Three notes and a reminder tonight:

BURGLARY: From Liz in Arbor Heights:

Our house at 100th and California Ave SW was burglarized this past Tuesday, March 10th, sometime between 7 and 10am. A Good Samaritan on Marine View Drive called SPD when she spotted the burglar tossing keys (stolen from a dresser in our home) into some shrubbery. SPD then traced the keys back to my husband.

We returned home from work to discover our house a mess, and that our laptops, iPads, and other miscellaneous items were stolen. The thief had climbed our fence and tossed a rock through a bedroom window to gain entry.

We have reported the incident to SPD, along with the description of a suspicious person we noticed that morning. Just a day and a half after this occurred, our next-door neighbor reported that someone had broken into her car!

Neighbors, please be on the alert. We are new to Arbor Heights (just bought our home 6 months ago) and have been very dismayed at this recent rash of issues across the neighborhood.

MISSING MAIL? From Dotti tonight:

Just wanting to let you know we just spotted a man trying to get into our bank of mailboxes on 25th between Findlay and Juneau. I reported it and do have a description if anyone is missing their mail today.

STOLEN? OR LOST? Christine spotted these items by the 37th/Findlay staircase and shared a photo, wondering if perhaps they were stolen and dumped:

If you find something of value, you can always notify police, who can store it in evidence (maybe there’ll even be a “reunion”).

WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL: Your monthly chance to hear from and talk with local police is during the WSCPC‘s monthly meeting next Tuesday (March 17th), 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (Webster/Delridge).

(Family photo of Greggette Guy during a hike, 2004)
Admiring the beauty of Puget Sound from Beach Drive the other night, it occurred to us that a sad and unsettling anniversary was near, and indeed, an archive check confirmed that today marks exactly three years since 51-year-old Greggette Guy was found dead in the water near Cormorant Cove Park. Police believed she was killed sometime the night before, after traveling here to take a walk at/near Emma Schmitz Overlook, where her car was found:

Mrs. Guy was a Kent resident and a former West Seattleite, remembered for her devotion to Girl Scouting; one year after her murder, she was remembered at a ceremony dedicating a memorial plaque by a totem pole at a Girl Scout camp in east King County. Three days after her body was found, she was officially declared a victim of homicide; the cause of her death was not immediately revealed, but eventually was described as “severe wounds to her neck.”

We checked today with SPD to ask if they had anything new to say about the case – no details have emerged since our six-months-later followup in September 2012; in October 2014, Chief Kathleen O’Toole’s first official report to the City Council mentioned unsolved murders including this one, saying:

The Criminal Investigations Bureau Chief and Violent Crimes Captain have conducted a thorough review of all unsolved homicides twice during 2014. While I cannot discuss specifics of those open investigations in this report, I can tell you that the cases that remain unsolved have either problems with the integrity of evidence or a lack of cooperation from witnesses. I hope that we can develop greater trust and communication with our community so that individuals with information about these cases or other unsolved crimes will come forward.

That hope is echoed today in the response to our inquiry; Det. Patrick Michaud said, “The case is still open, active and ongoing. However, we still need the public’s help. If (you) know anything, call (206) 233-5000.”

West Seattle Crime Watch incidents to report, plus related reminders:

STREET ROBBERY SEARCH: The search is happening right now near Delridge/Juneau – a woman told police that she was “jumped” a short time ago and robbed by a female attacker who was on a northbound bus with her and followed her off in that area. She’s getting medical treatment for injuries; the robber is described, so far as we’ve heard via scanner, as black, with black/brown braided hair, pink sweatshirt, whitewashed skinny jeans. If you have any info, call 911.

INDECENT EXPOSURE VIA PHOTO: Via e-mail – this happened Monday: “My teenage daughter was on the 128 in the early evening, going down 16th, and a man seated next to her, late 20s-early 30s, Caucasian, dark hair, dark rectangular glasses, exposed her to an explicit, full-frontal nude photograph of himself. She told us when she got home and we contacted the police and filed a report.”

Relevant to that, and recent incidents:

STUDENT SAFETY INFO: One week from tonight, the Madison Middle School PTSA is presenting a student-safety program during its PTSA meeting – 7 pm March 18th – with police, Parks, and school reps; full details on the PTSA website. (45th/Spokane)

STOLEN CAR: Maria‘s car was last seen Saturday night near 42nd/Graham. It’s a 1991 red/maroon Honda Accord, plate ALM0283. Maria says, “The car is pretty run down, but I have had it for almost ten years and is my daily commuter!” She’s reported it to police; please let them know if you see it. (And remember that sometimes plates are swapped or removed, so if you see what looks like an abandoned red/maroon Accord, even without that #, could be it.)

EITHER OF THESE CARS YOURS? Mindi noticed two cars Monday night near California/Spokane, both with broken windows. Police told her reports had to be filed by the victims; she knocked on nearby doors to look for the cars’ owners but couldn’t find anyone. Here’s hoping the damage has been reported by now; if not, and if you have a car parked there (red Ford, gray Subaru), check it out. (Photos of the cars also were tweeted – here and here.)

CARS PROWLED IN ARBOR HEIGHTS, HOUSE VANDALIZED: Twice in the past five days, near 42nd/100th, nothing stolen, happened around 6 in the morning. Someone also broke a window on a nearby house, though there’s no sign of entry beyond that.

PACKAGE THEFT: Just out of the inbox, “3800 block of 20th Ave SW – UPS package delivered Tuesday 03/10/2015 at 3:20 pm and by 6 pm was gone.”

TAX-SEASON SCAM REMINDERS: First – This WSB Forums post is a reminder that scam calls are still being made. Second – We have also obtained two police reports from February – one in which an Admiral woman was bilked for almost $5,000 because of an elaborate series of realistic-sounding demands from callers who said they were from the IRS and SPD. The demands included wiring money and purchasing reloadable cash cards. Meantime, the second case involved a surprise check for almost $10,000 received by a Genesee couple, supposedly a tax refund check – but the couple had not filed their taxes yet and were expecting to owe money, not to get any back. The issuing bank said they sent the check because there was a problem with electronic-funds transfer. The victim told police they were trying to sort it out with SPD. Here’s the IRS’s official page about all the different kinds of fraud and scams to watch out for, especially at this time of year.

ONE MORE REMINDER … Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole returns to West Seattle tonight to “continue the conversation,” 6:30 pm at the Senior Center of WS (Oregon/California). We expect to hear more about what’s next for Southwest Precinct leadership after this morning’s announcement that Capt. Steve Wilske is now headed downtown as an assistant chief (updated WSB coverage here).

Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports this morning:

WOMAN ATTACKED, ROBBED: A 20-year-old woman was hit from behind and knocked to the ground during a strong-arm robbery at 14th/Henderson (map) around 9:40 last night. We just obtained the police report and it added that detail to what a reader told us in e-mail, saying the victim “was attacked by two young female assailants. They stole her phone and wallet, using a knife to cut the backpack off her back while kicking her in the face and chest.” We asked how she’s doing: “She is cut up and bruised but otherwise unhurt.” No descriptions in either report.

ABANDONED CAR: From North Delridge, this photo of a suspected stolen car, abandoned at 26th and Graham (map), door hanging open, rear window broken out:

The resident who sent the photo says she has contacted police.

(UPDATED 4:09 PM with information from suspect’s bail hearing)

10:31 AM: Just published to SPD Blotter by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee:

A 26-year-old felon tried to stash a stolen gun in the diaper aisle of a drug store Monday evening after opening fire on a West Seattle street.

Police received reports of gunfire just before 5pm near 12th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street, where witnesses said a man — accompanied by two young women, one of whom was pushing an infant in a stroller — had fired a shot into the air and fled into a Walgreens several blocks away.

A team of officers entered the store and followed the suspect down the aisles until they cornered him and took him into custody.

When police searched the man, they found he wasn’t carrying a gun. Officers began scouring aisles of the store, and found a handgun stashed behind a shelf full of diapers.

Officers seized the weapon—which was reported stolen—and booked the man into the King County Jail for a weapons violation, possession of stolen property, and a warrant for auto theft.

Police interviewed the man’s companions — his girlfriend, their child, and his girlfriend’s sister — and released them from the scene.

P.S. We were asked about the 15th/Roxbury search hours later via Facebook but didn’t get the details until this appeared. Best way to reach us instantly 24/7 is 206-293-6302, text or voice, if you have a breaking-news tip or question (consider adding WSB to your phone list – thanks!).

4:09 PM: The suspect’s bail was set this afternoon at $30,000, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. We’ve looked up his record; the auto-theft-related warrant dates back to a case last October, in which he is accused of breaking into a house in the 9400 block of 9th SW, finding car keys in the house, and stealing the car. He was spotted a few hours later in South Seattle, where he allegedly fled from police, crashed the car, and took off running. Police found him hiding in the bushes near I-5. Police reports from that case and the new one list him as living in the North SeaTac area. His next court appearance is set for Thursday.

4:37 PM: Almost a year after our last mention of convicted rapist Michael S. Stanley – who first gained fame for fleeing monitoring in Canada and eventually turned up in here – he’s in jail again. And it’s not the first time he’s been arrested since the end of his sentence in relation to his West Seattle crime.

This new arrest wasn’t in West Seattle, but as pointed out by several readers, it’s of note since he turned up here before. Stanley, who’s 49, is jailed right now for investigation of rape and burglary in the Bryn Mawr area northwest of Renton. The King County Sheriff’s Office announced today that Stanley was arrested Friday. We reported last March on the end of his jail time for a harassment conviction that followed his arrest in an Admiral alley in October 2013. When he left jail a year ago, his sex-offender registration listed a Queen Anne address, but today’s KCSO announcement says he was listed as homeless, and had continued to check in as required. The jail register, however, shows this is the sixth time he’s been there in the past year – three times for failing to appear in connection with the harassment case; then a four-month stay related to alleged vehicle theft and possession of stolen property; then two more months, ending just a week ago, in a burglary case involving a nursing home in Des Moines; he was caught there last December with two knives and a stolen employee-ID badge. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in late January and got out of jail on February 21st, according to the register.

The original conviction that made Stanley a sex offender was for sexually assaulting an 81-year-old woman. He was due for a bail hearing this afternoon in connection with the new case; we’re checking with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for an update on that.

4:55 PM: Our partners at The Seattle Times report that charges were “rush-filed” against Stanley today – rape and burglary – and that he’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

6:25 PM: We’ve obtained today’s documents from the PAO. Stanley is set for arraignment on March 16th and could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of the new charges filed against him.

In West Seattle Crime Watch, an incident early today and several from reports we’ve recently obtained:

CAR BREAK-IN THIS MORNING: Early today, a car was broken into in the 3800 block of Beach Drive SW, its side and rear windows smashed, and, writes Mary, “a very important work suitcase was stolen. The alarm went off & we saw a white car take off driving.”

That’s not the only recent car prowl in the Beach Drive area. While we didn’t get reader reports on these, we found two more in recently obtained police reports, which are followed by summaries of reports related to other West Seattle incidents of note:

Read More

Quick West Seattle Crime Watch reader report tonight – the search for a driver who hit a bicycle rider and took off:

Heading north on 35th SW, just north of SW Findlay at approx. 6:15 am. Driver took off in a black automobile of unknown model & make. Passenger side view mirror torn off during collision into bicycle and rider. If anyone witnessed this incident or has any information about the driver, please contact police.

Here’s the incident number to mention if you contact police with a tip – 15-62400. The person who e-mailed is the bicycle rider’s wife; no major injuries, she says, but he was hurt and had to be seen at urgent care.

In case you’re tracking the charges filed against former gym owner Sam Adams, he was supposed to appear in court this week to answer them, but his arraignment has been postponed. New date, 8:30 am March 12th, King County Courthouse downtown. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced two weeks ago today that his office had filed criminal wage theft and fraud charges against Adams in connection with half a million dollars in allegedly unpaid taxes and wages related to his former athletic-club operations. Those included the West Seattle Club, which he bought during the Allstar Fitness bankruptcy proceedings in early 2013 and operated for a year and a half until relinquishing it to the building owner last fall.

Two reader reports start today’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:

STOLEN BIKE: Sonya hopes you’ll be on the lookout for her bicycle:

Sometime in the evening of 2/17/15 at 10 pm to the morning of 2/18/15, my Ivory Raleigh with a pink stripe and two different tires was stolen from Fauntleroy Way SW and Hudson SW.

It’s been reported to police, so if you see it, please call them (and you can mention it in comments here too, but PLEASE make the call to police first).

POSSIBLE PROWLERS THIS MORNING: From Chris:

Just wanted to give Morgan junction residents a heads up. Around 9 am today there were two white men in all black with hoods and backpacks walking up and down 42nd Ave and Holly St, back and forth peering into cars and yards. Once they ran into a few pedestrians and realized the street wasn’t deserted, they called their third buddy who picked them up in a light blue 1970s Plymouth or Lincoln with a white vinyl roof. They slowly cruised the block once more and then rolled through the Thriftway parking lot. SPD said they’d send an officer to the area, I haven’t seen anyone yet. All three were white, in their 20s. Black pants, black sweatshirts. Car had a dog in the passenger seat too. Wasn’t sure of breed.

From recent police reports:

SUPERMARKET ROBBERY: As precinct Capt. Steve Wilske explained at this week’s WS Crime Prevention Council meeting, many incidents classified as robberies start as shoplifting. What happened last Saturday night at the Jefferson Square Safeway is one of them. A cashier told police a man walked past her with a bottle of vodka. She asked, “Are you going to pay for that?” He replied, profanely, that he didn’t have to. Another man then walked by with a 20-ounce Coke and claimed he’d already paid; the cashier knew he didn’t since she was the only one open. Finally, a third man tried to buy a bottle of vodka with a credit card that wasn’t working, possibly as a distraction. The store manager went out into the parking lot and while writing down the suspects’ plate, he told police, one of the three men got out, asked him, “Is there a f—ing problem?” and then said, “You’re going to die tonight,” before telling one of the other men in the car, “Get the gun.” The manager went back into the store and called 911. The three men are described in the report as black, 18-21 years old, 5’3″, 5’5″, and 5’7″, slender, and their car was a 2007 silver Toyota Camry.

BURGLARY NEAR LINCOLN PARK: Sometime between 10 am and 8 pm last Sunday, a house in the 7500 block of Fauntleroy Way SW was burglarized. The report says items taken included a TV, computer, and drum set; police noted that “every room in the house” and “every closet, dresser and cabinet” had been looked into by the burglar(s).

LICENSE-PLATE THEFT: This can be so subtle, it’s not noticed, so check your plates every so often. Last Friday in the 2300 block of Alki SW, a parking-enforcement officer called a patrol officer after finding a maroon BMW with plates that checked to a VW van owned by someone nearby (on Bonair). The BMW’s owner lived in the same area and didn’t know his plates had been stolen and replaced with the stolen plates. The police report concluded, “It appears someone stole the other plates to put on the BMW so they could take the BMW plates without the (owner) noticing.”

CAR STOLEN, THEN FOUND: A 1996 Honda Accord was stolen from the 6500 block of California SW in Morgan Junction last Friday night. It turned up in Tukwila on Monday night.

RACKS TAKEN: In the 4500 block of SW Hemlock, east of Lincoln Park, someone stole racks from a car in a driveway the night of February 9th/10th, a Yakima rack system including three bike mounts.

FOLLOWUP ON STOLEN-ITEMS REPORT IN LAST ROUNDUP: We’re getting more police reports with full narrative info these days via public-disclosure reports, with the help of an automated program written by Tim Clemans, who has been working with SPD on ways to get more information out to more people, faster. Here’s an example of how more information can make a difference: If you read this recent roundup, you might recall we mentioned a box of stolen items found in Gatewood, including a bowling trophy with a name on it. WSB commenter HelperMonkey was at the bowling alley a few hours after reading that item, happened to look up at the screen for the alley next to her group, and saw what looked to be the same name. She went over, found the man, showed him the story on her phone, and asked if it was him. It was. (Keep in mind, we published only the first and last letters of his six-letter surname.) We hope he has his items (which had been taken by SPD to put into evidence) back now, or will soon. What made the difference here was the name we got from the official report – looking back in our archives, we think this reader report involved the same items.

The same method of obtaining more reports which otherwise have NOT been routinely available also led to the much-discussed recent story about tax-time scam calls. Not a new scam, but there was a reason to warn people about it again, once we obtained a police report about someone who actually had been victimized.

We’re still only able to access a fraction of local police reports, so reader reports matter *massively* in terms of continuing to get the word out. And while we know some reports are shared on neighborhood-specific, non-public lists, it also helps to get that kind of information out more widely because criminals seldom restrict themselves to one particular neighborhood – what happens in Admiral might be important for Arbor Heights to know, etc. Send info to editor@westseattleblog.com any time. Thanks!