Update: Major police response on The Bridge = burglary arrests

(Thanks to Brian C for the photo – added 2:30 pm)
ORIGINAL 1:31 PM REPORT: Thanks for the notes and texts about a large number of police cars on The Bridge, eastbound near the exit to The Viaduct, in the past 20 minutes or so – tipsters say they were focused on a minivan, and that some officers had guns drawn. We’re checking to find out more. (There was some report of traffic backups as a result, but we’re not seeing that on the traffic camera right now.) ADDED 1:57 PM: Just heard back from Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James:

There was a residential burglary in the northern part of West Seattle this morning where two suspects were seen fleeing in a dark colored van. Shortly after that, a dark colored van was seen casing several residences in the south portion of West Seattle. The license number of the suspicious van was broadcast. Officers put two and two together and figured that these two were connected. An officer spotted the van northbound on Delridge. It was stopped [on the bridge], the occupants detained and items from the initial burglary were recovered from the van. Two males were arrested – one adult and one juvenile.

WSnewbie January 2, 2010 (2:31 pm)

Thanks for keeping us updated.

soosan January 2, 2010 (2:35 pm)

Go SPD!

Xylle January 2, 2010 (2:37 pm)

Good work SPD!

CB January 2, 2010 (2:41 pm)

Nice job SPD! Hope these are some of the scum bags who are responsible for recent burglaries. Having read this blog for the better part of 2 years, I am amazed they arrest as many burglars as they do. Word needs to get out that this crime does not pay.

WSB January 2, 2010 (8:03 pm)

CB, we will certainly check (though not likely to find this out before Monday) on whether the suspects might be linked to anything else.

rob January 2, 2010 (2:50 pm)

It was a tan colored van, 2 black males (looked young) and van was packed with Persian rugs and electronics. Both men looked like recent African Immigrants. Saw the whole thing!

bl@ster January 2, 2010 (2:52 pm)

Nice work. Lock em up and throw away the key!

Eric January 2, 2010 (2:59 pm)

Ditto on the good work by SPD.
.
But good job by the neighborhood as well. Shows that taking the time to get the license plates and descriptions may not pay off immediately but you can’t get 2+2 if you only have half the puzzle.

WSB January 2, 2010 (3:10 pm)

Eric, very important point. Also I have to throw in my periodic pitch for everyone interested in helping fight crime in West Seattle – the WS Crime Prevention Council (which is a volunteer citizens’ group, NOT an official government-linked organization) took Dec. off but will have its January meeting in a little over two weeks, 7 pm Tuesday 1/19 in the Southwest Precinct meeting room (Delridge/Webster, right off the parking lot on the south side of the precinct building) – TR

Cliff January 2, 2010 (3:09 pm)

A juvenile? Really? What role models.

sacatosh January 2, 2010 (3:13 pm)

WOOO HOOO SPD! Thank you!

koni January 2, 2010 (5:38 pm)

Awesome!!! It saddens me that property crime is such a low priority…and so prevalent. Every one of these guys we catch saves many people the heartache of robbery! Go SPD!!! Go WSB for keeping us all aware so we can catch these guys!

Junctionite January 2, 2010 (6:23 pm)

As a west Seattle resident who was victimized by burglary during 2009 I am very pleased to see someone caught! Good job SPD!

Leroniusmonkfish January 2, 2010 (8:44 pm)

Both men “looked like recent African Immigrants”? Probably some Somali Pirates…

Westside January 2, 2010 (9:37 pm)

Booya! That’s how we do it in West Seattle!! Go SPD bring em downtown!

JanS January 2, 2010 (9:53 pm)

Mr. Monkfish…my first thought was…maybe they were African immigrants, but not “recent”? They could have been here for many years. That description is irrelevant , in my book. He could have said ” they were African-American males”.

Good work, SPD..we have too many of these crimes happening in our ‘hood these days.

Dave January 2, 2010 (10:13 pm)

Not sure how they looked African, I drove by at 12:50-ish as they were being cuffed and they looked like black American kids to me. I thought they were joyriding as they looked very young, sad.

Leroniusmonkfish January 2, 2010 (10:51 pm)

Any address info for the burglary in the “Northern part of W.S.”? Persian rugs and electronics fit the description of a friends house…

Jessica January 3, 2010 (9:24 am)

Thank you SPD! They got my house and some of my things were recovered.

dolly January 3, 2010 (11:36 am)

Bravo to SPD on some nice work!

Dan\'a January 3, 2010 (12:02 pm)

I wonder how many of the most recent burglaries they are responsible for. I also wonder what sort of brown van they were in as I have seen one around my area quite recently.

David January 3, 2010 (4:34 pm)

I think our house was the residential burglary referred to yesterday morning. A big thank you to the SPD for their outstanding detective work and follow up and to neighbors near and not so near. Neighbors from the other side of the West Seattle Freeway phoned the van description to SPD when our home was broken into, and the follow up from the South End neighbors helped bring this crime spree to an end. We also recovered one of the stolen items. Thanks to all in the community (including two of my neighbors calling me about my alarm going off)

Hormel January 4, 2010 (4:54 pm)

David,
Glad to hear you got something back. I will thank JJ, our neighbor who called the description in from across the WSF. The police were very quick to react on this after the alarm started going off. That alarm is very loud, and was very effective, hope not to hear it again.

Free Lunch January 4, 2010 (7:37 pm)

Glad they were caught, but holy cow – this really required seven squad cars?

Gary January 5, 2010 (9:40 am)

I drove past the arrest just as the cops were getting out of their car. One officer had a rifle with a scope, so I thought maybe it was more than just a traffic stop, sniper incident or something, as a scope mounted rifle is usually for longer range use. He probably wanted a weapon that would go through a vehicle’s metal. We have to remember that crimnnals are increasingly desparate and the police in this area have lost several comrades and will take every action to minimize risk. They can’t eliminate it- they remain terrifyingly vulnerable. All of the recent police deaths were intentional, planned murders of OUR employees.

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