West Seattle, Washington
24 Thursday
(WSB photo, October 15, 2020)
Almost six months have passed since a tip led investigators to what the Seattle Animal Shelter‘s executive director called the “worst case of animal cruelty and neglect” she had ever seen – more than 200 neglected animals and 100+ dead ones in and near a Delridge house. The man arrested there, Matthew A. Hazelbrook, is awaiting trial on 17 counts of felony animal cruelty. In the meantime, SAS says some of the surviving animals were finally surrendered and are now up for adoption. In its announcement, SAS says it’s looking for “forever homes” after the animals have spent months either at the shelter or in foster homes. We asked for details on the 200+ animals originally seized, and here’s what SAS spokesperson Melissq Mixon sent:
We have 19 guinea pigs and 6 rabbits from the case still available for adoption.
We transferred 125 guinea pigs and 58 rabbits to other organizations.
The rest of the animals (~90) either had ownership claims and were reclaimed or have already been adopted.
As noted in its post, SAS is also trying to find homes for 70 cats from an unrelated case – found in a downtown studio apartment. Mixon tells WSB, “We’ve had an incredible response to both this case and the latest one. Our teams are working as quickly as possible to review and process adoption applications …” Adoptable animals, and information on how to adopt, can be found here. Hazelbrook’s trial, meantime, is tentatively set for July.
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN RED TRUCK: We have two reports about this theft in Upper Fauntleroy, near 40th/Cloverdale. The red 2002 Ford F-250 HD has a red canopy and black roof rack.
(Added: Photo of truck. Not carrying kayaks or bikes when taken)
Plate B30800H. Call 911 if you see it.
CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFTS: In a comment, John reports, “Lost mine yesterday morning at 2:35 at 39th and Graham. A neighbor reported a muffled sawing noise but did not see anybody.” Also yesterday morning in Seaview, a texter reports, “My elderly mother’s Prius had the catalytic converter stolen. Thieves jacked up the car and use a sawz-all. Neighbor saw a group of three men. Too dark for details.” The same block had at least one car prowled, too.
Three more West Seattle Crime Watch reports tonight:
SHOPLIFT TURNED ROBBERY: The initial police summary says this happened at the Westwood Village QFC this morning. A 911 caller reported a man in the store, stealing beer and threatening employees with a fixed-blade knife. Police arrested the suspect several blocks away and booked him into King County Jail for investigation of robbery.
PURSE-SNATCHING SUSPECT CHARGED: The Westwood Village purse-snatching suspect arrested last Sunday is now charged with felony theft. The charging documents have more information on the incident, including an intense struggle. The suspect is 55-year-old Charles A. Waller. The charging papers say he approached the victim as she walked from QFC toward Rite Aid, carrying a bag of groceries and her purse. He tried to grab both, police say; she fell down and he grabbed her wallet out of the purse. She grabbed it back and tossed it into the open window of a car stopped nearby. According to the documents, he grabbed it out of the car and tried to flee with the victim’s phone and cash but fell. By then, the people in the car and a QFC employee were standing over him, and a police officer patrolling at the center had seen the commotion and gone over to investigate. Waller has several convictions from more than a decade ago, including harassment and resisting arrest. His bail is set at $40,000.
CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT THWARTED: The photo and report are from William in Upper Morgan:
Last night someone got about 1/2 through the front pipe next to the catalytic converter on my 2008 Honda Element; the car was parked in our driveway with a light overhead. I guess I was lucky and something scared them off.
Two late-night incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:
WOMAN ASSAULTED: If you saw a police K9 team along Spokane St. or Harbor Avenue north of the West Seattle Bridge last night, here’s what that was about: Around 10:15 pm, according to the police-report summary, an 18-year-old woman reported she had been pistol-whipped. This happened in a group of people hanging around near the 5-way intersection. A man tried to take the woman’s phone; she wouldn’t let him, so he pulled out a gun, pointed it at the others, and then hit the victim’s head with it before fleeing. Police-radio exchanges indicate officers were given the suspect’s name, but they didn’t find him. SFD says the victim was treated at the scene.
SUSPECTED RV ARSON: This happened at an encampment near 2nd SW and SW Michigan, west of the 1st Avenue South Bridge, after 11:30 pm. The victim told police he went to a store and returned to find his RV in flames. He told officers he suspected his girlfriend set the fire. SFD responded to extinguish it; no injuries reported, and no arrest reported so far.
From Delana:
My boyfriend’s car was stolen sometime between Saturday morning (April 3rd around 9 am) to this morning (Monday, April 5th). It was last seen on 60th Ave SW, near Alki. It is a silver 1997 Honda Accord. License plate ARU9091. It has damage on the front driver’s-side door and also the rear driver’s side has a dented tail light. The driver’s-side mirror is shattered and still attached but has a small mirror attached to it.
Call 911 if you see it.
Four reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
PURSE SNATCHED: According to the police-report summary, an officer at Westwood Village (2600 SW Barton) noticed a “disturbance” in the parking lot around 2:15 pm today and went over to investigate. A 56-year-old woman told police her purse had been stolen; she fought the robber but he shoved her to the ground and took her purse. They found a suspect, “who still had the victim’s property,” according to the report. He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of robbery. The victim suffered neck injuries.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN, AGAIN: We got a call this afternoon from a woman who reported that her Honda Element’s catalytic converter had just been stolen. It happened in the parking lot of Bridge Park (3204 SW Morgan), while she was there visiting her mom for Easter.
GUN ARREST: A man was arrested for unlawful gun possession after an incident in the 9400 block of 18th SW just before 11 am today. The police-report summary says a 911 call came in from a woman saying she had been threatened by someone with a gun. Police say the victim and suspect, who know each other, got into a fight about a jacket. The suspect got mad and pulled a 9mm handgun from his fanny pack, then walked toward the woman. She fled and called police. They found and arrested the suspect, discovering he had a felony criminal record and so could not legally possess a gun. He was booked into King County Jail.
MAIL-THEFT SUSPECT ALERT, AGAIN: A week and a half after repeat mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner‘s most-recent release from jail – seventh time this year – North Delridge residents say he’s still stealing mail and packages. We got a text from one person last night, and today we heard from Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman, who says he’s been hearing from upset residents. He says, “I’d like to encourage people to call 911 if they see him stealing mail. SPD will respond and arrest him — again. We are just as frustrated with Mr. Turner’s continued criminal behavior as the residents of West Seattle, and we will continue to work with the King County Prosecutor’s Office to persuade the judge to keep him in custody.” Turner is tentatively set for trial in May on the four counts of felony stolen-mail possession filed against him in February. (Here’s the original police alert we published in February, including a police-provided photo.)
9:48 PM: A two-vehicle crash at Delridge/Sylvan has drawn a “rescue extrication” response, with people reported trapped in the vehicles. At least two people are reported to be seriously injured. At least part of that intersection is blocked.
10 PM: Added photo sent by Lori. The response was upsized to a “major rescue” because people needed to be extricated from both vehicles. As you can see from Lori’s photo above, firefighters had to remove the roof from one vehicle.
10:14 PM: Another photo above from Lori. Meantime, the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is arriving. Sylvan is blocked up the hill and this will be closed for several hours while they investigate. Two people have been taken to the hospital.
10:35 PM: Above is our photo of the wrecked cars. That’s the north side of Home Depot in the background. Waiting for SFD info on the conditions of the two people taken to the hospital.
19:49 PM: SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley says a man in his mid-20s was transported in serious condition, and a man in his early 20s was transported in stable condition.
11:00 PM: Police now say the two were the vehicles’ drivers and no one else was in either car and that one driver is being investigated for DUI. Sylvaan Way remains closed between High Point Drive and Delridge.
12:24 AM: Still closed.
9:13 AM: Additional information from police this morning – they now say the male driver of the red Chevrolet was westbound and “crossed the center line in the 7200 block of Sylvan Way and struck a blue Hyundai, driven by an adult female, which was coming down the hill.” The male driver is under investigation for suspected DUI.
ADDED MONDAY: In this comment, a family member says the blue Hyundai’s driver is actually a man in his mid-30s and is in stable condition.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today:
ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER STOLEN: Cole reports, “We had the catalytic converter stolen from our 2009 Kia Sportage last night on Erskine @ Hudson.” As we’ve been noting, this is a type of theft that’s been spiking nationwide, fueled by astronomical prices for a particular metal they use.
LAWN/GARDEN TOOLS STOLEN: Kevin reports this happened after 7 am today near 34th and Morgan, He says the thief was in a black BMW, plate beginning with BDE, and believes they first cased the area yesterday.
One West Seattle Crime Watch incident to report so far today: A shoplifting case classified as robbery because it turned violent/threatening. It was reported just after 10:30 this morning at the Westwood Village Ulta Beauty store. The initial police summary says three people – two female, one male – were in the store grabbing “many items” and stuffing them into bags. One threatened to shoot store staffers who confronted them, and then claimed he had COVID before lowering his mask as if he was about to spit on the staffers. The trio subsequently fled the store with an estimated $5,000 worth of merchandise. No description in the report we obtained, but police say the store has security video.
…several people have asked, so here’s what was happening: According to radio communication, a driver hit a house in the 2700 block of 49th SW, then got argumentative with the house’s residents. Somebody involved was reported to have mentioned a gun. Things seemed to be escalating and police briefly needed extra backup. It’s all being sorted out now; no injuries reported.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The driver, a 26-year-old woman, was booked into jail for investigation of DUI.
1:09 AM: Seattle Fire has a “scenes of violence” response going to 29th SW/SW Cambridge (by Roxhill Park). Police are there too. Updates to come.
1:13 AM: They’re reporting that a male victim has “what looks like a minor gunshot wound to the arm.’ A suspect is being sought.
1:18 AM: The alert just broadcast over police radio says this was a drive-by shooting, describing the vehicle as possibly a black 2000 Ford Taurus, last seen eastbound on SW Barton.
10:03 AM: We’ve obtained more details from police. They say it was more a drive-up shooting than a drive-by shooting. The victim was “in front of his truck next to (Roxhill P)ark” when a vehicle pulled up and two people got out, demanding the victim hand over his key fob so they could take his vehicle. He said no and ran; one of them shot at him, hitting him in the upper right arm. They drove away; 911 was called and the victim was taken to Harborview.
We reported on Wednesday that suspected repeat mail thief Jason A. Turner was in jail again, for the seventh time this year. Tonight, he’s out again, and we have some details of his most-recent arrest. Court documents show that police took him into custody just after 7 am Wednesday, after 911 calls about someone who appeared to be stealing mail. They found him in the 4700 block of Delridge, in possession of what the police report lists as 19 envelopes and 2 packages “belonging to more than 3 victims.” In court the next day, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested that bail be set at $10,000, arguing that he had a history of warrants as well as a pending trial, plus other cases. Judge Lisa Paglisotti set his bail at $750. No new charges were filed by his second appearance this afternoon, so he was released. That’s also why he was released March 19th, after his March 16th arrest for alleged theft from Home Depot. This doesn’t mean he won’t ever be charged in those cases – but prosecutors have to get investigation results from police before they can make a charging decision. Turner has no felony convictions on his record; a May date is tentatively set for his trial on the four felony charges filed last month.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT: Just got another reader report, from D, who says thieves took the catalytic converter from her 2003 Honda Element in an apartment parking lot near Avalon/Genesee. Elements are a hot target right now – you might recall our recent report about this happening to four in two days, including ours. Catalytic-converter theft is a nationwide problem, the Washington Post explained earlier this month, largely because of low supplies of, and high prices for, a metal called rhodium.
ARRESTED AGAIN: Two familiar names are on the King County Jail roster right now. Repeat mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner was booked this morning for investigation of theft. We haven’t been able to find out details of the arrest yet. This is his seventh jail booking since the first of the year. He was charged last month with four felony counts of stolen-mail possession. … Also on the jail roster since last night – though it appears he’s in the process of getting released – Jerry S. Plute Jr., one of the two men charged in last month’s Westwood Village burglary. The reason for his booking is listed as a failure-to-appear warrant in a domestic-violence assault case. As reported here last week, he and burglary co-defendant Rafael Meyers did not appear for arraignment in the Westwood Village case two weeks ago but the judge decided not to issue warrants.
ADDED 6:02 PM – AFTERNOON ARREST: A texter asked earlier about a sizable police presence near 35th/Morgan. We went over to check – all gone. But we just received some information from SPD: A person under Department of Corrections supervision had allegedly failed a drug test, a violation of supervision rules, so DOC was searching their vehicle. In it, they found “a Grendel 380 handgun and a small quantity of narcotics,” the summary says, so they called in SPD, which seized those items and arrested the suspect.
The photo and report were sent tonight by Tina – a stolen motorcycle to watch for:
I’m an apartment manager in the Alki neighborhood. A recently deceased tenant’s Harley-Davidson Electra Glide (photo attached) was stolen at 6:20 this morning. It was stolen from a parking space next to the alley on the 3000 block of 60th Ave SW.
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today;
STOLEN PLATES TRAVEL FAR: From Jay:
I wanted to reach out in case others in WS have had their plates stolen. Sometime this week the license plates were stolen off my Jeep near 35th and Barton. I was notified of this by the Auburn PD this morning when they called stating my vehicle was caught on video during a theft. My vehicle was still parked at home, but my plates had been swapped out to a very similar plate number (my plate started AVD, “new” plate started AAD and are from a stolen car). They even left my license plate frames and swapped over my current registration stickers to help make sure it was hard to notice. The Auburn PD let me know the vehicle used was also the same make, model, and color of my Jeep. The Auburn PD case # is 21-02833 and the SPD incident # is 2021-68789.
This afternoon we heard a conversation on police radio about other stolen plates, so keep close watch on yours – it might be a trend.
CAR-PROWL LOOT TO LOOK FOR: From Dan:
Our car was broken into last night in the Genesee Hill neighborhood (4100 block of 53rd Ave. SW). The only thing of value taken was a backpack full of golf discs, some with some sentimental value. It’s a green Dynamic Discs Paratrooper bag. There were a variety of discs in the bag, but they all have my initials and phone number on them.
No police-report number yet; let us know if you think you have found the bag and/or one or more of the discs, and we will connect you.
PAINTED PEEPHOLES: From Stefan:
We wanted to report that Friday 3/19 night or Saturday 3/20 morning, someone spray-painted over the peepholes on both doors of our 2-unit townhouse.
They also stole a toolbox that was cable locked to the bed of a neighbor’s pickup truck. We assume that they are related.
Our units are on the alley off Fauntleroy adjacent to FairmoUnt Park School. There have been a lot of incidents lately. Our car was broken into 6 weeks ago. Our immediate neighbor has had the catalytic converters stolen twice from his car, and the neighbor who lost the toolbox also had a scooter stolen from the same area. … We’ve owned our unit for 10 years and haven’t had this many issues combined previously. There is typically a lot of foot traffic in the alley since people are walking to Fairmount with kids and dogs.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
MAIL THEFT: Helen sent this just before 12:30 pm: “Just reported mail thief to 911. Seen at 25th SW/SW Brandon. Rummaging and stealing mail. Headed south on Delridge — Black man, gray fleece, black bandana as mask.”
CARS VANDALIZED: From Susan:
At least two cars in the 5000 block of California Ave SW were vandalized sometime between 5:30 p.m. on March 18 and 6:30 p.m. on March 19 (likely during the night). The vandals kicked the driver’s-side door of my car and the car behind me, leaving a large dent in each with a shoe print in the middle of the dent. … This has been reported to Seattle PD. Anyone else whose car sustained damage might want to report it. It seems likely that the vandals were just walking down the middle of the street kicking dents in cars. If anyone has any information, please comment. Thanks!
Here are five followups on cases we’ve been tracking via court records:
SOUTH DELRIDGE GUNFIRE: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 40-year-old Tony R. Britt with first-degree unlawful gun possession. Britt has been in jail since the incident we reported last Saturday, in which a passerby reported seeing a man firing a gun near 16th/Barton. Britt is a convicted felon, with a four-state record including convictions for assault, burglary, drugs, and theft, so it was illegal for him to have the 9mm handgun that police say was holstered in his waistband. Case documents say Britt first told police it wasn’t his, then pointed out that no one was hurt, and finally declared it was his “God-given right” to protect himself. They couldn’t check on the gun’s ownership because its serial number had been ground/etched off. He’s behind bars at the Regional Justice Center, bail set at $25,000, awaiting arraignment March 31st.
GAS-STATION CAR-THEFT SUSPECT: The 42-year-old arrested in an attempted car theft at the Delridge Arco on Tuesday isn’t charged yet in that case but he is charged in Kitsap County with second-degree assault, so we’re publishing his name: Jaycee C. Thompson. Details of that case aren’t available online except that the warrant for his arrest set bail at $100,000 when it was issued last month, putting him on the Kitsap sheriff’s “most wanted list.”
SWAT STANDOFF SUSPECT: Last Friday, we reported on an arrest following a SWAT standoff at Camp Second Chance. This suspect too turned out to have a warrant from another jurisdiction; 38-year-old Ricco Graves is not yet charged in the West Seattle incident but has been transferred to the federal detention center in SeaTac because of a federal warrant.
WESTWOOD VILLAGE BURGLARY SUSPECTS: Almost 3 weeks ago, we reported on the filing of charges against Rafael Meyers and Jerry Plute Jr., both 34, arrested after a break-in that left three business spaces damaged at Westwood Village last month. Both, you’ll recall, were released the next day. Records show neither appeared for their arraignment on March 10th, but King County Superior Court Judge Melinda Young declined to issue bench warrants, citing a state Supreme Court order in response to the pandemic giving judges that discretion. Days later, the court file shows, the court notice sent to Plute’s Top Hat address came back marked “moved, not here any more.” Online records show Meyers has two hearings scheduled next week for three prior felony burglary cases in which he is charged; Plute has no other cases pending.
REPEAT MAIL-THEFT SUSPECT: 37-year-old Jason A. Turner is back in jail for the second time since his release 16 days after he was charged with felony mail-theft. He is the man police have arrested multiple times on suspicion of mail theft, usually in the North Delridge area, a. This time, he was arrested elsewhere, accused of shoplifting $224 worth of merchandise from the SODO Home Depot; he had been ordered in January to stay out of all of the chain’s stores for three years. The KCPAO tells us they requested Wednesday that he be held on $5,000 bail; District Court Judge Fa’amomoi Masaniai set bail at half that. This arrest came four days after Turner spent a day in the South King County SCORE municipal jail for a theft warrant. He is due back in court this afternoon. (ADDED SATURDAY: He was released Friday night.)
Two incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch so far today;
CARJACKING: Details are few on this incident reported after 11:30 pm last night. A man told police he drove to the Arco station in the 7300 block of Delridge Way to meet a woman he knew. She was there along with a man the victim did not know. The man attacked the victim by pepper-spraying him in the eyes, and then took off, with the woman, in the victim’s 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. (So far no further description of the vehicle or thieves.)
HIT-RUN: Kylei is looking for witnesses to the hit-run in High Point that left this damage behind:
I wanted to report a hit and run in hopes one of our neighbors may have seen something. On Tuesday, March 16th my husband’s parked blue Ford Mustang was hit and run sometime between 12-12:30. The driver’s side was hit and the car was moved almost completely onto the curb. Our Ring camera didn’t pick up the event but you can clearly see the car was moved significantly between that time period. The car was parked on the corner of Holly and 34th. This is a busy area for people walking dogs; it’s hard to believe someone didn’t see it happen. Any information or tips are appreciated!
Two incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:
THWARTED THEFT #1: This happened after 10 pm last night at the Arco station at Delridge/Orchard. According to the preliminary SPD summary report, a man tried to steal a vehicle, but the victim was able to recover it “before the (thief) could drive it completely away from the scene.” The preliminary report adds, “During the incident, a handgun was discharged,” but doesn’t say whose gun or how (we have a followup question out on that). Police arrested a 42-year-old man and note that he “was found to have an outstanding $100,000 warrant for second-degree assault” (the jail roster shows the warrant is from Kitsap County).
ADDED 3:40 PM: We’ve obtained the detailed narrative. Police say the victim, who had a valid concealed-pistol license, fired a shot “into the ground” while trying to remove the suspect out of his car – but the bullet might have hit the suspect, who later complained of foot pain and was taken to the hospital to be treated for a suspected gunshot wound to the foot.
THWARTED THEFT #2: This happened around 7:30 pm Monday. According to the police-report narrative, a driver told police that a man she knew had tried to carjack her in the alley of an apartment complex in the 2500 block of SW Trenton. Though the would-be carjacker had a gun, according to the victim, she managed to hide the keys, and get out of the car; when someone shouted that police were coming, the suspect and a female companion ran to a vehicle described in the report as a “gold 4-door Volkswagen” and fled. No arrest reported.
J reports via email that this happened last night:
Car was broken into in the parking lot behind Starbucks at Fauntleroy and California between 5 pm and 7 pm. Smashed window and took backpack.
A black North Face backpack, to be specific, if you happen to see it dumped anywhere.
Sometimes what looks like an abandoned car really isn’t. But Carolyn says this one really seems abandoned and likely stolen:
ABANDONED MERCURY TRACER LS – SEDAN – SILVER/GRAY – NO PLATES
This car was abandoned on our street sometime early this morning, 3/15/21. Its doors are unlocked. License plates have been removed.
Interior has been trashed with garbage/food; smells like gas; empty gas-can inside car. Steering column has been trashed; appears to have been hot-wired. Appears that hood has been opened up/ didn’t check to see if there’s anything left in there; didn’t attempt to open trunk. Junk mail for 10235 37th Place SW was found next to car; mail may or may not be related to vehicle’s owner.Vehicle is located on SW 102nd between 38th SW and 39th SW, Arbor Heights neighborhood of West Seattle. We will give it a day or two before reporting to SPD in order to give the owner a chance to retrieve and avoid impound fees.
Two incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:
BUS-STOP ROBBERY: Just after 9 pm last night, someone was beaten and robbed by a person who followed them off a Metro Route 21 bus around 35th/Juneau. The initial police report says the robber “first approached” the victim on the bus; “a brief conversation ensued, and the victim got off the bus. The (robber) followed … then attacked the victim by punching them several times in the face, body and legs. Victim’s phone was destroyed during the attack, and the (robber) forcibly took the victim’s iPad Pro and ran off.” The victim was checked out by SFD for what the report described as minor injuries. No arrest, and the report does not include a description.
One reader report today:
GARAGE BURGLARY: After an early-morning garage break-in, Hans got some of the stolen items back, but a Santa Cruz mountain bike is still missing (photo and bike details here). His report:
Someone broke into our detached garage near the West Seattle water tower this morning at 5:51:20, and left at 5:56:20. Upon arrival they inspected car windows, then broke into garage – we immediately heard the garage, called the police at 5:52.
The burglars remained in the garage for 5 min, while the police triaged the situation. They biked away down Manning on the stolen bikes with bags of goods (see the list below). Police were able to intercept both of them around 37th and Manning, where they dumped goods and scattered. One ditched a bike (presumably because of flat tires) and went on foot through the Belvedere neighborhood, the other headed for the pedestrian bridge. They left behind several items, including a bike they came with, and items from other house(s) they had broken into. They emptied a hockey bag, (importantly: violating the most sacred of unwritten rules by coming in close contact with a hockey jockstrap/athletic supporter). Police did not fingerprint, but made a report.
Stolen items: Monitor, 2 bikes, Power Tools, hockey bag (with 1 single hockey skate, hockey shin pads, bluetooth speakers) and a couple of jerseys.
Police recovered 1 bike, monitor and tools, hockey gear, but mountain bike is still missing.
There was a Nest camera turned on on the garage (video); both suspects appear to be in t-shirt + sweatshirt combo, beanie hats.
Police report # is 20-062504.
In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:
SOUTH DELRIDGE GUNFIRE: We just got some police info on this late-afternoon incident. It started with 911 calls about possible gunfire around 4:40 pm (the police report mentions 16th/Barton; we heard scanner mentions at the time of 18th/Cambridge/Roxbury). One person told police they saw the shooter, and provided information that helped police find and arrest a suspect. They also found in the suspect’s possession, according to the initial summary, “a firearm (with an obliterated serial number) … as well as a magazine and shell casings).” The report adds, “Two spent shell casings were recovered at the scene as well. We did not locate a victim. The suspect was booked into KCJ as he is a convicted felon.”
One reader report:
ONE CAR PROWLED THREE TIMES: From Derek:
We live on 38th Ave SW, between Edmunds and Hudson. Since last August, we’ve had at least 3 attempted break-ins on our car, a 1999 Audi A4. Break-ins are by a common method for these vehicles; the perp pries a portion of the door handle off and attempts break/force the door to unlock. In the least it results in a broken door handle, dented and gouged door, broken lock cylinder, and a hefty repair bill. Worst case it leads to a stolen car. Attached picture shows the damage.
First attempt was in August, second early December, and third last night. In August we only figured it out after the damage was noted, in December through lucky timing I caught the person in action and was able to follow them until they got in their car and drove off. The third time was last night when we heard the car alarm go off at 9:30 or so. By the time we got outside the perp was gone.
In December when I saw the perp, they drove away in a silver 1995-2001 model year A4. I tried getting a picture of the license plate but came away with a low-light video but was able to remember the first letters of the license plate as BR. Third letter may have been B. Low light gave a pretty bad video but after putting freeze frame of the video through a couple of filters the last two numbers appeared to be 74.
P.S. The third Tuesday of the month is usually the monthly West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting a chance to hear from, and ask questions of, local police – no announcement yet but we will publish it if and when we get it.
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