The WSBeat: Spotted by the steeple; lots of cash on hand
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Just after midnight on Monday morning, two teens were spotted atop a local church. Officers arrived and ordered the pair down. They complied, but left behind a backpack containing cans of beer, cigarettes, prescription medication, and marijuana (later retrieved by a firefighter in a ladder truck). The teens were transported to the Southwest Precinct and were picked up by their parents.
Five more summaries, after the jump:Read More
Double dose of The WSBeat: What else police have been handling
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – two rounds of The WSBeat, compiled over the past few weeks:
*Early Tuesday of last week, a 41-year-old man was walking on 16th SW near SW Elmgrove when he was confronted by a man being pushed in a wheelchair, who yelled out some “territorial” type of threats. Suddenly, the man in the wheelchair jumped up, punched the victim in the face and knocked him backward to the ground. The victim had to be taken to Harborview for treatment of multiple golf ball-sized contusions and lacerations to his head. The attacker — described as an Asian/Pacific Islander male, aged 22-29, with an athletic build and black hair in a ponytail — remains at large.
14 more summaries ahead:Read More
Double dose of The WSBeat: Guns gone; concrete trouble…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers – two rounds of The WSBeat, since last week’s edition didn’t get published, it appears immediately after the newest summaries:
*Wednesday night around 7:30, a woman who was planning to go target shooting accidentally left her purse on the counter of an Admiral convenience store. She went back to retrieve the purse but didn’t find the two guns she thought were inside — a .380 revolver and a 9mm pistol. The clerk said no one had taken the guns and offered to provide the store’s surveillance tape. The officer advised the woman to take a look around her home to be sure she hadn’t misplaced the weapons.
*Around 6 p.m. Saturday, when officers stopped to question a man at 14th and Cloverdale, the subject ran off, only to return a few moments later and hit an officer in the eye. He initially refused to provide officers with his name, probably because it turns out he was wanted on a no-bail felony warrant from the Department of Corrections and a $10,000 misdemeanor DUI warrant. He was booked into King County Jail.
13 more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Not quite fit for the estate sale … and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Cleaning up the home of her recently deceased father, a woman came across a human skull encased in glass. She told officers what she could remember about the story her father had told her: That he had found it in the wild in Alaska back in the 1980s. Though Halloween is on the way, she decided to not keep it. She turned it over to officers, who passed it on to the Medical Examiner.
*A car prowl suspect, arrested in the 9200 block of 16th SW Sunday afternoon, denied responsibility and frantically claimed that he had to get back to his residence by 6 p.m. to, “tend to the goats.”
*A white male who appeared to be 65 years or older, with whitish/gray bushy hair, wearing a white baseball hat and a blue jacket has been acting suspiciously around a home in the 9400 block of 26th Ave. SW. He was seen in the yard, taking notes twice last week, claiming to be a gutter or a roof service person. The residents had not solicited any services from anyone. Officers suspect he might be casing residences.
A dozen-plus more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Why you need to get all the keys back, + 7 more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
Back after another short hiatus: From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Though he had been evicted at the beginning of the month, a man still had the key to the front door of his former condo building in the Admiral area. He would enter, climb to the roof, and then jump to his old balcony to get inside his old unit, against the orders of the sheriff, bank, and realtor. On Tuesday he was arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of criminal trespass. The condo management group will be changing the lock on the front door.
*Late Saturday of last weekend, seeing a car pull out of an Admiral service station without its headlights on, an officer ran the plate and discovered that the registered owner did not have a valid driver’s license. He pulled the car over at 36th and Olga. The driver admitted he had no insurance or license and, although he wasn’t wanted on any warrants, he did have a history of burglary and firearms possession. For safety reasons, the officer had him exit the vehicle, which brought half-full bottles of whiskey, brandy and cognac, a crowbar, and a pair of black leather gloves into plain view. These were confiscated. The 16-year-old was cited for driving without a license or insurance, for not using his headlights, minor in possession, and possession of burglary tools. He was released to his brother’s custody; his car was towed.
Six more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: 2 robberies and … casing; racing; chewing
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
Back after a couple weeks’ hiatus: From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Four women were suspected of casing homes in the 4100 block of SW Frontenac Wednesday afternoon. One door-knocker fled after discovering one home was occupied, but the homeowner there kept an eye on her and called 911 when she went into the backyard of a neighbor. One woman, a Kent resident, was booked into King County Jail for criminal trespass. The others were investigated and released.
*Early Monday, a 28-year-old Kent resident was booked into King County Jail after verbally and physically harassing a number of people at the corner of 61st and Alki.
*Around noon on Thursday the 8th, a driver became enraged when he couldn’t pass through a construction site in the 3200 block of 61st SW. He yelled obscenities and threatened to come back and slit the tires on the construction vehicles. He drove off, but not before causing $150 worth of damage to two lighted construction barricades. The car he drove was registered to an address in the 6100 block of SW Spokane and was later spotted in the driveway there. The woman at the residence refused to provide any information and was uncooperative with officers.
Seven more summaries, including two armed robberies on the street, ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Destructive departure; post-bar brawl
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Around 3 pm Monday, a rude patron kept bothering other customers at a Junction bar and was asked to leave. He declined, threw a glass, and then launched a chair through a $2,000 flat-screen TV. He was taken to the ground, held for officers and was later booked into King County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault.
The files were a little threadbare (up until the past few days, too late for this roundup), so just three more summaries are ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Timing is everything; family feud; who hit who?
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*When a 17-year-old Burien resident decided to swipe $900 worth of clothes from an Alki business, it was her misfortune to do so just as an off-duty State Patrol officer walked by with his girlfriend. He chased the thief down while the girlfriend alerted the store owner to what was going on. When contacted, the suspect’s mom said, “Just take her to juvenile detention,” before hanging up on officers. But the Youth Service Center wouldn’t admit her, so she ended up going home after all.
*Late Monday a chronic 19-year-old offender, well known to officers, was spotted in a convenience store parking lot at 16th and Holden. Officers knew he was wanted on at least two warrants (it ended up being four with a bail total of $50,000) and they placed him under arrest without incident.
Seven more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Up a tree; on the street; without a belt…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*A Genesee citizen heard sirens and then saw a man climb a tree in a nearby yard. Concerned that he might be trying to elude officers, she called 911. Though it turned out that the sirens were associated with a fire a mile away, the officers were still happy to collect the man from the tree and book him into King County Jail on a $20,000 felony burglary warrant.
*On Wednesday afternoon, an officer was approached by an intoxicated man walking with an open container in the 2500 block of Walnut SW. For safety purposes, the officer confiscated several weapons from him, including a folding knife with a longer-than-legal blade, a straight razor, and small black stun gun. He was also carrying a variety of tools commonly used in car prowls but told the officer he had been using them in a carpentry job. After being transported to the precinct, a check of his backpack showed additional hand tools, flashlights, a lock pick, dark clothing, and a toy smoke grenade. He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of weapons possession.
Seven more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Interruptions, intruders, warrants, and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Returning to her Arbor Heights home Friday afternoon of last week, a woman encountered two people — described as a man in his 50s and a woman in her 60s — with their hands inside her mailbox. When they realized they had been spotted, the pair drove away northbound on 35th SW in a new green Chevy Blazer.
*Arriving home in the 8600 block of Fauntleroy SW, a woman encountered a stranger. when she asked what he was doing, he mumbled an excuse involving the names of people that didn’t live there. He walked out the front door as she noticed a brown or rust-colored “boxy” ’80s or ’90s sedan pull away from the neighbor’s driveway. It seems the suspect used a hidden key to get in the home and left behind a blue notebook that had references to Craigslist, pawn shops, and eBay. The suspect was a white male, approximately 25 years old, with brown hair and wearing a baseball cap turned backward.
And there’s more information on another intruder case, one previously covered on WSB, among the 12 summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Intruder incidents, park problems, more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Four intruder incidents: Around 11:30 a.m. Saturday (last weekend), in the 7000 block of 14th SW, a man awoke from a nap and saw a stranger peering into the bedroom. When confronted, the suspect shut the door, ran out the front of the house, jumped on a mountain bike and rode off southbound. He was white, 22-29, with a heavy build and brown curly or permed hair. He wore basketball shorts. And just after midnight Wednesday, a resident of the 5200 block of 44th SW heard a loud crash, saw a figure in his backyard, and discovered that his back door had been forced open. A similar incident occurred Friday afternoon in the 5400 block of 44th SW, where a man kicked in the door of a residence and fled upon seeing the homeowner. Around 6 p.m. Saturday (last weekend), a woman awoke from a nap in the 6500 block of 35th SW and screamed when she saw three strangers in her bedroom. They jumped out the window and ran northbound. She said one appeared to be 10 years old or so. The other two were 18.
Six more summaries, including an update on last weekend’s Highland Park stabbing, ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Teller’s hunch leads police to big haul, and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*On Monday just before 6 pm, a drive-thru teller was able to stall for time when a customer tried to cash a $5,000 check with a suspicious signature. She called the man who had supposedly written the check, and when he denied having done so, other bank employees called 911. An officer arrived and pulled in behind the suspect’s car. The suspect was ordered to turn off the ignition and drop the car keys to the ground. He did so, but while the officer was running a computer check, the engine started up and the car squealed out of the bank lot, nearly hitting a pedestrian. Continuing eastbound, the driver swerved into oncoming traffic and ran a red light, just missing additional pedestrians. Because a chase would have posed additional dangers, the officers opted to not pursue the fleeing car. But citizens later noticed a suspicious car in front of an abandoned house in the 5600 block of 31st SW. Officers identified it as the suspect’s vehicle. Behind the residence? A pile that included ID cards for more than 15 victims, stolen checks, washed checks, cell phone chip cards, a laptop computer, and a loaded Springfield Arms 9mm handgun stolen in a car prowl in north Seattle earlier in the month. The car and all of the property was placed into the evidence room. The suspects remain at large.
8 more summaries after the jump, including two cases of bullet casings found in local streets, and two updates on crimes previously covered on WSB:Read More
The WSBeat: ‘Prolific thief’ caught with alert citizen’s help, and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*An alert citizen called 911 early Tuesday to report a suspicious male with a flashlight peering into car windows near the 4000 block of 34th SW. Officers arrived and encountered one of the community’s more prolific thieves. He was carrying a backpack that held two GPS devices, and his jacket pocket contained a large amount of change. The 18-year-old Delridge-area resident was booked into King County Jail.
*Just after midnight Saturday, a taxi driver picked up a fare downtown and drove her to the 6700 block of Delridge. She started to leave without paying. He threatened to call 911. Her response? “Then I’ll shoot you.” The driver called her bluff (and 911) and continued driving until he saw patrol cars approaching in the 6900 block of Delridge. Officers questioned the woman, asking if she had a gun. She opened her purse, which contained a loaded five-shot Smith and Wesson. She was booked into King County jail for investigation of assault.
After the jump, four more summaries, including one with more information on a story covered as breaking news earlier this week:Read More
The WSBeat: Break-ins interrupted; parking rage…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*After ringing a doorbell several times in the 3000 block of 63rd on Saturday afternoon, a would-be burglar apparently decided no one was home. He broke in, not realizing that an infirm resident was napping. She woke up, and her screams brought her husband into the room and sent the suspect running. Nothing seems to have been stolen. The suspect was described as a black man, aged 18-21, with curly black hair in a pony tail. He wore all black clothing.
*In the 9200 block of Fauntleroy, a man was asleep early Saturday when he heard someone open his bedroom window from outside. He yelled, “Hey!” which scared off the suspect: A white man, aged 22-29, about 5’11” and of medium build with brown curly or permed hair.
*On 57th SW, a citizen got out some frustrations by puncturing a neighbor’s car tire. He also left a note suggesting that after she got the tire fixed she should learn how to park.
More ahead, including a death discovered on a local sidewalk:Read More
The WSBeat: Purse chase; gun misplaced; business break-ins…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Around 6:30 Friday night, a man entered a Junction business, grabbed a purse from a display, tucked it under his jacket and ran down the street. An employee gave chase, yelling at the suspect and finally catching him near California and Alaska. She was able to grab the purse back while the man kept traveling southbound. He was white, aged 30-49, approximately 5’8” and 140 pounds. Several teeth were missing; he wore a black t-shirt, and appeared to be under the influence of drugs.
*After visiting Alki a couple of weeks ago, a Kent resident packed up his beach gear and headed for home. One piece of gear inadvertently left behind was his gun: He assumes it fell from the edge of the truck bed where he had absentmindedly placed it.
10 more summaries (including a string of business break-ins, and the saga of how a dog helped a man get home) ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Doorstep grocery thief caught on cam, and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*On Atlas Place, a customer received a delivery of groceries in the early hours of the morning on Thursday. But a security camera shows that an hour later a man stopped by the front porch and walked off with the groceries. Images of the thief have been turned over to police.
Five more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Alki attack; stalker break-ins; more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Around 12:30 last Sunday morning, two men walking in the 2500 block of Alki SW were confronted by a group of men in their twenties who demanded money. When the men refused, they were knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked. One victim suffered no losses, but the other man’s clothes were ripped and his wallet stolen. The attackers ran to the south and left in two cars: one a dark blue Chevy diesel “dually” truck (one with four rear tires — two on each side) and the other a dark SUV.
Fairly quiet week, so only three more summaries after the jump:Read More
The WSBeat: Alleged prowler punched; cranky caller; road rage…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*The victim of a car prowl took matters into his own hands around 1 a.m. last Saturday, when he came outside (in the 2300 block of Barton Pl.) and punched a man who he said was breaking into his car. When officers arrived, the 55-year-old suspect (who lives in the neighborhood) was on the ground, bleeding from a cut near his eye. He was taken to Harborview for treatment and then booked into King County Jail for investigation of theft.
*A man using the business phone at a Junction grocery became loud and belligerent. When the manager told the man to hang up, he was threatened and shoved. A nearby witness happened to be a police officer, who held the intoxicated suspect down until uniformed officers arrived. The suspect, a Beacon Hill resident, was booked into jail for investigation of assault.
Six more summaries, plus new details on an incident recently covered in WSB Crime Watch, ahead:Read More
On the WSBeat: Park problem; glove-box ‘surprise’…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*After being approached by a concerned citizen on Wednesday afternoon, officers spoke with a transient man who apparently has been sleeping in the dugout at a Lincoln Park baseball field. For several weeks, he had allegedly been leering at women and harassing the kids who try to use the facility. He was cooperative with officers and has been told not to return to the park to camp or sleep. Officers also confiscated an illegal 3.5 inch fixed-blade knife and are taking official steps to have the man trespassed from the park – meaning, formally told that he is not allowed there at all.
Seven more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Gunfire; beer beating; brazen metal-theft target…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Around 5:30 Tuesday evening, a citizen called 911 to report that someone in a passing car had fired a shot toward a home in the 6500 block of 34th SW. As it turns out, a person on the sidewalk had been the target. (And the target wouldn’t answer any questions.) Officers did, however, have a description of the car, which — along with its driver— turned out to be well-known to gang detectives. It was spotted and pulled over in Rainier Valley later in the week. The 17-year-old driver, a Kent resident, was booked into the Youth Service Center for investigation of the drive-by shooting.
Eleven more summaries – and it’s a little grittier than usual this time, so beware – after the jump:Read More
The WSBeat: Robbery rebuff; peeping interrupted; and more
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*Around 4:30 last Friday afternoon, a 13-year-old was walking home from school when a car pulled into a driveway, blocking the sidewalk. A young passenger demanded money and the boy’s iPod. The boy said something to the effect of, “I don’t think so,” and added “I live near here. How about if I just get my parents instead?” The chagrined suspects drove off northbound in the 3400 block of Walnut SW. Both driver (aged 16 or so) and passenger (12-13 years old) were described as white males wearing white t-shirts; they were in a Nissan Frontier pickup truck.
4 more summaries (quiet week!) ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: No parking; lashing out on the links; more…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*While working on his car in the Alaska Junction-area, a man needed to move his vehicle for just a few moments. When he pulled into an apartment lot across the alley, he was approached by a suspect who said, “You can’t park here.” The victim explained that it was just for a moment, but the suspect pulled a pistol from his waistband, flashed a badge that said, “concealed weapons permit,” and said, “You are trespassing and need to leave.” Bystanders intervened, and the suspect drove off before officers arrived.
*At West Seattle Golf Course one recent afternoon, a golfer approached the men ahead on the course and asked the obviously intoxicated pair if they could play faster. The response was a flurry of cussing and threats of “we’ll be waiting for you.” The suspects did, indeed, wait for the victims to return to their cars. One suspect stepped from behind a pickup truck and belly-bumped the victim several times. When the victim shoved back, the suspect began swinging. Medics had to be called to treat the victim, who suffered a severe laceration to his lip and nose and a serious injury to his right hand and thumb, which required a trip to the hospital. The suspect (described as white, heavyset, in his late 50s or 60s, ruddy complexion, reddish/balding hair, and glasses) drove off in a red pickup truck. But it’s his fashion sense that might make him easy to identify: Look for the man who golfs in a green hat, orange t-shirt, a purple vest, and multicolored checkered “clown pants.”
8 more summaries ahead:Read More
The WSBeat: Towing tiff; grill theft; bus-stop robbery; more…
By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog
From reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers:
*At an apartment in the 2600 block of 42nd SW, tenants must display a parking permit in order to use the rear parking lot. Tuesday morning, a tenant heard a tow truck and saw it preparing to tow his roommate’s car. The tenant ran downstairs, opened the car door, found the permit on the floor and showed it to the driver. But the tow truck driver ignored him. The roommate came down as well, and when she stood in front of the rear tire of her vehicle, she claims the driver deliberately struck her bare foot with a metal crossbar. The car was towed, and the residents have been advised to contact the building’s management company about the incident.
*Someone entered a fenced yard in the 5600 block of 35th SW last week on Wednesday and stole a number of metal parts from a restaurant-quality barbecue grill. The estimated loss is $2,000.
11 more summaries – including more details on a case we’ve been following outside WSBeat, a bus-stop robbery, a potential case of tree poisoning, and more – after the jump:Read More
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