West Seattle Crime Watch: Reader reports from Alki to Seaview

FiveSix reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch – car prowls and vandalism, package and other theft, plus a bicycle sighting – (11:18 am update) and brazen break-in attempts – read on:

Just in from Stephanie – two car prowls in the past five days on her block:

I live at 35th and Dawson, and our car was parked next to our house on the street. On Thursday, November 8th, we were broken into at 10 PM while we were home. We heard the alarm going and saw a man with his arm inside the car. It was a two-person operation, with another man in a Honda Prelude. My husband yelled out the window and tried to pursue the man south on 35th while I contacted 911. The Honda Prelude took off north on 35th.

Nothing was stolen, but the passenger side window was bashed in and they managed to get into the glove box and console before we saw them.

Next, my co-worker’s car was broken into last night, November 12th. He was parked one block off of Fauntleroy at 41st and Graham. They removed the window and it damaged the car on its way down to the ground. They didn’t steal anything (there was nothing to take).

Rick reports a car-vandalism spree last Thursday night/Friday morning:

We believe between 5:30 PM and 1:00 AM someone keyed about a dozen cars on their truck lids along the 3000 block of Alki Ave SW (almost to the lighthouse). Damage was significant. Police were called; please be on the lookout, thanks!

Joan e-mailed word of parcel theft in Seaview – which for obvious reasons is a problem during the holiday season:

Just wanted to give the community the heads up that there is a parcel burglar in the vicinity.

Last Thursday, I found a package in my flower bed next to the sidewalk. I called the neighbor it was addressed to so she could recover it.

When she came, she told me this happened last Wednesday and that her neighbors had seen the person … stealing the package. She had reported it to the police.

Apparently the male in question didn’t like what was inside and threw it on to my property.

I live at the intersection of 49th SW and SW Findlay. The neighbor lives several blocks away.

And a recent note from Chris:

Hello- please post that there are thieves stealing items out of the back of trucks and off patios in the Alki area. I live by Alki Elementary School and lost a small barbecue, some tools and my blue Cannondale mountain bike … The thieves are brave they came right up on my deck.

Speaking of bicycles, over the weekend, Margot spotted a blue Peugeot, missing a wheel, by the south entrance of Lincoln Park. We e-mailed back to advise reporting it to police; if you find something, please do that, even if you’re also trying to find its owner. Try the non-emergency line – 206-625-5011.

ADDED 11:18 AM: Two people in Fairmount Springs have forwarded this from the community e-mail list, about what appear to be brazen break-in attempts:

I live on 41st/ Findlay, and at 5:00 pm I heard a ‘thump’ on my front porch. I thought it was a package being delivered, so I looked out the window next to my front door, and saw a man laying horizontally on my front porch in a fetal position. At first glance, I thought that the mailman may have stumbled and hurt himself, and needed help getting up. So, I opened my door to ask if he was okay, and it wasn’t the mailman. It was a stranger who was pretending to be in need, and he immediately lunged at me, and tried to get into my house.

Fortunately, I had a quick reaction, and shut my front door immedately and locked it. He continued to try to get into my front door. I picked up the phone to call 911 and he still tried to get into my front door. I yelled at him telling him that I was on the phone with 911 and cops should be arriving soon. He finally left.

I’m a bit shaken up about it. I can’t believe someone was attempting to attack me and enter my house in broad daylight on my front porch.

(also included in the e-mail forward)

Our neighbor (near) 42nd and Dawson also experienced a scary event last Thursday … She did file a police report but was so un-nerved that she couldn’t offer a detailed description other than; white male, middle aged, brown hair. The man tried to break into her back door as she was standing there. He was attempting to dismantle the door latch and was partially successful by breaking it.. Something must have spooked him as he didn’t get in.

17 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Reader reports from Alki to Seaview"

  • Uhoh November 13, 2012 (12:19 pm)

    I am on the email list and both those attempted break ins with the women standing right there had the same description of the man. Along with being described as a white,middle aged man with brown hair it was said he is about 6′ tall.Be very careful out there! This guy is dangerous and needs catching ASAP.

  • Ben November 13, 2012 (12:45 pm)

    i am on the Fairmount Springs email list. the neighbor who was attacked and sent that email has sent a follow-up email to the list identifying the attacker as a registered sex offender with an address in the 6300 block of 41st Ave SW (i.e. between Graham and Fauntleroy).
    .
    i would post the alleged attacker’s name and a link to a photo except that i assume WSB rules prohibit doing so. if anyone knows of a public forum where this information can be shared, please say so. thank you.

  • Meg November 13, 2012 (1:04 pm)

    Yikes! About the previous comment. I’m glad they narrowed it down but as a SAHM that is quite frightening! I definitely need to start using our alarm and not answering the door for strangers!

  • LStephens November 13, 2012 (2:24 pm)

    Here is the website for the sex offender registry – http://www.seattle.gov/police/crime/sexoffender_notice.htm
    I put in the address above and came up with five men.

  • WAmsterdam November 13, 2012 (3:10 pm)

    I bet a hundred people have failed to comment on the attempted break ins because we live in a civilized society and every possible thing they can think to say implicates them in a conspiracy to commit vigilantism.

  • A November 13, 2012 (4:21 pm)

    Sounds like my friends neighbor being described here!! From what I understand he was accused of statutory rape but is now married to the “victim.” If he is really the one that attacked this woman he’d be arrested, right? How did she figure out it was him? (If it is him)

  • j November 13, 2012 (5:51 pm)

    Highly doubt it is the sex offender you think it is. A is dead on with this one.

  • Uhoh November 13, 2012 (5:51 pm)

    Sounds like a helicopter over the area of that address right now..wonder if it is related?

    • WSB November 13, 2012 (5:53 pm)

      No, that’s something else. Story in a min.

  • Uhoh November 13, 2012 (5:53 pm)

    She has since emailed that it may look similar to him but may not be him so please no vigilantism.At least we have an idea what the guy looks like.

  • WAmsterdam November 13, 2012 (7:11 pm)

    see? vigilantes never have enough info or patience to do a good job at seeking justice. So sad our primate nervous systems make it so tempting.

  • EN November 13, 2012 (7:31 pm)

    How do you get on the Fairmount Springs e-mail group? I’m near Fauntleroy & Dawson and I find these two reports terrifying.

  • David November 13, 2012 (9:37 pm)

    I live right near 40th Ave SW and Juneau, which is just about a block from where the porch incident (5:00pm) described above occurred. Last night (Monday, Nov. 12) around 5:30-5:45pm my girlfriend was pulling into her parking spot in the alley (between 40th and 41st) behind our place when she saw a suspicious guy walking south down the alley. As she was pulling into her spot he kept looking back at her with what she described as a creepy grin. As for a description, she said he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was dark in color (possibly blue, gray, or black) and light blue jeans. He was about 6 feet tall, possibly mid-to-late thirties in age, had a round face and head, and had short light brown hair. If the person who reported either of the incidents above reads this, could you please leave a comment stating whether or not this sounds like the guy that tried to break into your house? It would help in that we could keep an eye out for this guy and call police if we see him again. Thanks.

  • Namaste November 14, 2012 (5:36 am)

    Yes. The description you described sounds like the man that was on my porch that night — and that was the clothing he wore that night.

  • truth be told November 14, 2012 (11:27 pm)

    This is really serious. As a single WS women, I would want to know that there is a potential, single women assailant! I’m over in Sunrise Heights and after reading these 2 posts on attempted crimes I realized I ran into a weird character around the end of summer. He was walking up and down our alley not really pacing but I would see him often and he didn’t live here…he told me I was beautiful one day and gave a very creepy smirk while leaving…Anyways, I think the least we can do, without sending fear, is to inform our fellow sisters to be AWARE!! Thanks…

  • Truthteller November 26, 2012 (9:45 am)

    At around 2AM on 11/16 Someone tried to break into our attached garage and woke me up. [this happens frequently] My daughter started calling me from upstairs that someone was trying to open our front door. [later she told me she could hear him walking in the gravel under her window] I could see him through the glass door but not well as it is privacy glass.
    Tall, white, medium to thin build, dark hoodie, dark pants, brown hair but he had his hood pulled up so I couldn’t see his face. He was pounding on the door for us to let him in. My daughter called the police. I asked him who he was and he would not answer. After several minutes he said “it’s Dave.” He started to leave and fell down our stairs then he came back up again. He was yelling “are you going to let me in or what?” By the time the police arrived he was gone. They had been all the way up at Roxbury and it took them quite some time to get down to the North end of WS. Like a lot of lessons I have learned as a single mom, no one can save me but myself. Had he decided to break the glass or kick the door in, the damage would have been done by the time SPD got here. Who knows what he would have done to my teenage girls. I am starting to take steps to arm and protect us. I am installing cameras and am going to light my house up. With more and more people moving into WS the police are just simply too overwhelmed. As my officer friend said to me “we take one bad guy down and two more pop up” He said as a police officer it is so frustrating to see the guy you arrested last night walking down the street the next day. I really do blame overpopulation of WS. Is this really progress?. I liked living here because it is not the UDistrict or Wallingford. Now it is. How many more people can we pack in here? How do we say no to more apartments unless the proper infrastructure like more patrol officers are in place, green turn lights for those making left turns at major arterials, a bus system that works, and parking, parking, parking.

  • Truthteller November 26, 2012 (9:52 am)

    I forgot to say that he police said they saw a tan smaller toyota corolla type of car leaving the area driving fast as they were coming up the hill. I was in such a panic I never thought to ask them why they did not chase the guy.
    Also about 3 months ago my daughter heard someone running behind our house. The SPD did come but they said it was probably just animals. After they left my daughter was in tears because she said “mom I know what I heard and it wasn’t an animal”

Sorry, comment time is over.