West Seattle, Washington
25 Friday
Reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT, AGAIN: This report is from Darin:
I started up my 2008 Prius this morning and it was really loud and I instantly knew the catalytic converter had been stolen based on all the WSB reports. I looked under the car and sure enough it was gone, wires were clipped and some tubing was left on the ground. I wanted to let you know so that WSB can keep reporting on these thefts. We are near Andover and 35th Ave SW. It will cost more to replace it than the car is worth so I have no idea what to do with the car now. It is definitely a huge bummer.
After that first note, Darin emailed to say another Prius owner nearby may have been hit too.
HOW COMMON IS IT? Recently we published a note from another victim of catalytic-converter theft, Katie, who sent this followup note: “The Toyota dealer told me they’ve replaced 500 stolen catalytic converters in the last month!”
CAR PROWLER: Jillian says this happened early Saturday:
My car was rifled through at 12:30 am in my driveway on a side street near Riverview Park. (Unfortunately, I accidentally left my wallet in the car after a hard day with my 4-year-old.) After picking through my car, he walked along 16th SW headed to 7-11, dumping my things. I was able to find some things following his trail. He made a purchase at the 7-11 before catching the bus and heading into White Center to make more purchases before I discovered that my wallet did not come into the house.
Two bicycles in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
STOLEN VINTAGE BIKE: That’s Jena‘s bike. She sent the photo and report:
My Purple 1970s Schwinn Stingray was stolen from our home last night in Arbor Heights. It is a very rare bicycle, and at the time it was stolen it was disassembled and boxed. I am awaiting a Police Report #. If any information comes up, please contact me, Jena, at 206-383-6999.
DUMPED AND LIKELY STOLEN: Recognize this bicycle?
Mike sent the photo, saying it’s along an alleyway at 49th/Hinds.
2 pickup-truck thefts in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
STOLEN PICKUP REPORTED NEAR JUNCTION: Shown in that photo is a silver 4-door Ford F-350, bought by Alyssa‘s dad yesterday and stolen hours later from the Southcenter shopping-mall parking lot. Here in West Seattle, she explains, “It was spotted this morning on a friend’s security camera where the thieves were trying to steal another car and stole a bunch of their neighbors’ packages.” Here’s a grab from that video:
Maybe it’s still in the area, so she’s asking you to be on the lookout. The truck has “a black front tow kit, black fender flares and it had a black tool box in the trunk.”
PICKUP THEFT REPORTED AT GAS STATION: We’re checking on the status of this one, since we haven’t heard directly from the victim, but we heard this via police radio this morning: A 1985 gold Chevrolet pickup was reported stolen from a customer who was doing business at Admiral Chevron (California/Admiral). It was described as having a trailer with a small boat, and a plate starting with C153. SUNDAY UPDATE: The owner contacted us with more information – the boat was actually in the pickup bed, not on a trailer; the boat has “Lily Ann” on its back. The truck also had a black canopy; its full plate is C15345B
If you see either one or any other known/suspected stolen vehicle, call 911.
Five items to report in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STORE ATTACK: An angry customer choked and threatened an employee who went outside the High Point Walgreens to empty trash cans on Wednesday night. Police were told the suspect usually visits the store to buy cigarettes once or twice a week, but that night didn’t have ID with him, nor did his mother, who was accompanying him. They left the store a few minutes later with other purchases, and minutes later the employee was attacked; he told police the attacker said, “I’m gonna kill you the next time I see you” and then left in a vehicle. The victim declined medical help.
CAMP ARREST: A 37-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday at Camp Second Chance for investigation of malicious harassment after a clash with other residents that police say involved racial slurs. She was accused of forcing her way into another tiny house at the camp, pushing one of its residents and calling him a racial slur. Police were told she then continued to wander around the encampment, assaulting two more residents. She was arrested and booked into King County Jail, from which she was released today.
THREATENED IN NORTH DELRIDGE: A resident reports:
(Tuesday) around 4:30 pm, I stepped out to walk the dog near Nevada St. and 26th Ave SW. and noticed an unfamiliar man had made himself at home on my neighbor’s covered porch. My husband and I approached him and asked him to leave when he pulled out a long aluminum tube and threatened us with it. After a few minutes, my husband was able to get him to unplug his radio, pick up his belongings and leave. He proceeded to walk up the street knocking down garbage cans and striking things along the way with the tube in his hand.
A police report was filed.
CATALYTIC-CONVERTER THEFT: Katie emailed to say hers was stolen Tuesday night. She didn’t say where but did add, “The tow truck driver said mine was the *7th* tow for this in two weeks, all in West Seattle.”
MISSING AN EMERGENCY KIT? Bill discovered this in his Upper Fauntleroy rockery on Wednesday:
Car prowlers hit his neighborhood the night before, but it didn’t belong to those victims, so maybe it’s from a prowl elsewhere. If you recognize it, let us know.
Last week in West Seattle Crime Watch, we published a short SPD “Significant Incident Report” summary about an alleged hate-crime incident that ultimately involved SWAT officers. Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that a felony charge is filed against the suspect in the case, 34-year-old Keeley A. Brown. Both Brown and the victim are described in court documents as residents of the microhousing building where it happened, near 35th/Avalon, the night of December 1st. The victim said Brown confronted her while she was cleaning up items in a common area and called her a “terrorist” as well as a racial slur, telling her “go back to your country” and adding that people like the victim are why gun rights are needed. Brown then allegedly hit the victim in the head with a crock-pot lid. Another resident told police that Brown had long been harassing other residents, sometimes with racial slurs, but that they believed nothing could be done because of the current eviction moratorium. Brown went into her apartment before police arrived and would not come out; a two-hour standoff ensued, ending with SWAT officers entering Brown’s apartment to arrest her. Court documents say Brown, released from jail the next day on personal recognizance, has no criminal record. She is charged with one count of what is now statutorily described as a “hate-crime offense.”
SIDE NOTE: This is another category of crime that’s been on the rise this year. The day before this incident, the KCPAO held a media briefing about hate crime, saying they had already filed charges in 51 cases this year, compared to 38 last year and 30 in 2018.
(Added: WSB photo)
5:27 PM: Thanks for the tips. SDOT says there’s a crash at Delridge/Findlay; we have reports that Delridge is blocked further north, at Hudson. One report is a possible driver-vs.-pole crash – on our way to check. Avoid tbat section of Delridge in the meantime.
5:50 PM: Delridge is blocked north of Brandon.
6:10 PM: The crash is by the P-Patch. Closure starts at Hudson. SPD tells us the car was stolen; the driver is not seriously hurt, and is in custody. Adding photo. They’re awaiting City Light to deal with the pole, so this might be closed a while.
7:43 PM: As noted in a comment below, Delridge is still closed. Metro also is continuing to reroute the 120 off Delridge between Oregon and Orchard.
8:35 PM: City Light is there now – a reader texted this photo (thank you!):
By the way, this isn’t the first driver-vs.-pole crash SCL had to deal with today/tonight – on Capitol Hill, a crash is reported to have taken out TWO, and caused an outage (which this did not).
1:03 AM: Metro has texted/tweeted that the 120 is back to its normal Delridge routing, which means the road has reopened.
Be on the lookout for Grayson‘s stolen motorcycle:
Wanted to report my vintage motorcycle was stolen next to Fairmount Park Elementary. I live in the buildings next to the school and my 1982 Honda C70 Passport was stolen on Saturday.
If you see it, call 911. (added) SPD report # is 2020-335930.
Almost two weeks ago, the Southwest Precinct warned that auto theft was spiking. Today, precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman sent the numbers with a renewed alert:
West Seattle Neighbors: The Southwest Precinct has seen a dramatic spike in auto theft in West Seattle over the past 28 days: A 62% increase (that’s 31 more stolen cars than at this time last year). Most of those thefts were of vehicles parked on the street. The neighborhoods that have been hit hardest this year are as follows:
Cars stolen in 2020
Morgan Junction – 94
Roxhill/Westwood/Arbor Heights – 80
Highland Park – 77
Alaska Junction – 75
South Park – 74This line graph illustrates the steadily increasing number of auto thefts starting in May (the orange line is 2020; the gray line is 2019):
To prevent auto theft, please follow this link for tips. Chief among them:
-Use an anti-theft device (like “The Club”) whenever you leave your car, and
=Don’t leave your car running and unattended (for example, when warming it up in the morning)Please contact Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner for more information: je*************@*****le.gov
Many stolen cars are eventually recovered – though not always in driveable shape (example, today’s North Shorewood crash).
3:14 PM: Two Crime Watch reports:
NORTH SHOREWOOD INCIDENT: Avoid the 26th/107th [map] intersection for a while. King County Sheriff’s Deputies are swarming the area after a crash (updated) that followed gunfire from a car a short time ago; the intersection is blocked off. One person is reported to be in custody and another possible suspect is being sought. The Guardian One helicopter has just arrived in the area to help look. We have a crew on the way and will add more information as we get it.
3:27 PM: The helicopter involvement was short-lived. Deputies have described the car from which someone was shooting as a white BMW sedan. … We’re at the scene now, added a photo, working to find out how the injured people are doing. … 3:43 pm: The newly arrived helicopter is TV, not law enforcement. … 4:29 pm: The KCSO public-information sergeant is now at the scene so we should be able to get some updated info soon. The intersection is taped off, so that’s not likely to reopen for some time.
4:41 PM: We just talked to KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Tim Meyer. He says the car that was being shot at is a Toyota Corolla carjacked in Seatac (updated) on Saturday; it collided with two other cars at 26th/107th.
Two people were in the Corolla after the crash, 1 ran, and was subsequently found. All three plus two people from the other cars were hurt, but none by gunfire so far as authorities can tell. No major injuries. The car from which someone shot at the Corolla, after some kind of dispute, is still at large. The three people in the Corolla are described as in their teens. KCSO expects the intersection to be closed for at least 2 more hours. We have all this on video and will add that when our crew’s back. (added) Here it is:
7:35 PM: Nearby resident Jim says the vehicles are being towed, so the intersection might not be closed much longer.
Also in Crime Watch:
FREEWAY ATTACK: Andrew, who lives in Gatewood, sent the photos and report after an incident on I-5 southbound this past Sunday:
A chunk of concrete was intentionally thrown at our windshield. It was I-5 southbound carpool lane [north of the West Seattle Bridge]. I was going 50 mph.
It nearly killed me/us. My 13-year-old daughter was also with me, front passenger seat. This was a frisbee sized chunk of concrete. It went through the windshield 1″ from my right ear.
My phone was in the dash mount and was destroyed. The headliner is ruined. It went through the car and broke the tailgate glass and landed on the tailgate floor. I still have the chunk of concrete. It’s a amazing that we are alive and not injured. 5 other cars had debris thrown at them. I saw the guy on the shoulder of the road. Just behind the low concrete wall. He popped up and threw it at me from 50 feet or so in-front.
Andrew says the thrower was “wearing a black coat, black hat. He climbed up from below to stand on a ledge on the shoulder of the carpool lane. He was directly to my left when I went past him.” We have an inquiry out to the State Patrol about the investigation and other victims. If you have any information, Andrew says the report number is SP.00001131.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch items tonight:
HATE-CRIME ARREST: From the SPD Significant Incident Reports file:
On 12-01-2020 at 2142 hours, officers were dispatched to a hate crime offense at an apartment complex in the area of 35 Av SW and SW Avalon Way. The complainant was calling to report that a tenant there had assaulted another tenant in the common area of the building and had also been calling the victim racial and derogatory names. Officers arrived on scene and developed probable cause for a hate crime. The suspect had returned to her apartment and refused to open the door for officers. The Hostage Negotiation Team was called to the scene, several CIT officers were on scene, and a search warrant was applied for while officers attempted to convince the suspect to leave her apartment. Ultimately, the warrant was signed and SWAT assisted in forcing entry to the apartment. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and booked into the King County Jail.
We don’t know the suspect’s status yet. Meantime – hate crimes are another category of crime that’s up this year, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which said earlier this week that it’s filed charges in 51 hate-crime cases this year, compared to 38 last year, and 30 in 2018.
PACKAGE THEFT: From Monica:
We had some packages stolen off our front porch (Monday) afternoon off 46th Ave SW & Hudson. We have video from our front door camera. Sounds like he may have hit several houses in the area … A good reminder to grab packages quickly. They were not out there long, but he was obviously scouting the area.
Other neighbors caught that he was driving a white van – seemingly alone. He was driving and hopping out of the van to grab packages.
A police report was filed. (P.S. As we got ready to publish this, a White Center community-group crime briefing also featured discussion of a white van involved in package thefts.)
(Seattle Animal Shelter photo, October)
A month and a half after Matthew Hazelbrook‘s arrest, with hundreds of sick or dead animals found on his Delridge property, the survivors are still in the care of the Seattle Animal Shelter. Though – as we reported last month – Hazelbrook is charged with 17 counts of animal cruelty, SAS spokesperson Melissa Mixon tells WSB, “The animals are in the custody of SAS but still the property of the defendant and are not available for adoption at this time. Until we have an owner-surrender, or a court order, the animals cannot be put up for adoption. However, we will be working with our incredible community of foster parents to eventually move some of these animals into foster care.” Meantime, she adds, “We are seeing significant improvement in the health and wellbeing of the more than 200 animals in our care. This includes guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, chickens, and chinchillas.” If Hazelbrook is found guilty, restitution will be sought to cover what the SAS is spending to care for the animals. The case is making its way through the courts; he has another status hearing next Monday, after pleading not guilty last week.
(WSB photo, October)
This case is part of a troubling trend this year; the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office convened a media briefing today to talk about that trend. So far this year, KCPAO has filed charges in 19 animal-cruelty cases, double the number of recent years – 9 in 2019, 10 the year before that. (Recent cases include another in West Seattle, a Sunrise Heights man accused of duct-taping his dog’s head to try to quiet the dog.) A prosecutor who specializes in those cases, Tali Smith, said the nature of the cases also has evolved – previously, they primarily involved neglect, but now there’s increased violence. Violence against animals often accompanies violence against humans; police and animal-control officers are cross-trained to look for signs of one when investigating allegations of the other.
The Hazelbrook case originated with a tip, according to court documents. If you suspect animal cruelty, we asked, what’s the best thing to do? If it seems to be an urgent life-safety issue, SAS executive director Ann Graves replied, call 911. Otherwise, you can report it to her department, 206-386-PETS (7387). They do investigate, but it often takes time. And their enforcement team isn’t any bigger than it was when she began work 20+ years ago, she said when we asked about its size: 14 animal-control officers for the entire city. If you call to report a possible situation, provide them with as much information you can – what you saw, where you saw it,
The SAS’s other role, of course, is caring for animals if their owners can no longer do so, or need help, reminded Victoria VanNocken from the City Attorney’s Office. Added Graves: “Animal cruelty is not an animal problem, it’s a people problem.”
(Sunday’s arrest scene – WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
Three days after a man was shot while driving in an Alki alley, the suspect arrested shortly afterward is charged. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 35-year-old Garrett R. Heinemann with first-degree assault and first-degree burglary. The charging documents confirm that the victim is a neighbor of the suspect, in the same block of 60th SW where the shooting happened; the victim moved to Alki, from California, just two weeks ago. He told police he had never seen Heinemann before the shooting, which happened shortly after he left his apartment to drive somewhere to get coffee. He told police the suspect stepped out in front of his car in the alley, stopped him, and then told him to put his hands up, so the victim thought it was a robbery – but without saying anything else, he said, the suspect opened fire. Police say five bullets were fired into the victim’s front windshield, and six into the rear passenger-side window; 10 casings were found around his car.
(SPD photo, Sunday)
Minutes after the shooting, the charging documents say, Heinemann walked into a nearby apartment and attacked one of the two people who were inside; they managed to escape, and he fled out a window. The documents don’t have any information about a possible motive, noting that Heinemann refused to talk with detectives. As we previously reported, and as is noted in the charging documents, he has no criminal history. The charging documents say the gun Heinemann is accused of using, a .40-caliber pistol found at Alki Beach Park, is one that he has owned for eight years, and that he has a concealed-weapons permit. He remains in King County Jail, bail set at half a million dollars. Harborview Medical Center told us Tuesday that the victim had improved to satisfactory condition, though the charging documents note he faces additional surgery.
Three items in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:
(WSB photo, Sunday)
ALKI SHOOTING FOLLOWUP: The man shot in an Alki alley on Sunday has improved to satisfactory condition, Harborview Medical Center tells us today. Meantime, the man accused of shooting him remains jailed, bail set at half a million dollars. The probable-cause document doesn’t shine any light into a possible motive. It says the shooting was reported to 911` by someone who recognized the suspect as a nearby resident. Another caller said the same man had broken into their apartment and tried to pistol-whip someone who fought back and suffered only minor injuries. Yet another nearby resident said he saw the suspect, who he’s known for two years, walk down the alley holding a gun before crouching behind a truck, then standing up, stopping a car coming down the alley, and shooting into that car through its windshield. He then, police were told, ran to the beach, where he is reported to have dumped the gun and told someone, “Just watch, it’s going to get crazy.” Then, police say, the suspect ran back inland toward Admiral, and was arrested in the 3000 block of 61st SW. He is not yet charged but is being held for investigation of assault and burglary; as we noted in Sunday’s coverage, there’s no indication of a prior criminal record.
Next, a reader report:
APARTMENT PEEPER: Elsewhere on Alki:
(Sunday) night at about 10:15 pm my boyfriend and I were lying in bed at our apartment, which is on the bottom floor of a complex on Bonair Pl SW, right off Alki. When he got up to go to the bathroom, I looked out the bedroom window to see a man on his stomach peeping into our bedroom watching me and potentially us for the past 15 minutes. When I yelled for my boyfriend and ran out of the room, I went into the living room where I could see him army-crawling away into our neighbor’s side yard. He then got up and walked onto the street where he began to peer into their car windows. He then continued to look at our bedroom window but then noticed me in the living room calling the police and took off running. He was wearing darker jeans and I could see his white underwear because his pants were falling down a bit (either from crawling or because they were undone) and he had a grey puffy jacket on. He is medium build, between 5’10 and 6 feet tall and of hispanic ethnicity. Please use any of this information to let our community know that this guy is on foot and either lives in the area or visits frequently enough to know the neighborhoods off of Alki. This is disgusting and outrageous and a complete violation of privacy.
A police report was filed.
And from the Southwest Precinct:
BURGLAR SOUGHT: The photo and report are being circulated by police:
On 11/12/2020 just after 0300 hours, the male suspect pictured above forced entry into the secured parking garage of the Holden Court Apartments at 931 SW Holden St. While inside, the suspect prowled a vehicle and broke into several storage units using a baseball bat to damage the locks and doors. The suspect was associated with a female … who was contacted and released at the scene. (She) claimed she only knew the suspect as “James” and just gave him a ride to the location. Assistance is requested in identifying this residential burglary suspect.
If you have any tips, refer to SPD case 20-317947.
9:49 AM: Just got this by phone – please help watch for this stolen car, whose owner tells us her senior dog was inside. The car is a white 2010 Honda CR-V, stolen just before 8 this morning from an alley between 55th and 56th SW, off Alki Avenue SW. \
The dog is a 14-year-old Pomeranian/Chihuahua, black with a pink harness, chipped, with tags that have her phone number. If you see the car, call 911; if you find her dog, 206-330-5057.
1:01 PM: We got word that Dottie the dog has been found, in Burien. No word yet on the vehicle’s status.
2:20 PM: Peggy, Dottie’s person, says the car hasn’t been found yet. Dottie, meantime, is home and doing OK.
Reader report from Ellie: “Our 2009 Toyota Prius had its catalytic converter stolen when parked on the street at 25th and Hudson. It’s normally in a garage but we had to leave it out due to the Delridge road work closing driveway access. Apparently these have been on the rise recently, as it is fairly easy to remove in under 2 minutes from below the car and it contains precious (metals). … It’s happening to more Priuses than other cars, and there are guards that can be installed to help prevent it. It was a bit of a nightmare to discover as the repair costs are more expensive than the car itself. Fortunately for us we have comprehensive coverage that will cover it but there’s still a hefty deductible.” Earlier this fall, the Southwest Precinct issued an alert that these thefts were spiking; they’ve been a problem off and on for years – our archives include reports going back to 2008.
(WSB photo)
12:44 PM: Police and SFD are responding to 60th/Stevens [map] for a reported shooting. They’re searching for a suspect who’s described as (updated) a white man, 30s, brown hair, beard, green jacket, black (possibly camo) pants. The victim is reported to be a 42-year-old man. Updates to come.
12:53 PM: Police are still searching and will be joined by a K9. Sounds like they may know who they are looking. No word on the victim’s condition yet.
(WSB photo)
1 PM: The suspect is reported (via police radio) to be in custody. (added) Our crew just arrived in the area and verifies an arrest.
1:07 PM: The victim is being taken to Harborview Medical Center by SFD medic unit. (added) At the scene, we’re told he was transported in critical condition. (added) The suspect is reported to live nearby and police were checking his residence.
5:32 PM: More info from SPD:
Police were dispatched to the 6000 block of Stevens Street SW after multiple callers reported shots had been fired in the alley.
Officers arrived and found a man seriously wounded with multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses said the suspect had left the scene on foot walking towards the beach. Additional officers flooded the area and found the suspect a few blocks away where he was taken into custody. Police found a 40 caliber handgun partially submerged in water at Alki Beach.
Detectives believe the suspect shot at the victim as the victim drove down the alley. The suspect then fled between some nearby apartment buildings, entered an apartment, struck a resident with the pistol, then fled toward the beach. Detectives are now interviewing the suspect and attempting to determine what led up to the shooting.
Reader Diana sent a photo of the aforementioned beach gun discovery:
Police say the victim was still in critical condition at last report.
6:48 PM: And we have a few more details from the Southwest Precinct incident summary filed by acting Sgt. Tammy Frame, forwarded by precinct commander Capt. Kevin Grossman, lauding the second-watch team for Really good work in saving a life, arresting the shooter, and locating evidence”: The victim was shot seven times and the first officer on the scene “administered life-saving first aid which included applying two tourniquets, one one on each of the victim’s arms.” The suspect allegedly tried to bury the gun in the sand at the beach. He and the victim are described by police as neighbors.
Earlier this week, the Southwest Precinct issued an auto-theft alert, noting that it’s up 14 percent in the past month compared to the same time last year. And tonight, we have two reader reports about stolen vehicles:
STOLEN ACCORD: From Josh:
My car was stolen overnight. It’s a beige-colored 1997 Honda Accord. A police report has been filed and we’re hoping to find the car ASAP. Might be good to remind the neighborhood to keep their cars locked. License plate is AJJ1695 and we’re in Fairmount Park on 37th Avenue.
STOLEN CHEVY PICKUP: From Steve:
Stolen ’95 Chevrolet Pickup, stock 4x, WA plate B18708T– from 4800 block 41st Avenue SW sometime last 4 days.
If you see either one – or any other stolen vehicle – call 911.
3:35 PM: Thanks for the tip. SFD and SPD had a “scenes of violence” response just before 3 pm at Delridge/Andover. SFD tells us most units were canceled before arrival – the initial report was a woman with a knife injury, which turned out to be minor. Working to find out more.
3:37 PM: Police have already cleared the scene.
3:47 PM: SPD replied to our subsequent email inquiry: “Victim reported he was waiting for the bus when a known male came up to him and they began talking. Victim turned around and then said suspect attacked him, unprovoked, with a knife, then fled in a vehicle. … Victim has a minor injury to his ear and will be transported to the hospital by AMR.”
Three West Seattle Crime Watch notes today:
BURGLARY/HIT-RUN: This diesel pickup truck is being sought in connection with a burglary and hit-run in Highland Park on Wednesday.
If you have any information, the case number is 20-328142.
BURGLARY/CASING: Keep watch along alleys, Andreas advises: “Last Sunday at 0900, my wife and neighbor came upon two men … breaking into my alley garage. They sped away in a white BMW when noticed. They returned Thanksgiving morning, slowly moving down the alleys in a large white van to finish the job. I assume they are still in the area looking for targets of opportunity while people are away.” This happened in a neighborhood near The Junction.
SHOOTING FOLLOWUP: We checked with police earlier this week to follow up on last week’s shooting at a house in the 6900 block of 24th SW. No arrests so far. As for the repeated problems at the house where it happened, Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Sina Ebinger tells us it’s a “complicated” situation. City files show that seven more complaints about the property have been filed since the shooting, mostly complaining about garbage. Both police and neighbors say they have tried to get the property owner to put a dumpster at the site. The owner, meantime, has been pursuing a court action since early October to evict the occupants of the house, which he bought last spring; another hearing is scheduled next week.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes from the Southwest Precinct
:
PACKAGE THIEF: Local police are circulating those images, with this bulletin: “Requesting assistance in identifying this theft suspect. On 11-19-20 at 0200 hrs, the suspect pictured above was captured on home security camera stealing a package off the victim’s front porch in the 3900 block SW Holden St. Any assistance in identifying this suspect is appreciated.” Contact police and cite case 20-926231.
AUTO-THEFT ALERT: According to the precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner, “As of November 24th, the SW Precinct is trending up in auto theft incidents; specifically, we are up 4% year-to-date over last year’s numbers, and we are up 14% in the last 28 days over this period last year. The following neighbors are seeing substantial increases: Alaska Junction, Westwood/Roxhill/Arbor Heights, Morgan Junction, and Fauntleroy.” She offers this advice for preventing auto theft and car prowls:
Both of these crimes are referred to as crimes of opportunity and can happen very fast! An experienced car thief can break in and steal a car in less than one minute!
What are some prevention techniques for car prowl and auto theft?
-Never leave your car running or the keys in the ignition when you’re away, even for ‘just a minute’, please remember this is illegal in Seattle and in Washington (SMC 11.70.160, RCW 46.61.600)
-Remove remote garage door openers, key fobs and key cards from vehicle
-Always lock doors and roll up windows, even if the car is parked in front of your home
-Never leave valuables in plain view, even if your car is locked
-Items you don’t want to take with you should be stored in the trunk, or out of sight
-Put items in the trunk before you arrive at your destination
-Even non-valuable items should be hidden from view (such as electronic charging cables)
-If possible, park vehicle in a busy, locked, monitored and/or well-lit area
-Utilize anti-theft devices (Please contact me directly for link/suggestions for where to purchase these)
-If possible, activate alarm
What else can you do?
-Be observant! If you see something, say something!
-Remember to always report all crimes and suspicious activity to the Seattle Police Department by calling 911 for in-progress crimes, or utilize the non-emergency number/online reporting if appropriate (206-625-5011)
-Organize and/or get involved with Block Watch
You can contact her with questions at je*************@*****le.gov. To report a crime online – something not happening right now or moments ago – go here.
Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
PARK ASSAULT: Robin emailed to report what happened to her high-risk teenager one week ago:
My 14 year-old son was out last Sunday biking in Schmitz Park. He’s been told to distance by his nephrologist and the Mayo Clinic physicians who monitor his rare kidney disorder, so this is one of the only outdoor activities still available to him. Sadly, he’s not allowed to see friends or family outside of our “pod,” who have been required to observe pretty extreme distancing measures to keep him from contracting COVID. Three people came up on the trail with “rock crawler” RC cars, and he asked for a second to move; they said they wanted the space and he tried to move, explaining he needed to stay socially distanced because it would be very bad if he was exposed to COVID, due to his condition.
At that point, one of the ADULT MEN then got in my son’s face (as my son left his bike behind, trying to escape up the side of a hill) screaming at him that the COVID pandemic is a hoax, that my son was a “liberal retard” for wearing a mask and staying distanced from others; then proceeded to breathe hard on my kid, following him in a menacing manner, to drive home his (rather asinine) point about the pandemic.
Moms are amazing, and one who had heard about this experience sent us video of them back in the park. We’d like to identify the man (wearing the black coat and camo backpack) who accosted my child, as well as the other two “men” (to use the term loosely) who looked on and did nothing.
Anyone who has heard about this has been disgusted, and the response has showed us that West Seattle isn’t this guy. For our kid, this really, really was rough. He has literally not seen a friend face to face since March. Not hung out, not been with peers. So “breaking quarantine” with this guy was just terrible.
They have filed a police report – 20-326928 – so if anyone has tips or encounters the same people/behavior, please call police and reference that number.
PACKAGE THEFT: Elisa emailed to report: “Just want to give the Arbor Heights community a heads up on this porch pirate hanging around a little before 1 pm today. The box he was trying to steal was an empty treat box for the postal workers so he threw it up on the lamp post and drove off.” Here’s a photo of the person and car.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
PUGET RIDGE GUNFIRE: This summary is from the SPD Significant Incident Reports file – it happened in the 6500 block of 21st SW early Friday:
On 11-20-2020 at 0027 hours, a male was sitting in his vehicle when a suspect drove by and shot at him four times. The victim’s vehicle was hit all four times, with the front passenger door being hit three times and a tire once. The victim was not injured. The victim said that he believes the suspect tried to kill him because he was there to testify in a court case.
JUNCTION VANDALISM/THEFT: Back on Wednesday, we reported someone broke a window at the Senior Center of West Seattle. There’ve been at least three other broken-glass incidents, two involving theft, according to the West Seattle Junction Association: “At West Seattle Optix, a window was smashed and handfuls of glasses were stolen; at Emerald Water Anglers, a window was smashed. In the 42nd Ave parking lot, a van window was smashed, with $2,500 of speakers stolen.”
(added at 2:44 pm) MORE VANDALISM: Just after we published what’s above, this arrived, from Gay: “Our [Vespa] scooter was pushed over and damaged while parked in the lot behind Key Bank in Alaska Junction about 1pm today. A man behaving erratically and swearing at people came up to the Scooter and slammed it on its side. Thanks to the father and son who noticed and helped get it back upright.”
(WSB photo, October 15)
We’ve been watching court records for a month, and charges were finally filed this week against Matthew A. Hazelbrook, the man arrested after hundreds of neglected or dead animals were found at his Delridge home. (Our original coverage is here and here.) Hazelbrook, 54, is charged with 17 counts of animal cruelty. From the charging documents:
The defendant often travels out of State and has kept properties in other jurisdictions. The defendant was in possession of at least 211 live animals of different species on two adjacent properties that were living in deplorable conditions-ammonia, feces, lack of food, lack of water, lack of space; and there were deceased animals in cages, on the ground, and in cages with live animals. The animals were suffering from medical conditions that were being untreated. In addition to the various animals that were located as deceased on scene, at least seven animals have died since being seized due to the defendant’s neglect. The defendant poses a risk for acquiring and neglecting more animals as he runs a transport business across state lines, is involved in 4H groups, has unknown properties, and the condition of this property and the animals likely developed over a significant period of time going unnoticed and unreported. Hoarding situations such as this are complex and the defendants are prone to recidivism.
The charging documents say that the mid-October search warrant that led to Hazelbrook’s arrest followed a complaint about dead animals on the property two months earlier. Investigators say they found more than 100 dead animals and 222 live animals, most with no access to food, more than half with no access to water – 128 guinea pigs, 77 rabbits, 7 chickens, 3 guinea fowl, 3 dogs, 2 chinchillas, and 2 mice. More than half the impounded animals needed some kind of medical care, investigators say. The 17 charges are based on the number of animals assessed as being in “critical” condition, some of which did not survive.
(Seattle Animal Shelter photo from last month – one of the rescued animals)
Hazelbrook has been out of custody since posting bond on $7,500 bail one day after his arrest in mid-October. He is scheduled for arraignment – to enter initial pleas to the charges – next Wednesday (November 25th). The documents note that his only conviction record is for third-degree theft 33 years ago.
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