By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
This edition of our periodic feature The WSBeat contains summaries written from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – generally cases that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block?” Or on the bridge, or the beach, or …
*In the 1500 block of SW Cambridge, a driver pulled over for talking on her cell phone was unable to provide the officer with her license or proof of insurance. What she *did* have were five felony warrants (totaling $65,000): Three for DUI and two for driving with a suspended license. She was booked into King County Jail.
*On Monday the 28th, the manager of an Alki coffee shop called 911 after checking the welfare of a patron who had been in the bathroom a long time. She opened the door, saw him with a belt around his arm and suspected he was injecting drugs. Officers arrived and questioned the man who, the previous day, had fallen asleep in the same bathroom. At the request of the manager, he was trespassed from the business. When a records check showed that he was wanted on a felony warrant by the King County Sheriff’s Office for residential burglary and trafficking stolen property ($50,075), he was booked into the King County Jail.
*On the 23rd, someone got into the foyer of an apartment in the 1700 block of Alki Ave. SW and stole a package that had been delivered. (The addressee found the empty box at the rear of the building.) Inside: A $2,000 gaming computer.
*Wanting to sell a coin collection, a citizen got a ride to a Junction store from “a friend of a friend.” He stepped from the car, and as he turned back to reach for the items, the driver punched the accelerator and took off. Officers later discovered that the driver needed money to bail out on a $20,000 felony warrant from King County. A records check later in the day showed that the warrant had been “cleared.” Bottom line: The driver had used the proceeds from a new felony to pay off a previous felony.
*On the 25th, just after midnight, officers arrived at the scene of a reported robbery at 26th and Barton. The victim had been attacked by four men and then dragged into the bushes, police were told. The attackers then removed the victim’s clothing and fled. They were described as black males, one in red shorts, a white T shirt, and long black hair down to his shorts. A second wore jeans, a black shirt, and a baseball cap. The third wore a white fisherman’s cap and a white shirt. The victim was transported to Highline Hospital for treatment.
*Same place, on the 27th, another man waiting for a bus was attacked by two juveniles who ended up being booked into the Youth Service Center. One of them was carrying a half gallon bottle of rum, which was returned to a nearby drugstore.
*On the 27th, at 29th and Barton, what was first called in as “a man with an ax” turned out to be a man who pulled a work hammer from his backpack when he felt threatened by juveniles who made fun of him for being drunk. The kids who were still at the scene told officers that the man never chased or tried to hit them. The man was released.
*On the 26th, a stranger (who turned out to be a Queen Anne resident) stumbled into a yard sale in the 7700 block of 12th SW carrying a half-gallon of alcohol. He offered drinks all around before the homeowner told him to leave. The next thing she knew, the stranger was inside her house. The man fled when told police had been called. He was booked into KCJ for investigation of non-forced residential burglary.
*The drivers/owners of two cars stolen on the 28th (one from Lincoln Park; another from Beach Drive) unintentionally provided extra help to the thieves: In both cases, the police reports say, there was an extra car key inside the vehicle.
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EDITOR’S NOTES: Remember, the CRISIS CLINIC hotline is a resource for those in crisis, including thoughts or acts of self-harm, or trying to find help for someone in crisis: 206.461.3222 … Previous WSBeat roundups are archived here. We also publish crime reports when we get tips or otherwise hear about noteworthy incidents – they don’t all turn up on the scanner, so please don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening = call or text 206-293-6302.
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