West Seattle Crime Watch: One arrest; one search

First, the arrest: Karen from Hansen View Blockwatch reports an arrest that may help solve multiple recent thefts in their area. A 31-year-old man is in the King County Jail, arrested for investigation of possession of stolen property.

She says a neighbor in the 5000 block of 37th SW (map) “happened to notice someone behaving oddly” and started watching. The neighbor noticed the man had a scooter and a van, and then saw the man take an edge trimmer from a nearby yard and put it into the van. Then, the neighbor saw the man take off on the scooter, and followed some distance through alleys while calling 911. The scooter crashed; the suspect ran into a house at 36th and Morgan (map). Police made the arrest there (finding the suspect, Karen says, hiding in the attic) and are reported to have found at least 10 bicycles in the yard, along with suspected stolen mail. We’ll keep an eye on this case and follow up on whether charges are filed.

Second, the search: It’s a request for help finding a hit-run driver. Ed shared the photo at left. He says the damage is from a dark metallic-green vehicle that hit his car around 3 am today in front of his home in the 3700 block of 40th SW (map). He says he knows the color “because it left some pieces behind,” so if you’ve seen a car that color with front-end damage, please contact police.

JanS September 2, 2012 (4:41 pm)

10 bicycles? Hmmm…there have been lots of stolen bike reports in the last couple of weeks…hope this solves some of them…

Harry Reems September 2, 2012 (4:49 pm)

Good looking out neighbor!!

Neighbor September 2, 2012 (5:36 pm)

This house (on 36th & Morgan) has been called in on MULTIPLE times (by other neighbors and myself). There is often stolen property obviously on the property and late night copper wire removal from appliances.

I am glad that the suspect was caught there and that the police went on the property. It frustrates me to no end that I called about a week ago to report seeing multiple bikes there and it took this before the police will check it out. This is not the first time that we’ve called about some activity that the police have encouraged us to report to have them show up hours later if at all.

Go neighborhood watch!

Vanessa September 2, 2012 (5:55 pm)

This is in our neighborhood and we’ve recently had 2 bikes, a weed whacker and other things stolen. How can we see if our bikes are some of his contraband?

Marcus M September 2, 2012 (8:14 pm)

Keystone Kops over here

HockeyWitch September 2, 2012 (9:52 pm)

This 36th & Morgan house I can see from my apartment building. There has been all kinds of trouble there the last few years. There have been people stealing things from UHaul trucks and then going to that house.. I have called the police on a few occasions because of odd people messing around our parking lot or at UHaul and then going there.

alittlebirdtoldme September 3, 2012 (7:13 am)

Hockey Witch and Neighbor, you are so correct about that house. There is activity there all the time, and cop cars there frequently. It’s never-ending.
Keep calling, keep up the pressure. I heard the scooter the other day in the alley on 36th.. I will be more vigilant on my block.

SillyGoose September 3, 2012 (9:25 am)

OMG you just help explain the scooter we have heard at night going up and down our alley’s at Graham and 46th to the point we got up and starting looking for it! Now I know to call the police ASAP next time we hear it!

Seattle girl September 3, 2012 (3:56 pm)

I bet this is the guy on the scooter that I hear all hours of the night, I know a few neighborhood houses have been broken into and I heard jewelry has been missing as well. We need to find the connection with this

homedk September 3, 2012 (6:59 pm)

Suspect was released from jail this afternoon.

Another Neighbor September 3, 2012 (11:10 pm)

I also live near the 36th and Morgan house, and it’s been a problem for years. Scores of visitors a day running in and out with packages, furniture, bikes, etc. Cars show up and disappear (often with smashed out windows) weekly. Trash piles up every couple months, and only disappears when it’s placed in neighbors’ trash cans late at night (always on trash pickup day, of course). Other times, people show up in the middle of the night, smash appliances in the alley behind the house (presumably to sell the scrap metal) and leave the trash behind.

City, county, cops have been notified repeatedly but they have all been astonishingly ineffective at resolving any of these issues.

In any event, if any of your stuff has disappeared, go take a look in the back yard. It is always littered with bikes, furniture, and other loot.

WSB September 3, 2012 (11:12 pm)

Even if neighbors think they have tried everything, PLEASE at least send a representative to this month’s Crime Prevention Council and bring it up to police, who usually have multiple reps there (including the Community Police Team officers – have you ever worked with them?). Third Tuesday, 7 pm, SW Precinct.

Eric September 4, 2012 (6:25 am)

In possession of “suspected” stolen mail? Yeah, there better be c filedharges filed. I also doubt this person is a homeowner. To the frustrated neighbors, it might be time to put pressure on the landlord. I believe if complaints are continually filed against the property, the landlord can face fines and/or have their property taken from them.

the property, the landlord can face fines or

Watchdog September 4, 2012 (7:20 am)

Is this the same house where the narcotics task force raided a year and a half ago? If so, then the owner has a history of drug addiction. There is the real problem, since they are selling the loot for drug money.

Watchdog September 4, 2012 (9:13 am)

If this is the same house, then is was passed to the son when his mom was moved into a nursing home. She was a hoarder, so there was a lot of garbage in the house. he kinda cleaned it out, but then started doing drugs again.

Another Neighbor September 4, 2012 (9:25 am)

Unfortunately, we’ve discovered that the poor woman who owns this house is in a nursing home somewhere, and her two drug-addicted grandchildren are “taking care” of the place for her. It’s sad because they have absolutely destroyed this place in a few short years (complete with boarded-up windows, trash piles, peeling paint, etc.). So this is not really a landlord-tenant situation. It’s an owner that is apparently being victimized by her own family members.

We’ve met with the police several times. Every officer we speak with says call 911 immediately to report suspicious activity. We will continue to do so but the 911 operators (depending on who answers the line) engage in a lot of gatekeeping before they will contact patrols–which slows down response time.

Neighbor September 4, 2012 (1:03 pm)

And the Dude above was back this morning. He is not a tenant or the homeowner (in a nursing home) or the homeowners grandson. I will attend a meeting and ask for help again from the police – but the police know about this house and the situation. It’s literally that we are waiting for something bad enough to happen that they all get loaded up or that they burn the house down or that the house gets boarded up.

Good thing all the rest of our neighbors are so freaking cool. :)

Ontheblock September 4, 2012 (11:42 pm)

Just got home a little bit ago, and passed the house in question. To my surprise I seen the guy who was arrested for these crimes! Why is he out? How is that even remotely possible???? With everything stated above and from the other article I read and from what I know, he should still be in jail! I am extremely p’off! The justice system better not fail us, he is a malicious thief and needs to be dealt with accordingly. The hair on my skin is literally standing!

AND HE OBVIOUSLY IS UP TO NO GOOD NO DOUBT, WHY ELSE IS HE COMING AND GOING THIS LATE?

CAN YOU PLEASE KEEP US POSTED ON THIS ( MENTAL ) CASE??

WSB September 5, 2012 (12:07 am)

The jail register notation is “conditional release.” So far, according to other online notations, he is not yet charged. I will be continuing to check with prosecutors (and online records) to see if he is charged.

Another Neighbor September 5, 2012 (11:30 am)

To say that we neighbors are sick of this nuisance house on 36th and Morgan would be the understatement of the century. For one reason or another, every petty thief and addict in West Seattle has decided to make it their operations base for their drug dealing, fencing, appliance scrapping, and every other kind of illicit activity.

Just this morning, I walked by and there is a new kid’s bike in the yard hanging from the clothesline–stolen, no doubt, like everything else on that property.

The response from City and County enforcement personnel can be summed up as “not my department,” try calling So-and-So. (And when you call So-and-So, (s)he will tell you the same thing.) It would be nice if one person from the army of bureaucrats employed on our dime could actually do something about this, but we’ve been beating our collective heads against the wall for years to no avail.

justice September 9, 2012 (10:19 pm)

No way I thought this was just ur good old American partridge family.There is definitely no methheads living there.!!!!!! You would think the tweaks would be just a lil more discreet. In these types of situations where the problem is reoccurring and the police have to little to go on as far as prosecution.The neighborhood can draw up a petition and if enough signatures are acquired with a judges consideration the community can place restraining orders on the parties in question.Might be a good idea.