WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Car break-in; 2 purse-snatching suspects charged

| Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch today – first, a reader report:

CAR PROWL: Dennis reports a car break-in overnight on the northeast corner of 8th SW/SW Cloverdale [map]: “Nothing of value in the car.”

Next, a followup:

(Photo tweeted Saturday night by @culinaryfaerie)

JUNCTION PURSE-SNATCHING FOLLOWUP: After reporting this in bits and pieces, we finally have the police report with full details of the circumstances in last Saturday night’s Junction “purse-snatching” incident. It says the victim was sitting in the Junction Starbucks with her laptop and purse on the table in front of her just before 6 pm when three people ran in, grabbed her purse off the table, and ran out with it. The first 911 call said two people including the victim chased after the purse-grabbers. As we reported, police found and arrested three suspects.

The two adult suspects are now charged so we’re identifying them: The police report says 19-year-old Alonso Roman was found about three blocks away, in the alley east of the 4500 block of 41st SW, with the victim’s purse. Police also found a felony arrest warrant for him in a residential-burglary case. In this case, he’s charged with two misdemeanors, theft and receiving stolen property. The other adult suspect, 19-year-old Delino Olebar, was found about a block further east, near Jiffy Lube, and police found three misdemeanor warrants out for him. They say he gave them a false name at first; he is charged with theft and false reporting, both misdemeanors. The juvenile suspect was found on the other side of Alaska, near Bank of America. Roman and Olebar were booked into the King County Jail, and the jail register says they’re still there now; the juvenile suspect was released to his parents. The victim told police the only thing missing from her purse when she got it back was a pair of earbuds.

KT January 18, 2018 (3:09 pm)

Just before 6pm at the Starbucks in the Junction – wow.

Junction Lady January 18, 2018 (3:41 pm)

Thankfully the individual got her purse and almost all of her belongings back and hopefully doesn’t suffer too much PTSD. Quick civilian reaction and police response helped to rectify this situation-well done! These purse snatching jerks have some crazy nerve??!

T January 18, 2018 (3:43 pm)

If people haven’t heard, there is a nation wide trend of people walking into a Starbucks or other coffee shop, scoping out tables for valuables then snatching them quickly while running for the door. Be aware of your laptops, iPhones, purses, etc.

Junction Lady January 18, 2018 (6:09 pm)

T – thanks for your post because I wasn’t aware of this alarming trend

M January 18, 2018 (4:44 pm)

Are the suspects West Seattle residents are did they just come here to steal?

WSB January 18, 2018 (5:29 pm)

Don’t know about the juvenile since I don’t have any documents in his case. Olebar has a West Seattle address and Roman has a South Park address.
- Jon Wright January 18, 2018 (10:40 pm)
  
  Pictures?
  - WSB January 18, 2018 (10:49 pm)
    
    If you mean the suspects, photos are only available from the state prison system, and neither of these defendants has been in it.

cjboffoli January 18, 2018 (5:56 pm)

Great work SPD!!

JayDee January 18, 2018 (8:05 pm)

Ditto on SPD: kudos!

JanS January 18, 2018 (8:16 pm)

Brazen !

rico January 19, 2018 (6:15 am)

Can anyone explain the history and reasons why this area (city only?) does not publicize photos of those arrested, like most of the rest of the country. Probably has something to do with “he’s a good boy, did not mean to do it, does not deserve any penalty etc” Maybe there is a better explanation???

WSB January 19, 2018 (7:02 am)

Don’t know but no, this is not the only area that doesn’t make mugshots available (not the county, nor the city) and has not for at least the entire time I have been working in news media here (since 1991).
- Seattlite January 19, 2018 (8:53 am)
  
  Maybe it’s time to revisit making mugshots available to the public. Any criminals bold enough to do what these criminals did should have their mugshots published as a safety factor for citizens. Just like keeping the doors and windows of your home closed to prevent criminals from entering, it is a good rule to not have a purse in public to prevent criminals from snatching from you or off of a table.

andy January 19, 2018 (7:00 am)

I’m wondering if these three are the same three who have, in the last year or two, committed several armed robberies near California and Avalon?

WSB January 19, 2018 (7:28 am)

What cases are you referring to? California and Avalon don’t meet. Neither suspect, meantime, has a robbery charge or arrest on his record.
DaveG January 19, 2018 (8:28 am)

Alonso Gilberto Roman was also arrested on 12/3/2017 for assault and on 8/23/2017 for juvenile parole violation.

Delino Olebar has been arrested too many times for me to list. Go to and type in his name to see for yourself.

https://ingress.kingcounty.gov/Public/JILS/default.aspx

Of course they are innocent unitl proven guilty, but the arrest trend say something. In my opinion, they are certainly capable of armed robbery.
- WSB January 19, 2018 (9:25 am)
  
  Yes, those are the records I’m referring to. Arrests do not mean convictions, however. What we see too often is people speculating that if a certain person is arrested for a certain category of crime, they must be the same person that committed that same type of crime in a multitude of other situations. I’m sorry to say that there’s a multitude of potential suspects in any category. For example, when three young male suspects were arrested for street robbery in The Junction a few months ago, that trio did not include either of the two 19-year-olds in this case. And they were already in jail when a group described as “three males” robbed a woman of her phone a few nights ago, as reported here.
- McGruff January 19, 2018 (5:59 pm)
  
  Reading between the lines, it is clear that Mr. Olebar is no Boy Scout. While there may be no convictions, I do note with interest that (1) he’s been booked 7 times since last April, making him a real ‘frequent flyer’, and (2) he was under ‘Conditional Release’ on all of them. What does that mean?
  
  Anyway, kudos to SPD for the quick collar, but given the record of Mr. Olebar at least, I fear it won’t be long before we hear from him again.

Joan January 19, 2018 (8:06 am)

There seems to be a string of “three suspects” doing purse snatchings in the area. They all seem to be teenagers. Any connections? I assume the previous ones that have been caught could not have done the latest one.

artsea January 23, 2018 (12:36 pm)

I’m becoming totally fed up with the increase in crime in West Seattle. We seem to be losing the battle and all we get are excuses. We need to get tougher on all crime. Lock ’em up and throw away the key. That might just make these petty criminals think twice. If they ever think.

Sorry, comment time is over.