West Seattle, Washington
26 Friday
While new incidents took precedence as Monday unfolded, we did follow up on the homicide investigation that followed the discovery of a High Point woman’s body in her home on Saturday afternoon (here’s our 
first report).
The King County Medical Examiner has yet to announce the 46-year-old woman’s cause of death and identity. Police with whom we spoke Monday morning and late afternoon were also still remaining relatively mum, aside from one telling us the crime scene was “processable” – suggesting useful evidence was found.
We also talked with a spokesperson for the Seattle Housing Authority who said SHA is working closely with Seattle Police and “hoping for a resolution as soon as possible” to the “terrible tragedy.” Though police described the victim as a “homeowner,” the unit actually is owned by the SHA, she said, but as of our conversation, was still being “held by police as an investigation scene.” She added that High Point security has not changed as a result because “we asked SPD specifically if they think there is a threat to the community and their response was ‘no’.”
The Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship and its accompanying fleet emerged from Elliott Bay fog – with sea lions barking and foghorns sounding – to make its first-ever visit to Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) this past hour. Pacific Sound Chorus was aboard for the holiday serenade, with audiences on the ships, on Salty’s decks, and on the shoreline nearby. While this was its last West Seattle stop this holiday season …
… it continues making the rounds elsewhere in the region through next Monday night (December 23rd); here’s the schedule.
5:48 PM: A big Seattle Fire response is on the way to the 6900 block of Delridge Way to check out a fire-in-building report. The address on the 911 log checks to the Lam-Bow Apartments just north of the major commercial intersection at Delridge/Orchard/Sylvan. More to come.
5:56 PM: Our crew is just arriving. Via scanner, SFD is reporting it’s a “room fire” on the three-story building’s second floor. Avoid Delridge at Myrtle – it’s blocked southbound and there was talk of closing the other direction too.
6:04 PM: Some of the units are being canceled. The incident commander says an extinguisher discharged and that apparently led to reports of smoke – not an actual fire. They hope to have a lane of traffic open shortly.
6:44 PM: The scene hasn’t completely cleared yet but is getting closer. Southbound Delridge is reported to be reopening. Metro Route 120 has been rerouted until the traffic flow is back to normal.
6:52 PM: Route 120 is back to its regular route.
The man charged with the November 25th gunpoint robberies aboard a Metro RapidRide bus 
three weeks ago is now charged in a robbery on another bus. As Trevonnte Brown of Beacon Hill appeared before a King County Superior Court judge today, prosecutors filed a charge of second-degree robbery in connection with an incident on a Route 36 bus at Hanford and Beacon on Beacon Hill (map) on the afternoon of November 16th, nine days before the Morgan Junction robberies. Charging papers say Brown walked from the back of the bus and wrestled a Samsung Galaxy phone away from a man sitting in the middle of the bus. The victim stopped fighting back when Brown claimed he had a gun. After Brown’s arrest here on November 25th, investigators compared surveillance images to his booking photo and to an image of Brown selling an iPhone at an automated Southcenter kiosk on November 18th; on the bus and at the kiosk, he was wearing what charging documents describe as the same “distinctive” knit cap. Brown pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the three filed in the West Seattle case, and remains in jail, with bail set at $350,000. He is due back in court December 30th.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:23 PM: A rape has been reported at Roxhill Park – already under scrutiny for crimes and overall safety concerns. First word is in this letter that Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark says is going to families of students at Denny and adjacent Chief Sealth International High School:
This morning, a Denny International Middle School student reported to a Denny staff member that she had been attacked on Thursday, Dec. 12, at approximately 3:30 PM at Roxhill Park.
Roxhill Park is located south of Westwood Village, across the street from Target.
She reported that she was raped by a stranger that she believed to be in his mid-twenties. She shared that last Thursday, after school was out, she had gone to Westwood Village with friends. After about an hour, as she was walking home through Roxhill Park, the attack took place. Denny staff immediately contacted her family, the Seattle Police Department, and nearby schools. The Seattle Police Department is actively investigating.
We want to inform all of the students at Denny and Sealth about this and remind you about safety tips for walking to and from school.
Those safety tips are ahead. We are checking, meantime, to see if police have any additional information to share.
(Photos by WSB co-publishers Tracy Record & Patrick Sand)
While a public grand-opening ceremony is planned tomorrow for Cottage Grove Commons, the new DESC-operated building in North Delridge, Wednesday is the really big day. That’s when its 66 formerly homeless start moving in.
Coming from homelessness, they have little to bring along, so on Sunday, the new studio apartments were made ready for them by the efforts of dozens of volunteers, whose work was just beginning when we stopped by.
The volunteers’ work on Sunday was part of “Apartment Adoption Day.” While DESC made sure each unit has basic furniture like a bed, a table, and chairs, the “adopters” brought items such as bedding, dishes, and cleaning supplies:
(UPDATED 1:08 PM: Second attempted theft added)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:56 AM: With holiday deliveries peaking this week, it’s unfortunately also prime time for package thieves. One would-be thief was thwarted in West Seattle this morning, per a reader report we just received. It actually relates to something we tweeted after hearing a scanner snippet:
Scanner: Package thief spotted in 8800 block 17th SW. Fled in dark blue Honda with tinted windows.
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) December 16, 2013
An hour after that – just minutes ago – this note came in:
Thanks to a very alert neighbor and a prompt response by police, package was recovered. A neighbor saw a dark blue Honda sedan following the mail carrier, Asian youth got out of the car, went up to the porch and took a package and began to leave, neighbor shouted at him to put it back, he dropped the package, police responded quickly. Just a reminder these guys are out looking to spoil Christmas. I would also like to thank aware neighbors, quick police response, and the mail carriers who put the mail all the way in the mailboxes.
Haven’t heard of an arrest yet but we’ll keep the radar up.
ADDED 1:08 PM: Phillip sends word of another thwarted theft:
I just caught a guy trying to steal a package right off my porch in the middle of the day! I’ve called SPD and gave them a general description, but thought I’d share with WSB too. I’m in Luna Park (30th & Nevada).
I saw/heard USPS drop the package off, but hadn’t run out to grab it yet. Then, about 30 minutes later, I heard someone else, and this guy (picture) was grabbing my package and stuffing it in his red duffel bag.
When I confronted him he said that someone had “told him to drop it off here, as it was mistakenly delivered around the corner.” Mid-day! So brazen! SPD stopped by and said they hadn’t found him (yet) but it’s worth keeping a lookout.
Something old is something new in The Junction today – that sign that’s just gone up outside Husky Deli is a replica of the one that marked its location for more than thirty years. Husky proprietor Jack Miller gave us the heads-up it would be going up today; he told us in a quick video interview this morning that it’s something he’s wanted to do for a long time:
The sign is still being tweaked, and, as noted in the video, will be turned on tonight; we’ll add “after” photos later. Read about Husky’s history, from West Seattle 101, here.
P.S. Other local businesses have rediscovered their history – two and a half years ago, you might recall, we chronicled what turned up during Elliott Bay Brewing’s facade remodel (commenters added lots of great information); also on that side of the street, early work at the 4730 California site turned up a sign from a long-gone business.
Candace McCutcheon shared that photo from the December 7th Christmas Ship stop at Alki. Tonight’s your last chance to see and hear it off West Seattle shores this holiday season – one of five highlights:
HOLIDAY GIVING – ACT FAST!: Many toy drives, giving trees, and other opportunities for holiday help end within the next few days – for some, the deadline is today (Toys for Tots at C & P Coffee [WSB sponsor], for example – just bring a new unwrapped toy!); for others, you have a few more days (Firefly‘s giving tree for a local family); only a few run beyond this week, so please don’t procrastinate! Please see the list in the WSB Holiday Guide.
AFTERNOON BOOK GROUP: 2 pm, Southwest Library. This month’s book: “Emily Alone” by Stewart O’Nan. (35th/Henderson)
GET FIT, WEST SEATTLE! Informational meeting at 6:30 pm for the next West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) edition of this couch-to-marathon program – which, as explained in our preview, is free! (California/Charlestown)
CHRISTMAS SHIP AT SALTY’S: The final Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship stop in West Seattle this year is TONIGHT, 9:15 pm, just off Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), and Salty’s says you are welcome to come in and watch, even if you are NOT there for dinner or drinks: “The entire community is invited enter onto our HEATED patios to enjoy hot cider and cookies. The patio will be well lit with tiki torches, lanterns and hand-held candles, making for great photo-ops … The heat lamps will be crankin’ as the Christmas Ships approach from the East at 9 pm.” (1936 Harbor SW)
THE YEV AT SKYLARK: 10 pm, free show! Details here. (3803 Delridge Way SW)
(More area traffic cams on the WSB Traffic page)
And we’re off – headed into the final full week before things tend to slow down for Christmas and New Year’s. One big traffic alert for this morning:
NORTHBOUND CALIFORNIA CLOSURE: Today’s the day the project at 4730 California in The Junction has a big concrete pour (for its parking garage). Northbound California will be closed between Edmunds and Alaska until about noon, according to the alert published here last week. We’ll update here if anything changes.
LATER THIS WEEK: If you are a late-night driver, note some overnight lane (and more) closures for I-5 through downtown this week, especially the full northbound closure Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.
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