22 Replies to "Another Crime Watch burglar alert: Upper Fauntleroy attempt"

• fiz March 13, 2008 (8:48 pm)

  The magazine salesman was canvassing around 45th and Edmunds about 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

• Gina March 13, 2008 (8:59 pm)

  Isn’t the magazine salesman ruse getting a little tired? Do any legitimate periodicals even employ such people? I don’t get it.

• EAO March 13, 2008 (9:00 pm)

  Yesterday sometime between 2pm and 3pm the person Joe describes potentially scouting the neighborhood came by our house too (Fauntleroy area). He rang the doorbell and knocked several times. I didn’t answer it, but could see him through the window by the front door. He disappeared rather quickly which made me think that he may have gone into our backyard, but then saw him several minutes later walking across the street and proceed to knock on my neighbors door across the street. I watched him knock and then step WAY back from the front door in a strange manner. Today when I saw my neighbor I asked if they were home when he came by and they were, but didn’t answer either, but mentioned they could clearly see each other through the window. Looked like he may have had something around his neck with a red tag on it (perhaps trying to look official?)

• IsleWrite March 13, 2008 (10:13 pm)

  Got a similar visitor in Admiral on Monday. 2600 block of 37th. I have a no solicitors sign right next to the door and he knocked anyway. I waved through an interior window and said I wasn’t interested. I think this was the middle of the afternoon.

• The House March 13, 2008 (10:33 pm)

  I find answering the door with a butcher knife in hand keeps the conversation short. The JWs really enjoy it.

• WSB March 14, 2008 (12:27 am)

  We also got this comment in e-mail:
  >Just after 8pm last night we heard knocking at our front door – then more knocking. After going to the door, I saw a cleancut young black man (tie, business attire) with a clip board getting ready to go into a sales pitch. I told him it was quite late to be selling – he said he was working overtime. He did not have a badge around his neck like I’ve seen on other solicitors. I told him no interest and he moved on. May be nothing, but seemed pretty odd for being so late. This was 4800 block of 40th Ave SW, Wed March 12.<

• JanS March 14, 2008 (12:32 am)

  The House..I love it…that’s perfect…hahaha..

• bj March 14, 2008 (8:11 am)

  Or answer the door with your cell phone in hand and snap a picture. That might give them pause.

• carraig na splinkeen March 14, 2008 (8:38 am)

  A long-time friend’s dad, a former Marine and firefighter–a huge beer-drinking guy, used to answer the door to all such visitors buck nekkid.
  But being of the other gender, I kind of like the butcher knife idea…esp. since the magazine “salesman” came to our door the other evening in Alki area.

• vlitz March 14, 2008 (8:49 am)

  I had the same thing happen on Wednesday night around 5:15. I do believe it was someone wearing a Red jacket and they were trying to sell magazines. Didn’t ask for License but will in the future if I even open the door. Admiral district by the West Seattle High School.

• runforthehills March 14, 2008 (9:33 am)

  I just love these emails from “the inbox.” For the second day, “burglary alerts” have come with entirely speculative commentary. First, Nancy stated in yesterdays report that “The burglar is still at large and seems to be canvassing our neighborhood.” Nancy, did you see him “canvassing” the neighborhood? Then today, we get this gem from “Joe”: “Possibly connected: Yesterday, we were canvassed by a young “magazine sales” guy who may have been a friend of the would-be robber who showed up today.” I would really love for “Joe” to explain how one might draw the conclusion that “they are scouting the neighborhood.” Or alternatively, the WSB could edit the emails for newsworthy information (there is an editorial policy, right?)and inquire about possible magazine drives, or organized groups using a magazine drive as a possible ruse. It would certainly be ashame if someone selling magazines was stabbed by a paranoid, WSB reading, butcher-knife wielding home owner.

• JM March 14, 2008 (10:45 am)

  Months ago we got someone at our door (near 39th & Hanford) at about 9:00 at night doing the magazine bit. We thought it odd, not just for the timing, but the fact he had nothing to write any “orders” on. The guy must have been in his early-20s at the oldest. I’m a big, bald, goateed guy who looks intimidating even when I try not to be, so the “magazine seller” didn’t stick around long.

  It’s interesting that other people have posted similar experiences on here… I haven’t given it much thought until now.

• JJ March 14, 2008 (11:29 am)

  “runforthehills”…it’s not too hard to speculate that someone might be canvassing a neighborhood when you see that person walking around and checking out neighbors side yards and back yards. Just two weeks ago for 3 days our neighbors spotted a man with a lapel around his neck walking around. Nothing too suspicous right? Except for the fact that he was spotted for 3 days on our block mulling around back yards. I saw a report from someone on my block who was in fact robbed that very same day that man had been seen walking around into people’s yards. Why is it so hard to believe that a group of people could be working together? In fact, the police were called and confronted the man and told the woman who called them that he is a known burglar and “runs with” a group from Renton. I think it’s more than ok to speculate and to be diligent. Nobody thinks they’re going to be burglarized so just watching out for yourself and neighbors isn’t a crime. And for all of the other WS people that are concerned, the police told us to call 911 anytime you see someone that looks suspicious.

• Gina March 14, 2008 (1:51 pm)

  Calling 911 when you see someone suspicious is fine. But I must tell you that a few months ago I called 911 to report just such a person and was greeted with a great deal of skepticism by the operator.
  She behaved as though I was being silly for calling about a man who was lurking-yes lurking- in some bushes near my home. She sarcastically indicated that it is “not against the law to be on the street” and said she would notify a patrol car if one happened to be in the area. I do not call 911 often and that experience made me somewhat reluctant to call again unless I see an actual crime taking place.
  I wonder if anyone else has experienced this with 911.

• JE March 14, 2008 (2:40 pm)

  Wow, Gina–that’s disturbing. My experience calling 911 on one of these guys (same schtick, same description) last fall was quite the opposite. I expressed hesitation because I hadn’t actually seen this person doing anything wrong, just that the story didn’t quite seem to “add up”. The operator assured me the police did indeed want these calls. About half-an-hour later a police car showed up slowly going around the block. The officer checked in with me and my neighbor, verifying details. How peculiar that we had such opposite responses!

• runforthehills March 14, 2008 (2:51 pm)

  JJ,

  Clearly, it is easy to speculate, altogether too easy. I would speculate, with more evidence at hand to support my position than any offered by the tips reported by the WSB, that “Nancy’s” email making the unsupported claim that “The burglar…seems to be canvassing our neighborhood” has a direct connection with “Joe’s” email reporting a burglary, and his subsequent detour into tying the crime to a seemingly odd encounter with a young man selling magazines in which he suggests: “Possibly connected: Yesterday, we were canvassed by a young “magazine sales” guy who may have been a friend of the would-be robber who showed up today.” You see…”Joe” was “canvassed” by a “young…guy who may have been a friend of the would-be robber,” yet failed to call the police. It’s nonsense. Unfortunately, JJ, it would seem to appear that you failed to fully read my comment, as you stray far afield by concluding that I am not a concerned citizen, or that I advocate turning a blind eye on one’s neighborhood and neighbors.

• EAO March 14, 2008 (4:19 pm)

  I too have had mixed responses when calling the Seattle Police via 911 or the non-emergency number. I was at Lincoln Park one afternoon during the summer with my child and dog and there were two young men harassing us and other people in the park while drinking from right from the liquor bottle. After talking to a few of those other people, we decided to call the police — first called the non-emergency number but was told to call back and dial 911. I did and was told someone would be by soon. About 6 hours later I received a call back from the police (a little late!), but recently when we’d had some fraudulent activity on an account of ours and needed a Seattle PD case # for the bank, they sent an officer out to our house very quickly. Is it an issue of priorities? I’d hope to think not, but makes you sometimes wonder.

• stinky pants March 14, 2008 (11:05 pm)

  Usually, if it is dark out and some solicitor comes knocking at our castle door, I just answer the door with a whole fryer chicken in my hand- fozen or thawed, it makes no difference. That way I can toss it at the person and distract them if they have cookies, mints, or other treat I may want to grab … but the butcher knife and naked tactic seem like viable alternatives if they are selling magazines or other junk I don’t want – or if they are potential theif /bad guys. Otherwise, I just run for the hills.

• bad911operaters! March 14, 2008 (11:25 pm)

  ive had bad experiances with 911 as well. A few months back we were having some issues with a family member who had hit rock bottem and was drugged out, anyways long story short im home alone with my child and the guy comes to bang on the door aat 2am, freaked out i call 911 and get this real nasty lady on the phone giving me rude comments and big sighs when im crying my eyes out scared out of my mind, she tried to tell me that i had to look out the window so i know that it is him (the family member) and not someone else,(what kind of advice is that?? like…oops sorry lady its not “Bob” its some other guy with a machette??)luckily i saw police cars outside of my house at that moment so at least the call had gone through!! i think i ended up saying something nasty to her and slamming my phone down! on the + side the officers were very sweet!!

• WSB March 15, 2008 (9:53 am)

  The 911 operators, as I’m sure you all know, are not based at the local precincts, but at a central location for the city. However, the last time some complaints surfaced here about tepid 911-dispatcher response, the folks at the precinct here were concerned enough to escalate them — because they have worked so hard at this level to let us all know that they want to hear from us when something is suspicious or dangerous, they want to make sure everyone along the chain is responsive.

• snowlion March 16, 2008 (6:04 pm)

  My husband is stuck in the Dallas airport and just called to say his flight would be delayed, but when I told him that WE just had a knocking visitor, he told me that I should post something to this thread. A young black man in a black windbreaker and black knit hat just knocked on our door, three times VERY loudly. We are in the Dawson/Fauntleroy area. I do not answer my front door if I don’t expect people here, so I watched him very closely through the blinds. He had something that looked like a magazine or paper in his hand. When I did not respond, he walked down our walkway out onto the sidewalk, walked up Dawson to where I could see him out the side window, and stopped to light a cigarette. I went to the back window to see if he was going door-to-door, since that seemed very odd to me, and he had disappeared. I came out of the house and looked down Dawson and then Fauntleroy, and nothing. When I went back inside, I checked the Dawson side of our house again, and he was walking back towards Fauntleroy. He kept walking north, and did not stop by any other houses. I do not know this man, but it does not appear that he was going door-to-door. I am concerned that our house was being cased as well. I jumped in my car to see if I could find him, and he had disappeared.

• snowlion March 17, 2008 (6:56 am)

  I would also like to add for the record that my faith in 911 is not high, after having to report a hit and run accident outside our home last weekend, and being treated like we were idiots by the operator. She acted like there was something wrong with us because we weren’t calling from a cell phone and couldn’t talk to the victim across the street at the same time we were talking to her. While I realize that would be vastly helpful to the operator, our cell reception in this area is atrocious and would not have succeeded like a land line call. Trying to explain this to her proved fruitless, and she ended the call with a snippy “we’ll send a patrol when we have one” and then *click* Stellar help for the taxpayers. Good job. :p

Sorry, comment time is over.