West Seattle Crime Watch followup: $50,000 bail set for store-stabbing suspect
The 52-year-old woman arrested after last night’s stabbing outside the 35th/Morgan minimart remains in jail, with bail set today at $50,000. According to the probable-cause documents, obtained latelate today from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Police were first called to the store for a report of a fight between two women, with about 10 people watching. The call quickly changed to a report that one had stabbed the other.
When police arrived, they found the suspect inside the store and arrested her with their weapons drawn at “low ready.” She didn’t have the knife in her possession but officers found one in a trash can. The suspect, who lives about half a mile from the store, claimed the victim had “been after (her) for weeks” and was the aggressor. Four witnesses told police they saw the suspect attack the victim, whose age is not mentioned in the report; the report says officers smelled alcohol on the suspect’s “breath and person.” They talked to the victim while medics were treating her for a small, shallow chest wound. She is described as working at West Seattle Food Bank across the street from the store and having “ongoing issues” with the suspect, who is due back in court on Monday, by which time prosecutors should have made an initial decision on charging her. The King County Jail Register says she spent three days in jail right before Thanksgiving for investigation of assault.
Update: Police search after Alki-area burglary, suspect in custody
(Added: Photo courtesy Patrick C)
1:12 PM: Getting calls and texts about a big police search near 63rd/Admiral in the Alki area. We just called SPD media relations to ask about it and here’s what they told us: An apartment in the 6000 block of SW Stevens was broken into, and a citizen was following a suspect. Police have converged on the area, including a K-9 team. The suspect was last seen running around the area but hasn’t yet been caught, though police are reported to have found some items that might have been among the loot. The only description they have so far is a Hispanic man around 20 years old, unshaven, with a white baseball cap and black ponytail, puffy jacket (though he might have ditched it), and black pants.
(Photo courtesy Sarahjean)
1:14 PM UPDATE: Literally two minutes after we published this, police took a suspect into custody in the 6200 block of SW Admiral Way, according to scanner discussion.
ADDED: One more postscript – a reader report that the SW Stevens burglary was preceded by mail/package thefts on 55th SW, with the suspect caught on camera:
The reader who provided the screen grab from surveillance video says, “He got a fanny pack, burgundy leggings, a Paris tank top, protein powder & women’s multivitamins” – and the items were recovered. The police, meantime, got the video.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON NOTE: We hope to write a separate followup later, but in the meantime, a bail hearing for the suspect, who is 32 years old, was held this afternoon. Bail was set at $20,000. He has a record – and had a warrant out for his arrest. The case has also landed on SPD Blotter.
Update: 1 stabbed, 1 arrested at 35th/Morgan
7:28 PM: Police and fire are responding to an “assault with weapons” call at 35th and Morgan. More to come.
7:33 PM: One person is reported in custody in connection with the incident. Most of the SFD units have been canceled.
7:36 PM: A 17-year-old girl is reported (via medical communications on the radio) to have been stabbed. She’s being taken to Harborview.
8:37 PM: Via SPD Blotter – the suspect arrested at the scene outside the 35th/Morgan convenience store is a 54-year-old woman. The circumstances of the stabbing are described as “a fight.” The victim’s injuries are described as non-life-threatening.
West Seattle Crime Watch: See where cars were stolen & shots fired in past month, on SeaStat maps
Two new maps of note from SPD’s latest SeaStat stats/trends briefing, just made public:
That’s the citywide map of auto thefts in the past four weeks. Precinct-by-precinct breakouts weren’t released (we’re trying to take a WS count from the online police-report map), but citywide, the number totals 291 – that’s almost 10 per day – and it’s the one crime category that was at its highest level of the month, citywide, in late December/early January. SPD also released a map of auto theft “hot spots” but no place in West Seattle was on that map.
Another citywide map made public – shots-fired incidents in the past four weeks:
We haven’t matched all of the West Seattle locations to specific incidents – but one would definitely be this New Year’s Eve incident that left two bullet holes in a Morgan Junction business window. No other Southwest Precinct info of note in the slide deck made public by Seattle Police; the SeaStat briefings for department leadership are generally held every other Wednesday – past decks are here.
West Seattle Crime Watch: More Lincoln Park car prowls
Lynne texted this photo taken in the south parking lot at Lincoln Park this afternoon:
She was parked next to that vehicle and reports that she returned to her car around noon, same time as the prowled vehicle’s owner. Police were called. As signs in the parking lot warn – and as is the case with many parks – Lincoln Park continues to be a hot spot for vehicle break-ins; Colleen has also e-mailed with a Crime Watch report, saying her car had been broken into twice in two weeks in the north parking lot, first on December 23rd, then again on yesterday. She said she had noticed “a large green truck with tinted windows pull up very close next to my car” yesterday before discovering her window had been smashed again. Both incidents, Colleen said, have been reported to police (who offer prevention advice here).
P.S. The police-reports map (which you can configure for date/type of crime) shows at least six car break-ins reported in Lincoln Park lots in the past month; that number could be low, as we know from e-mail exchanges that people don’t always report the prowls, especially if nothing was taken. (In another one-month check in mid-December, the map showed 11.) Do report it if it happens to you; you can even do so online.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen truck; stolen/found car; casing
A truck just stolen in Gatewood tops this West Seattle Crime Watch roundup:
STOLEN TRUCK: Within the past hour or so, a black 2001 Ford Ranger, single cab, Washington plate B74060R, was taken from 37th/Thistle (map) in Gatewood. Its owner says police have already been there to take a report. If you see it, call 911 ASAP.
STOLEN/FOUND CAR: That wasn’t the only daytime car theft this weekend – Rob e-mailed us Saturday mid-afternoon about a blue 1993 Honda Civic taken from in front of his house in the 3300 block of SW 100th (map) in Arbor Heights, and just 20 minutes after his note, before we could even publish an item about it, he e-mailed again to say it had been found (he didn’t say where) and that they were off to retrieve it.
CAR CASING: Around 10:45 am Friday morning, a neighbor on 44th SW between Dakota and Andover (map) saw “three young teenage boys walking down 44th Avenue SW between Dakota and Andover checking all the car/vehicles’ doors. I opened my front door and hollered, ‘I’ve taken your picture,’ and they ran north on 44th.”
West Seattle Crime Watch: Morgan Junction business shot at
Somebody fired two shots into the front window of a south Morgan Junction business less than an hour ago. Our photo shows one of the bullet holes in the glass at Stella Ruffington, a dog-care center in the 7000 block of California SW. No one at the business wanted to comment; police say no one was hurt, neither human nor canine. They were trying to sort out the circumstances.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Thief’s outfit caught on camera; car stolen; car found; prowler/peeper; store burglary…
Barring breaking news, here’s our last West Seattle Crime Watch roundup of 2014. (You can always check the archives, by the way, via either the CW page – see the tab on our header – or here.) We are always sorry to hear about ANY of this happening, but we appreciate the reader reports, so that other West Seattleites can be better-informed – as we mention often, we don’t get as much information from police as you might assume. (We’re working on that, though.)
RECOGNIZE THIS CAMERA THIEF’S JACKET/BOOTS? From Grant in Morgan Junction:
My home’s two exterior security cameras were stolen on Monday, December 29 around 10:00 pm. I believe the thief crept along a narrow unlit path alongside my property, then across my backyard, and around to my front door to disable and remove my door camera from behind. Next he proceeded to my driveway camera where he again came up from behind it and disabled it before removing and leaving.
A rake was found by my door suggesting this was used tilt the camera. The door camera was thoroughly removed with a screwdriver, but the driveway camera had part of its mount left attached to the house. This suggests to me the thief was probably just wanting to get the cameras fast to sell them.
If nothing else, it shows someone had studied my house beforehand and planned how to come in through the backyard to take these at night. That person may have already been in the backyard before to make sure there was no backyard cam to catch him coming in that way. Lesson learned: mount valuables like security camera high up and with tamper-resistant screws, and make sure a thief can’t disable and remove them from behind.
HAVE YOU SEEN KATHY’S CAR? Stolen in Upper Fauntleroy:
My one and only family car….blue 1997 4-door Honda Civic was stolen last night on SW Sullivan Street near 39th Avenue SW. It has a child’s car seat in the back. License plate AJY 3038. The black chrome along the bottom of the driver’s side has also been removed (previous car prowl incident) . There are a couple of small bumper stickers on the back with Seattle Storm license plate frame.
Call 911 if you see it.
Click or scroll for (updated) three more reports – another stolen car, found; prowler/peeper at a local home; and (just confirmed and added, 2:07 pm) a store break-in:
Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen car; car break-ins
Three reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN CAR: Amanda hopes you’ll keep an eye out for her car – “My car was stolen from the alley of (the 900 block of) SW Holden St between the hours of 2 pm Sunday and 8 am Monday morning. It is a gold 1994 Honda Accord with the license AIB2949.” Call 911 if you’ve seen it.
TWO CAR BREAK-INS: We received a texted report this morning about two cars broken into on 48th SW in the Admiral area. The texter notes, “Lucky for us, we don’t keep anything important in our cars, so no harm, but unneeded this time of year, especially since we have just brought home our son from the hospital just over a week and a half ago.”
ANOTHER CAR BREAK-IN: An unfortunate reminder that car break-ins don’t just happen when everyone but the criminals are asleep – one happened lightning-fast to Lisa near 16th/100th:
I walked into the Autozone store after having my check engine light checked with one of the employees so they could print the results, and within less than 1 minute somebody had smashed my window and grabbed my computer bag. I was parked directly in front of the store, and it all happened in moments…
ADDED: One more 48th SW break-in:
(Monday) night someone went into our Subaru parked on 48 Ave SW between SW Dakota and SW Genesse. I am sure they were disappointed. We don’t leave anything in the car. They did search hard. They went through the whole interior of the vehicle including the side panel compartments in back in the wagon. Completely ransacked it.
West Seattle Crime Watch: 4 suspects arrested in 2 interrupted incidents; plus, two 3 reader reports
Tonight’s West Seattle Crime Watch starts with two incidents today/tonight that resulted in arrests:
CAR-PROWL SUSPECT ARRESTED: Thanks to several people asking us about an incident near 20th/Thistle (map) tonight, we’ve been able to get information from police: An area resident saw someone “prowling inside her car” and confronted the man, who threatened her, showing what “appeared to be a weapon in his waistband.” He then took off. At some point, police were called and responded with a K-9 team; the dog found the suspect, and he was arrested.
BURGLARY INTERRUPTED: Also interrupted, a break-in at a home in the 6000 block of 26th SW (map) this afternoon. We’ve confirmed details with police on this one as well: Someone in the house heard glass breaking and hid while calling police. They arrived and saw three suspects flee. They chased and caught two nearby; the third fled westward to High Point, and other officers found him there, also with the help of a K-9. Police say one of the suspects had a cut hand, from broken glass; some stolen property was recovered; and one suspect threatened to kill an officer. All three were booked into jail.
And two three reader reports:
VANDALISM: According to a texter, taggers vandalized garage doors overnight along the 47th SW alley between Stevens and Lander (map). It’s been reported to police.
PLANT THEFT: CR reports from north of Morgan Junction:
Our green ceramic glazed pot (about 16″ tall) with 1 foot tall “lemon cypress” was stolen from the 5900 block of California Avenue SW (map). The ceramic pot is located on our main entrance door of our townhouse. It was stolen between nighttime of December 26 to early morning of December 27.
ADDED 3:10 AM – CAR PROWLS: Just got a text (206-293-6302 any time) that two cars had been prowled on 45th between Hanford and Hinds a short time ago. Police were called and are there now.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Interrupted burglary; stolen bike; gift theft thwarted; more
Our first West Seattle Crime Watch roundup since pre-Christmas starts with two reader reports:
BURGLARY INTERRUPTED: From Jeff:
Attempted residential break-in. 7500 block of 46th Ave SW, approximately 7:45 (Friday) night. Neighbors came home as it was occurring. Burglar fled. Police notified.
We’ve asked a followup question about any description that might be available.
STOLEN BIKE: So often, stolen bicycles turn up abandoned somewhere – the thief used it to get to the scene of the next crime, and then cast it aside. Sharon is looking for hers: “My bike was stolen from (the 1700 block of) Alki Ave SW. It is a black Marin crossover with a sticker on the the front, which may have already been taken off. … I will provide a reward if found.”
We also have three reports from the online police files; it usually takes several days for narratives to become available, if they ever do, but we keep watch to see what’s new, and found these, including gifts stolen from a church and rapidly returned:
Read More
West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen car found – with mystery items inside
Seattle Police say about three of every four stolen cars turn up somewhere. Today’s West Seattle Crime Watch starts with the latest one.
Eric‘s stolen 1997 Accord was featured here last week, and we got the photos and update from him last night:
I wanted to let you know the King County Sheriff notified me on Saturday he found my car in Skyview. When I went to the impound lot, I found some other victim(s) stolen items in my trunk including opened christmas cards, a lyric/poetry notebook, silver serving platter, a license plate which was not mine and many other items. My belongings were unfortunately missing.
Feel free to share this info if you would like to. Sure wish they would catch these creeps.
Eric had written that his kids’ booster seats were in the car when stolen.
One more Crime Watch note – an early-morning text about car prowls in the 11th/12th/Henderson/Barton area; police were searching shortly after getting the call.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Robbery outside Avalon apartments
We’ve just obtained the police report for an armed robbery reported early today in the 3200 block of SW Avalon Way. The exact address has been redacted, but the holdup is described as having happened in an apartment-building parking lot visible from apartments above it (which likely means a parking area off the alley). The police report says it happened just after 1 am and that the victims told them they had pulled into the lot and were getting out of their car when the three robbers approached from the north.
Read More
Followup: New charge against ‘flasher’ suspect Duane Atwood
When 37-year-old Admiral resident Duane Atwood was charged last July in connection with an indecent-exposure incident on Beach Drive, prosecutors said they expected to charge him “soon” for alleged telephone threats against an acquaintance. We’ve been watching court files ever since. This month, he was charged with one count of felony harassment, and his bail was doubled to $500,000.
Read More
Crime Watch: Another business burglary, this time at Zippy’s
Zippy’s Giant Burgers proprietor Blaine Cook was expecting today to be one last full day of business before an early closure Tuesday for the staff party, and then a long holiday break. Instead, Zippy’s will be opening a bit later than usual today because he has to buy a new cash register – to replace one stolen by burglar(s) who broke a door to get in. He told WSB he’s not sure what time it happened; a family member who comes in to clean around 4 am discovered the broken glass and missing register.
The cash register is the only thing taken, according to Cook (update – Zippy’s Facebook post says, a safe too) – the burglar(s) didn’t even take the champagne that was awaiting the staff party. No surveillance video – no camera – but that, he says, will have to change. Since Zippy’s is in the unincorporated area (9614 14th SW), the King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating; deputies were just leaving as we arrived. You’ll recall the Greenbridge area had a spate of business burglaries last month; Zippy’s is several blocks west of there.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Toy-theft suspects sought; stolen car to watch for
Two items in West Seattle Crime Watch this morning:
POLICE SEEK TOY-THEFT SUSPECTS: Just published on SPD Blotter – a theft case police hope you can help them solve:
Police are looking for two men and a woman who stole toys from a Delridge drug store and attacked an employee when he tried to stop them Monday night.
The suspects walked into the store, in the 9400 block of 16th Avenue Southwest, around 7 PM. One man filled a shopping basket with toys and left out without paying. When a store employee confronted him outside and tried to photograph his license plate with a cell phone, a woman grabbed the phone away.
She couldn’t unlock the phone to delete the photograph, so the man who stole the toys warned the employee to delete the image or he’d return for him. The third suspect started up a car and all three fled, throwing the employees cell phone into the street as they left.
If you know where police can find these three suspects, please contact robbery detectives at (206) 684-5535.
The SPD Blotter post has the suspects’ names and photos, which we’ll add here as soon as we can.
(added) Suspects as identified/shown by SPD – in order as shown below, Raul Hernandez, Sandra Garcia, Omar Cruz-Resendiz:
(back to original report) STOLEN CAR: Eric‘s red 1997 Honda Accord was stolen sometime Monday near California/Holly in south Morgan Junction. Inside were two booster seats for his kids. Washington plates AQJ7944 – call 911 if you see it.
FRIDAY NIGHT 8 PM UPDATE: In the robbery story – one suspect is on the King County Jail Register now, Omar Cruz-Resendiz, booked at 2 pm today.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Newest ‘SeaStat’ crime-trend info
SPD is just out with its newest SeaStat slide deck – an every-two-week briefing given to department leadership, highlighting crime trends and hotspots. Above is the precinct-by-precinct breakdown of car prowls over the four-week period from November 16th to December 13th (last Saturday). The car prowl total for the Southwest Precinct – West Seattle and South Park – number fewer than half the next-lowest precinct. See the full deck here. It also includes a look at SW Precinct numbers for all major-crime categories in the past month; the most-common type is “larceny/theft,” totaling 136 of the total 249 “major crimes” in West Seattle/South Park over the four-week period examined.
ADDED 11:30 PM: Eric asked in comments about a map for comparison. The SPD “police reports” map, when sorted for car prowls and for the same four-week period shown above, doesn’t seem to show quite as many incidents, but you can get an idea of the hot spots – Lincoln Park, for example, where the circled “11” indicates 11 car prowls during those four weeks:
(While the screengrab does not show the entirety of the SW Precinct, it did not show any car prowls north or south of the area shown; there were a few to the east, in South Park.)
West Seattle Crime Watch: Stolen car; Wyatt’s followup; package theft
Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:
STOLEN CAR IN FAUNTLEE HILLS: From Jeni:
I’d appreciate folks keeping an eye out for my dark blue 2007 Saturn Vue SUV that was stolen last night. The license plate is ARD2720. There are Obama and Gonzaga stickers on the back window. It was stolen from my home near 38th Ave SW & SW Henderson between 7:45 pm (12/15) and 4:00 am this morning (12/16). A report was filed with Seattle Police.
WYATT’S BREAK-IN FOLLOWUP: As promised, we checked back with Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village, after a second break-in in nine days. Sacha sent a photo showing what they had to clean up:
No new info about the case yet – co-proprietor Kirk Keppler talked with a detective extensively this morning. And he talked with Channel 7 TV, who stopped by for an interview this afternoon.
PACKAGE THEFT: Bonnie believes a thief hit her house on Monday morning:
Possible package theft at North Admiral. As I drove away from my home to take my child to school, I noticed a UPS truck in front of my house. I was anticipating a package, so I thought it was for me. When I returned (maybe 7 minutes later) nothing was on my porch. Checked online to see if anything had been delivered, and sure enough at 9:15 my package was left. I’ve reported to SPD.
P.S. The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council is taking December off – tonight would have been the monthly meeting, as the third Tuesday – but expecting to be back next month, on January 20th.
West Seattle Crime Watch: Morgan Junction robbery investigation
2:17 AM: Thanks to the texters who reported major police activity in Morgan Junction very early today. So far we haven’t been able to get full details, but we know police are/were investigating an armed robbery in the 6500 block of California SW, where one SPD car remained by the time we got there, and that it might be linked to a robbery elsewhere in the city. That’s according to radio communications, which described the robber as a black man in his early 20s, 6 feet tall, very thin, red face mask, red shirt, black pants, black handgun, with two female accomplices, and a possible silver getaway car. We’ll add any additional details we are able to get from police later this morning.
9:13 AM: Police confirm the Subway store itself was held up. No further confirmation, though, on whether it was involved to any other robberies, and no arrest(s) reported so far.
| 6 COMMENTS