Tonight, we have two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch, plus SPD-released video from a triple-carjack-attempt case we covered in December.

MAILBOX BREAK-IN: Via text – this happened in a building at California and College in Admiral:

From security footage from the manager – at around 3:30 AM a man used the USPS key box to access the building door, then used USPS mailbox key to open all boxes, went through the mail, then closed it back up. He busted a separate mail box for commercial residents, then opened two adjacent doors, 1 leading up to floors and the other into a hallway leading to the back door into the alley where he left.

When the manager filed a report with the USPS he was told that one of their trucks was stolen with the keys in it. He also tried to open the large blue USPS box in front of La Premiere Apts but was not successful … I ran into the mailman & he opened the box to see if the entrance door key was there & apparently he put it back so he could come back. So this guy is very intentional he has the USPS master key, uses it to go in and out of the buildings, takes the mail he wants, puts the key back to come back for more crimes.

The SPD report # is 24-904172.

CAR WINDOWS SMASHED: The photo and report are from Jeffrey in The Junction:

At 4532 42nd Ave SW, my car window got smashed inside the parking garage. And, I noticed outside the apartment complex on 42nd Ave SW, there was another vehicle that was street parked with a smashed window. According to building staff, they’ve been hearing the whole block has been experiencing smash and grab.

SPD RELEASES VIDEO FROM DECEMBER ARRESTS: Today, SPD released an edited video compilation from a case we covered extensively when it happened almost three months ago – three West Seattle carjacking attempts in one night a week before Christmas, followed by a pursuit that ended with police arresting teenage suspects near Boeing Field. First, here’s the new video:

Here’s our original report as it all unfolded the night it happened, and here’s our followup after the suspects were charged three days later (as shown in that story, the charging documents in December even had framegrabs from the video made public today). So what’s happened since then? The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the 16-year-old and one of the 14-year-olds are on electronic home monitoring, while the other 14-year-old remains in detention.

Morgan is hoping somebody on the bridge saw this happen:

I was hit and run today on the West Seattle (Bridge) as I was heading westbound into West Seattle at approximately 12:16 pm. This happened just before the 1st Ave exit in the right-hand lane. I was driving a white 2018 Audi SQ5 and the car that hit me was a black Acura 4-door with dark tinted windows; it looked like a mid-2010 TSX/TL. It hit me 3 times and took off at over 100 mph. They took the Admiral Way exit and then I lost them. They will have right front damage, mostly white paint from my Audi. My entire left side from bumper to front end was damaged. Unfortunately, it happened so fast I couldn’t get a license plate, but there were so many people that witnessed it I was hoping someone saw or recorded it and can provide information to the police. The SPD case # is 24-068499. They never had any intention of stopping, and although I and my dog are sore, it could have been much worse, so I am grateful we are unharmed.

From weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) summaries made public late this afternoon, two incidents we hadn’t previously heard about:

(WSB photo, added Tuesday morning)

JUNCTION CRASH-AND-GRAB: West Seattle Smoke Shop in The Junction (4750 California SW) was hit by crash-and-grab burglars around 4:30 am Saturday. According to archived audio, three vehicles were seen nearby, including a dark minivan, with five to 10 people milling about them, and police got word of the crash-and-grab while on the way to check out that report. The summary says that “suspects backed an unknown-model Hyundai over the cement bollards installed in front of (the business) and plowed into the already boarded-up smoke shop. The suspects entered the store, taking various vape products, and caused damage to the building.”

MORGAN JUNCTION GUNFIRE: This happened just after 4 am Friday: “Officers responded to the 6500 block California Ave SW to a report of a shot fired following an argument in the street. Officers arrived and located a single shell casing in a business driveway. Caller reported that possible suspect left in a vehicle NB after firing the round.”

And a little more information on a break-in we covered Sunday:

48TH/CHARLESTOWN BREAK-IN FOLLOWUP: We reported initially that the man arrested in this incident was taken to Harborview. He subsequently was booked into King County Jail, we confirmed today, and is still there. According to the SPD summary of the incident, he “broke a large window at the front of the home and crawled through the broken glass” to get in, where a man and woman living there confronted him; while the three fought/struggled, one of the residents hit him, and that’s how they got him “pinned down” before police arrived.

We don’t know if these two burglaries late last night and early this morning less than a mile apart are related; the second one resulted in an arrest. Here’s what we know so far:

BURGLARY THIS MORNING: This happened before 7 am near 48th/Charlestown, and we heard about it via a texted tip when a sizable police and medical response resulted.

At the scene, police told us it was an attempted burglary, and that the medical response was intensified when the suspect, believed to be under the influence of drugs, became combative. Listening to recorded dispatch/officer exchanges, 911 got a call for help, and police arrived to find a resident had “pinned down” the suspected burglar, who was quickly taken into custody. The initial medical dispatch was described as being for minor injuries in the scuffle; then it was beefed up with more units about 15 minutes later when the suspect, described as a man about 30 years old, exhibited “acute behavior disturbance.” We were told at the scene that he would be taken to the hospital.

BURGLARY LAST NIGHT: Dennis sent this report early today:

I’m sad to report that our home was broken into (Saturday night) between the hours of 9-11 pm. We were out but our two dogs were home. Whoever did this did not hurt our dogs, but they did enough to frighten them. We live in the neighborhood between Frater and 56th, to the west of Schmitz Park. They entered our home on the side of the house without cameras, so they must have known or seen the location of our cameras and bypassed them. Unfortunately, they stole personal belongings, rifled through our drawers and belongings, stole work laptops, and just created chaos in our home. Police were called and a report was filed.

ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: Report # is 24-66348. We also asked Dennis about items to watch for:

We’ll be following up tomorrow to see if the two might be related, given the time frame and relative proximity.

Reader reports about stolen vehicles:

PLYMOUTH MINIVAN: The photos and report were sent by William:

Stolen over Friday night or early Saturday is a white 1992 Plymouth Grand Voyage mini-van from in front of our house near Admiral and 62nd Ave SW. We were moving someone into a senior home, so it was unfortunately loaded with items. I know this will likely be emptied of contents and then abandoned – sad enough. Sadder yet though is that this was one of dad’s prize possessions, and it is stolen on the weekend we are moving him. If nothing else, we certainly want to have his Retired Army license plates back !

If seen, please call 911. Plates: AR 07246 Police report #24-66045

HYUNDAI SUV: This report is from Christina – it’s near the scene of this morning’s 3:30 am hit-run crash, so we have a followup question seeking more details about her neighbor’s car and whether it might be related to that, but while we await a reply, here’s her report:

My car was stolen early this morning or last night at the Strata Apartments on California Ave near Fauntleroy. My neighbor’s Hyundai was also stolen and she found out it was totaled when the drivers crashed into a business off of Fauntleroy. A witness said they saw the drivers jump into a black SUV after, which we believe could have been my car. I would appreciate if you could have people on the lookout for my car, which is a black Hyundai Tucson with tinted black windows and a California license plate (#7ZEB142).

Two hit-run crashes early this morning:

CALIFORNIA/GRAHAM: Thanks to Steve for the aftermath photo:

According to emergency-radio archives, that car was damaged by the driver of another car that hit a tree south of California/Graham around 3:30 am. Initially SFD sent a “rescue extrication” dispatch but it was quickly cancelled when responders learned the other car was empty and its driver had fled the scene. That car (not shown as it apparently was towed away after the crash) was described as a suspected stolen vehicle, with Georgia plates and trashed ignition. According to radio exchanges, the driver who caused the crash might have been racing someone.

17TH/ROXBURY: The report and photo were texted this afternoon:

On 3/9/2024 @ 12:35 am I was driving westbound on SW Roxbury when I had a green light through 17th Avenue SW. As I entered the intersection a white ~ 2000 – 2004 Dodge Ram 4×4 pickup truck ran the red light and entered the intersection. He hit the right/front of my car. My speed into the intersection was 25mph and he looked to be going about 30 mph. The impact pushed me into the oncoming east-bound lane. The driver fled the scene immediately and left west-bound to the next cross-street and made a left heading south. I followed him about 1 block but he was traveling at a very high rate of speed. My vehicle is VERY badly damaged and I was less than 1 mile from home, so I drove there and called 911. I reported the collision to both Seattle Police dispatch and King County dispatch operators. I was told that witnesses on-scene also reported the collision to 911. My significant other drove me back to the hit-and-run scene and I retrieved a broken metal side step in the street from the truck that hit me. There were no police, fire units, or witnesses at the scene. The photo is the broken metal side step from the white Dodge Ram. It looked to be a “king cab” model and looked like it had a black roll bar. It will have driver’s side door/body damage with a broken-off step. There should be an identical step on the passenger side. The truck’s damage will include red paint. If anyone sees this vehicle or knows the owner, please call 911.

10:36 PM: Multiple people have texted us about hearing apparent gunfire in the Westwood area. Police have been searching for evidence and finally just found it – shell casings near the 8400 block of 25th SW, not far from Southwest Teen Life Center and the Chief Sealth IHS/Denny IMS campus. No report of any injuries so far. Some 911 callers reported seeing a light-colored vehicle possibly associated with this, according to dispatch and officers.

11:13 PM: In cases like this – gunfire but no injuries reported – officers often investigate the scene and simply notify the Gun Violence Reduction Unit. In this case, though, according to radio communication, GVRU detectives were going to go to the scene, perhaps because it’s within blocks of high-profile gun-violence cases such as the January death of 15-year-old Mobarak Adam at SWTLC. Still no injuries reported from tonight’s gunfire.

11:21 PM: One parked vehicle has bullet damage, an officer just told dispatch. … The location has been updated to 25th/Cloverdale.

(Images from charging documents, Mixayboua at West Seattle Target with stolen card)

The man who stole two USPS mail trucks in West Seattle – and others elsewhere in the city – was sentenced in federal court today. 27-year-old Johny Mixayboua got a 3 1/2-year sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Richard A. Jones. That’s what federal prosecutors had recommended for Mixayboua’s convictions on charges of theft of government property, mail theft, illegal transactions on access devices, and illegally possessing a firearm. The West Seattle mail-truck thefts both happened on January 17, 2023 – one on Beach Drive SW, the other on 57th SW. Three weeks earlier, he had stolen a USPS vehicle in South Seattle and with it, a key used to access cluster mailboxes; at one point the USPS entirely shut down residential service in the 98118 for a week during the investigation. Investigators used home security video and store-security video to link Mixayboua to mail thefts and attempts to use stolen credit cards (including images from Target in Westwood Village). He was eventually found near where he was living in a vehicle near a relative’s home, and officers also found a “ghost gun,” which compounded matters as Mixayboua was already a convicted felon and not allowed to have firearms. He pleaded guilty last December to the charges on which he was sentenced today, seven months after his May arrest.

Police are investigating what appears to be a case of someone shooting into an Arbor Heights house. Officers were sent to the 10600 block of 31st SW a few minutes before midnight. According to the dispatch, the resident heard glass break and found a bullet in their kitchen, but didn’t see who did it, and didn’t hear anything (such as a vehicle pulling away). Officers confirmed to dispatch that it indeed appeared to be “a bullet into a house” and reported finding a casing. No injuries were reported.

The report and photo are from Jasper:

I wanted to report my stolen truck – it is a blue 1982 Datsun King Cab. Front bumper is sagging and there’s stickers in the top corners of the back window. License plate 7739F. Stolen from downtown Seattle and last seen yesterday [in West Seattle] between 41st and 42nd Ave on Andover St. but was gone by the time I arrived so it’s driving around. Please contact me at 425-223-6828 if seen.

EVENING UPDATE: Jasper’s pickup has been found, and he says thanks to readers for the help!

Two notes in West Seattle Crime Watch:

POLICE DETAIN ALKI BURGLARY SUSPECTS: This is happening right now. Someone called 911 to report a suspected burglary at Il Nido (the Italian restaurant in the former Alki Homestead) after seeing/hearing people inside on a night when it’s usually closed; police have detained two suspects, one caught while running a block west, the other, after running into a nearby business. We don’t know yet what they’ve confirmed about the burglary – they’re trying to reach the restaurant’s owners – but in case you’re on Alki and wondering about the police activity, that’s what’s happening. MONDAY UPDATE: We followed up with SPD, which tells WSB, “Officers found two juveniles, both males, ages 13 and 14. They were arrested for burglary and property destruction, identified and released.” They are accused of breaking into an under-construction area of the historic building.

ATTEMPTED TRUCK THEFT: Emailed by a reader in North Admiral:

Wednesday morning, about 1 – 2 a.m., car thieves attempted to steal my husband’s red Dodge Ram pickup. 45th Ave just north of Hill St. Luckily, a neighbor’s nephew was driving down Hill Street and noticed a van with its lights off parked in the middle of the street. He stopped his car and when they noticed him, a couple of people jumped out of the truck, into the van and took off. The truck’s passenger side lock was damaged, and they attempted to jam a screw driver into the ignition. The tip of the screw driver broke off in the ignition. This is the second auto theft, although ours was only attempted, in our neighborhood in a couple of weeks. The last auto was recovered by the owner using a tracker in their vehicle. They were able to find it in Georgetown and recovered it. Our Neighborhood Watch Captain will be putting an alert out to all the neighbors in this area for those who are not yet aware. Please post so others are aware.

The photo and report are from Sweta:

This morning I found that our mailboxes had been pried open with mail scattered on the ground. Our building is on California in North Admiral. Incident was reported to the US Postal Inspection Service.

The report and security-camera images were sent by Admiral Pub proprietor Alex Garcia:

It was bound to happen eventually. We had a break-in (today) around 5 am. We really have nothing worth stealing, it was more the 6k in damages that hurts the most. They stole alcohol, cash, and broke both the front doors and back door.

Luckily we have a temporary fix for both the front and back… but it will cost us 3k plus install for new front doors and the back door also is going to require a new door, frame + install etc.

Luckily we were still able to be open and will continue to be open.

As bar owners, we do our best to plan for these days, but they always come when you least expect them. If you would like to support us here are 2 ways you can support us: You can donate to our gofundme. Or you can come out next week to Wednesday Trivia (7 pm) or Thursday Music Bingo (7 pm). We will have drink specials and it will be a fundraiser for the new doors and lost liquor (that was stolen). Any kind of support would be greatly appreciated. We love you all!

We’ll add the SPD report number when we get it.

Sent by Johanna:

I found these parts of a Kuat bike rack behind my fence in the alley between 26th SW and 28th SW, 9400 block. They are quite expensive parts and I’m assuming taken off a stolen vehicle and dumped or some other nefarious circumstance. I’m hoping maybe their owner may see them on the blog so I can give them back even though they are just parts now.

If this might have been your bike rack, let us know and we’ll connect you.

That’s Rose‘s black 1999 Honda CR-V, plate CKU4036, stolen from 34th SW near West Seattle Elementary in High Point today. Police report number is 24-057258 – if you see this car, refer to that report when you call 911.

9:27 AM: The report and photo are from Stan:

Sometime overnight my 1998 Ford E-250 van was stolen from in front of my home near corner of 48th and SW Stevens. Van is white, with a raised roof cap, and would be hard to miss, with signage from its previous life as a coffee van consisting of the word Coffee in front, and other coffee-related signage (all on the roof cap). Signage seen on van body has since been removed. WA license CDV0613.

If you see it, call 911. We’ll add the police-report number when we get it. (UPDATE: It’s 24-55953.)

12:06 PM: As Stan commented below, a reader tip has reunited him with his van.

Miscellaneous West Seattle Crime Watch notes:

BUSINESS BURGLARY: We got a tip about this on Friday but police didn’t provide information until today. Burglars hit the Admiral Safeway gas station (42nd/Admiral) just before 3:30 am Friday. According to the SPD summary, “The (burglars) utilized crowbars and a U-Haul box truck with a tow rope to break into the fuel station kiosk. (They) stole cigarettes/merchandise and tried to remove the safe before driving away. Officers spotted the van a short distance away and began to coordinate a stop. The van driver began to drive recklessly, and officers disengaged, losing sight.” If you have any information, the SPD incident # is 24-051042.

UNHINGED: We’ve received multiple questions about, and photos of, the detached door at 4719 California SW:

Yes, police are aware of it – we’ve heard multiple calls in the past week or so, and there was another one this morning in the 6 am hour (SPD incident # 24-054044). It’s been reattached at least once that we’ve seen. Regardless of how it was opened, it’s ultimately the property owner’s responsibility to keep vacant spaces secured.

STOLEN AND/OR ABANDONED? Grant sent this photo of a possibly stolen and/or abandoned Kia this morning, seen at 37th/Elmgrove in Gatewood:

We walked through the area in early afternoon and didn’t see it. But Grant noted that it was parked the wrong way and practically protruding into the intersection. While you can call any suspected stolen car in to 911, if one is parked illegally, you can also simply report it to Parking Enforcement, which might be able to respond quicker – that direct number is 206-386-9012.

Two incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:

SEARCH FOR SUSPECT: This is happening right now in Delridge. Police were at the Salish Landing complex in the 6900 block of Delridge Way SW looking for a domestic-violence suspect. They made forced entry into an apartment and found the suspect used sheets and blankets to escape down the exterior of the building, and was last seen running “into the woods.” Officers gave this description to dispatch – Hispanic man, 20s, bald, 5’7″, slim, green checkered pants, white or gray tank top. They’ll be using a K9 to search so if you’re in the area you may hear sirens and loudspeaker announcements. 7:29 PM UPDATE: Police told dispatch they have found the suspect.

HIT-RUN WITH STOLEN CAR: Thanks for the texted tip and photos.

Above is a stolen Hyundai Sonata that someone crashed into parked cars southeast of Westwood Village late last night, after 11 pm. At least two were damaged:

After the crash, witnesses told police they saw three people in dark clothing – believed to be teenage boys – get out and head toward Westwood Village. No injuries reported. If you have any information, the SPD incident # in this case is 24-052892.

911 callers on and near Alki Point reported hearing what sounded like gunfire – and police are finding what appears to be evidence of it. So far, “one live round” in the 3400 block of Beach Drive SW.