’s help and everyone’s generosity.

Also, some of the West Seattle Blog readers and those who donated to the Go Fund Me asked how to learn about their services. I am attaching a photo of Obed using one of the new tools [above] and their business card with their services and contact information.

Thank you again to the WSB and the WS community for turning this unfortunate incident into a story with a very happy ending!

Another stolen pickup to watch for – this one, reported by Dana:

Stolen from 32nd and Thistle – 1997 white Ford Ranger with black topper. License plate B49048W. “Biodiesel” bumper sticker. I love this old truck! If anyone sees it, I would love to recover it!

THURSDAY UPDATE: From Dana – “We found our stolen truck. I noticed in the WS Blog’s Crime section that a few vehicles were recovered from the 9200-9400 block of 16th Ave, so we drove over there and it was sitting in the church parking lot next to all the derelict travel trailers.”

11:24 AM: Thanks to everyone who has helped reunite people with their stolen vehicles. Here’s another one to watch for – reported by Samuel:

My silver 2001 Dodge Ram Pickup was stolen sometime between Sunday night (4/24 around 6:30 pm) and Tuesday afternoon (4/26 before 6 pm). Last seen was on the corner of Findlay St. and 44th Ave SW. (This is a stock photo of what it looked like with some slight differences.)

License plate: C22041F

Identifying Features: Paint fade on roof and hood, large dent/scratch above RR wheel well, white chalk lettering on the back of the toe hitch bar that says J+S with a heart around it and I ❤ Pickle Rick.

Incident # 22-104619

7:47 PM: Samuel reports that his pickup has been found.

Two followups on West Seattle Crime Watch reports from last week:

BREAK-IN ATTEMPT: Last Thursday, we published this report of a burglary at Meeples Games. The shop says somebody then tried to break in the next day:

On Friday 4/22 at 5:00 am we had a second attempted break-in. These are the pictures of the Friday suspect. We are unsure if he is connected with the first two or not. Luckily he wasn’t able to get in. But he did completely destroy our door.

We want to thank everyone who has offered to donate money to fix the door. Right now, the best way to help is to stop in and buy some games, have dinner and hang out, and share the posts. We also think that the truck in the first break-in was a Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport with an access cab in a lighter color.

If you have tips for police, this attempt is under the same incident # – 22-099401.

STOLEN PICKUP FOUND: Also on Thursday, we published this report about Sean‘s stolen 1992 Nissan pickup. Somebody spotted it on Monday. We checked with Sean to see if he indeed got it back, and he confirmed that today, sending this photo:

I got a call from the police at around noon yesterday. They ran out of gas off the west Seattle Bridge heading south on Delridge. I jumped it. put gas in it, and I have it.

Side note – When we get word someone has their stolen vehicle back, we go back to the original report and add the update, just in case somebody spots it days or weeks later and doesn’t know its rightful owner has it back … and we’ll be doing that with this one too.

Sent by Beth:

Found this bike in my front yard this morning. I live a block from Westwood Village.

Stickers on the bike include one that says “Save a Tree.” If this is your bike, email us and we’ll connect you.

Be on the lookout for Jane‘s stolen travel trailer:

A 2016 NuCamp T@B travel trailer was taken during the night on Friday, April 22nd near 45th and Findlay. It has been reported to the police. Plate # 38896AE.

ADDED MONDAY: Police incident # is 22-103099.

Meeples Games was burglarized early today. The report and photos are from Dani at Meeples:

Early this morning we had a break in at Meeples Games. We are asking for help from the community to try to identify these two individuals or the vehicle they are driving.

-Break-in happened at 5:07 am on Thursday, April 21st

-They took about $2000 worth of Magic: the Gathering singles from our case

-They left around 5:11 am.

-They were carrying a large yellow crowbar which can be seen in a few of the pictures.

-Anyone with information should call us (206.535.7896)

The police incident number is 22-099401.

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

STOLEN PICKUP: WSB readers have been immensely helpful lately in finding stolen vehicles (like Zack’s van). Maybe you can help find Sean‘s pickup truck:

1992 Nissan pickup, stolen in the Admiral District (Wednesday) night, 4-19. I have owned it since 2000. Family history in every dent.

As shown, plates are B27758P. We’ll add the police-report # when we get it.

UPDATE: Found.

HIT-RUN: The photo’s from a reader who says this happened at Maris (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW) around 2:30 am:

No injuries, so no SFD dispatch; SPD confirms the driver fled after the crash, but the car was not stolen, and the incident remains under investigation.

Sent by Patty:

My neighbor Harold’s 2007 silver Chevy Trailblazer Super Sport, license # DP 35451, was stolen sometime Monday morning, 4/18, from SW Dakota & 47th Ave SW. Another neighbor believes he saw it still on the street outside the house at 7:30 a.m.; Harold noticed it gone around noon. (He was home all morning.)

A handicapped parking placard was displayed at the time it was taken, but may have been removed. Any help locating the vehicle would be greatly appreciated. Police report #22-096889.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Patty says the Trailblazer was found in Burien, “being parted out.”

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

SOUTH DELRIDGE ARREST: Police are still at this scene right now, at 16th/Henderson. We don’t have details of the initial call yet, but police were pursuing a possibly armed assault suspect on foot, and took him into custody after using a Taser. The suspect’s being taken to the hospital, we’ve been told at the scene. Officers are searching for a knife he might have dropped along the way. We’ll add any other details we get.

STOLEN-VAN SIGHTINGS: We published Zack‘s stolen-van report Sunday. It’s still in West Seattle, readers have reported, so Zack sent this followup:

My van is still missing, and has been seen multiple times in west Seattle. Thank you to everyone who has contacted me! The thief is driving very aggressively and erratically, and ripped the storage rack off the top at the junction QFC Monday evening. I have also learned that he is prowling houses, and using my van as the get-away vehicle. He has been spotted in the Admiral area several times, this morning was seen at Belvidere/Hanford at 11:00. Please call the police immediately if you see the van, this guy is up to no good!!

License plate: AFD9206
“Campmobile” sticker on the nose
“Treepeople” sticker in rear window
“West Seattle” sticker on rear hatch
My contact: 503-360-8813

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Zack and van have finally been reunited – see comments.

(Security-camera image from April 6th West Seattle robbery)

Eight days after the arrest of one suspect linked to robberies including the West Seattle Bellevue Rare Coins holdup and one during which a Tacoma cannabis-shop worker was killed, another has been arrested. Tacoma Police announced that 16-year-old Montrell D. Hatfield was arrested by Seattle Police in Kent – same location and agency that arrested 15-year-old Marshon D. Jones last week. After arresting Jones, SPD confirmed to WSB that he and Hatfield were suspects in the April 6th robbery here. So far, the two are charged in the March Tacoma robbery/murder and in a February robbery in Federal Way. Court documents indicate Hatfield is the suspect described in multiple cases as having a “distinctive limp” because of a prosthetic leg.

Here’s what a lights-and-sirens police response last night at Westwood Village was about – we heard fragments about this incident =last night, and obtained the report narrative this morning: A teenager ran into the Target store around 9:30 pm and reported that someone tried to rob him. He told police three would-be robbers had followed him across the street from Roxhill Park, where he had gone to meet a friend from school, and that the robbery attempt happened in the lot near the store, with one person pointing a gun at him. He got away without injury and without anything being stolen; he told police he recognized the people who followed him, but wouldn’t give officers identifying details, according to the report, which says the three left the scene in a “Honda sedan.”

Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:

CLASSIC VAN STOLEN: Be on the lookout for Zack‘s van:

My van was stolen last night … from the Pigeon Point area, 21st/Genesee, between 10 pm and 9 am

1987 Gray Vanagon
Yakima roof cargo box
“Campmobile” sticker on the nose
“Treepeople” sticker in back window
Plate AFD9206

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Zack and the van have been reunited – see comments.

EARLY-MORNING GUNFIRE: We received a few inquiries this morning about a search in Highland Park around 1 am. We didn’t hear it at the time, and nobody texted, but archived scanner audio confirms that after 911 got a report of possible gunfire near 10th SW/SW Kenyon, they found at least one shell casing in that area. No medical calls, so apparently no victims.

PROWLER/BURGLAR ALERT: From Becky:

Wanted to get the word out about this man observed to be lurking around our homes this am around 9:00. He walked around 5-6 homes before a neighbor spotted him and called law enforcement but he took off. He even opened a door to a home and stepped in. He rummaged around our property before moving on to our neighbor. Attached is a photo of him from our surveillance. This took place on 17th Ave SW near South Seattle College.

Angie hopes you will be on the lookout for her car: “Last night, my silver 1977 Toyota Celica was stolen from the 4700 block of Findlay St. in West Seattle.” Plate # AGE4765.

Kirke hopes you might be able to help find his stolen SUV:

My SUV was stolen last night in the middle of the night. It was parked in front of my house in the 3100 block of 61st Avenue on Alki. 2002 black Cadillac Escalade. Plate #AUJ9073. The police report filed this morning is incident #22-093845.

After a report of possible gunfire just after 9 pm last night, police found “evidence of a shooting” in the 2600 block of SW Cambridge [map]. According to the preliminary SPD summary, officers originally responded to “shots heard” reports from 27th/Roxbury. They were told a “black sedan” had left the scene, possibly related to the gunfire. The summary continues, saying police found “vehicle tracks … along with a fluid spill that led them from the scene to several blocks away where a Ford Crown Victoria (painted flat black) had come to a stop. Upon seeing a patrol car, this vehicle fled from officers at a high rate of speed.” At that time, officers had yet to find the gunfire evidence, but did a while later. No injuries were reported.

Four incidents in this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:

HIT-RUN, DUI, & GUNS: A preliminary police summary says 911 callers just before midnight last night reported “a vehicle involved in several collisions which fled each scene. As the vehicle fled each scene, it lost one of the front tires completely but that did not stop the driver from driving off. The vehicle eventually could not drive any longer on 3 tires and stopped after its final collision in the 3900 block of SW Dawson.” That’s where police found the driver, who they arrested for investigation of DUI. The summary also says that “2 firearms were observed in the driver seat area. Both firearms were recovered and seized. Both were loaded with a round chambered. A loaded rifle magazine was also located, but no rifle was located.” (ADDED: SPD says the other crash locationd were 40th/Dawson and Harbor Avenue/Harbor Lane.)

ANOTHER DUI SUSPECT ARRESTED: On Saturday night, Gabe and a neighbor detained a suspected drunk driver who hit Gabe’s wife’s parked car near 47th/Genesee. The driver, he reports, was in this Bronco:

Gabe reports, “The driver was trying to put his car into gear and drive away after telling my wife he’ll shoot her if she calls the cops; she called the cops anyways and told them what happened and it took them an hour and 15 mins to respond, Wow!! This guy couldn’t even walk or talk, but was ready to drive away and the police did not consider him a threat because we couldn’t actually see a gun.” Hw adds, “Thanks to all our neighbors that helped out … including my neighbor that helped me distract and subdue him for over an hour until we could safely get his engine turned off and finally grab the keys from him.” He says the officer who finally showed up said he was from the North Precinct, on OT (this is common for SPD to cover shift vacancies by seeking officers from other precincts to “augment”), and broke away from a Delridge burglary to come to this scene. We’re still trying to find case records to see what happened to the driver, who Gate says was arrested.

ATTEMPTED GARAGE BREAK-IN: From Sami near 35th/Dakota:

I have footage of someone trying to break into my garage. They were unsuccessful as the garage door they were trying to get into is permanently closed; however, the clip does have a clear picture of the van and the person holding what looks to be like a crowbar.

PACKAGE TAKEN: From Jesse:

A package of mine was stolen yesterday around 2 pm behind Luna Park Café. Got the video of what his car looks like and how he was dressed.

11:19 PM: Police found evidence of gunfire near 24th/Webster – about a block from the Southwest Precinct – around 10 pm after multiple 911 callers reported hearing it “near Home Depot.” And while no victims were found at the scene, they’re now investigating the possibility that a 14-year-old who showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound might be linked to the incident. (Added: Another injured person who showed up at another hospital is also being investigated for a connection, dispatch has reported.) We’ll be following up for more details in the morning.

ADDED 9:49 AM: The police-report summary confirms, and adds to, what we reported:

(At 9:38 pm Monday), officers responded to the 2400 block SW Webster St for multiple reports of shots being heard in the area. Several witnesses were contacted who heard the shots and reported seeing a vehicle speeding from the area and subjects running through the apartment complex. During the search, officers located evidence of a shooting in the roadway and bullet damage to two apartment buildings. While officers were processing the scene, Harborview Medical Center reported a gunshot wound (GSW) victim that had been dropped off at the ER. The victim had been struck in the knee but was otherwise in stable condition. He was uncooperative with police, but limited information was obtained linking the victim to this incident. A short time later, Valley Medical reported a GSW victim had arrived in the ER.The victim had been struck in the right chest area but was otherwise in stable condition. He provided limited information to police, but enough to link him to this incident.

4:45 PM: Over the weekend, we published security-camera images from last Wednesday’s armed robbery at Bellevue Rare Coins in The Junction. The description of one robber as having a distinctive limp had some wondering if they were the same people suspected in a region-wide robbery and murder rampage, mostly targeting cannabis shops, with a store employee killed during a Tacoma holdup. Today, one of those suspects, 15-year-old Marshon D. Jones, was arrested, while another, 16-year-old Montrell D. Hatfield, remains at large. SPD has subsequently confirmed to WSB, “Robbery detectives have confirmed that they are the suspects in the Bellevue Rare Coins robbery, and are being investigated further. That investigation, and further attempts to locate the other suspects, continues.” After last week’s West Seattle robbery, the store closed for three months of security updates and remodeling work. If you have any information about the robbers who are still at large, call Seattle Police and refer to incident # 22-085753.

6:21 PM: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Casey McNerthney tells WSB that Jones and Hatfield are only charged so far in a February robbery at a pawn shop in Federal Way. (Court documents note that Hatfield is the one with the prosthetic right leg.) The charging documents also show that, as with the West Seattle robbery, the robbers ordered employees to lie on the floor. In the Federal Way robbery, they also allegedly fired a warning shot. Police arrested the suspects shortly after the robbery, but as has been reported in regional media, despite prosecutors’ arguments that they should remain in juvenile detention, King County Superior Court Judge Averil Rothrock allowed them to be out on electronic home monitoring, from which they escaped. McNerthney says that’s the only case involving these two referred to the KCPAO so far.

ADDED: To clarify, Jones and Hatfield’s only King County charge so far is the Federal Way robbery, but they are also charged, in Pierce County, with the Tacoma murder.

Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch

STOLEN VEHICLE: From Andrew:

My 1999 Chevy S-10 Blazer red was stolen from the 5000 block of 41st Ave SW some time between 12:30 AM and 7:30 AM. License AFY6805. Had ski racks. Some tools inside. Police report has been filed.

Plate # is AFY6805. (UPDATE: Andrew says it’s been found – abandoned, damaged, in the 4800 block of California SW and impounded from there.)

CAR PROWLERS: Michelle says an alert circulated among residents of the Lighthouse building on Alki Point warning of two car prowlers seen in both their lot and the Alki Point Lighthouse public parking lot next to it. They were described only as “two males, both wearing backpacks and both covered up (difficult to identify).”

BROKEN WINDOW: One holdover report from last week. M & G report, “(Last) Sunday night / Monday morning, broken side car window, 38th and Olga, nothing taken and didn’t even open the door ( upper half of shattered glass still in the door. Fell out when I opened it).”