West Seattle Crime Watch: Police arrest burglary suspects after neighbor’s tip

(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Thanks to everybody who e-mailed us about what turned out to be another case of a watchful neighbor tipping police to a burglary. It happened in the Puget Ridge area; police at the scene near 18th and Brandon told us they had five people in custody. Here’s how SPD says it unfolded: A neighbor called around quarter till noon to say two people who had arrived in a car were kicking in a door, then while police were on the way, the neighbor called back to say both suspects were in the house. Police got there and wound up taking five people into custody, all apparently headed to the precinct for questioning. Too soon to know if there’s any chance they are connected to other break-ins, but we’ll follow up.

ADDED 3:10 PM: A little more info from Lt. Pierre Davis at the Southwest Precinct, who declares this, “Our West Seattle community and police partnership at work again” – He says, “Our officers, upon getting the info via 911, was able to locate and make the stop of the suspect vehicle. Upon the stop of the vehicle, two of the suspects fled on foot but were later apprehended by investigating officers. The witness was able to ID the subjects and their vehicle.”

41 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Police arrest burglary suspects after neighbor's tip"

  • k February 13, 2012 (1:26 pm)

    great job neighbors! let’s ALL do this!

  • interrobang February 13, 2012 (1:32 pm)

    Totally awesome! Thanks to this particular neighbor(s) for watching so closely — really sets a tone for our community :)

  • Tuesday February 13, 2012 (1:32 pm)

    Seems like there have been a lot of burglary suspects taken in to custody lately. Excellent news! Maybe the beginning of a serious decline in this kind of activity? I hope so! Thanks to WSB for the important role you play in keeping the community informed and encouraging reporting of all suspicious activity.

  • Aman February 13, 2012 (1:56 pm)

    GOOD CATCH!

    Does the WS BLOG know from discussions with the Seattle Police Department just how BIG and SOPHISTICATED and FAR-RANGING the Burglary-Ring(s) is?

    • WSB February 13, 2012 (2:10 pm)

      Aman – Way too soon to know if this is part of a burglary ring. But we are trying our best to get a hold of names so we can try to follow folks through the justice system … that info is not usually part of what’s released otherwise … TR

  • Jeanine February 13, 2012 (2:06 pm)

    Great news, thanks to the neighbor! Now if only we could keep these people in jail… sounds like one of my burglars.

  • Kevin February 13, 2012 (2:06 pm)

    I saw one of them in handcuffs: An African male, probably Somali, in his late teens or early 20’s.

  • Todd February 13, 2012 (2:21 pm)

    Yahoo! Way to go, neighbor!

  • Jim P. February 13, 2012 (2:26 pm)

    A delightful bit of news. I only wish there was video of them being nabbed, the look on someone’s face when the cops show up and you are up to your elbows in crime with no real way to lie your way out of it is no doubt a priceless “Kodak moment” we would nejoy sharing for years. :)

  • Jiggers February 13, 2012 (2:35 pm)

    They messin’ with the wrong neighbors..

  • Joel February 13, 2012 (2:39 pm)

    too bad it’s just a game to these hoodlums. they’ll be out by this afternoon and back at it later tonight.

    too bad the owner’s weren’t home with a shotgun (5 bullets of course) to greet them.

    perhaps a tatoo on their forehead that says ‘criminal’ may make them think twice next time

  • Kravitz February 13, 2012 (2:50 pm)

    It’s about time someone was caught in the act. Hopefully they’ll be locked up for a good long while. I’m so tired of our good community members being preyed upon by these worthless pieces o’crap. We all need to be on the lookout for our neighbors. If you see something that doesn’t look “right,” call the police and they’ll do their jobs.

  • kayo February 13, 2012 (2:54 pm)

    Way to go watchful neighbor and SPD!

  • Josh W February 13, 2012 (3:06 pm)

    Thank you neighbor for doing the right thing!!! Today you are my hero!

    I live on 18th and have had my house broken into 2x in less then a year. Once in August and once in January.

  • Phil Thompson February 13, 2012 (3:09 pm)

    I hope so. We got robbed down on Fauntleroy cove back in July. I reported the guy selling my items on Craigslist 3 times…..investigators didn’t do a thing…..Sad, and disappointing. Thanks to neighbors that look out for each other….it make a difference. Great Job!

  • LyndaB February 13, 2012 (3:11 pm)

    Yay to all good neighbors!!!

  • Helen February 13, 2012 (3:20 pm)

    Excellent work, neighbors and SPD!

    I also live on 18th. A second break-in in 2009 (shortly after I went back to work, incidentally) prompted me to get an alarm system on my house. Overall that was a good idea, even though it annoys me to no end that I even have to have it in the first place. We won’t talk about how many times *I’ve* set it off. :)

    Josh W, I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with your home being broken in to. Totally sucks.

  • JO February 13, 2012 (3:21 pm)

    Nice work neighbors, SPD, and WSB! This is how we stay safe: Keeping an eye out for each other, calling 911 when we see something sketchy, taking care of each other when we need it. This good news points to one more reason, among SO many, why I love my West Seattle community!

  • Hollyplace February 13, 2012 (3:53 pm)

    Do we know what the vehicle looked like?

    • WSB February 13, 2012 (3:58 pm)

      Sorry, didn’t point out that it’s the one in the pic.

  • interrobang February 13, 2012 (4:01 pm)

    @Joel, While I understand your pessimism with our judicial system (I was 13 when my house was broken into by 3 kids) I’m pretty glad this didn’t require everyone getting shot; Seems like everything played out well enough.

  • Oliver February 13, 2012 (4:18 pm)

    Josh W, did you make any security improvements after the first break in?

    Just curious as my home was broken into a few weeks ago in Burien.
    Since then I have installed new dead bolt locks, security doors and a monitored alarm system.
    I will be adding surveillance cameras in the very near future.

    Im hoping all my efforts to make my home less attractive as an easy target will pay off.

    Sorry to hear that they got you twice. These punks need to stop messing with people that work hard for what they have.

  • Danielle February 13, 2012 (4:35 pm)

    I live in the Top Hat area and caught robbers in the act a couple of houses down a few months ago. They were detained at the bus stop after ditching the 2 big screens they tried to carry. Prompted us to go to the seattle animal shelter and get the scariest 85lb dog they had. Now with Moses, our new security system, I feel much safer, and he has a real home! I know that if the bad guys really wanted our stuff they’d find a detourant for Moses, but hopefully he will more likely detour them!

  • Lfauntleroy February 13, 2012 (4:43 pm)

    Hip Hip Hooray!! This news made my day!

  • derrick February 13, 2012 (5:26 pm)

    my place on 55th by alki was robbed today, the suspect broke in my kitchen window and made off with my tv and an ipod touch. left all my other stuff thankfully… happened between 7:30 and 1:30pm today… I wonder if it was these same people?

  • lookingforlogic February 13, 2012 (6:19 pm)

    1st: Criminals are opportunistic and look for the easiest, most vulnerable target.

    I installed 3M film on my windows so that they can’t be broken. I have a large heavy piece of furniture that I installed locking casters on and I move it across my back door so that it can’t get kicked in. I installed additional locks on my gate so that you can’t open them from the outside. I planted roses, barberry, and pyracantha under my windows. It’s not impenetrable, but it is not an easy mark. I don’t have anything of value to steal, but they destroy my sense of peace and security and that is worth a few hundreds bucks to make it difficult.

  • Mama Bear February 13, 2012 (6:46 pm)

    Well done!!! Now to keep them in jail and make them pay for their crimes…..and to catch and punish the rest of the low lifes that have been terrorizing our neighborhoods!

  • mookie February 13, 2012 (7:00 pm)

    Hopefully those criminals can be matched to previous burglaries through items in the car, fingerprints, etc.; get that collective stacked charges thing going on their heads. Way to go good neighbors and way to go SPD!

  • ummm February 13, 2012 (7:28 pm)

    Lookingforlogic- What is 3M film and how does it help when applied to windows?

    I think your advice is very sound; protect your home in any way you can, be it shrubbery, alarms, animals, etc.

  • Cheryl February 13, 2012 (8:49 pm)

    It is awful to look at the picture and see my street and to know that I was here working all day while this drama was going on right outside.

  • george February 13, 2012 (9:39 pm)

    The answer is tougher sentencing, not increased secuity. How many of these are repeat offenders? The Justice System is bogged down with these “minor” crimes, and over populated to restrain them. No one wants a jail in their back yards to house these charactors and keep them off the streets. Hence Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

  • Delridgian February 13, 2012 (10:03 pm)

    Unfortunately justice is weak in Seattle. At most they will get six months of work release and be back in the home robbing business.

  • Ace20604 February 14, 2012 (12:30 am)

    As Joel pointed out there are permanent solutions…not much to miss understand when someone kicks in your door.

  • NeighborEyes February 14, 2012 (2:18 am)

    My house was broken into and share the frustration of my neighbors. I want to share two interesting facts. First is trend of day time robbery between 11am and 3pm. Second is robbery is low on police’s priority due to limited resources. To those of us watching our neighbor for us. Thank You! Please keep close eyes out during these time period when criminals seem to take advantage before kids get out of school and after most of us go to work or lunch. Second call, visit or email SPD and King County sheriff office that safety of our home is important. I did with encouragement of my neighbor. It did make a difference resulting in a recent arrest based on a tip from my neighbor about a suspect. Good luck to everybody in protecting your home or car. I will have my eyes open for you and thank you for neighbors that is doing the same for me.

  • Therese D February 14, 2012 (10:22 am)

    It was my house and I am so very thankful to my neighbor for being on the watch! While the incident is upsetting and I have to replace the doors they kicked in, they got nothing (as far as I can tell), but jail time, hopefully. Getting an alarm system and probably some of the window stuff. This is the second time I’ve had a break in in this neighborhood, and it’s not going to happen again! Thank you again, Neighbor! I’ll keep my eyes and ears open too!

  • ghar72 February 14, 2012 (12:38 pm)

    http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Window_Film/Solutions/Markets-Products/Residential/Safety-Security_Window_Films/

    I was curious about the window film too so I did a little search and found this. Sounds like the window can still be broken but the film holds the pieces together therefore acting as a deterrent to the burglar. Makes it more difficult to get through the window.

  • Jose February 14, 2012 (7:16 pm)

    Secure the strike plates on your doors.
    Remove the crappy 1 inch screws, and drill in some 4 inchers what will go deep into the jamb. It’ll take an elephant to break thru.

  • momof three February 14, 2012 (7:41 pm)

    Yea! Good job, and to those who’s homes were broken into you have my sympathy. I am sorry. I also had my home broken into and had White Center Glass install ‘bank glass’ into my older doors with windows in them. It didn’t cost much more than the tempered glass required and unfortunately I had to replace the glass anyway (due to a little forced entry action). A cheaper solution that a friend used was a piece of plexiglass screwed into his pantry door. My lesson learned: Guys, if you see unfamiliar teenagers walking around/hanging around your block in the morning…. they probably shouldn’t be there. Most teenagers are either at school, working OR they are at home asleep! But hanging out? Ha! Those critters are pretty slow in the morning if not at school/work.

  • rmp February 15, 2012 (8:45 am)

    It makes me happy to know neighbors are looking out for neighbors! It really is a horrible thing to come home and find your home torn apart, things that you love broken, or stolen … things “you” worked so hard to buy … taken away by uncaring theives!

  • RK Philips February 15, 2012 (8:02 pm)

    Driving thru the arrest, heading north on 17th, I saw all the flashing light bars between Brandon and Dawson & had to turn West on Brandon instead and continue up the hill, unable to turn right on 18th. Since SPD was seriously there too! The white car’s doors and trunk were all open but the real action was on 17th so far as cars and cops afoot. Two more police cars passed me going down the Brandon hill. I sorta lost count of the # … 6? 7? Very responsive. The work people put in to get a precinct this side of the bridge paid off in this capture.

  • phil dirt February 16, 2012 (8:17 am)

    A tattoo on their forehead, as Joel suggests, would only be regarded as a status symbol. I prefer his permanent solution instead. Make sure, however, that all perforations of the thugs’ bodies are located in their frontal anatomy. Otherwise, you, the victim of the crime, will become a resident of some institution of the state.

Sorry, comment time is over.