West Seattle, Washington
25 Friday
Two quick West Seattle Crime Watch notes before our bridge-decision coverage continues:
STOLEN VEHICLE: Alison reports, “I live in the Admiral District and my car (1997 white Subaru Outback Impreza) was stolen last night off California. License plate BHA1397. Small bear sticker on the back, crack in windshield.” Call 911 if you see it (or any other known stolen car).
PACKAGE THIEF ON VIDEO: The security video (see it here) is from Molly, who says the theft happened on her Gatewood porch last night, near 41st/Holden.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch reports today:
ATTACK CHARGE: A convicted killer is back in jail, charged with attacking a 73-year-old man in West Seattle. We didn’t hear about this incident when it happened, but learned of the charge: Court documents say the victim was walking with his wife near 35th and Morgan last Wednesday morning when 42-year-old Lonnie W. Jones punched him, unprovoked, knocking him down and sending him to the hospital. Police found Jones nearby, and learned he had been in the area a while, kicked out of the West Seattle Food Bank earlier in the morning. Charging documents say Jones was convicted of murder for killing a man during a home-invasion robbery in Federal Way in 1996. Court records show he was released in 2013, and found guilty the next year of assaulting his wife during a fight at her sister’s Highland Park apartment. His bail is set at $100.000.
Three reader reports:
VANDALISM: Senior Center of West Seattle executive director Amy Lee Derenthal tells WSB that a second-floor window was broken by someone overnight. “Looks like maybe a wine bottle was used because there’s a broken one on the sidewalk below the window,” she added.
PACKAGE THIEF ON VIDEO: Soren sent the clip and report:
Just reaching out regarding a package theft (in the 4800 block of) 26th Ave SW. Got a phone call from a neighbor right after it happened, camera footage is super clear; unfortunately, no license plate number is visible.
MAIL THEFT: From Philippe:
I wanted to report that our & the neighbors’ mailbox at Delridge & Trenton was broken into sometime Saturday afternoon to Sunday early afternoon. All of the mailboxes for us and neighbors were opened. Not sure if the thieves got away with anything. One neighbor reported also Monday that some of those same boxes were re-opened.
Everyone should, if they can, remove their mail ASAP after it is delivered, to be safe.
West Seattle has seen three confirmed gunfire incidents in the past four days. The first one, early Saturday in The Triangle, didn’t leave anyone with gunshot wounds, but did raise other issues, and we followed up.
First – the police report, with more details on what officers were told happened.
(WSB photos)
11:41 AM: Big police/fire response for ‘scenes of violence’ incident in the 6900 block of 24th SW. One person is reported seriously hurt. We just arrived in the area and will update shortly.
11:46 AM: Police tell us the victim is a man shot multiple times. They are trying to talk a possible suspect out of a house.
11:48 AM: Officers have entered the house.
11:59 AM: They’ve brought out two people for questioning. Neighbors tell us this is an ongoing nuisance house so they are not surprised. This is near the scene of last week’s RV fire and they say that RV used to park by this house. Detectives are expected to be on scene a while.
12:20 PM: The search isn’t over – police are now using a K-9 in the area.
12:51 PM: Checking city files, this address has been the subject of 12 code-violation complaints in the past 8 months, most recently less than a week ago, for trash, vehicles, camping, alleged illegal activity of various types. At least two resulted in citations.
1:27 PM: SFD says the victim, a man in his late 20s, was in critical condition when transported. SPD says the man was “exchanging gunfire with another man” and adds:
Around 11:30 AM, the suspect arrived at a house in the 6900 block of 24th Avenue Southwest. After an altercation in the home, the suspect and at least one other person in the home exchanged gunfire. The suspect fled the home and collapsed in the street, while the other person believed to have fired shots fled. … Officers are now searching the area for the person who fled the home.
The location where this incident occurred is known to officers in the Southwest Precinct, and SPD has been working with multiple city departments and neighbors to address ongoing community concerns at the home.
3:42 PM: We’re checking back with SPD to see if anyone’s been arrested yet. We’ve also asked the City Attorney’s Office Precinct Liaison for this area, Joseph Everett, about the ongoing situation; he says, “We are in the process of reviewing whether SPD can legally declare the property to be a chronic nuisance under SMC Chapter 10.09.” (Here’s what that means.)
4:37 PM: No arrests yet. CSI is still on scene:
ORIGINAL 7:42 PM REPORT: Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:
STOLEN VEHICLE FOUND … ON ITS SIDE: On Sunday, we published Jim‘s report of his family’s stolen CR-V. It was found early this morning … after this crash:
Whoever was driving the car when it crashed near 34th and 97th in Arbor Heights subsequently bolted. Arlene sent the photo and said the driver was described as “a young man” wearing a black ski mask, blue jacket, and jeans. We confirmed with Jim tonight that it was indeed his CR-V, totaled. A parked car was reported to have been damaged too.
MAIL THEFT: From Kelly: “Mail theft from 22nd Ave between Thistle and Trenton. All mailboxes were opened including multiple locked boxes. I had a package stolen.”
ADDED 8:14 PM – ROBBERY INVESTIGATION: Police are north of The Junction right now investigating a reported street robbery near Holy Rosary. Officers have told dispatch that they’re looking for three suspects, Black men 18-22, all about 6′ and thin, all wearing face coverings and blue jeans, one in a white shirt, one with a black handgun, all of whom got away in a metallic blue 4-door sedan. No details so far on the robbery victim, circumstances, or what was taken.
ADDED 10:18 AM TUESDAY: Just got the report narrative on the robbery:
XXXX stated that she was walking from her home in the 4500 block of 40 Av SW to the restaurant located at 41XX California Av SW. She stated she was walking northbound in the 4400 block of 42 Av SW when an unknown year, make, model, four-door sedan, metallic blue in color traveling southbound on 42 Av SW suddenly pulled up next to her. XXXXXX believed the vehicle was stopping to pick up a possible [ride-share] customer.
XXXXX stated three Black males, 18-22 years old, 6-0, thin build, all wearing blue jeans exited the vehicle and surrounded her. She stated one male was wearing a white T-shirt and armed with a black handgun. XXXXXX stated this male pointed the handgun at her head and stated, “XXXXXXXXXX” XXXXXX advised she was terrified and clung to the purse. She stated the males were stronger than her and ripped the purse from her grasp. XXXXX advised that her identification, credit cards and cell phone were inside of the tan rounded purse. … XXXXX advised she was not injured from the robbery. She stated the suspects left southbound in a vehicle on 42 Av SW. An area check for the suspects and vehicle was negative.
The X’s are what was redacted by SPD before the narrative was provided in response to our request.
Second vehicle-theft report we’ve received today. This one’s from Ryan:
Ford F-350 stolen last night after 2 am off Beach Drive near Me-Kwa-Mooks. It has a utility rack and an 8-inch lift. WA plate C99304T.
Call 911 if you see it.
9:58 AM: An unusual, and heavy, theft target in northeast Morgan Junction – the photo is from Dana, who reports, “I had a tree stolen from my truck at 39th and Graham the afternoon of November 14th. around 3:30. It is a weeping beech in a pot and weighs over 300 pounds.”
ADDED 10:07 AM: Minutes after we published that, we received one more Crime Watch report via email, so we’re adding it:
Jim reports, “Our trusty 2001 Honda CRV was stolen overnight from in front of our house – just 2 blocks south of the West Seattle Junction. It’s an older car, but reliable and needed and used every day. It also has our car seats inside. We can’t afford to replace it. And insurance won’t give us much value. Perhaps a reader has seen it. It is gold, and has a spare tire and folding bike rack on the back. The license plate is 709XMA.” Call 911 if you see this or any other known stolen car.
1:09 AM: Police are in The Triangle right now, investigating reports of gunfire involving vehicles near 37th/Alaska. The vehicles are reported to have left the area but one person at the scene is reported to be hurt, with an injury described as a “laceration,” not a gunshot wound, so far. Officers just told dispatch they’ve found shell casings at the scene.
1:14 AM: Alaska is closed between 36th and 37th while police continue investigating. They also are looking into a report that an injured man might have walked away from the scene.
Megan emailed to ask that you be on the lookout for her boyfriend’s stolen car: “He parked it outside our apartment at 26th Ave and Dakota St. SW last night. It was stolen sometime between 8 PM last night and 11 AM this morning. … I don’t have any pictures of the car but the description is a ’95 dark blue Subaru Legacy wagon. It has a basket-style roof rack on top. WA plate BGC7565.” Please call 911 if you see it.
Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
CAR PROWL LOOT TO LOOK FOR: From Todd:
I wanted to let the community know my car was broken into sometime after 2 am on November 8th. It was parked on SW Charlestown St. between 44th Ave SW and an alley. The driver’s-side lock was drilled out and contents were stolen from the trunk: Large baseball duffle bag full of golf balls, black Adidas hoodie with spot of blue paint, black standard-size Adidas backpack, and 2 wooden baseball bats.
We would be interested in getting the stolen items back if anyone has seen them possibly dumped nearby.
Police report # is 2020-925469.
GUNFIRE INCIDENT: The summary is from the SPD Blotter Significant Incident Reports page; SPD tweeted the photo:
On 11-9-2020 at 0405 hours, a male stated that earlier he was at 15 Ave SW/SW Roxbury St involved in a drug transaction with multiple subjects. The victim stated that during the drug transaction, one of the subjects pulled a gun on him. The subject stated that he took the gun, and someone shot at him. The subject stated that he ran to the 9700 BLK of Myers Way S and during the process cut his wrist on a fence. The subject stated that the subjects involved in the drug transaction located him at the 9700 BLK of Myers Way S. The subject stated that he fired a couple of rounds in self-defense because he was scared for his life. Officers checked different locations for a crime scene and evidence, but they weren’t successful. The local hospitals were clear of any new gunshot wound victims. The firearm was recovered, and it came back clear. The firearm was submitted into evidence and the subject was transported to the hospital.
In the tweet containing the photo, police described the man as appearing to be “in some form of crisis.”
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:
MAILBOX BREAK-INS: From Jonathan:
Just wanted to have everyone aware that our mailboxes were pried open November 7th PM and November 8th AM. 5948 Fauntleroy Way SW.
PERSONAL-SAFETY CLASSES: From Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, word of two upcoming personal-safety classes for women:
Learn proactive tips and steps you can take to enhance your personal safety taught by female Seattle police officers and female employees.
Our class goals:
-Know the important role your instincts and gut reactions play
-Discover potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them
-Learn how to make a safety plan
-Decrease the odds of becoming a victimAbout the class:
-This is a facilitated discussion and lecture about crime prevention and safety.
-This is not a self-defense class.
-This class is open to women of all ages and most appropriate for young women who are at least 14 yearx of age or older. For that reason, children should not attend.
To register for the 3 pm Thursday (November 12th) class, go here and register for class #40869; to register for the 3 pm November 23rd class, go here.
(WSB photo, August 24th)
A month and a half after Steven J. Abrahamson was charged in the hit-run murder of 34-year-old Derrick Lacomb, he is in jail. We don’t know details of the arrest yet, but we’ve been watching the King County Jail Register, and today it shows that Abrahamson, 37, was booked last night. Court documents say he didn’t appear for his scheduled arraignment on September 30th, two weeks after he was charged with second-degree murder. That was four weeks after Mr. Lacomb was found dead in the 6500 block of 25th SW. Charging documents said the suspect, who lives near the murder scene, knew the victim, and allege that the killing followed some kind of argument. Abrahamson’s bail is set at $2 million.
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes tonight:
SECURITY GUARD ROBBED: You could call it a cart-jacking. The SPD Significant Incident Report summary says this happened just before 9 am Tuesday:
A security guard for Westwood Village called to report that he was just assaulted and robbed of his security electric cart. The victim was driving a security cart in the Westwood Village mall lot. The suspect ran up to him and started cursing. The suspect leaned into the security cart and punched the security guard/victim in the face, causing injury. The victim got out of the cart and the suspect took a glass object out of his belt and attempted to hit the victim with it. The victim fell to the ground and was injured again. The suspect got into the electric cart and started recklessly driving around the parking lot, narrowly missing vehicles traveling in the area. Later in the shift, officers responded to the 2600 BLK of SW Barton St for a separate assault incident and they detained a suspect who matched the robbery suspect’s description. The suspect was positively identified for the robbery and booked at the King County Jail.
We don’t have the suspect’s name, so we don’t know their status.
GUNFIRE FOLLOWUP: We finally obtained the narrative on last Friday night’s gunfire investigation along SW Holden. Police found 19 casings, 9mm and .40 caliber, and found a positive motive when speaking to a driver whose rear window was shot out. The driver told officers he was southbound on Delridge, driving slowly because of the bumpy road, when a “light-colored sedan” began tailgating him. He pulled over and let the other vehicle pass – but then as he approached SW Holden, the other car pulled over, and he passed it. Shortly after turning westbound on Holden, the driver said, he heard two loud noises, followed by the rear window shattering, and several gunshots. He sped up to get away and eventually lost the sedan, before finishing his drive home and calling police. Besides the shattered window, and the casings on Holden, officers found two bullet holes in the car’s trunk. Neither of the two people in the car was hurt.
DAIRY-THEFT ALERT: David emailed to share an alert that delivery customers along a Smith Brothers Farms delivery route in Seaview are being targeted by theft. He said it almost happened to him this morning: “I had our dairyman text when he delivered. I got the goods in and 5 minutes later a person came up our walkway to steal the order. I yelled at him and he jumped in a car with someone else and drove off with no lights on. We texted to the delivery driver to let him know he was being tailed. He managed to get license plate. White Cadillac Escalade.”
(WSB photo, October 31)
Last Saturday, we reported on an incident in which a man was taken into custody after an incident that left broken glass at Caffe Ladro in south Morgan Junction. Today, we have learned the suspect is the same man charged with an even-more extensive window-smashing rampage at the Junction QFC in September. 33-year-old Aikeem L. Roberts. He is charged with malicious mischief, assault, and harassment. The court documents have more details of what happened at the coffee shop last Saturday:
As with the QFC incident, this one began, police say, with Roberts bringing bags into the business. In this case, he had “large shopping bags” that were blocking customers’ access to the sanitation station. The manager asked him to move them; after repeated requests were not honored, she asked him to leave. He refused, so she said she would call police. He then started yelling and threatened to kill her. One customer who tried to intervene told police Roberts punched him in the face; another one said Roberts hit him in the ribs with a chair. The court documents say Roberts then began breaking things in the shop and went outside and – after one of the customers he had hit locked the door behind him – threw rocks and a signboard at the shop’s windows and doors, as well as at a parked car belonging to an artist who was there to put up a display. Police arrived shortly thereafter and took Roberts into custody.
He has been in jail since then, with bail set at $75,000. After the September QFC incident, Roberts spent 11 days in jail, before getting out after bond was posted on $5,000 bail. He is awaiting trial on the charges filed against himH in that case – malicious mischief and assault. He is due to be arraigned on the new charges November 18th. His record includes at least seven past felony convictions, including the case we mentioned in prior coverage, in which he stole five cars in one night on the Eastside in 2014.
8:09 PM: At Charlestown and California, police are investigating a reported carjacking. According to radio exchanges so far, they were told that a gray Dodge Challenger was taken at gunpoint by three people – two females, one male – and that the victim was pistol-whipped. We’re on our way in hopes of finding out more.
8:19 PM: Police tell us at the scene that they’re still trying to verify more details about the car – it’s either a Charger or a Challenger, and they don’t have the plate yet. They’re also trying to locate the victim, who apparently walked away from the scene – the 7-11 parking lot – though he was described as injured and bleeding.
From Nanci, who hopes you’ll keep watch for this stolen pickup truck:
Monday night our white Dodge pickup was stolen from our home on 21st Ave SW and SW Holly St. Plate # B51314U. Police report has been filed.
If you see it, call 911.
Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch so far today:
BUSINESS BURGLAR ID: The Southwest Precinct is looking for help identifying this business burglar:
Today’s bulletin accompanying those images says this person broke into Kizuki Ramen in The Junction (42nd/Alaska) just after midnight October 14th, through a door in the back. The burglar stole alcohol and both Apple and Android tablet computers. If you have any tips, email the investigating officer at Mi*************@*****le.gov.
GUN SEIZED IN AUTO-THEFT ARREST: A 27-year-old man remains in jail after a weekend arrest reported on SPD Blotter. Police say they went to the 4000 block of Fauntleroy Way SW around 1 pm because “another police agency” told them a “reported stolen vehicle was mapping to that area.” They found the vehicle, and in it, this gun:
(SPD photo)
Records show the suspect is a convicted felon, pleading guilty in 2015 to possession of a stolen vehicle. He’s likely to have a bail hearing today; we’ll update after that.
EVENING UPDATE: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office tells us the bail-hearing judge did not find probable cause to keep holding the suspect, so he was released. That doesn’t mean he won’t face charges eventually, but for now he’s out.
Thanks for the tips. Police are at Caffe Ladro in south Morgan Junction after a man broke the glass in the coffee shop’s door. We’re told the man was clearly in crisis, yelling obscenities, at the time. He is in custody. Medics were checking out people who were in the shop when it happened; nobody had to be transported. The shop is closed right now for cleanup.
10:01 PM: We didn’t hear an initial dispatch on this, so details are few, but police have SW Holden closed right now at 26th Place SW [map] for a gunfire investigation. They’ve told dispatch that they’ve found multiple shell casings of different calibers, stretching several blocks westward. A witness is reported to have told police someone was shooting out of a westbound vehicle’s window. No report of injuries.
10:29 PM: Per radio exchange, they’re reopening Holden. They’ve also heard from someone who lives elsewhere in West Seattle and says their vehicle was shot at and has bullet holes.
Two more West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports:
STOLEN JEEP WRANGLER: Layne‘s blue Jeep Wrangler was stolen near 34th/Thistle sometime late last night or early this morning.
Its plates read BMODE24. If you see it, call 911.
CAR BREAK-IN/THEFT ATTEMPT: Not far from the pickup-truck theft reported earlier today, this happened to Kristi‘s car: “I wanted to alert neighbors that my vehicle was broken into this morning, probably around 12:30 am. I called the police and described what was done to my Honda, and they suspect it was a theft that got interrupted for some reason. The area is SW Portland and 41st. … I park my car on the street right in front of our house.”
From Mel:
We live on Portland & 39th and early this morning (12:40 a.m.) our truck was stolen. It’s a 1998 blue Chevy Silverado with a 6-inch lift on it. There’s a decal on the back left corner of the cab window that says “Sanchos Tacos.” The rims are very distinct as they have skulls in the center of them. Per our night-vision cameras, we could only tell that the thief was male and wearing a high-visibility vest, light-colored pants, and dark sneakers with a little white on them. He had his hood up to conceal his identity.
(Added: Plate – WA B55189Y.) Call 911 if you see it.
Four items in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN CAR, GUN, DRUGS FOUND: Via SPD Blotter, police report an arrest on Puget Ridge. They got a call reporting three men stripping a gray sedan in the 1700 block of SW Holly. They found two gray sedans upon arrival, one a Ford Fusion without plates, with a VIN that revealed it had been stolen. Searching the car with its registered owner’s permission, officers found a loaded revolver with a scratched-off serial number. They booked a 23-year-old convicted felon for unlawful gun possession and possession of a stolen vehicle; detectives later found what the blotter report describes as “a loaded pistol-grip shotgun [SPD photo above] with a sawed-off barrel and a ski mask (and) 31 grams of methamphetamine and a plastic baggie full of gold-colored jewelry.”
USPS VEHICLE BROKEN INTO: Thanks to the three readers who told us about this so we could follow up with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. They are investigating a USPS vehicle break-in that happened while the letter carrier was out on their walking route. The vehicle was parked on SW Dawson west of Camp Long. USPIS spokesperson John Wiegand tells WSB that no mail was taken; the thief/thieves took personal items belonging to the carrier (one tipster says it was a backpack). Wiegand says they’re still investigating, so they’re interested in talking with any witnesses or anyone who might have the break-in on security video. This is potentially a federal crime – breaking into the vehicle could be prosecuted as destruction of federal property. If you have any information that might help, call the USPIS hotline at 877-876-2455 and refer to case 231-2553-MT.
FIREFIGHTING GEAR STOLEN IN CAR PROWL: From Rachel, who says this happened at 41st SW/SW Holden in Gatewood:
I came out this morning to find my SFD firefighting bunking gear & SFD Paramedic uniform shirt, $150 stethoscope, & other personal items stolen from my car.
If you find any of it, let us know and we’ll connect you.
POSSIBLE STOLEN ITEMS FOUND: The photo and report are from Rich:
Found a red and black bag dumped in front of the park entrance to Pelly Place (6700 block of Murray Ave SW), which contained many personal items, some of which were also scattered on the ground nearby. This location is often used for parking overflow from the apartment complex next door, but car prowls are also a sadly routine experience around here, so this may have been stolen elsewhere and dumped. Sharing this in case the owner recognizes these contents and would like to recover them.
The items include a canceled out-of-state driver license and a funeral program indicating the person named on the license was a pallbearer. With this too, we can connect you if any of this might be yours – just email us.
10:03 PM: SFD has a “scenes of violence” response headed to the 9200 block of 17th SW. According to the dispatch, a man is reported to have been assaulted with a baseball bat. No other details yet.
10:16 PM: Officers were reported to be talking with possible suspects. No update on the victim’s condition; SFD medics were treating him.
9:26 AM: SFD says they took a 25-year-old man to the hospital “in stable condition.”
3:23 PM: We’ve obtained the report narrative from SPD. The original 911 call was “two males, one female” fighting, and one man being hit with a bat. The victim had facial injuries and possible abdominal injuries, and could not or would not tell the officers anything but his name. A witness said the attacker got away on a bicycle; the possible suspects located by police did not pan out, and no arrests were made.
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