West Seattle Crime Watch: Home & car break-ins, plus a bike theft

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports – including one with a warning/reminder (and not just the ones you think you’ve heard a million times before). Read on for all three, as reported by those who were hit:

First, the home burglary, reported by Stephanie:

I live near the intersection of 100th and California (just up the hill from the Fauntleroy ferry dock), and I wanted to report that my home was broken into yesterday.

I usually work from home, but I went into the office yesterday and was gone between the hours of 8:30am and 3pm. They very obviously broke in through the front door and seemed to have quickly gone through the house taking small electronics (iPod, laptops, etc) and jewelry. Our dog was in the back yard the whole time and none of our neighbors saw or heard anything unusual.

I wanted to give a heads up to neighbors. Please secure your houses and your personal belongings. And please, please back up your files. I’m in grad school and conveniently enough it’s finals week and I literally lost all of my final papers and projects that are due this weekend. Not to mention all of my personal electronic files, writing, pictures, music, etc. So please remember to back those things up and to keep a close eye on your neighborhoods.

Angry and Frustrated in Arbor Heights (and dreading recreating final papers),
Stephanie

Now, the car theft, reported Tuesday by “Pissed on 63rd“:

My car was broken into early this morning (3 Aug). I don’t like to say ‘my car was prowled’ because it was not ‘prowled’ – it was ‘broken’ into and I was stolen from!! According to my neighbors, it was around 5 a.m. when my car alarm went off; one neighbor got out of bed and looked over the balcony but saw no one. I had a (many times dropped) Sony cybershot camera stolen. I am so pissed off…not only did I have my stuff stolen but now I have to waste my time, money, and energy to get the car handle repaired. Yeaaaa…I get to climb into the passenger side door and hop over the hump to drive my car. That seems fair so some douche can jack my stuff for his drug/joy habit. Seems to me if a robber could get up at 5 a.m. to rob me then he/she could get up and get a job and buy their own things and leave my and everybody else’s stuff alone. …

Please sign me, Pissed on 63rd.

And a quick report from David about a bicycle stolen near Schmitz Park last weekend:

Near Charlestown and 55th, stolen off back of locking car rack

2009 Jamis Quest Femme 48cm. Serial # WE0H00355. Color is black and white w/rear rack Reported to police

Thanks for continuing to share crime reports – while the city now is sharing more same-day information about crime reports, it’s just the type and vicinity, and details still take days to turn up in the publicly accessible online-report system.

Metal Jesus August 5, 2010 (9:20 am)

Sorry to hear about the loss of data. My recommendation: use Dropbox for auto backup. We’ve been using it for a copy years and it works great.

Silly Goose August 5, 2010 (9:23 am)

It really stinks to be to have this happen but I would suggest especially to the person whose bike was stolen watch Craig’s list. That is where most of the stolen propety ends up!! Post a photo if you can.

Sylvia August 5, 2010 (9:33 am)

Stephanie, I am your neighbor (behind the geese) and am really sorry and alarmed to hear your break-in. We are organizing a block watch meeting at our place with the police on Aug 18. Please join us! Contact me at my email address through WSB.

Stephanie August 5, 2010 (9:43 am)

Sylvia, thanks for the reply. We’ll have to attend that meeting. This was definitely a wake-up call :(

RJB August 5, 2010 (9:00 pm)

Also, on Fauntleroy between Edmunds and Hudson we have had a car break in, the nozzel (sp) stolen from our garden hose (?) Signs kicked down and a tree that was planted this spring by SDOT broken in two. Random acts that are starting to really tick me off….less than a month ago they were slashing tires also.

tk August 5, 2010 (11:54 pm)

RJB that’s definitely symptoms of a disgruntle neighbor. Set up a camera and catch them!

SSM August 6, 2010 (11:33 am)

Stephanie and Sylvia, we live on 100th (I can see Brace Point Pottery from my house) Stephanie, we’re very sorry to hear about this and thank you for posting the incident. Sylvia, I believe we met recently? At the West Seattle Nursery? I’d love to come to the meeting on the 18th.
-S

Lynne August 6, 2010 (12:03 pm)

Hey, Arbor Heights neighbors (Stephanie and Sylvia) I’d like to get in on that meeting with the police. I’m on 102nd/40th and my neighbor’s car was broken into on Tuesday night too with i-pod and wallet stolen.

Liz Nelson August 6, 2010 (3:34 pm)

Our neighbors father’s car was stolen out of the alley just the other day. He is visiting from another state and had clothes, medications, etc in his vehicle. He was loading up to visit another Seattle relative, had his keys in his pocket, walked back out a moment or 2 later and it was gone! It was recovered the next day, but I am unsure if any of the contents were recovered. I feel for all the victims of these senseless crimes. We have been victims in the past and know how it feels. We also dealt with a home break in near the intersection of Calif. & 100th, although it was a few years ago. Sorry to hear that and I hope your finals go okay.

Sorry, comment time is over.