Sent by Hillary:

A locked 2011 sky-blue Hyundai Sonata, license plate AF8321, was stolen at 7:47 PM tonight in the 6900 block of 37th Ave SW. Four young men were involved, all wore masks, but from what was visible, they appeared Caucasian, age 16-20.

While one, dressed in all black with a hoodie and mask rushed toward the car to gain entry, the other three rolled up in a Kia (2019, white – has been reported stolen) and intimidate the onlooking neighbors. The Hyundai was quickly entered, hotwired, and the entire group fled.

Please send any info to SPD under case number 24-230571.

SUNDAY UPDATE: Commenter Brian notes below that this car was found outside West Seattle, used in a crash-and-grab business burglary.

9:39 PM: Police are investigating gunfire in High Point and trying to determine whether anyone is injured – an SFD ‘scenes of violence’ response has been sent to the 6300 block of 30th SW just in case. One person who says their car has bullet damage is reported to be waiting at the Southwest Precinct to speak with police. All this comes after multiple 911 calls reporting what sounded like gunfire, and police are working to sort it out. Updates to come.

9:43 PM: Still no victim found, but police report finding at least one shell casing “on the sidewalk.”

10:14 PM: Officers have reiterated that they found the evidence of gunfire in the 6300 block of 30th SW.

ADDED THURSDAY: Police have posted a summary of this incident including more specifics:

At 2128 hours, SW Patrol responded to numerous calls of shots heard in the High Point neighborhood. Initial calls indicated that a victim may have been on the ground not moving. Witnesses reported an unknown make vehicle fleeing the scene westbound in the alley and a separate subject running southbound on 29 Ave SW. An uninvolved victim drove to the Southwest Precinct and reported their vehicle had been struck by gunfire at 29 Ave SW and High Point Dr SW. There were no injuries to this caller. Officers located a single scene in the 6300 block 30 Ave SW where a total of 11 FCC’s were on the sidewalk. Two FN 5.7×28 and nine .40 FCC’s were recovered from this location.

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

MULTIGENERATIONAL SHOPLIFTING: The report is from Jennifer at My Three Little Birds:

Hoping this might help other small businesses. I borrowed these photos from Doll Parts Collective. This large group of 3 families came into our store (THREE LITTLE BIRDS) as well as Doll Parts down the road. The kids trashed the store causing complete chaos while the women distracted the staff with questions and requests.

In the meantime the 7 or so kids left one by one stealing many items from our store. Definitely an organized crime. They had clearly done this before. Sharing everywhere. I know the police won’t do much, but maybe getting the photos out will prevent this from affecting another small business. We are so stunned, violated and disheartened today. … They stole a really expensive stroller system, toys, and clothing. They work quickly and seemed to know in advance what they were taking. At Doll Parts they also went through the employee’s purse and wallet. The police officer helping today says they tell small businesses to never allow large groups in the store all at once because of this.

We’ll add the police-report # when we get it.

MINI-MART BREAK-IN: We requested this report from police the day it happened, Tuesday, and just got it today. They responded to the 41st/Admiral mini-mart around 2:16 am after a report that a store manager or owner checked their camera following a call from their alarm company and saw “front door smashed and cigarettes all over.” They subsequently confirmed that someone had broken in by smashing the front glass with a large rock; the burglar(s) took “several items of merchandise.” Video of the burglary was provided to police later but the report summary provided to us did not include a description.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

BAG THEFT: This happened in the past hour, reported by text:

Just had a tote bag snagged, 26th and Genesee, beige canvas Sounders bag. Had our laptop and other restaurant papers in it. I know the laptop is probably gone but if anyone sends in a found on the side of the road we love the rest of the paperwork back. It was in the parking strip grass while loading the car.

No police report number yet. If you find the bag, let us know and we’ll connect you with the victim.

BURGLARY ATTEMPT: This happened early Sunday:

That’s one of three people who tried to break into a house in the 6500 block of Beach Drive SW, according to Autumn. She says the break-in happened just after 12:30 am. They parked nearby, “came up the driveway, scoped the house. The woman then knocked on the door and was captured by the Ring camera. After no one answered the door she and the men broke the glass door on the lower-level entrance. The house alarm sounded loudly and they all three ran down the driveway to the car and drove away.” This video shows them running back to the vehicle:

Here’s a closer look at the car:

If you have any information, the incident number is 24-224442.

That video is from Rose, who has long had a video camera on her “Wild Reiki Spa” – and was surprised to see this video showing a non-wildlife visitor on all fours. This happened last night in Belvidere. She says the crawling prowler headed for a garden shed containing only garden tools, and she doesn’t think anything was taken. No police report # yet.

3:21 AM: Right now, police are investigating a robbery reported just after 3 am at the Fauntleroy/Alaska Shell station mini-mart. The only description so far is five Black male teenagers, two dressed in all black, two in gray shirts and black pants, one in a red shirt and black pants, all in masks. They’re believed to have left in a vehicle, heading eastbound on Alaska, but there’s no description of it yet. Police say the clerk didn’t see a weapon but believes they were armed. Dispatch has told officers that this may be linked to a robbery in North Seattle earlier tonight.

12:54 PM: A bit of additional info from SPD – they say the robbers “walked in and pushed the clerk up against the wall demanding money (then) took cash and tobacco products.” SPD also notes that “fingerprints were lifted from the scene.” (added) SPD incident #, if you have any information, is 24-222163.

Thanks for the tips on this. Crash-and-grab burglars in a pickup truck hit the Lincoln Park 76’s minimart just before 4 am today. A 911 caller reported a white Ford pickup with a double cab “ramming into the front of the store,” according to archived dispatch audio; a short time later another caller reported seeing that pickup driving away “with an ATM strapped to (it).” When we went down for a look a short time ago, store staff confirmed their ATM was taken, as did police, who tell WSB: “The vehicle backed up into the business and rammed it about three times, destroying the front doors and burglar bars. Three suspects wrapped a chain around an ATM inside the business and pulled it out. The suspects loaded the ATM on the truck, and they grabbed other items inside the store.” SPD also noted, “The estimated damage and loss to the business is over $20,000” and say detectives obtained fingerprint and video evidence. If you have any information, the incident # is 24-221091.

Two readers sent us this security video of a prowler seen early Tuesday in the 2300 block of Harbor Avenue SW:

One of the readers, Morgan, explained that in addition to the prowling, “He was confronted sleeping in an abandoned lots next to 2325 Harbor Ave and told to leave; during this time he provided his name as Eric Mason. He was walking north on Harbor Ave toward Alki. During his prowl he checked the doors of my truck and cased the entire property.” Both readers noted this WSB story from earlier this year, with the Tuesday video matching a charging-document photo in that story, in which we reported that Mason had just been charged in a Junction business burglary. A check of jail records shows he was released from jail on May 29, after 16 days; Judge Suzanne Parisien granted him release on personal recognizance. Meantime, records show he is still awaiting a competency evaluation, and is due back in court in two weeks for a check-in on whether that’s happened yet; documents from the previous two hearings don’t explain why the evaluation was delayed. That will factor into the cases in which he is still awaiting trial, including the Junction charges we first mentioned in May. Meantime, the SPD incident # from the Tuesday prowling is 24-219111.

Police are investigating three strong-arm robberies (no weapons) at West Seattle businesses reported within the span of less than an hour this morning, likely involving the same two robbers. The first one was reported around 7:15 am at the Chevron station at 35th/Holden. Two robbers walked in, pushed the clerk out of the way, went to the register and got away with $700 in cash. According to dispatch audio, the robbers were described as male, Black, in their late teens or early 20s, one 5’11” and stocky, the other a couple inches shorter and medium build, masked and wearing dark clothing. They left on foot eastbound on Holden; a K-9 team helped search but they weren’t found. Then just after 7:30, robbers matching the description went into the South Delridge 7-11, “forced their way to the cash register in a similar way,” and left with $500 in cash. Then while police were still investigating that robbery, a third was reported at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), same descriptions, same method, but that time they netted much less cash. If you have any information, the 35th/Holden robbery is 24-220072, the Delridge robbery is 24-220091, and the Highland Park Way is 24-220103; police say you can call the SPD tipline at 206-233-5000 or phone an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

Police are investigating a carjacking reported just before midnight. A driver told officers that somebody drove up in the 6400 block of 30th SW in a black sedan, got out, punched him and stole his car, a gray Infiniti G35, plate CLN0265. The victim told police the carjacker was one of (updated) three “Hispanic males” who arrived in the black car, which then took off with the stolen car, headed southbound – all 5’6″ to 5’8″, one dressed in all black, one in blue jeans and a blue hat, no clothing description for the third. No weapon was seen, the victim – who is being treated by medics – told officers. If you have any information, call 911.

ADDED: Some extra info in this SPD summary released Wednesday:

A fifteen year old driving his parents’ vehicle, a 2006 Infiniti G35, claimed that he was robbed of that vehicle when 3 strangers got out of a dark 4-door sedan, punched him, and then left in both vehicles from the 6400 block of 35 Av SW, where the 15-year-old claimed he was driving around while underage at midnight, looking for his girlfriend, who he said lived somewhere nearby.

Sent by Amy:

My son’s blue 2008 Jeep Patriot was stolen last night sometime between the hours of 6 pm-6 am. It has a Spider-Man sticker on the rear windshield. We live off 34th and Roxbury. Plate # CMA3682; police report 24-217982.

If you find it, call 911 and refer to that incident number.

That’s a framegrab from security video sent by Diane, showing someone casing her alley on the northwest edge of The Junction early Sunday. Here’s her report:

On this past Sunday early morning at 5:45 am, a neighbor saw a black car — no lights — casing mailboxes and cars in our alley — between 44th Ave SW and 45th Ave SW and Genesee and Dakota by the Alaska Junction. The guy broke into my mailbox and checked for open car doors. Enclosed is video capture from outside camera. But can’t see license plate number.

Diane is wondering if anyone else in the area was cased/broken into, and if anyone has security video with the black sedan’s plate more visible. She has filed a police report, temporary tracking number T00007468.

1:06 AM: Police are investigating an armed robbery reported about 15 minutes ago at the West Seattle Junction 7-11 (4812 Erskine Way SW). So far the only description they have is “two males, masks, black clothing” who got away with some cash from the register, leaving west on Erskine on foot.

1:13 AM: A few more description details that officers just provided to dispatch – both robbers were Black, both with black shirts, one with black pants and medium-length dreadlocks, one with gray pants and red/white Nikes, and they had a black vehicle.

Another business burglary this morning: The Birdhouse on SW Henderson west of 35th in Upper Fauntleroy tells us their coffee shop was broken into around 3:10 am today. The images are from their security camera.

(updated) Amber at The Birdhouse says, “He got away with ice cream and our kitchen speaker 🙄 I think he got scared when he saw all the cameras. He messed with them and then took off on the bike. The police got a partial print from one of the cameras he touched so we are just hoping something will come of it.”

If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 24-215780.

When we reported Wednesday on a newly revealed West Seattle homicide case, after the King County Medical Examiner‘s daily list announced the victim’s name and cause of death, Seattle Police had told us no one was in custody. This morning – as we noted here – SPD contacted us to say they actually had arrested a suspect July 11. To find out what happened to that suspect, we next inquired with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which subsequently sent us the court documents in the case.

30-year-old Kyle S. Castillo of Fauntleroy is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 53-year-old William G. Tappe. Castillo is no longer in custody, having posted bond for $2 million bail. The narrative in the charging documents says the ultimately deadly assault happened outside a Metro bus. Around 1:30 am on June 13, the documents say, several men boarded a West Seattle-bound RapidRide C Line bus downtown, including Tappe. As shown on the bus’s security video, one of the men put a bicycle onto the bus’s front rack. As the bus approached Fauntleroy and Alaska 10 minutes later, someone complained to the driver about two other men allegedly smoking something. The driver asked those two to leave the bus at 40th/Alaska. Tappe, who was sitting behind the two, also got up to leave. As he left the bus, the documents say, he apparently touched the bicycle, at which time, the narrative says, the video shows that the man later identified as Castillo …

… moved quickly toward the front of the bus and out the door, saying ‘That’s my bike right there’ and then attacking Tappe. The video shows Tappe fall to the ground, with Castillo crouching on top of Tappe, punching him in the face. Tappe curled into a ball and appeared to hold his head, while Castillo picked up Tappe’s backpack and threw it at Tappe. Castillo then kicks Tappe at least once while Tappe lies on the ground. The impact of this kick on Tappe’s head/face was loud and strong enough to be captured by the audio inside the open doors of the bus. Castillo then got back on the bus, and the bus departed.

The documents say that the security video shows Castillo then bragging to another passenger about what he did. Meantime, Tappe managed to walk a few blocks west to California/Alaska, where a bystander called 911, and Tappe eventually was taken to the hospital, where he died a few days later, documents say, from “blood loss as a result of multiple blunt force injuries to his face and head.”

The documents say detectives identified the suspect by showing the security-camera image to businesses near where the man with the bicycle got on the bus, and found a bar where someone recognized him and thought his last name was Castillo. Looking at jail records from past bookings, detectives made a match. That eventually led them to Castillo’s Fauntleroy residence, and on the day he was arrested, July 10th, a police sergeant saw him in a crosswalk at 45th and Wildwood, with a bicycle that looked like the one in the bus video. The sergeant arrested him, and then confirmed with the case detective that it was apparently the same bicycle. Police obtained a warrant to search Castillo’s home and say they found the clothing shown on the man who attacked Tappe.

Prosecutors charged Castillo with second-degree murder the next day. He posted bond and was released one day after that, on July 12th. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment two weeks later; prosecutors asked that he be on electronic home monitoring while out on bail, but the request was denied. The documents say his only record is “a prior conviction in 2019 for Reckless Driving, reduced from Driving Under the Influence, and (currently) a deferred prosecution for another DUI and Hit&Run that occurred in 2020.” The jail booking photos from those cases are part of what detectives used to identify Castillo before arresting him.

11:21 AM: That video is from the security camera at Tattoo Pizzazz (6021 California SW), recorded as burglars broke in and spent less than two minutes ransacking the shop before getting away with equipment around 4:30 am today. As the video shows, one burglar had a full-face mask, but the other’s face was partly visible in this frame:

If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 24-213452, and you can contact the shop’s owners at tattoopizzazz@gmail.com. They’re also crowdfunding to cover what their insurance won’t.

1:03 PM: Diane from Alki Arts across the street got this photo of the burglars’ truck:

She explains she was in the apartment over her gallery and “called the police as soon as the loud diesel-sounding truck woke me up.” She believes she heard it a bit earlier too, casing, but nothing to report to 911 until she realized the burglary was under way: “I called 911 and the police had a wonderful response within 10 minutes and then the fire department came and boarded up the broken window after. I was so impressed with both the police response and the fire department response. … I wish I could have done something to stop it since I was literally watching them do it but I didn’t know what to do” besides photograph and report it. (As shown in the video above, from the sound of breaking glass to their exit, less than two minutes elapsed.)

Reported by PP:

Father-in-law’s Prius got stolen yesterday here in West Seattle. Next to Westwood Village (2500 SW Trenton). Stay on the lookout for a gray-colored car with the plate listing in the pic:

Car is a 2017 Prius V. Case # 24-212549.

Call 911 and refer to that case number if you find it.

One more belated crime report: Police have released a summary confirming gunfire on Alki early Monday morning. They say 911 calls came in at 3:43 am “to report gunshots near 60 Ave SW/Alki Ave SW.” SPD says officers found 14 shell casings and one “live round,” all 9mm. The summary notes, “A witness stated that prior to the shooting she heard a possible disturbance in the alley and a male voice say ‘hold on’ a couple of times. The witness stated that she then heard multiple gunshots. An unknown vehicle quickly drove from the scene.” No one was reported injured, either in the area or at local hospitals.

Every weekday, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office releases a list of names and causes of death from recent investigations. On Tuesday afternoon, that list included a new ruling that a death in June is now considered a case of homicide, by “blunt-force head injury” suffered in the 4500 block of California SW [map]. That case wasn’t on our radar previously, so we immediately inquired with Seattle Police, and received this response today:

On June 13th at 2:01 a.m., patrol officers responded to a physical assault that occurred near the 4500 block of California Avenue Southwest. Officers arrived along with the Seattle Fire Department. The victim was conscious and bleeding and being treated by SFD and later transported to Harborview Medical Center. Officers were unable to question him about the incident due to his injured state. The suspect fled the area and was not located. No arrests have been made at this time. On June 16th, the victim, 53, was pronounced deceased. This is an open and active Homicide investigation.

The KCMEO identified the victim as William G. Tappe. We also went back into audio archives to see how the incident was initially dispatched on June 13; Seattle Fire sent a low-level, one-engine “aid response” described as “male assaulted, minor injuries”; the SPD dispatch was described as for a victim who was “punched and kicked” by someone who then “got on a bus and left.” No description was provided. If you have any information about this incident, the case number is 24-160382.