Two cars to show you in West Seattle Crime Watch. First:

SEEN IN HIGHLAND PARK: Laura sent us that photo, and before we got the chance to publish it, Gretchen sent a note about the same car, a Nissan Sentra GXE, abandoned at 18th and Cloverdale (map), described as “entire engine block … missing and had four spare tires. No license plates.” And a gutted interior. It’s been reported to SPD.

HIT-AND-RUN MYSTERY: This happened to Brian‘s car early today:

He writes:

I live at 48th SW and Oregon [map]. Last night right before 2:30 am, a red SUV with a black roof and chrome extended grill smashed into my car. I heard the collision and saw the SUV take off heading west on Oregon from my bedroom window but didn’t get the plate.

Any idea whose SUV that was? A report’s been filed with police – case #100658.

Two West Seattle Crime Watch followups tonight:

STORE BURGLARY ARREST: You might recall Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village getting broken into twice in December, the first one hitting hours before their holiday open house, to which they responded defiantly with a bow over the plywood covering the smashed-in door:

Talking with the proprietors this week, we found out a suspect has been arrested and charged in that break-in. Police identified 38-year-old Ioane Sua of First Hill via a palm-print match and surveillance video. Once they knew who they were looking for, he wasn’t hard to find … he was already in the King County Jail, arrested on January 10th after being found driving a car that had been stolen on New Year’s Day from the Home Depot parking lot on Delridge. Prosecutors charged Sua with second-degree burglary in late January, and have since charged him in the stolen-car case too. He was scheduled to return to court today, but the hearing was postponed because a possible plea agreement is in the works, according to a document in the online files. He remains jailed in lieu of $30,000 bail, and has a lengthy criminal record.

STOLEN CAR FOUND: Speaking of stolen cars – the one reported here this morning has since been found, reports its owner:

They found my car in White Center with stolen plates on it. The inside was filled with garbage, food and a bag full of stolen mail that was all opened, from as far away as Sammamish, hence my full tank of gas depleted. My glovebox, console, trunk all emptied. Every part of the inside and parts of the outside wiped down with smelly, greasy cleaner to cover their tracks. The good news is that there’s no real damage. With case # in hand I drove home with no license plates, which I’ll have to replace tomorrow.

Four West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this morning:

STOLEN BICYCLE: That bike’s owner says it was stolen last night around 9:45 pm:

My bike (which happens to be my primary means of transportation) was stolen on the 42XX block of Admiral Way. It was locked to a bike rack in front of Vidiot (a small bar). A report has been filed with the police who drove around for a bit in search of the property. I saw the man ride away but unfortunately could not keep up with him. He was wearing street clothes, had a backpack, and had medium length curly hair. … The police mentioned that stolen bikes are typically ditched after a joy ride or end up in a pawn shop. I’m hoping that if someone sees the bike they can alert the police.

(added) STOLEN CAR: Got word of this just after we publishing this roundup, so we’re adding:

My car was stolen from in front of my house. On 40th Ave SW between Brandon and Findlay. 1994 Honda Accord LX, black with plates AFV7888. Has a sticker like this one on the right side back bumper, maybe a different color. I think I had a Sierra Club sticker in back window, or WTA sticker.

MAILBOX BREAK-IN: From a Highland Park resident:

I just wanted to let you know that we had our mailbox, which is a sturdy locked box, broken into. It looks like they used something to bend the metal, dislodging the locking mechanism. Mail was taken and discarded on the side of our property- I guess they didn’t want our medical bill or mortgage statement :) This happened this weekend while we were out of town. We live on the corner of 17th and Cloverdale.

SUSPICIOUS PERSON: In the 4400 block of 39th SW last night:

We had to call the police … At 10:00 pm, there was a man smoking either crack or meth on our front lawn. He knocked on my door and asked for water. When we asked him to leave, he danced and lit his pipe. We called 911. The police came but said they could not arrest him. They said they would monitor his activity.

ABOUT READER REPORTS: SPD does not routinely make public the detailed reports of most incidents – so unless we get a reader report or happen to cover an incident as it happens, we won’t hear about it, but it’s often helpful for your West Seattle neighbors to know what’s happening and where (not just your block – a stolen car, bike, etc., could turn up miles away). We hope you WON’T ever have anything to report, but if you do, editor@westseattleblog.com … provided you’ve already reported it to the police. For breaking news, 206-293-6302, text or voice, 24/7; thank you!

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

When we first reported on Sunday about the early-morning shooting on Alki that left one person hurt, we had little information. We have since been contacted by a witness who recorded almost a minute of the chaos and gunfire and wanted to make it public, saying, “I believe that this will show many why we need more police and why our youth/young adults should be monitored closely at these hours of the night.”

ALERT: This is unedited phone video (except to fix it from vertical to horizontal fit) and you will hear lots of profanities in the audio **if you choose to play the clip.** The gunshots are audible and muzzle flashes are seen, but the person who was shot is not:

In a long text conversation with the witness who recorded that while at a restaurant/bar across the street, we agreed to keep them anonymous (we don’t even know their name). They had already shown the video to police, who, they say, showed up quickly, within “three or four minutes” of the gunfire.

From the witness’s view, it started as “a very large group of young adults yelling and using derogatory terms as well as throwing things at this vehicle, which led to a fistfight in the middle of the street.” Then, the witness says, one person kicked off the black car’s driver’s-side mirror, and another punched out a passenger side window, followed by shots from a passenger, and then toward the end, someone “returned fire” after the black car sped off westbound.

As noted in our Sunday report, there was no “assault with weapons” large Seattle Fire medic response, because police found no victim at the scene. Seattle Police say they were later contacted by Everett Police after a 17-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the leg turned up at a hospital there. Police have since talked to the victim; on Sunday, they told us he was “uncooperative” with investigators. The incident also is now detailed on SPD Blotter.

As far as we can tell from WSB archives, this is the first incident in 2 1/2 years in which someone has been shot in the Alki area. Not the first case of gunfire, but the first case with a victim, since this case in August 2012.

Even before this, local police had promised more presence at the beach this year via both the new Southwest Precinct bicycle patrols and a new mobile-precinct vehicle that is on the way after the precinct went years without a replacement for the one SPD lost in an arson attack. That is what the lifelong West Seattleite who shared video of Sunday’s shooting is hoping for: “I hate that these hoodlums are ruining my neighborhood.”

ADDED 2:11 PM: A few additional details are in the Southwest Precinct summary of what happened, which we obtained from precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith:

On 3/22/15 at 0109 hour, Officers were dispatched to a fight disturbance/shots fired incident in the 2600 block of Alki Av SW (just west of Marine Av SW & Alki Av SW). Initial report to 911 has it that: two people were down and that someone has a leg wound.

Upon officers arriving in the area, the suspects involved in the fight/shots-fired were GOA [gone on arrival], possibly in vehicle/s. There was no “scene” other than the spot where the incident occurred. Officers checked the area and did not locate any evidence such as shell casings or blood to indicate that someone has been shot. A baseball cap was located and submitted into evidence. During a canvas of the bar across the street, an officer located a witness who had recorded the shots fired incident on his cell phone. The video was sent to the police and submitted into evidence.

Based upon the on-scene investigation, it appears that at least 6 people were surrounding a vehicle. One of the 6 people kicked the vehicle’s left rear view mirror and damaged it. The front passenger from the vehicle fired at least 3 shots at the 6 people as the 6 people were surrounding it. The 6 people then scattered, running away. A white male is then seen getting into the driver’s seat of the vehicle and drove it away, on Alki Av SW.

At 0345 hour, Everett PD called SPD 911 and reported that they have a “victim” with a non-life threatening gunshot wound in the leg. The “victim” was uncooperative and was with his girlfriend. The Everett PD Officers will complete a report under their case number, DD 15-5308. This incident was screened by phone with our Homicide/Assault unit.

Lt. Smith, who is acting precinct commander, confirms that patrols, including officers on bicycles, will be increased. The mobile-precinct vehicle has not yet been delivered.

West Seattle Crime Watch reader report from JW:

Our dark blue 2009 Toyota Sienna minivan was stolen last night from Fauntlee Hills at 3:15 am, car seats and all! WA plates 909YUE. Please call 911 if you see it.

We woke up to the alarm and watched the taillights disappearing up the street. At least one other neighbor’s car alarm had gone off at around 2.30am as well. Prowlers?

P.S. If you missed our report on this week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, published very early today – lots of quick updates on local police/crime.

After a bike-theft bust downtown, Seattle Police have photographed the dozens of bicycles they recovered, and posted photos on SPD Blotter. If you’re a bike-theft victim, check it out in case yours is among them.

According to our check of the police-report map, 20 car prowls have been reported in West Seattle in the past week:

That’s up from 15 during the same week last year. Car-prowl details aren’t posted by SPD – only where/when they happened – but we have details via two reader reports – first, from Jill:

Just wanted to inform the neighbors and also wondering if anyone saw anything:

The rear driver’s side window of my Subaru Outback was smashed in last night sometime between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm, at the West Seattle YMCA. It was parked in the gravel spaces on the north side of the building (along SW Oregon St). They rummaged through my really boring stuff in the backseat, but nothing was taken. I don’t think they even made their way to the front seats or the cargo area, as all the doors were still locked. If someone scared them off, I hope they can provide some description of the perp(s) to the police.

Earlier this week, Alex‘s car was ransacked in the Luna Park area:

My car was broken into (window smashed) and my backpack full of books and student papers ( I teach at a local college) was taken. I have a feeling that the backpack and its contents will be disposed of somewhere, as I can’t see them being helpful to anyone but me. Can you ask readers to keep their eyes peeled for a purple backpack full of ESL textbooks and papers?

These are the latest unfortunate reminders that even if you think what you left in your vehicle doesn’t look like something criminals would bother with – chances are, you’re wrong. Even a couple of canvas grocery bags strewn in the back of a car might look to a prowler like something worth checking out – possibly at the expense of the glass in your vehicle’s window.

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

ASSAULT/ROBBERY ON THE ROOF: A teenager’s dad is hoping someone might be able to help solve the case of who beat and robbed his son. His son was skateboarding on the roof of Chief Sealth International High School on Saturday night. He says a security guard asked him to leave; he didn’t, and the guard returned 15 minutes later, he said, trailed by “three Samoan teens between 15 and 18, one wearing a green shirt with short hair, one wearing a red shirt with a pony tail, and the third with a black tank top and fairly long hair.” He says they claimed to be relatives of the guard and said that they were going to beat him up, so he ran, but they caught up with him, hit him in the head, and then when he broke away, chased him again, and caught him in a chokehold and pummeled him until he lost consciousness.

When he came to, the victim says, they were leaving, and taking his skateboard. He called 911; firefighters came and put a ladder up to the roof to find and treat him before his father took him to urgent care. The victim describes his injuries as a broken nose, a cut that needed five stitches, and swelling around his eye (his father showed photos backing this up). His father has been trying to see if the school had surveillance video but says he first was told the cameras weren’t working, then was told they were, but that no one was available to show him the video. (We have had an inquiry out with Seattle Public Schools on that but no resolution yet.) If you have any information that might help catch the attackers, please contact SPD. (added) Their report says two school-security employees who were present told police they hadn’t seen anyone else in the area.

STOLEN CAR: Maybe you’ve seen Monica‘s car, stolen this morning?

On March 17 between midnight and 8 am my 1993 Subaru Legacy Wagon was stolen from outside my residence between 40th and 41st Ave SW on Brandon St. The car is maroon in color, license plate 244-YZB, with an “Others Like Us” face sticker on the driver’s side window. Nothing of value inside or out, just a trusty old car.

A police report is filed.

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.