West Seattle Crime Watch: Package-theft case update; hit-and-run driver sought

| Crime | West Seattle news

Topping this afternoon’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup – a followup on last Friday’s package/mail-theft arrests:

If you missed our Friday coverage – four men were booked into King County Jail Friday night, hours after their arrests at 16th and Roxbury, where the van reported by a package-theft witness in West Seattle was pulled over by police. Early Saturday afternoon, three of them (ages 32, 25, and 22) got out of jail; the fourth, 31, is still in, because of unrelated warrants. This case went through Seattle Municipal Court, and that means the City Attorney’s Office would prosecute; spokesperson Kimberly Mills says the office’s Criminal Division will do an “extended review” of the case, which is why no one has been charged/cited yet. We’ll keep watch on the case.

Also this afternoon, this photo and report from Georgia:

I wanted to report a hit & run on 42nd Avenue SW just south of Edmunds early this morning. I heard a loud crash around 2:30 am this morning and woke to find that our parked 2002 Jeep Wrangler was hit & pushed into a silver Mazda M6. Both were parked on the west side of 42nd Avenue SW and it appears the suspect vehicle was going southbound on 42nd when it struck the Jeep and pushed it into the Mazda. The suspect vehicle’s bumper – from a Honda – was left behind too. If anybody has any information, please contact Officer F. Oshinski, 206-733-9800, or Jason Choate at 206-930-1327. The incident # is 12-421233.

Highland Park Resident December 10, 2012 (3:48 pm)

Any idea why seven police cars with flashing lights were hanging out on the corner of 13th and Kenyon this afternoon?

WSB December 10, 2012 (3:55 pm)

Suspected car prowlers, according to scanner traffic.

smokeycretin9 December 10, 2012 (4:06 pm)

damn. Jeeps are stronger than I thought. Alpental sticker too.

KatherineL December 10, 2012 (4:52 pm)

Why is a mail theft case being heard in Municipal Court?

wetone December 10, 2012 (5:00 pm)

Thats Seattle, less than 24hrs their right back in business. That is why alot of the the non law obeying people are coming to Wa. thats a fact. Police are not at fault, it’s our court system and goverment. Just like all the booze getting ripped off in the stores now. Kids and adults know they will just get a ticket if they get caught nothing to lose.

WSratsinacage December 10, 2012 (5:00 pm)

Sadly, hit and runs have become almost common place in West Seattle.

Flickertail December 10, 2012 (5:34 pm)

KatherineL:

Perhaps because it was a UPS (United Parcel Service) package. NOT US Mail. Ya think?

WSB December 10, 2012 (5:38 pm)

Flickertail, police told us Friday that four packages and two “letters” (their words) were recovered. So KL’s inquiry is perfectly understandable. I don’t know the answer but will check with Postal Inspection Service tomorrow – they too may be investigating …TR

anti-obstruction December 10, 2012 (5:36 pm)

I have a large carton full of nothing but styrofoam packing peanuts. Thinking of leaving it out as “bait” for these thieving renegades.

eric1 December 10, 2012 (5:41 pm)

Can’t say that I disagree with wetone about Seattle and criminal punishment. 2:30 AM, likely drunk and better to commit a hit and run than get caught for DUI (not that the DUI punishment is appropriately harsh). And the package thieves were let out in time to take more packages on Monday. “Extended review” is likely another name for “round file”.

Flickertail December 10, 2012 (5:49 pm)

WSB:

Margaret in Vashon December 10, 2012 (6:11 pm)

I was thinking about “anti-obstruction’s” suggestion above about leaving a decoy package on his porch. It made me wonder what would come of a sort of citizen’s uprising where EVERYONE left packages out on a certain day. Neighbors would probably have to send them to each other, to lure in the UPS-truck-tailing thieves.

Flickertail December 10, 2012 (6:38 pm)

Margaret in Vashon,

I will do anything to avoid luring vermin to my residence. So, no thanks.

Woodsman December 10, 2012 (6:49 pm)

Put some rattle snakes in a box on your porch and see what happens!

mike December 10, 2012 (7:12 pm)

Obviously SPD has made sure the FBI is involved in the FEDERAL crime of USPS mail theft right? …..

Hansen View Blockwatch December 10, 2012 (7:58 pm)

Our neighbors also had a hit and run recently. At 2 AM on Friday morning someone crashed into one of their cars, knocking it into their other car. The person responsible took off quickly. This happened in the 5000 block of 36th (near SW Dawson St). Police think the car that caused the damage may have been white.
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On the subject of package theft, another neighbor just found the empty remains of a package from Amazon. It was addressed to someone on the 5900 block of 39th.
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We can be reached at hansenviewblockwatch (at) comcast.net if anyone has info about the hit and run or wants to know if the empty package might have been theirs – thanks!

Amanda December 10, 2012 (10:10 pm)

Decoy packages with unpleasant things inside will be my M.O. this year. Nothing too gross, but egg shells and moldy bread should do the trick :)

MAS December 11, 2012 (9:41 am)

Regarding the “decoy” discussions. Making criminals who know where you live angry might not be the best idea. While it might be nice to think about them being frustrated and annoyed when they open the package – you’re dealing with anti-social folks that will not consider this justice, but provocation. They may choose to escalate.

NeoYogi December 11, 2012 (11:09 am)

Hit & run victims…check the neighborhood! Especially at that time of the morning, if your street isn’t a main thoroughfare, the driver could very well be on their way home. I found the person who hit my car just one block away :( Sad that it was a neighbor (I’d never met them) but awesome that we figured it out. A piece of their car fell off so we found them REALLY quickly. CHECK YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!

Ajax December 13, 2012 (3:00 am)

“Decoy Package” sounds like a fantastic premise for a reality show. There is already a show like this called “Bait Car”. If nobody else wants to shop it, I’ll do it!

heardthrugrapevine December 13, 2012 (7:13 pm)

DO YOU REMEMBER THIS???

9/2/2012: Stolen-property arrest; hit-run search

Well I’ve been keeping up with this case and he was arrested for stealing packages off of peoples porches. He was arrested before from that house on 36th Morgan for stealing property from garages and bikes. He was released on a conditional release, so likely they will bring those charges back, because they were dropped on the condition he stays out of trouble. THANK YOU LORD!!

WSB December 13, 2012 (7:27 pm)

I don’t recall the name in that case; consider sending it to us so we can track it too – it won’t be attributed, but since no charges were filed, I don’t have a record – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks.

Robert December 14, 2012 (9:29 am)

big deal so the gestapo is called in ,all they do is sit back and watch the local cops do all the work and when the shooting is over they step in and grab all the credit.