WS Crime Watch: Caught on cam; business burglaries; break-in try

Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch starts with that surveillance video just in from a Highland Park resident near 5th SW and Cloverdale (map). He has just also given that video to police who are investigating the theft of a parcel from his doorstep, delivered today containing an “expensive motorcycle helmet” around 2 pm, then stolen, according to his surveillance camera, about three hours later. He says, “It amazes me that someone can get away with this in broad daylight, and has made me feel oddly violated – even though they didn’t enter my home.” If you recognize the car/person, call police.

Second of three items in Crime Watch tonight:

Local businesses are being warned by police about another string of business burglaries. The photo above was sent by Christopher Boffoli via iPhone about this time last night at the 38th/Alaska (map) construction site for Link, where police responded to a burglary alarm; site owner Harbor Properties tells WSB that nothing was taken. This coincides, though, with something else we’d been checking out: A WSB’er e-mailed to say he was in a West Seattle store when police officers came in to give shopkeepers a heads-up about area business break-ins. Lt. Norm James at the Southwest Precinct confirms: “We had 8 commercial burglaries last week that appear unrelated, but just to be on the safe side we started notifying businesses” – that, he says, is also part of the new Business Watch program (as reported here), a business version of Block Watch. (Sorry, we don’t have the burglary locations, so far.)

Third and final Crime Watch report tonight – just got this note, from a West Seattleite who didn’t want his name used, about a home break-in attempt:

I live in the 7500 block of 31st Ave SW [map]. My wife got home this afternoon at 2pm and she found that one of the patio furniture chairs had been removed from our deck and placed under a window in the backyard. Someone had tried to force the window open, failed, and tried to wipe away any indications of them having been there. Thankfully they were unable to get inside, we presume our dog and the neighbor’s dogs likely spooked the criminal. We notified the police who gave us an “event number” and spoke with a few neighbors, but no one saw or heard anything.

19 Replies to "WS Crime Watch: Caught on cam; business burglaries; break-in try"

  • toddinwestwood October 5, 2010 (10:46 pm)

    sooo, now the crooks are just following the UPS truck around?

    Nice.

    Time to start sending stuff to my work instead of home.

  • todd_ October 6, 2010 (12:18 am)

    re: the video, someone needs to pull up their britches.

    Seriously though, glad you got video and I hope you get your property back.

  • Neighbor October 6, 2010 (2:29 am)

    I live in the 7500 block of 31st ave sw. I’d sure like to talk to you.

  • samson October 6, 2010 (6:10 am)

    Oh Thief, your ass will be BUSTED!!! so stupid!!

    thats why i have packages mailed to my work NO matter what!!!

  • Krystal October 6, 2010 (6:51 am)

    Good idea for surveillance camera. But just a though, I generally don’t wear bright colored vests when I want to be stealth. That is pretty brazen.

  • Lynne October 6, 2010 (7:12 am)

    I saw what seemed to be a crime scene van and investigators in blue jackets in front of the new Dakota (?) condos on California Monday afternoon. Wonder if this is related?

  • Alki Resident October 6, 2010 (7:34 am)

    Is orange the new camoflauge?

    • WSB October 6, 2010 (8:30 am)

      I hadn’t heard that one before, AR, but with so many utility workers etc. wearing those vests, I am wondering if it is the thieves’ way of trying to look legit, so they don’t immediately rouse suspicions. In which case, the theft victim here has done us all a tremendous favor in catching this on cam, to reduce the chance assumptions will be made … TR

  • TL October 6, 2010 (9:23 am)

    Tim,

    Text me your number, you should let “Dick” our neighborhood watch leader know about the incident.

    -TL

  • sun*e October 6, 2010 (9:36 am)

    Crazy! It’s one of those middle-of-the-day who-would-question-it kind of burglaries. The surveillance video is so clear you’d think it would be easy to find these guys. Maybe zoom in on the license plate.

  • LR October 6, 2010 (11:21 am)

    they dont seem too bright the driver almost left the tall skinny guy behind , car looks like a Toyota color charcoal , they dont look homeless, may do this for a part time gig.What do you suppose they do pawn with the items that they get pawn them, put them on Craigs list . perhaps they should have a package put out with a chip in it and then track it down , sure why not .

  • Dave October 6, 2010 (12:00 pm)

    Still wearing his work/construcion vest? Any crew foremen recognize this guy?

    I’ve been told that people follow the UPS/FedEx trucks. We had a large (5′ long 50lb) package stolen off our porch in broad daylight last year. All packages are delivered to the office now!

  • furor scribendi October 6, 2010 (12:21 pm)

    That’s a Honda Accord, not a Toyota, LR. Hope our orange thief and his driver get to wear prison stripes before too long……

  • Eric October 6, 2010 (2:20 pm)

    Has this made the evening news? I’d imagine that if it was shared broadly, that someone would come forward knowing the perp, the car, or the vest.

    It looks like there’s a logo on the left chest of the vest. Perhaps it’s a firm’s unique design?

    The reasons these folks do this in broad daylight is because they can. Sucks, but if you see something out of line, call the police.

  • A October 6, 2010 (2:33 pm)

    Sadly, I don’t think it’s exciting enough for the evening news :)

    I’m inclined to think he’s actually a workman, rather than “just” wearing the vest to be inconspicuous, given the gloves in his back pocket.

    Either way – I’m paying more attention to workmen now. I live at the end of a private driveway shared by four other houses – there was *no* reason for this guy to be there (none of us were expecting workmen) so they were either cruising for stuff to steal or lost and opportunistic.

  • TK October 7, 2010 (2:48 pm)

    you lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground. LMAO!

  • D October 8, 2010 (12:49 pm)

    7500 Block – We were robbed a few weeks ago. Burglar used the same method. Took one of the patio chairs to access a high bathroom window and was sucessful in getting it open. We live on the 8400 block of 31st Ave.

  • J- October 8, 2010 (5:05 pm)

    7500 Block- We were robbed last Friday afternoon with a burglar coming through a window accessed by the back alley. We are on the 7300 block of 31st Ave.
    Perhaps someone living on 31st or adjacent streets has a video camera pointing to the alley? Even if your house didn’t get hit, it may be work checking.

  • K October 13, 2010 (10:56 am)

    Just saw something on KOMO about a home break in in Madison Park and the robber was wearing an orange vest. It makes me wonder if they are related…

Sorry, comment time is over.