Three incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:

7-11 ROBBED: Thanks for the tip on an early-morning Sunday robbery at the 35th/Avalon 7-11; we weren’t able to get details until today. The police summary says the robber walked into the store around 4 am Sunday, “possibly grabbed food and masks … waited for all the customers to leave, and walked up to the victim and demanded money.” The victim said no; the robber “implied that he had a gun and became verbally aggressive,” then took $100 in cash, cigarettes, and the previously suspected stolen items, before leaving on foot. Officers searched the area with a K-9 team but didn’t find him.

ARMED ROBBERY WITH BLOW TORCH: Around 10:30 am Sunday at the Westwood Village Bed Bath and Beyond store, according to a police summary, this shoplift-turned-robbery happened: Two people walked into the store; one went into the kitchenware section “and grabbed a pasta roller machine (valued at $199.99),” then “pulled out a yellow blow torch and burned the security tag. An employee smelled the burning and confronted the (thief),” who then “concealed the pasta roller and walked toward the employee with the blow torch. The employee feared for her safety, so she left the area.” The thief-turned-robber left the store with the stolen item. The second person was questioned by police.

FIRE STATION DAMAGED: Just before 1 am today, police were called to a report of two people ‘damaging” Fire Station 29 in North Admiral. We heard the dispatch but not how it turned out, so we requested the report this morning. After hearing footsteps on the roof, a firefighter found four people up there. Two jumped into a tree, climbed down it, and ran away. The other two stayed there with station crew until police arrived. The report says the station’s fuel meter was damaged because that’s what the four climbed on to get access to the roof. The report says one of the two suspects that officers talked to “wanted to climb something, and the fire station appeared to be climbable.” Police found a backpack with a case of beer, which apparently belonged to one of the two who ran away; the suspects who did not run had beer cans in their backpacks, though they were under 21. The two were not booked but will be investigated for property dsestruction and unlawful possession/consumption of alcohol, the report says, We’re checking with SFD regarding the cost/extent of damage to the fuel meter. (Added) SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley says the damage was minor and the station is operating normally.

Lura‘s yellow 2015 Nissan Juke was stolen in the Beach Drive area overnight: “The key fob was accidentally left in the car – we had traded who was driving the car but the key didn’t get handed off. So this may have been purely opportunistic – someone checking doors, finding it unlocked, pressing the “START” button. Police report made. License AXH4237.” The car looks like this stock photo. Call 911 if you see it.

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:

SHOPLIFT TURNED ROBBERY: Last night at 9:18 pm, according to a police summary, a man shoplifted “three large containers of laundry detergent” from the Jefferson Square Safeway. Store security confronted him, and he showed them he had a handgun in his waistband. They backed off and he left. The only description in the report is that the getaway vehicle was a “green sedan,”

BROKEN-GLASS MYSTERY: Police were called to the Shell station/mini-mart in the 6500 block of California SW eqrly Wednesday for a possible burglary. The owner told them he’d found glass broken in the front entrance and suspected a break-in. But police “concluded that a person could not have entered the store because it was at the top right corner of the door and was too small in size. Additionally, the door was locked chained with a lock; therefore, the suspect never opened the door.” Officers checked “for other signs of possible entry,” according to the report, and found none. They checked security video and saw the glass break just before 3 am – but the video didn’t show anyone breaking the glass. It did show two men “wandering near the front door a couple of minutes prior to the window breaking,” and officers found “large rocks” on the side of the store. They concluded, “It is possible that the suspects attempted to break the window with a rock and left the window in a weakened state, allowing a gust of wind to shatter it. Also, a possible stray bullet or pellet gun could have caused the window to break. Officers could not locate any evidence of a stray bullet. At this point, the cause of the damage is unknown.”

IN CASE YOU WONDERED TOO … We were asked about what a reader described as a “tactical team” on Avalon Way this morning. SPD says those were officers from Bellevue Police serving a warrant. No further details available so far.

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

ONE BIKE STOLEN, ONE LEFT BEHIND: From Margaret, who says this happened on SW Andover “between the Admiral and Alaska junctions’:

HI. Our black Novara bike was stolen, but someone’s else’s bike was left in its place so we thought we would reach out in case the original owners might be located.

The black bike is the one that belongs to us and is missing.

The white and blue bike is the one that was left with us.

If you’ve seen Margaret’s bike or recognize the dumped one, let us know and we’ll connect you.

CAR PROWLER: Texted report and photo:

Car Prowler on camera in Gatewood neighborhood this morning of 10/25/2021 at 5:30 am.

This car prowler was walking west on SW Austin Street and at 5:30 am came into my driveway and tried getting in our vehicles. At 5:50am he was spotted walking east on SW Austin street. This is the same location in Gatewood and same truck that has been targeted more than a dozen times in the last 6 months.

Also note – he is wearing a blue Adidas gym outfit and appears to have a Ace bandage wrapped around his left leg shin area. Following up the above- I made a police report online and they game me incident tracking number T21021940.

SUSPECTED INTRUDER ARRESTED: A 40-year-old woman was arrested Sunday afternoon for suspected burglary after two incidents in the Alki area. According to the police-report narrative, first police were called to the 3200 block of Alki SW after a report that a woman broke into a residence, briefly, and then walked out onto Beach Drive. Then what’s believed to be the same woman turned up in a back yard in the 3400 block of Beach drive, trying to enter that residence. Police arrested her there. The only thing taken, according to the Alki SW resident, was several pieces of candy. The suspect was booked into the King County Jail and the roster shows her still there now.

11:11 AM: We missed these in real time and no one texted, but we’ve confirmed with SFD that two early morning “scenes of violence” responses in West Seattle were both shootings. Neither victim is reported to have had life-threatening wounds, but both were taken to the hospital. The first was in the 1700 block of SW Barton at 1:51 am; SFD says the victim was a 36-year-old man; the second was in the 7800 block of Detroit SW at 3:05 am, and SFD says the victim was a 27-year-old man. No information on the circumstances in either but we’re seeking that from SPD.

2:07 PM: SPD has released a few details on these as part of a roundup of five weekend shootings in the city. In the Barton incident, police say they “were dispatched to investigate a man who had been shot in the abdomen … Officers spoke with witnesses who said they heard the shot come form the street or sidewalk and found the victim laying on the ground. Police searched the area and found a single shell casing but were unable to find anyone who could describe a possible suspect.” Regarding the other incident, police say officers got a call that a man had been shot, then “found the victim with a gunshot to the groin. The victim was able to tell officers that the suspect was last seen in a white Ford Fusion fleeing the area. Police searched the area but were unable to locate any additional witnesses or evidence.”

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

SHED BREAK-IN ATTEMPT: Scott reports that a storage shed break-in was “interrupted at South Seattle CrossFit (2653 SW Yancy) around 8 pm Thursday night. Police responded within a few minutes. Including catalytic converter theft and other vehicle damage this is the third incident/report filed in 18 months for this location.” You can see the suspect in video here and here. We’re awaiting the police-incident number.

CAR PROWL: From Ray:

Last night between 10 PM and 5 AM, my car on 17th and Thistle was ransacked. They took the toolbox but dropped it after 100 feet realizing that it’s old tools only. The only thing missing is my University of Georgia lanyard with my work keys on it.

BULLET DAMAGE: Police say a semi-truck driver reported that their truck “had been struck with one round in the rear passenger side of the vehicle” between 2 pm Wednesday and 10:50 am Thursday. It happened while the truck was parked in the 7100 block of West Marginal Way SW. The “fired bullet fragment” was found in the truck; police collected it as evidence.

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

GUNFIRE: We’ve been trying all day to get the police report on this but haven’t yet succeeded. Multiple readers reported hearing gunfire in the Fairmount Park area around 11:15 pm last night. No shooting victims were reported but police apparently found some evidence, as the call was classified “drive-by shooting” with the address listed as 5400 block of Fauntleroy Way SW. If we get the report in the hours ahead, we’ll add details here.

(Updated Friday morning) Just got the police-report narrative from SPD:

At approximately (11:19 pm) I was dispatched to a Shots Fired call … Upon arrival, I performed an area check at Fairmount Playground and found no individuals or suspicious circumstances inside the playground.

(Another officer) located three 40mm shell casings in the middle of the roadway in the 5200 block of Fauntleroy Way SW. The shell casings were photographed and bagged into evidence.

No visible damage in the surrounding area was noticed.

I spoke with Witness (redacted) who stated he was walking with dog when he saw an individual in a moving vehicle fire a gun out of the driver-side window at approximately (11:18 pm) (and) stated the driver of the vehicle was aiming straight up into the air and fired 3 rounds out of the driver-side window. (Witness) stated the driver appeared to be the only individual in the vehicle and drove away heading northbound on Fauntleroy Way Sw.

(Witness) described the driver as a heavy-set Latino with light skin, a bald / shaved head, between 36-42 years old, and wearing a white t-shirt.

(Witness) described the vehicle as an older white Chrysler 300 with a tinted back window and cheap silver rims (but) did not get the license plate of the vehicle.

CAR PROWL: From Sean:

As I was taking my son to school today, i found my car ransacked. We live on the corner of SW Thistle and 35th Ave SW. It was unlocked, so nothing broken.

Our other car was gone through in late summer – they took the packet with our registration/ title that time.

Today the trunk and all doors were left ajar, and contents of the glove box and center console were strewn everywhere.

I had a bottle of prescription meds taken, and loose change… i don’t think anything else was taken. Please remember to lock your doors!

DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN BICYCLE: The photo and report are from Lee:

I recently found this bicycle with child seat attached in the Fauntleroy Neighborhood. It was parked in the back parking lot of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse on Sunday night (10/17) It is a blue Trek brand, Gary Fischer edition bicycle with front suspension and bontrager tires. I would like to make sure it gets back to its rightful owner as long as they can provide confirmation with a serial number to match the bike, a key that unlocks the still attached U-lock, or other proof of ownership.

I can be reached at fauntleroycaretaker@gmail.com.

West Seattle Crime Watch starts with a reader report:

PORCH PROWLER: Bryan caught someone on his security camera trying his front door twice early Tuesday morning – jiggling the handle and attempting a key code – at 1:30 am (video) and 3:30 am (video). Neighbors caught what appears to be the same person on at least two other porches at different times. Bryan filed a police report, #21-277629. (Added: This was in Morgan Junction.)

SOUTH STATS: On Tuesday afternoon, King County officials convened an online community meeting about public safety in White Center’s downtown business district. SPD and SFD participated too. From the former, Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Dorothy Kim presented crime stats and trends for West Seattle neighborhoods adjacent to/near White Center – South Delridge, Westwood, Roxhill, Arbor Heights. We covered the full meeting for our partner site White Center Now but thought you’d be interested in Lt. Kim’s slides (click to enlarge):

Lt. Kim also brought the year-to-date numbers for West Seattle in general:

We checked the SPD data dashboard – that’s actually the entire Southwest Precinct, including South Park. She didn’t bring up/down percentages for those but the dashboard’s stats for all of 2020 show three categories are close now to the entire 2020 year total – rape, robbery, and assault.

12:38 PM: The report and photo are from Juan:

I had my car stolen yesterday, 10/14, from the parking lot of the Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex at 2600 SW Thistle St (across the street from Chief Sealth HS) around 5:15 pm. The car is a black 2008 Cadillac CTS, Washington license # AHN6141.

The car had been parked in the parking lot next to the temporary COVID testing center for less than 30 minutes before it was stolen. According to a witness, the car was towed away by a white tow truck by an older white male. The car was parked legally and there are no private tow signs in the lot.

Calls to the local tow services (that I could find) had no information on the vehicle being transported or impounded, so I have reported the car stolen to the police.

If you see Juan’s car, call 911.

1:47 PM: Juan says his car was found. It had been “mistakenly towed.” (added) We asked Juan how that happened: “They were supposed to tow another car with the same make and model that was in the lot. The person who had the car towed to their house called me and let me know they had my car.”

Two car crimes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER SOUGHT: From Patrick in The Junction:

Our Dodge Charger was totaled by a hit-run vehicle at 12:04 am on Oct 12th on SW Oregon between 42nd SW and California SW.

The vehicle slammed into the driver-side rear bumper, riding up onto the vehicle with the Jeep at an approx. 25-degree angle before backing off our vehicle and sideswiping it before leaving the area quickly, turning south on 42nd SW and finding our rear quarter panel at the intersection of 42nd SW and SW Edmunds.

We have obtained video of the crash but cannot make out the license #. This is now the second hit and run we’ve had to suffer in less than a year; my GF and I are pissed. We want desperately to find this driver and or vehicle responsible and ask if you can possibly put this out there for folks to keep an eye out.

If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 21-270330.

CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT: From Diane:

Our catalytic converter was stolen on 10/12/2021 at 7:46 am. It was captured by camera, see attached photo.

There was one driver, and a passenger who got out and quickly stole the converter. This happened in Fauntleroy just south of Lincoln Park. A police report was filed.

The SPD incident # IS 21-918668.

We start West Seattle Crime Watch tonight with two vehicle thefts – if you see either of these, call 911:

STOLEN PICKUP TRUCK: In the Lowman Beach area on Sunday night, a thief or thieves stole this pickup truck belonging to the proprietor of Harold’s Fitness (WSB sponsor) in north Morgan Junction:

It’s a 1997 Nissan Hardbody with an extended cab and automatic transmission. Plate is WA C28238G. The truck had a magnetic Harold’s Fitness sign on it. (FRIDAY UPDATE: The pickup was found, near 2nd/Michigan.)

STOLEN CAR: Margaret‘s 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse was stolen last night from Alaska House in The Junction (4545 42nd SW).

(Added) License plate number ALL 9704; police incident number 21-271029

CAR PROWL: Just before 3 pm in the 4800 block of Fauntleroy Way SW, Rich saw two people who appeared to be breaking into a car – saying they “punched through the plastic-wrapped window to unlock the car and go through the contents before heading south.” He called police.

6:59 PM: The nonprofit, volunteer-powered West Seattle Tool Library, on the northeast side of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge, has been hit by burglary. They think it happened between 3:30 and 4:30 this morning. They were still going through the inventory when we talked to them earlier today, but were missing a lot of small tools for starters; they think the burglar(s) filled up a yard-waste bin with what they could grab. Whqt you see on the door in our photo above is true – they have video surveillance – but didn’t get a clear image of the burglar. If you have any information, the incident number is 21-269299.

ADDED EARLY TUESDAY: We now have an update from Micheal at the WSTL:

All in all, we got off pretty light. As it stands, it appears the following was taken: a laptop computer, ~$60 cash, a 1/2″ impact driver, a floor nailer, circular saw, plunge router, trim router, jigsaw, a long-handled cordless hedge trimmer, two 18ga brad nailers, two coil nailers, three framing nailers, and a pneumatic stapler. The biggest pain for us is the damage to the doors– both doors need new hasps, and as you saw, the damage to the workshop door is extensive. We’re not sure yet if the doors will need to be replaced.

Library operations should be relatively unaffected, and we plan to be open (Tuesday) for our usual hours– though nail guns will be slim pickings for a while until we can get some new ones in.

Tuesday hours are 5 pm-8 pm.

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

STOLEN BICYCLES: Received tonight from Patrick:

Last night between 10:00 and 5:30 this morning (Saturday) my girlfriend’s and my bikes were stolen from outside our apartment at Lighthouse Apartments (7901 Delridge Way SW). My bike is a red Trek 7.2 FX with a Purdue University bike registry sticker on the down tube of the frame, though that may have been removed. My girlfriend’s bike is a Cannondale with blue sidewall tires. We would appreciate if anyone has seen these reporting to SPD or me (317-443-1844).

ROBBERY INVESTIGATION: From a preliminary police report: Just after 10 am Friday, someone walked into the mini-mart at California/Andover and tried to walk behind the counter. A store employee blocked her; she “grabbed lighters (and then) left the store and got inside her vehicle.” The employee followed the thief “to the gas pumps, (where the thief) backed up her vehicle, and intentionally pulled forward toward the victim, (then) clipped the victim with her vehicle, knocking him to the ground. The victim had abrasions on the right side of his body.” With the violence, this became a robbery; police responded but were unable to find the robber.

Jennifer hopes you can help find her stolen car:

It’s a 2009 ford Crown Victoria, matte black Police Interceptor, spotlights each side, crack on window, spider effect across window, “very loud” because its catalytic converter is missing. Plate BZR7825. Taken Thursday morning from 17th/Henderson. If you see it, call 911.

UPDATE: Found “near Highland Park.”

For the second time in a week, there’s been confirmed gunfire near 47th/Charlestown. We reported on the previous incident last week, shortly after it happened the night of September 30th; police say two residences and one car were hit by bullets that night. Neighbors called 911 again last night and this morning about suspected gunfire, but police have only confirmed gunfire in last night’s incident: They got that call around 7 pm last night (Thursday, October 7th). Two casings were found. Neighbors’ reports varied, according to the police narrative – one person saw people running out of an apartment after the shots; another person saw a silver SUV speeding away; another person saw a motorcycle speeding away. No property damage or injuries reported.

This morning’s call was in the 6:30-7 am vicinity. The police-report narrative says callers reported hearing one loud noise followed by “possible rapid fire.” One caller said they saw smoke in front of an apartment building. The officer who was dispatched found a “suspicious” car with no plates and noted “a strong odor of burnt black powder consistent with fireworks …” plus, along and beneath the car, “cardboard wadding consistent with fireworks that had been exploded.” Neither the car – whose VIN traced to an owner in Tukwila – nor anything else was damaged.

Thanks for the tips about a police response in the 1200 block of Alki Avenue SW early this morning. We’ve obtained the police-report narrative, and here’s what the investigating officer(s) who wrote it say happened: A monitoring service first reported that a video-alarm system showed a break-in at the site around 3:20 am, someone “using a grinder to cut through the front-gate lock, forcing entry.” The company “sounded the alarm and the suspect left.” Less than an hour later, two people showed up at the site, and one went in. Police arrived five minutes later, saw a pickup truck driving away, and pulled it over. Construction equipment was visible in the pickup’s open bed, the report says. After the two suspects were advised of their rights, police say, one admitted to the burglary and the other admitted to being the getaway driver. A construction-company rep identified a nail gun and work lights in the pickup as belonging to the job site. The suspects – both men, ages 44 and 52 – were booked into the King County Jail.

Charges are now filed in two West Seattle cases on which we’ve reported in the past week:

(WSB photo, last Friday)

SWAT STANDOFF CASE: Last Friday, we reported on an 8-hour standoff in the 9400 block of 36th SW between SWAT officers and a man accused of pointing weapons at neighbors and then officers. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 69-year-old David D. Brown with one count of felony harassment. From the charging documents:

The defendant was reported by witnesses to have been wandering the neighborhood with what appeared to be a rifle, yelling for his neighbors to come outside and confront him. He then went inside and obtained what appeared to be a handgun. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, the defendant proceeded to point the perceived handgun at three Seattle Police Officers while yelling obscenities. The defendant proceeded to re-enter his yard and it took additional SWAT officers several hours to detain the defendant. During this time the defendant fired a pellet rifle at the officers and their vehicles and swung a hammer and part of a metal cane at them.

The documents note that “At least 48 SPD personnel ultimately ended up responding to this call.” Also noted: Brown has no criminal history, and the two “guns” found in the residence turned out to be a Daisy BB rifle and “what appeared to be a vintage double-barrel handgun that was brown and black in color (with) writing on its top that read something to the effect of
replicas by parris’ (made of) wood and what appeared to be metal.” Brown’s bail was set at $100,000, and he remains in jail tonight.

STOLEN-CAR-RAMMING CASE: On Saturday, police arrested a man they say stole a delivery driver’s car on Capitol Hill and drove it to southeast West Seattle, ramming it into the cars of officers who tried to stop him, as well as damaging a gas-station/mini-mart building in the 7800 block of Detroit SW. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 22-year-old Benjamin I. Triplett with motor-vehicle theft, attempting to elude police, second-degree malicious mischief, and violating a domestic-violence court order. The order resulted from his recent conviction for assaulting the woman found in the car with him at the time of Saturday’s incident. Triplett also remains in jail, bail set at $35,000.

From Diane:

My beloved Kia Soul was stolen early Sunday morning from the Seaview area. We reported it to the police. When he got there, he said it was the 7th, yes 7th, call that morning for stolen vehicles. Please keep an eye out for it. It was my most favorite car. It is a 2-plus. It is the weird green of a Kia Soul, but more silver. It had all the bells and whistles. The outside package had a lot of black trimming and “vents” on the front side in front of the doors. It’s the only one I saw with mud guards on the wheel wells. The license plate is BUB2436.

As with all known stolen vehicles, call 911 if you see it.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch items:

RESIDENCE HIT BY GUNFIRE: Seattle Police report that this happened around 7:15 pm Monday in the 7100 block of 34th SW. Someone “fired at least one round from an area near a city park. That round struck a home, narrowly missing the resident. It is believed the suspect was firing at a vehicle nearby and the house was not the target.” The brief report doesn’t say which park, but the location is less than a block south of Walt Hundley Playfield. That’s the second time in a week that gunfire has hit a West Seattle residence; the other happened last Thursday night near 49th and Charlestown.

HIT-AND-RUN: This happened more than two weeks ago; we received the report and photo today from Cyrus:

My car was totaled by a hit and run driver at 3 am on September 18th. Parked just south of Harbor West condo, 3717 Beach Drive. Car was pushed into the street and police had it towed to a Shoreline impoundment lot as my phone was off so they couldn’t contact me. Given that it was parked facing south, the driver crossed the center line and struck it head on. I’m guessing it was street racers or a drunk. High rate of speed as frame and engine were bent. No witnesses or evidence.

If you have any information, the SPD incident number is 21-246508.