By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:

*A family squabble led a Delridge-area man to insist that officers file a pre-emptive stolen truck report against his nephew “for when he steals my truck later.” Officers politely refused.

*An unknown person pried open a door at a elder-care residence on Monday and stole $5,000 worth of Christmas decorations from a storage unit. The thief then proceeded to another floor of the building and stole $3,500 worth of sound equipment.

Eight more summaries ahead:

*Last Friday evening, a 39-year-old, intoxicated and in pain from a dental problem, became angry when her mother had no luck getting an oxycodone prescription refilled. So she choked mom, threw her against a cabinet, hit her in the head and shoved her out the door. Mom was able to call 911 but the suspect was gone when they returned to the Gatewood-area address.

*Two men driving a black 1980s Nissan pickup truck stole metal from the front yard of a Highland Park home on Tuesday afternoon. A citizen describes the suspects as Hispanic men, one in his twenties wearing a gray hoodie and blue jeans and another in his forties, wearing a red hoodie and blue jeans.

*Last weekend, in the 4100 block of SW Orchard, a car parked in a driveway was left up on blocks after someone stole the passenger side rims, tires, and lug nuts.

*Around 3:30 Tuesday morning, someone knocked on a door in the 9400 block of 15th SW and identified themselves as “patrol.” The resident told the mystery man to go away and then called 911.

*Early Friday, a woman tried to dissuade her intoxicated friend from driving by taking his car keys. He responded by punching her at least five times in the face and in the back of the head. She finally threw the keys at him in order to get him away. He kicked her car and drove off.

*In an apartment near 12th and Cloverdale, an officer responded to a call about an ongoing fight between a female and two males. The woman opened the door just enough to tell the officer, “Go away” and, basically, “You’re not the boss of me.” When the officer finally gained access, he saw that she had a huge split lip and blood on her cheek. She claimed to have fallen down some stairs. Interestingly, her male companions had suffered similar fates and some injuries—one stating he had tripped over garbage in the room and the other saying he had fallen down the stairs because he was “too drunk to walk down them.” Since no one would admit to an assault, the officer left. Later the woman called 911 again saying she had been hit again. So the officer returned to the scene, the woman began crying, said she loved her boyfriend (who had hit her) and did not want him going to jail. Boyfriend was booked a room at King County Jail, not only for investigation of the assault but for two warrants: One from Kent for $2,500 for driving with a suspended license; the second from Fife (for $2,000) for obstruction and possession of drug paraphernalia.

*Saturday afternoon, a couple had an argument while walking in the 8800 block of Delridge SW. He struck her a few times in the face with an open palm; in return, she punched him in the face and then tried to walk away. He pulled her to the ground. A concerned citizen called 911. The woman refused to provide a written statement or allow photographs. The man was carrying an illegal spring-loaded switchblade. He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of domestic violence assault and unlawful use of weapons.

*A caseworker with Child Protective Services asked for police presence on Tuesday evening at a South Park residence so that a father could be told that his two children were being taken into protective custody. The man became agitated and made repeated making chopping motions with his hands. He refused to give consent and gestured wildly, yelled and refused to acknowledge that their living conditions and his recent suicide attempt had put the children in danger. (At that incident, officers had found the 8 and 6-year-old alone with dad, who was semi-conscious on the living room floor. There were unsecured pill bottles all over the house, overflowing trash, no blankets or sheets on the bed, and a kitchen floor so dirty that the officers’ feet stuck to it as they walked.) On this visit, when dad ultimately realized that the children would be removed from the home, he promised to get them back and chop off their heads. The officers booked him to King County Jail for investigation of threats to kill.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The WSBeat has an archive category of its own, though we’re still linking the weekly reports on the WSB Crime Watch page, so you can catch it there if you miss it in the main news stream. We also continue to publish crime reports the rest of the week, when we get tips or hear noteworthy incidents via the scanner, so don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening.