WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Delridge robbery suspect nabbed 20 miles away; package thief on cam; more

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports, starting with a robbery arrest far from the crime scene:

ROBBERY SUSPECT TRACKED TO FEDERAL WAY: Published on SPD Blotter tonight:

Just after 2 p.m. this afternoon, Southwest Precinct police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a bus stop near Delridge Way and Kenyon Street. The teenage victim reported to officers that a teenage suspect brandishing a handgun approached him, stole his iPhone and ran away.

Police called for a K9 officer in the hopes of tracking the armed suspect nearby. Those efforts did not prove fruitful. Fortunately for police, the suspect also left an electronic trail.

Using the phone’s location software, Officer Ernie DeBella followed the e-trail to Burien and then later to Federal Way. Officer DeBella successfully tracked the phone to an occupied silver minivan and called for back-up. With assistance from King County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Way Police Department, officers stopped the minivan. All four passengers got out and ran, but didn’t get far, and were detained by police.

The victim called his iPhone and officers could hear it ringing inside the mini-van on cue. Officers could also see a handgun in the minivan’s interior.

Three of the four occupants were interviewed and released from the scene. The fourth occupant, determined to be the robbery suspect, remained with officers. While they were questioning the suspect, a recent crime victim approached officers and reported that he recognized the teenage suspect as the person who had robbed him the day before. Federal Way Police will continue to investigate that robbery separately.

Officers impounded the minivan pending receipt of a search warrant. Officers transported the suspect back to Seattle and booked him into the Youth Service Center.

Also tonight, two reader reports, both related to mail/package theft:

PACKAGE THIEF: From Brittany in High Point, with frame grabs from security video:

A package was stolen off my front porch in West Seattle at 12:29 pm today.

If you see this navy blue car (possibly a Ford Focus 4-door sedan) or this person anywhere, please let me know.

This has already been filed with the Seattle Police Department.

If you have any info, the SPD incident number is 17-274738.

AFTERMATH OF PACKAGE THEFT: From Ray, also in High Point:

Boxes from two blocks away made it to 34th and Graham. Happened between 12-1 on 7/27.

Looks like they choose a driveway to turn into and dump the boxes.

6 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Delridge robbery suspect nabbed 20 miles away; package thief on cam; more"

  • felixswan2 July 27, 2017 (10:15 pm)

    We had three packages stolen today from our front porch. We live on 34th Ave SW between Graham and Morgan, and our packages were taken between 12:30 and 1:00, so this is totally the same guy. We have a fenced off yard, so he had to open our latched gate and come up our steps to take the packages. Gah, so frustrating! Thanks for posting this, and I’m glad we got a screen shot of him and the car. 

  • old timer July 28, 2017 (9:29 am)

    It’s great to see the police from different jurisdictions working  together so well.

     

  • heyalki July 28, 2017 (2:51 pm)

    I swear I saw that guy hanging out at that park behind cupcake royal two days ago. I noticed him because he appeared to be wildly intoxicated and kept stumbling around and looked like he was talking to himself. 

  • Rockergirl July 28, 2017 (3:45 pm)

    Nice job Officer DeBella! Can you nab the dang package thieves that have been in Sunrise Heights and High Point the last few days. I found a discarded box across from my house and notified the recipient but it’s been rampant in the area for awhile.

  • Thatsallyougot July 28, 2017 (6:27 pm)

    Nice work on robbery, cops!!

  • D August 4, 2017 (10:09 pm)

    Thank you officer DeBella!!!

Sorry, comment time is over.