By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
It’s been a busy week for real-time coverage, so this week’s WSBeat publication is a bit delayed. But there are still a few things to share from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Followup to a case reported on WSB earlier this week: Administrators say that a 16-year-old student suspected of setting two fires on Monday, several hours apart, in two West Seattle High School bathrooms, will be placed on long-term suspension.
Five more summaries ahead:
*On Friday 1/21, someone used an unknown tool to cut a chain and steal an
outboard motor locked to a fence in the 8600 block of Fauntleroy Place SW.
*On Wednesday the 18th, around 11 p.m., a little girl, 12-13 years old, approached a woman near 24th and Holden, said she had been abandoned by her parents, and asked to use the woman’s phone to try to contact her uncle. She had no luck, so the woman — luckily a good Samaritan — invited the girl to spend the night at her apartment. The next day, the girl (who displayed some developmental disabilities) told officers that although she didn’t know her last name, she did know her birthday. She had two siblings (a third — a brother — had been removed from the home after abuse charges). Mom and stepdad had a couple of habits — one involved drugs, and the other involved leaving the children alone for days at a time. Finally, one night Ma and Pa went out and never returned. The kids just carried on going to school and living in the family apartment. Then, one day, the sisters never returned home. So the 12-year-old stayed alone in the apartment until she was kicked out by the landlord. After that, she explained, she spent a month living with friends and living on the street. She said that her mom used to hit her with a broken wooden crutch (which explained the scars and lacerations around her ears, forehead, and arms). Officers completed all of the paperwork to allow the girl to be taken into custody by Child Protective Services. A records check using the birthday the girl provided showed that her grandmother may have filed a missing-child report.
*Car keys? Check. Lunch? Check. Ammo? Check. On his way to work Monday morning, a 21st Ave. SW resident checked his handgun to be sure that there was a round in the chamber. There was, but not for long: The man accidentally shot himself just above the knee. After showing officers his concealed-weapon permit, he was transported to Harborview for treatment.
*Early last Saturday, a High Point-area couple was startled to see a young woman sitting on their back porch Calm, but disoriented, she stated, “I was raped by five guys.” She didn’t want the police called, but asked that the homeowners call her mother. Officers were dispatched to the scene anyway and interviewed the 19-year-old, whose story kept changing and whose ability to focus on questions was limited. Mom said the young woman had just moved here from California and wasn’t familiar with the area. Last mom knew, the young woman had planned to attend a concert with coworkers. Dad picked her up at the Southwest Precinct.
*Thursday afternoon 1/20, an Arbor Heights woman called 911 to say, “I love you” and “I’m dead.” These pronouncements were followed by the sounds of grunts and groans. Officers dispatched to the scene kicked in the door and found the victim with the phone in her hand and pill bottles strewn around the room. The 55-year-old was taken to Harborview for a mental evaluation. A witness stated that earlier in the day the woman had been wandering around outside, dressed only in a T-shirt and yelling for help.
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24-hour suicide-prevention hotline: Crisis Clinic, 206.461.3222
WSB Editor’s Note: The WSBeat has an archive category of its own, though we’re still linking the weekly reports on the WSB Crime Watch page, so you can catch it there if you miss it in the main news stream. We also continue to publish crime reports the rest of the week, when we get tips or hear noteworthy incidents via the scanner, so don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening.
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