In West Seattle Crime Watch:

STOLEN TOYOTA TRUCK: Victoria‘s Tacoma was stolen from the 4500 block of Glenn Way:

It was taken some time between 11 pm and 6:30 am. It is a blue 2015 Toyota Tacoma, it’s lifted and has a custom grill, light bar on top and in the custom bumper. The plate number is C45948P; the report number is 19-473574.

If you see it, call 911.

CAR BREAK-IN/THEFT ATTEMPT: Via text – “Was going to go to work, my front driver-side car door was left open. They pulled out my Ignition, tried to start the car and couldn’t. It has a safety lockup, so they just grabbed everything they could in the car.” This happened near California/Raymond.

STORE INTRUDER: CAPERS in The Junction reported an intruder in their store around noontime Sunday who they believe matched the description of the intruder reported at Holy Rosary. He was found in their office area. They do not believe anything was taken

Reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

CHURCH PROWLER: From Holy Rosary pastor Fr. Matthew Oakland:

Today after our last Mass at Holy Rosary, while decorating the church for Christmas, an unknown man was in the church standing behind columns, shifting his position so as to be less visible as the decorating crew were moving about. He was later found by one of the staff in the sacristy going through all of the cabinets, after making an unsuccessful walkthrough earlier as there were still people there. When confronted, he asked if an unknown person was there, was upset at being suspected of theft when asked what exactly he was looking for, and then made a hasty exit toward the Junction.

During this season of such great generosity, this is a reminder especially to our neighboring houses of worship of the unfortunate need to always be mindful and on alert.

Description: About 5’10”, slim to medium build, about 50 years old, African American, wearing a gray close fitting hat and gray jacket with dark pants.

PACKAGE THIEF: Mary says the area around 30th/Holden had multiple reports of a package thief/prowler today.

See a closer-up framegrab here

PROWLER: No visual but we also received a text of a prowler active in Fauntleroy, near 45th/Austin.

This happened to Laura overnight:

I wanted to pass along Incident #19-471877. My car was parked on Harbor Ave SW [2400 block]. Someone broke into to my 15-year-old car. They attempted to steal it as well, but were unsuccessful. They stole emergency cash, emergency car kit, emergency survival kit, and a bag or two full of donations.

Please remind folks to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity. My car doors were locked and I did not have anything out in view. Bad people suck.

“If he is out of custody, he is committing violent crimes. If he is supervised, he is committing violent crimes.” That’s how prosecutors describe 19-year-old John Leota, a West Seattle resident, in the robbery charge just filed against him. Leota is one of the additional potential suspects under investigation in the recent robbery “spree.” He was jailed a week ago in connection with warrants on other pending cases, then charged today with one of the holdups in that “spree,” at a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop downtown in September. Others who allegedly participated in the holdup include the 17-year-old recently arrested by SWAT officers at his High Point home and charged in the Lucky 5 robbery in West Seattle. Other cases pending against Leota include a street robbery in North Seattle, domestic violence, and shoplifting thousands of dollars in merchandise from grocery and music stores. His bail was set today at $300,000 and he remains in the King County Jail.

From Patricia:

A dark gray Mercedes Sprinter cargo van (high top) was stolen right in front of the owner’s house in the 2300 block of Walnut Ave SW around 1 am today.

Neighbor saw a large white van type vehicle in the middle of Walnut Ave SW (not parked). Sounded like a diesel engine. Wondered if Amazon delivery, but so late. Then within literally a minute the gray van was stolen and driving down the street. Police were immediately contacted and it has been reported. Please watch for the gray Mercedes Sprinter but also beware of a very large white cargo van that is stealing vehicles quickly and quietly.

We will add the stolen van’s plate # when we get it.

TUESDAY NIGHT UPDATE: The van’s been found, but with its contents stolen, Patricia explains in a comment below..

Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

GUNFIRE: We got multiple questions/reports about a Friday night incident near 9th and Henderson in Highland Park. The scene cleared before we arrived, but we requested the report narrative from police today:

On Saturday at approximately 6:40 pm, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 800 block of SW Henderson Street. Officers were flagged down by a woman who stated she was pulling out of her driveway when she heard shots and believed she was being shot at. There was no damage to her car and no one in the vehicle was injured.

However, officers did locate spent shell casings in the street on 9th Ave SW. It appears that there was some bullet damage to a house next door to the woman who called police, but fortunately no one was injured. Officers collected the evidence and the Gang Unit will handle the follow-up investigation.

BURGLARY: Though the recent spike appears to have subsided, burglars are still at work in West Seattle. From Jason, west of Fairmount Park:

I’m alarmed to say I witnessed a burglary as I entered the alley between 41st and 42nd last Thursday around noon. A silver Nissan Murano was idling there facing south, with a woman in the driver’s seat, while a man came out of the backyard of (a house in the 5400 block of) 42nd Ave SW with a plastic tub in his arms, his face covered with a cloth neck warmer, jumped into the car and they sped off south down the alley. I tried to take a picture of the car’s plate, but unfortunately didn’t do so in time to get a clear picture. I called 911 to report the crime.

I contacted my neighborhood watch group by email, and they eventually got in touch with the owner of the house, who confirmed her house had been ransacked. An officer from SPD followed up with me as well to notify me that this vehicle fits the description of one that has been implicated in several burglaries in the area. A Latino man and woman appear to be responsible.

This burglary’s incident # is 19-459483.

SCAM CALLS: So many lately – and so many different scam attempts. Maggie reports this one today: “Just got a recorded scam call saying it was from Seattle City Light and that my service would be turned off in 30-45 minutes. Beware out there! Don’t press one or any other buttons these recordings say.” Here’s City Light advice on protecting yourself.

The guitars in the photos were stolen from Jakob in a vehicle break-in early this morning:

Stolen guitars from (5600 block of) Delridge Way SW. Taylor Acoustic 814CE Jakob Singer written on the case. Tape holding in battery by jack. 2004 Les Paul Standard tobacco sunburst. No pick guard with warn finger marks by volume knob.

SPD incident # is 19-462306.

(WSB photo, Wednesday afternoon)

10:57 AM: We’ve confirmed that at least two suspects have been arrested in a recent series of armed business robberies, and that at least one remains in jail today, an 18-year-old held in lieu of $500,000 bail. His arrest traces back to last Wednesday’s stop of a stolen car near Roxhill Park (photo above), but he was not one of the four people taken into custody at the time. As a result of that stop, though, detectives developed information that led them to this suspect. Here’s how the preliminary probable-cause documents explain it:

The documents specifically mention a MetroPCS phone-store holdup earlier Wednesday afternoon in Burien, involving four masked robbers, one with a gun. Detectives who responded “were aware of an ongoing robbery series, which included the robbery of another MetroPCS store on November 30th” (this one in White Center) and a stolen gray 2014 Toyota Camry linked to some of the robberies, carjacked in Seatac on November 27th. But something else – not specified in these preliminary documents – led them to pull over the stolen black Toyota Prius at 30th/Cambridge. Not long thereafter, they found the Camry in High Point – we photographed it that night but couldn’t confirm its connection until now.

(WSB photo, Wednesday night)

The documents say police subsequently “found the cash register that was taken from the MetroPCS in Burien in the area …pried open (and) empty.” On Friday, detectives spotted the 18-year-old suspect at 27th/Trenton and followed him to Southwest Athletic Complex, where they arrested him. The court documents say they found an unloaded gun in his pocket, and that he’s a convicted felon so should not have been armed. The report indicates it was a theft conviction and that law enforcement would object to his release (a standard yes/no question on these documents) because “(the suspect) and associates have been on a robbery spree for the past few weeks. The robbery crew has been armed and physically assaulted victims.” Meantime, SPD has just confirmed to WSB that last Friday’s SWAT-involved arrest in High Point involved a juvenile suspect in the spree:

(WSB photo, Friday afternoon)

That unfolded not far from where the Camry was found Wednesday night. SPD says they’ll have more info on all this later today; we’ll update when it’s available.

ADDED 12:14 PM: Here’s what’s now on SPD Blotter. Additional details: The suspect arrested in High Point is 17; the spree involved “approximately a dozen armed robberies in West Seattle, Ballard, Sea-Tac, Burien and White Center over the past several weeks”; and they’re still expecting to arrest others.

ADDED 3:55 PM: We’ve just obtained the probable-cause documents related to the 17-year-old suspect. They say he confessed to eight armed robberies. The ones for which he is being held include the phone-store robberies, a shoplift-turned-robbery at Roxbury Safeway on November 29th, and two robberies we’ve previously reported on – the Lucky 5 holdup at 35th/Henderson on December 1st and an alley holdup in The Junction (which was followed up, police say, by the robbers returning to steal the victim’s car). The documents also say the 17-year-old was found, when arrested, to have a gun, and as was the case with the 18-year-old, that was illegal because he too has a felony record – two robbery convictions. (added) On second reading of the documents, we note the 17-year-old was also reported to have confessed to “various thefts of cash registers, packages from the porch of a residence, as well as liquor from grocery stores.”

The photo and report are from Rosalie:

While we were driving home last night at 5:45 pm on SW Manning Street at 36th Avenue SW, a red Toyota vehicle heading south on 36th, ran a stop sign and hit the right front side of our car. The Toyota left the scene headed west on SW Manning, then south on Belvidere Ave. A police report was filed. If anyone has a video surveillance system that possibly recorded the vehicle anywhere on 36th, Manning or Belvidere, we’d greatly appreciate that you contact the SW Precinct at 206-625-5011.

If you can help, refer to case # 19-453333.

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

WARRANT: Several people have asked about this; the SWAT officers in High Point this afternoon were there to serve a warrant. No other details yet.

PROWLER: From Brian west of The Junction:

Caught someone looking through windows and trying to open our front door today. Near 47th and Alaska. Reported to police and they came by about 15 mins later to check on the house. He went North. Please post video.

The incident # is 19-451485.

PREVENTION: From Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, the latest newsletter focuses on burglary/robbery prevention, with a seasonal emphasis:

(WSB photo from September 19, 2017)

2:22 PM: We’re at the county courthouse downtown, where the jury has just announced its verdicts in the trial of Anna Kasparova and Abel Linares-Montejo, charged in the September 2017 shooting death of 25-year-old Edixon Velasquez outside his Westwood home. Kasparova, 23, guilty of 1st-degree murder. Linares-Montejo, 21, guilty of 1st-degree murder. Both were found to have used a gun in the commission of the crime. He was accused of firing the deadly shots – ostensibly during a robbery attempt – after Kasparova, who had dated Velasquez, got him to come outside and help her park her car. She was arrested a few days after the early-evening shooting; he was arrested two weeks later. After closing arguments on Monday afternoon, the 8-woman, 4-man jury deliberated 2 1/2 days. More to come….

2:43 PM: Their sentencing date will be set later; both have been in jail since their arrests in fall 2017. The trial lasted a month, and Superior Court Judge Kristin Richardson thanked the jurors in open court for their service during a “long (and) difficult trial.” As deputies took them back to jail after the verdict, Kasparova was crying; Linares-Montejo told family/friends in the gallery, “I’ve got faith in God … I’m still coming home.” Someone said, apparently referring to the jury, “I hope they’re happy”; someone else responded, “No one’s happy.”

1:09 PM: From Jen: “Someone just notified me of an open suitcase in front of my house at 35th and Cloverdale. The suitcase is a green roller. Brand is Head. I brought it up to my porch. It looks to be all clothing and I don’t see any ID inside.” That’s in the general area that’s had a spike of burglaries/car prowls lately, so could be stolen/dumped. If you’re missing a packed suitcase like that, contact us and we’ll connect you.

1:37 PM: Photo added.

(WSB photo)

That was the scene at 30th SW and SW Cambridge, just west of Roxhill Park, around 3:30 pm. Police pulled over a stolen car; we were pointed to the King County Sheriff’s Office for comment, since the car was their case. KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Ryan Abbott tells WSB four people were arrested, and it’s likely more than an auto-theft case. We asked about radio exchanges indicating a possible link to robbery cases, as well as a possibly related car found in High Point. Sgt. Abbott’s reply: “We do believe they are involved in robberies; which ones, we don’t know yet.” The area’s been hit with several 4-robber holdups lately; we’ve covered two – last Saturday at a White Center phone store, and last Sunday at the 35th/Henderson Lucky 5 (here’s our followup) . Investigators are still working on all this; more information is expected tomorrow.