West Seattle, Washington
24 Thursday
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
GARAGE BURGLAR: From an Admiral resident:
Someone broke into our garage and our cars and stole a bunch of stuff. She couldn’t carry everything, having taken a bunch of stuff, and left a bag that she took from another West Seattle home in the alley (there was a mailing label in the bag and we found the owner). She hit our place at 7:30 am (Saturday) – we have her on Ring camera.
Our neighbor is fairly sure he saw her picture re some other theft or break-in earlier this year? There have been multiple police reports filed.
In all, neighbors believe this burglar hit at least four homes on 45th/46th near Admiral Way.
PARK VANDALISM: From Blair:
As we were taking a morning walk around the path on top of the reservoir at Westcrest Park this morning, we found that a picnic table, bench and part of a play structure had been unbolted and vandalized. A garbage can had also been rolled down the hill, and the “no motorized vehicles” sign at the 8th & Henderson entrance had been bent and removed from its post. I called it in to the Parks Department’s maintenance request line.
That’s 206-684-7250. (Find other key Parks numbers here.)
Police say one person was pistol-whipped and another narrowly missed by gunfire in the 1900 block of Harbor Avenue SW early today. They went to the area after a report of gunfire around 1:20 am; they found a 22-year-old man with a cut to the head. He wouldn’t talk to officers about what had happened but they say witnesses saw him pistol-whipped in a fight with someone who then fired multiple shots as the victim tried to run away. One bullet went through a parked van where a woman was asleep, just missing her. The pistol-whipping victim was taken to the hospital. Police are asking anyone with information to call their tip line at 206-233-5000.
Two cases of vandalism, both against symbols of the fight for racial justice:
DIVERSITY CENTER SIGN DEFACED: From Jean Iannelli Craciun at the Diversity Center of Washington in Morgan Junction:
I am sad to report that the Black Lives Matter sign we have had out front was marked with an X across the front and thrown down. Luckily the other side was not damaged and we could re-install it on that side. We were surprised to see this and it made us sad and angry….after all, this is West Seattle!!
MURAL VANDALIZED: On the south edge of West Seattle, Desmond Hansen‘s George Floyd signal-box mural has been vandalized again, this time with green paint splattered across it and someone then scrawling Black Lives Matter across the green blotch. This is not the only one of Hansen’s box murals to be defaced – his portrait of murdered hip-hop musician JuiceTheGod at 35th/Barton and the BLM-themed box at 42nd/Alaska have been hit too.
Haley sent the report:
I live on 35th between Henderson and Trenton. Someone stole my catalytic converter off my 2000 Honda Accord last night. It was parked in the alley in our off street parking spot. Car is low to the ground so they must have had to jack it up in order to access the catalytic converter. Police report filed, but wanted to let others in the area know.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, catalytic-converter theft grew tenfold nationwide between 2018 and 2020.
What’s being stuffed into that car is a bicycle stolen moments earlier – around noon today – from outside the south end of Admiral Safeway. The thief cut the cable lock, according to (update) a friend of the bike owner’s mom, Kelly. The bicycle is a blue 2021 Kona Kahuna, 29″ wheels, bought from Alki Bike and Board (WSB sponsor). The thief’s car had an Oregon license plate, starting with 990; the image is from video taken by a bystander who followed him after the theft (we don’t have the clip in a playable size). No police-report # yet.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
APARTMENT BURGLARY: Una says this happened while she was out of town:
I wanted to alert you and by extension the community that my apartment was broken into. I live in a secured access building near the Junction that was broken into around 3:30 am on August 23rd. The thieves hammered at the lock multiple times until it finally broke. My own security footage picked up sounds of door tampering on the 16th, 17th, and 20th as well. They appear to have known that apartment was empty. Items stolen include: phones, hard drive, fine jewelry, costume jewelry, perfumes, sunglasses, and dozens of pieces of personal affects (letters, cards, marathon medals).
Una says building management apparently has images of the burglar(s) but has not made them available.
ABANDONED TRICYCLE: From Jason:
This SmarTrike was likely stolen and dumped by my house. It is located on the north side of SW Genesee just west of 26th across from the golf course. It’s in excellent condition and probably new.
6:23 PM: No injuries this afternoon when someone in a car shot at someone in another car at or near the 5-way intersection just west of the low bridge. It’s taken a while to piece this together, but here’s what we have so far: The victim(s) called police and met them along Avalon; gunfire damage to their car was reported to include a flat tire. Then the suspect(s) called 911 and met up with officers in Riverside, near 17th/Marginal:
(WSB photo)
Meantime, officers went to the original scene at the Chelan/Marginal/Spokane/Delridge intersection and told dispatch they found three casings – from two different guns. We caught up with police at the Riverside scene, and they told us they’re investigating this as a case of “road rage” but they were still sorting it out and hadn’t arrested anyone yet.
7:46 PM: Just talked to SPD spokesperson Det. Valerie Carson. Here’s what she says police now have, after talking to people in both cars: This started on Highway 99 as a “merging issue” involving people in a Honda (car in the background of our photo above) and Subaru. As the two cars proceeded westward, they got close enough that some yelling ensued. Then after they both crossed the low bridge, they were stopped at the 5-way light, when two people in the Honda got out and came over to the Subaru, pounding on its windows, At one point, someone from the Honda allegedly punched someone from the Subaru; they claimed someone from the Subaru spat at them. The Subaru driver decided to drive away; both people from the Honda pulled guns and fired. They told police they did so in self-defense, feeling that the Subaru driver was going to run over them; the Subaru driver claimed they were already pulling away when the people from the Honda shot at them. Bullets hit a rear tire. No arrests as police continue to investigate; Det. Carson says they did confiscate the guns, and that both people in the Honda had valid concealed pistol licenses for them.
ADDED 11:49 AM: SPD Blotter has a post about this – same narrative as we added last night after talking with Det. Carson (spelling corrected), but with two photos added – first, the Subaru’s flat tire:
(SPD photo)
And the guns surrendered by the people in the Honda:
(SPD photo)
The post also notes that each car carried a woman and a man at the time of the incident.
That’s the spot in the Spruce (39th/Alaska) garage where a thief cut Casey‘s bicycle loose and took it. Casey is wondering if anybody saw the thief leaving the building with the bicycle, a North Rock model purchased about a month ago that looks like this. A police report has been filed online.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
STOLEN CAR DUMPED IN ARBOR HEIGHTS: A green Honda stolen in Leschi was abandoned “partly in the street” near 98th/California in Arbor Heights, neighbors report. Its windows were down, with a jacket and “several pieces of addressed and stamped envelopes” inside the car. Shortly after they emailed us about it, the owner showed up to claim the car. Neighbors reported hearing potentially related activity around 6 am today.
ROBBERY FOLLOWUPS: No arrests reported in either of the 35th SW mini-mart holdups last Friday/Saturday. Lucky 5 was robbed Friday afternoon, and the 35th/Barton 7-11 was robbed Saturday night. We obtained the report narratives on both from SPD today. At the Lucky 5, the clerk told police she had been through robberies before; she said the robber came into the store, walked behind the counter, pointed a gun at her, demanded cash, and got it. He then demanded her phone and took it before leaving. She called 911 using the phone of the next customer to walk in. Another customer found the clerk’s cell phone on the ground outside the store. The robbery at the 7-11 the next night proceeded similarly, according to the report narrative; the robber walked in, went behind the counter, pointed a gun at the clerk, demanded cash, got some, and left. In both cases, the reports say, police were able to access security-camera images, but those have not been made public.
Last time this car was stolen, a WSB reader found it. Maybe that’ll happen again this time. From Kitty:
Déjà vu! Dear Old Subie was stolen again today. Probably sometime this morning from North Admiral, 44th and Seattle Street. We have filed a report and are looking for her now, thinking she might have been taken for a joyride and dumped nearby. Please let us know if you’ve seen her? Almost 330,000 miles, Burgundy Red 1984 Subaru GL wagon 4WD, manual transmission. Washington plates 746KNY. Crystal Mountain and Alta stickers, extra roof rack, and, recent development, the hood looks slightly askew. We still love her…
Last time, in April 2019, it turned up in Morgan Junction. If you see it, call 911.
Police are investigating an armed robbery at the 35th/Barton 7-11. Few details but the robber has been described over emergency radio as Black, male, 6′ tall, in a black hat, black hoodie, and blue jeans, armed with a handgun. He was last seen running northbound on 35th. This comes just one day after the nearby Lucky 5 was held up at nid-afternoon Friday.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports on this Saturday, and both involve catalytic converters:
THEFT: The catalytic converter was taken from M‘s vehicle at 4:50 am in Gatewood, near California/Othello. Police report filed. No other details. (Added: M’s vehicle is a Toyota RAV4.)
ATTEMPT: Received late this afternoon:
Just thwarted a second attempt on my Prius in my driveway on Beach Drive. Interrupted thief while he was jacking up the car; he ran without the jack to a waiting older Lexus compact sedan, white, lic BXT—-, reported to SPD. I ran to get my phone, during which he came back for his jack and fled.
3:05 PM: Police are investigating a robbery at the Lucky 5 gas station/mini-mart at 35th/Henderson, and that’s why the Guardian 1 helicopter has just arrived in the area. We’ve talked to police at the scene and they tell us one person, armed, held up the store, and got away with cash, only description so far “African-American, male, gray clothing,” last seen heading northbound.
3:16 PM: No luck from the air, so the helicopter has moved on, but the ground-level investigation continues. Lucky 5 has been held up before – most recently just last month.
One more theft to report today – this time, Derek‘s motorcycle:
My white 2000 Harley Davidson Road King police motorcycle was stolen at 1 am this morning on 11th Ave. SW and SW Holden St. Neighbors say they heard it take off around 1 am so I assume ignition was busted. I am offering a cash reward for information leading to my bikes recovery and/or an arrest.
Plate is WA 8G1755; police incident # is 21-215522.
P.S. Motorcycle theft is technically “auto theft” by state law, and that’s one of the categories of crime addressed in this month’s newsletter sent today by Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner:
Christina’s stroller was stolen Sunday afternoon in Gatewood and a security camera caught this photo of the thieves:
(Here’s the theft on video.) In case you find an abandoned stroller – here’s what it looks like:
Police reoport # is 21-213914.
What happened toward the north end of Beach Drive last month has now happened toward the south end. We went to Lowman Beach after a tip about multiple vehicle windows being smashed overnight. We talked to the owner of the truck seen above; he said nothing was taken, but he had heard of at least three other vehicles that were targeted. We found one of them parked nearby:
The pickup owner said nothing was taken so far as he could tell; we haven’t heard from any of the other victims.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN RED LEGACY: The report and photo are from Valdies:
The car was stolen probably last night from in front of my house at 4th Ave SW and Cambridge Ave in Highland Park. 1998 Subaru Legacy sedan. The Plate is BKG8833. Incident # 21-212718.
Call 911 if you see it.
ANOTHER CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT: After three reports over the weekend, here’s another one. Brent‘s security cam recorded the thief approaching his neighbor’s hybrid Toyota Highlander, and then the sound of the theft. The video is not embeddable but you can watch/listen here. This happened around 4:46 am near Highland Park Way and SW Holden.
(added 9:27 pm) AND ANOTHER: Just received from Debbie:
After spending my lunch reading the weekend catalytic converter thefts on the blog, I received a text from my husband (I was at work) that he discovered the catalytic converter in his Ford Truck was stolen sometime between midday Friday 8/13 and midday today 8/16. His truck was parked on 39th Ave. SW between Thistle & Cloverdale.
All of today’s West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports have been about catalytic-converter theft. Hours after we.published this report, two more arrived:
IN A STORE PARKING LOT: Greg says this happened to his Honda Element today in the Delridge Home Depot lot, which happens to be next to the police precinct serving West Seattle and South Park:
Somebody attempted to steal my cat converter while I was in Home Depot. I was parked in the south side of the parking lot facing the Southwest Precinct car park.
I was in the store for 20-30 minutes. When I came out I noticed a large gray Suburban with tinted windows blocking my parking spot and the car next to me.
I thought this was odd but my brain didn’t really register what was happening. I started heading that way and the thieves were very calm in seeing my approach.
The driver was a white female, mid 30’s, dirty blonde hair; she turned to her accomplice, a man, mid 30’s, dark black hair, possibly Hispanic, and through the window of their car I saw him shove something in the back seat of their car, jump in the front and they drove away.
They were not driving super fast and surprisingly were not rushing to get out of there. It wasn’t until I started my car and the engine sounded like a motorcycle that I realized they had almost cut one side of my cat away when I inspected further. I found the Sawzall blade embedded on one side of my cat and provided that to the police.
This was 3 pm in a full parking lot. The lesson here is to park in the center stack with cars facing you and on either side because they were able to box in my car to hide their attempted crime, because I was parked along the perimeter.
The police responded quickly and took an incident report and contacted the Home Depot supervisor for the (video) of the attempt.
IN AN APARTMENT GARAGE: Reported by John: “Just to add to the pile of reports, the catalytic converter on my Prius was stolen sometime early in the morning on Thursday from the locked garage in my apartment building (4730ca in the Junction).”
STATS NOTE: According to this July news release from State Farm Insurance, Washington is #4 in catalytic-converter theft. The number of claims it’s received nationwide has tripled.
A texter reports their Prius’s catalytic converter was stolen early Saturday. The car was parked in a Harbor Avenue driveway near Seacrest, and the theft happened around 4:45 am.
Received today from David in the Alki Point area:
I had a yellow and orange Necky Kayak and paddle stolen between 3 PM and 9 PM on Saturday 8-7.
I wanted to warn others to be on the lookout for people looking around their property.
The kayak had a cinderblock attached to it to discourage theft and they took that too. SO – probably not just one person is my guess. And probably a vehicle involved.
A police report has been filed,
After reporting “two .40 cal handgun shots recorded at (2700 block 59th Avenue SW)” around 3 am, Edd “went outside this morning and (found) two shell casings on the ground.” He sent us photos of both; you can see one above. He had called police at the time, didn’t see anyone respond, but after calling them again about the casings this morning, he says the officer who responded to collect them as evidence said he was the original responder. No injury calls to that area overnight.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports tonight:
BUSINESS BURGLARY: Seattle E-bike (4517 California SW; WSB sponsor) was burglarized just after 3 o’clock this morning. Security video recorded the burglars smashing a window, grabbing a bike and trying to grab another before bolting:
The bike the burglars stole, manager Alex tells us, was a “BESV TRS1 valued at $6,500.”
It was “locked to a stand that was screwed to the wood platform,” but they still managed to tear it away. If you have any info, the case number is 21-208327.
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN BIKE: Abandoned this week in the 5400 block of 23rd SW:
If you recognize it, let us know and we’ll connect you with the finder.
DUMPED-LIKELY-STOLEN LUGGAGE: In this case too, let us know if you recognize any of this:
The finder says it was ransacked and dumped in an open garden on Glenn Way SW.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes this morning:
GARDEN ART STOLEN: From Naomi:
Just wanted to alert residents who have garden art they care about to think about securing it more tightly. We just had a rusty bicycle wind sculpture taken from our front walkway during the day. This is in the Highland Park neighborhood.
(added) If you have any info, the SPD report number is 2021-914094.
WINDOW SMASHED: Carl sent the photo of a smashed window at the Junction Starbucks:
He says the shop was closed for cleanup when he went by; we’ll be checking on its status a bit later. (10:25 am – just went by; they’re still cleaning up but expecting to reopen as soon as the window’s boarded up.)
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