In West Seattle Crime Watch tonight, two reader reports and two followups:

STOLEN CAR: From Kim:

My son’s car was stolen today for the second time this month! And it had a club on it and it’s a stick shift. We thought being manual would be a deterrent, but guess not. Luna Park area. 2003 red Subaru Impreza Outback BUZ 7132

Call 911 if you see it. (11:46 PM UPDATE: Found – see comment.)

PACKAGE THIEF: From Kyle:

We captured a porch thief on camera at our house (near 14th/Myrtle) at 3:19 am 2/17/21.

He stole a package of kids’ books that had been delivered at 11:34 pm that evening and was driving a silver sedan with front-door damage and the headlights off. A neighbor who found the empty box near 14th/Holly St this afternoon was kind enough to bring it back to tip us off. We just recently installed brighter driveway lights to try and deter thieves. … It appears it may be the same person who prowled our car on 12/12/20.

Police report # is 21-040361.

Also – updates tonight in two cases we’ve been reporting on:

MAIL-THEFT SUSPECT CHARGED: For the first time, repeat mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner is facing felony charges. Two days after his latest arrest – third one this month – the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged him today with four counts of possession of stolen mail. The charges cover thefts from residences along more than a mile of Delridge Way plus Myrtle, Juneau, and 23rd, but the investigation documentation also mentions victims on 25th, 26th, and Brandon – dozens of people, and hundreds of pieces of mail. As noted in our report Wednesday, a federal postal inspector is investigating him too. Turner remains in jail tonight, bail set at $2,500.

WESTWOOD VILLAGE BURGLARY SUSPECTS OUT: The two 34-year-old men arrested for allegedly breaking into Westwood Village stores on Wednesday are out of jail. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office asked for $10,000 bail on one, $1,000 the other; in both cases, law enforcement officially opposed their release. But Judge Lisa Paglisotti let both go on personal recognizance, and they were released tonight. That does not mean they won’t eventually be charged. Both have felony records including drug and vehicle-prowling cases. Earlier in the day, police released photos of the damage done to walls in three business spaces at Westwood, at Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor), Sport Clips, and the former Fresh Vitamins space on the building’s north side.

(SPD photo)

The SPD Blotter post also shows the gun police say was stolen from one of the businesses.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:

STOLEN SUBARU: Reported via email:

Our neighbor’s car was stolen at about 10:30 pm on 2/17. It’s a 1990 Subaru Loyale. License WA 659YTG. Gatewood area.

Call 911 if you see it.

11:01 AM UPDATE: Per comment, it’s been found.

BUSINESS BURGLARY: Reported via text from owner Denise at Seattle Style Salon in Sunrise Heights:

I had a break in through the my back door at 12:21 on February 15th. The police arrived at around 2:00 am. Damaged the door, will need to be replaced. Not usable. Have had it boarded up. I believe the alarm scared the criminals and were only in a short time. Stole about $300-$400 in retail. I have reason to believe the were male do to the footprints left in the snow. Thought I would report so all the neighbors know. My back door has entry through an alley.

Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reports today:

ANOTHER PHARMACY ROBBERY: Third one in West Seattle in five days – the Jefferson Square Bartell Drugs on Saturday, the Westwood Village Rite Aid on Monday, and today QFC in The Junction. We obtained the police report after a tip about the robbery. It happened around 9:30 this morning. There was one robber this time, described in the report as “a Black male, approximately 5’10 – 6’2, slim, wearing a black beanie, blue surgical mask, black puffy jacket, black pants, and black sneakers with white bottoms.” He pulled what looked like the handle of a gun and demanded Percocet. When an employee hesitated, he yelled, “Do you really want to die over Percocet?” He was given a bottle of pills and fled out the store’s front door. Security video showed it all lasted less than two minutes. Asked about the first two robberies at last night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, Southwest Precinct Lt. Dorothy Kim said it’s believed these are part of a ring responsible for a “regional” series of holdups.

STOLEN CAR: The report and photo are from Angela:

My car was stolen from Holden qnd 35th Ave SW sometime between 10 pm and 8:30 am, case #2021-039912.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Angela has commented below to say her car’s been found.

(UPDATED 8:50 PM with Prosecuting Attorney’s Office information about past cases)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Last Thursday, we published a police alert about 37-year-old Jason A. Turner, who they describe as a “prolific mail thief” who focuses on North Delridge.

This morning he’s in jail again, after a second arrest in four days. Police say they objected to his release after Saturday’s arrest but he was let go Monday anyway – then arrested again on Tuesday.

According to the police-report narrative from Saturday’s arrest, officers spotted Turner “walking near Sylvan Way/Delridge Way” just after 3 pm. fitting the description of a suspect in two reports of mail theft that day. The report says he had pieces of mail stuffed into his clothing: “Without being asked, Turner stated he goes into mailboxes to get mail because he is looking for good things to sell.” Police say he was in possession of “14 total pieces from 3 different addresses, with 4 different names,” none of them his. That qualified as a potential felony (RCW 9A.56.370). After he was arrested and read his rights, the report adds, he told police “he was specifically looking for credit cards that people had applied for because he has had success using those in the past.” Turner was booked into jail but released Monday evening, without bail being set.

Then on Tuesday, according to SW Precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman, officers arrested Turner again “after responding to a 911 call that he was stealing mail along 25th Ave SW (near SW Brandon St).” That was one of two calls, the first at 7:46 am, just 13 hours after he got out of jail. Capt. Grossman says one caller recognized the suspect from the photo we published last week. This time, police say, they recovered nearly 200 pieces of stolen mail.

Turner will likely have a first-appearance hearing today and police will again ask that he not be released on personal recognizance. They say the case that one detective will send to prosecutors includes a 2020 mail-theft case with ~20 victims, a more-recent case alleging mail theft and forgery with almost 50 victims, an attempted car prowl, plus these brand-new cases. Police also say another detective has been investigating a January mail-theft case. Records show no previous felony charges against Turner, but he has two open cases in which he’s been charged with misdemeanors.

What about federal charges for mail theft? you might wonder. Police say a USPIS Inspector also was called to the precinct to interview Turner before he wa taken to jail, where he’s been since just after 2 pm Tuesday.

This is his third arrest this month. After the first one, on February 3rd, prosecutors told police that they did not push to keep him in custody because a judge was unlikely to require bail given that it was a non-violent crime and that Turner had a “limited warrant history.” We have asked the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for comment on their policies – if commenting on this specific case is not possible – and will update this story when we hear back, as well as when we get word on what happens in court today.

5:46 PM: The jail register says bail was set for Turner today – $2,500. We also have received a response from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and will add that later this evening.

8:50 PM: KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney responded with information about Turner’s history as applies to their office, going back to 2017.

Read More

(Monday photo sent by Chuck)

A court hearing this afternoon yielded more information in the case against 47-year-old Brent D. Comer, arrested Monday and accused of hitting a pedestrian and three other vehicles while trying to escape police in a motorhome going downhill in reverse (here’s our original coverage). WSB policy is generally not to identify suspects before charges are filed; Comer is also being held on a warrant in a case in which he is charged, so we are publishing his name now. More on that shortly. A judge found probable cause today to hold Comer in this new case, but he did not appear in court, so bail will be addressed at a hearing tomorrow.

The probable-cause documents say an SPD sergeant was trying to pull over Comer after noticing that the RV’s registration had expired three years ago. At the time, the RV was westbound on West Marginal Way, heading toward Delridge. The sergeant had lights on and activated siren bursts, but the motorhome ran the light and headed southbound on Delridge, then westbound on Andover, before going into reverse, hitting a car, a pickup truck, and a tanker truck before coming to a stop. Police say Comer then bailed out of the motorhome and ran, but was caught nearby. They say they saw suspected black-tar heroin and needles in the RV, and that Comer later claimed he was headed to visit his girlfriend in Pigeon Point; before he was arrested, he approached a resident on Delridge and asked for a ride to her house. Probable-cause documents list his address as in Kirkland. That’s the same address on documents from charges filed against him in another case, involving an alleged assault on a former girlfriend in Redmond. Those charges are for assault and auto theft, saying he punched his ex-girlfriend in the face and stole her car in December 2018. The charging documents in that case note, “Since 2004, 5 different court venues have imposed 8 orders under 5 unique case numbers protecting 3 other women and 1 child from the defendant.” The warrant in that case is for failing to appear at a hearing. Back to the Monday incident in West Seattle – the injured pedestrian is expected to survive, according to an update just shared at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting that’s under way right now.

Another armed robbery at a West Seattle business, third one in three days: This one happened last night at 8:30 pm at the gas-station mini-mart in the 7800 block of Detroit Avenue SW. The initial police summary says only that there were two robbers and that the clerk was not hurt. Officers told dispatchers that both robbers were described as Black, male, and wearing dark clothing. We don’t know yet whether police are investigating possible links between any of the recent robberies.

Two West Seattle pharmacies have been robbed in the past three days. The first one happened around noon Saturday at Bartell Drugs in Jefferson Square. We haven’t been able to obtain the police report yet but a store employee told us via email that the robber was “an armed Black male, about 5’7”, in dark clothing and a medical mask.” We do have the initial police report on a robbery at 12:25 pm today at Rite Aid in Westwood Village, describing the two robbers there “as two Black males, thin build, 5’5″ and 5’10, both wearing dark clothing, and one carried a black Adidas gym bag. One displayed a handgun.” The report says the two “jumped the pharmacy counter and demanded oxycodone from the pharmacist.” They were given “an unknown amount of pills,” police say, and left. No arrests reported yet.

The photo and report are from John:

9:22 AM: Work truck stolen from 56th Ave SW and Jacobsen Rd at 6:15 this AM – 2/10/21. Vehicle headed north on Beach Drive. The “follow” car was a black or dark Subaru Forester. If seen, please contact John at 206-795-9202 and/or contact Seattle police [911] and reference case #21-34370.

7:34 PM: John says the truck’s been found on Pigeon Point.

Here’s a distinctively painted stolen car to look for. The report and photo are from Yvette:

ORIGINAL REPORT: Our car was stolen. We discovered it missing today, Tuesday, February 9, from the parking lot of the apartment building we live in in North Delridge. We have reason to believe it was stolen overnight. It is a 1991 Honda Civic 3-door. The original color is red, but the roof has been painted gray, as has the front, and there are multi-colored squares stenciled onto the hood and the sides. License plate is: 756-ZOQ.

If you see it, call 911.

ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: A WSB reader found it on Puget Ridge.

12:05 PM: Lisa emailed to alert West Seattle neighbors that catalytic-converter theft is still a problem – sometime last night, someone stole the catalytic converter from her Honda Element. This happened near the intersection of 35th and Andover. The thefts have been going on for a long time; this Crime Watch report from last fall included some advice on protecting your vehicle.

1:16 PM: Amy mentioned this in a comment and then emailed:

I caught 3 men trying to steal mine off my Honda Element this morning around 4:30 am in the Sylvan Heights neighborhood. Here is a picture of the suspects’ vehicle, no plates.

The driver did threaten me as they drove off …

SIDE NOTE: As JT points out in a comment below, the New York Times reports today that catalytic-converter theft is a nationwide problem.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:

CAR STOLEN: Posted in the WSB Community Forums – a black 2013 Ford C-Max stolen this morning from 9th/Barton, plates BWN5798. Call 911 if you see it.

BICYCLES STOLEN FROM GARAGE: The photos and report are from Paul:

We live in Seaview on 49th and had two black Marin Fairfax SC bikes, sizes M and L, stolen out of our garage between 4 am and 5 am [early Thursday]. The thief also took Ortlieb panniers, and other small things. One of the bikes has a follow-me-tandem attachment on it. We have security video of the thief but for some reason our motion sensor did not trigger the alarm. Our son had left the door open, unfortunately.

The bikes also both have rear racks (not shown in the photo). Police report 2021-902137

Three items in West Seattle Crime Watch:

RAPE CHARGE FILED: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that it has charged a 27-year-old man with second-degree rape in an attack at a Junction bus stop early Monday. Mahdi M. Hussein is accused of approaching and assaulting the 21-year-old victim on a bench at the California/Alaska transit hub. The victim pushed him away and fled, the court documents say, but Hussein followed, and assaulted the victim again before 911 was called around 3 am. Court documents say Hussein has one past conviction, for theft, nine years ago. He remains in King County Jail, bail set at $75,000. (added) KCPAO notes in its announcement, “Through yesterday (Feb. 3), this case is the 20th rape case filed this year by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. In 2020, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed 187 rape cases (through Dec. 10). In 2019, we filed 117 cases.”

Also, two items from Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner:

PARK PATROLS: We’ve reported multiple times recently on car break-ins at Westcrest Park. Here’s an update from the precinct:

The Seattle Parks Department and SPD have been made aware of ongoing concerns at Westcrest Park, near the dog park, in the parking lot. Community members in the area have noted suspicious activity and an increase in car prowls in the area. We are working with the Parks Department to put up additional signage to remind folks to remove valuables from their vehicles, and we are working on additional patrols. We would like to encourage community members to be extra aware, and to call 911 immediately to report noticeable suspicious activity.

SPEAKING OF CALLING 911: A recent citywide trend has led to this reminder:

In West Seattle Crime Watch today:

THEFT CHARGE IN 4-DIGIT SHOPLIFT: A 32-year-old man accused of walking out of the California SW Rite Aid store with a shopping cart full of items is charged with felony second-degree theft – while awaiting trial on other similar charges. The charging documents say Nicholas A. Meinig was arrested last Tuesday evening. A clerk spotted Meinig heading toward the exit and asked, “A whole cart?” The documents say Meinig responded, “Hell yeah!” The store manager tried to follow him and called 911. Police stopped Meinig near California/Edmunds and say he confessed to stealing the items, described as “a variety of printer cartridges, health-care products, and beauty-care products.” The store totaled the items’ value at $3,111; he was also found in possession of a knife and several items that police believe were stolen elsewhere. In the case documents, police describe Meinig as “very active and prolific in committing multiple high-dollar thefts from several victim businesses in the Seattle area over the last few years,” with 29 arrests on his record and a felony-theft conviction. He’s also awaiting trial on two other felony-theft charges from other areas of Seattle – one from a November shoplifting incident involving $1,245 in items taken from a Safeway store, and the other from an April incident involving $1,154 in items taken from a PCC store. Though court documents seldom have photos, the one from that April case included these:

Meinig has been in jail since his arrest last Tuesday, with bail set at $5,000.

APARTMENT BURGLARY: A texter sent this video after a storage-area break-in at a building in the 7000 block of California SW early Sunday:

The intruders are believed to have cased the area at midnight and then returned around 4 am. The SPD report # is 21-025694.

In West Seattle Crime Watch:

EARLY MORNING BURGLARY: Erin says this happened just before 5:30 am today:

Two people attempted to break into our home again today. This time we were home. We hid in our 5-year=old son’s room and called the police. It only took 7 mins for the police to arrive.

It was terrifying. They attempted to enter in the same way as before by climbing up the drain pipe and scaling access the facade. They also tried to break the glass on our front door.

We are in the new Steel Building on Delridge, between Puget and Brandon. Behind the old cafe. A kind, local unhoused person yelled at them before the police arrived and assisted the police with a description.

2 GUNFIRE REPORTS: We don’t have full details on either incident, but a texter sent this video from the first one, before 9 pm at 32nd SW and SW Andover:

Incident # is 21-024607. The second one was reported very early this morning in the 7100 block of 18th SW; we heard some police-radio discussion of the response to multiple 911 calls from people who thought they heard gunfire, but no evidence of it until the call turned up as classified “drive-by shooting,” incident # 21-024757. No reported injuries in either incident.

Three days after a robbery rampage on the east side of The Junction, 35-year-old Lloyd C. Hill, Jr., is charged with three felonies – two counts of robbery, one count of hate crime. All three crimes happened outside The Whittaker at Fauntleroy/Alaska last Tuesday night, starting just before 8 pm, according to the charging documents, which say that first he held up two people leaving the building, then four people sitting in their car eating, and then waved his gun at a man using the ATM inside the BECU lobby. When a woman waiting in a car for that man got out, she told police, Hill said to her, “Go back to your country – I’m going to kill your husband.” She stepped back; he eventually walked away. By that time the first victims had called 911, and police found Hill by the Bank of America a block to the west.

As noted in our coverage, he was found with a “realistic”-looking airsoft pistol; charging documents also say he had about $48 in cash, close to the sum of what the first two victims handed over at gunpoint. Hill had just gotten out of jail three weeks earlier, after one week behind bars for a case in which he was charged with stabbing a man who tried to interrupt Hill’s assault on a woman outside a Kirkland bar. In that case, he got out after posting bond on $50,000 bail; in the West Seattle case, his bail is now set at %250,000. His record shows two threat cases – one for threatening to kill his girlfriend during an argument, the other for threatening to kill a police officer who was directing traffic downtown – both in 2013.

Two reader reports today in West Seattle Crime Watch, about recurring problems:

CONDO BREAK-INS: From Larry:

City Lights on Harbor Condominiums, at 2349 Harbor Ave SW, has experienced multiple burglaries, which include 4 garage break-ins, and 3 instances of car prowls/break-ins. Property was ransacked and stolen. These happened over multiple days and evenings within the past two weeks. The case number is 2021-020761.

PARK CAR PROWLS: From Sue:

People have been getting their car windows smashed out for several months now at Westcrest in both the north and south parking lots. There was a suspect caught in the act (Wednesday) but was able to get away. The car the suspect was in is a Mercedes silver sedan, plate number BUZ6—. If you are parked at Westcrest and see this car, please call 911.