From our review of the past week’s reports at the Southwest Precinct:

A 41-year-old Highland Park woman got a warning from police after leaving her two-year-old daughter alone in the family car while she shopped at Westwood Village Target. Police were called after passersby saw the little girl alone in a Nissan Frontier, strapped into a rear-facing booster seat, car doors locked, all windows rolled up except for one cracked open half an inch. While one officer went in to ask the store to put out a page, another stayed at the car to figure out how to get the child out. The mother answered the page and told police, according to the report, “She was asleep and I didn’t want to wake her up”; meantime, another officer set off the vehicle alarm and noted that the child got out of her seat, crawled across the cab, played with the gear shift, and opened a door for the officer. After police explained to the mother “in great detail how much danger she put her child in by leaving her unattended in a vehicle … (and) explained the exceptionally high levels of auto theft that occur in the area,” they let her go with a warning, but said the report would be forwarded to CPS. In fact, five auto-theft cases were among the other West Seattle reports we reviewed, as was a 7-11 robbery, and more – read on:

7-11 ROBBED: Around 10:30 last Friday night, the 7-11 in the 9000 block of Delridge was held up. Two clerks were on duty; they say the robber came into the store, took a beer from the cooler, walked up to the counter, gave a clerk $10 as if to pay for it but pulled a black semi-automatic handgun as soon as the clerk took the money. The robber demanded money and was given about $50 from the till, then ran out the door with the money and the beer, last seen running southbound on Delridge. The armed robber is described as black, in his 30s or 40s, medium brown complexion, medium build, goatee, black facial hair, brown eyes, thin face, righthanded, wearing a fullbrim tan men’s hat, a hooded gray sweatshirt, black denim pants, and black athletic shoes.Police are reviewing surveillance video.

DOOR KNOCK, THEN BREAK-IN: Last Friday morning around 9 am in the 7700 block of Delridge, a resident told police someone was pounding loudly on the front door – shortly after that came the sound of glass breaking. The back door had been kicked in. After the resident ran downstairs, the burglar fled, without taking anything. Police found a man nearby whose jeans were “wet on the bottom,” which matched conditions in the area of the break-in, but the victim hadn’t seen the burglar and couldn’t provide any description, so the man was let go.

SIDEWALK RAGE: Late Friday night in the 9000 block of 20th SW, a man trying to park his car in front of his residence says he nearly hit three people walking on the sidewalk; an argument ensued, and one man pulled a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at the resident, who was still in his car, but told his family to get out and go inside. The men then walked away; the victim followed them till he saw them enter a Chevy Caprice in the alley behind the address. The man with the gun was described as white, 5 9, 160 pounds, late teens, baby blue shirt and dark jeans.

STOLEN ON MERCER ISLAND, RECOVERED IN WEST SEATTLE: A 15-year-old and 16-year-old were arrested after they were spotted getting out of a 2009 Toyota Camry in the Delridge Library – a Camry that happened to have been stolen on Mercer Island. Police found them hiding along the banks of Longfellow Creek in the 2600 block of SW Brandon. The two were booked into juvenile custody for investigation of auto theft.

EARLY MORNING CAR THEFT: Around 2 am last Wednesday, a 2002 Ford EXP was stolen from the 6700 block of 40th SW.

NOONTIME CAR THEFT: Sometime between 12:16 and 1:06 pm last Tuesday, a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica was stolen from 37th/Morgan.

ANOTHER BROAD DAYLIGHT CAR THEFT: Between 9 am and 2:20 pm last Tuesday in the 8100 block of 29th SW, someone stole a black 1999 Honda Civic/CRX.

CAR STOLEN OUTSIDE DENNY MIDDLE SCHOOL: Between 7:15 am and 3 pm last Thursday, a 1986 Toyota Camry was stolen outside the school on 30th SW.

COFFEE BUYER, BEWARE: A West Seattle woman went into the Starbucks at California/Fauntleroy around 6:30 last Tuesday morning; when she came out with her coffee, her rear driver’s side window had been smashed and her laptop stolen from the backseat.

BEACH DRIVE CAR BREAK-IN: Late Friday night or early Saturday morning in the 3800 block of Beach Drive SW, someone broke into a 2000 Chevrolet C/K and stole its radio.

CAR PROWLERS ON GENESEE HILL: Early last Wednesday morning in the 4100 block of 51st SW, a neighbor heard a “loud muffler idling in the street,” according to the police report, and looked out to see two white males, one in a white sweatshirt, who got into their dark colored older Mazda and took off. Another resident who said his car doors had been unlocked found the glove box open with contents on the seat. CDs appeared to be the only items missing.

GRAFFITI VANDALS SEEN IN THE ACT: Late Saturday night in the 2600 block of 45th SW, a woman pulling into the alley east of her home saw two males in the alley apparently spray painting something on a nearby garage. They looked at her car, stopped, dropped their spray cans and ran. One is described as a white male in his teens, gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, goatee, long hair under the hoodie. The second was a white male, blue jeans, and one was carrying a “crate” of spray cans.

UNREGISTERED SEX OFFENDER TURNS UP IN WEST SEATTLE: Just before 10:30 last Wednesday night, a 27-year-old man was stopped in the 5400 block of 26th SW. A subsequent check tunred up the fact he was a registered sex offender listed as “homeless Federal Way.” His driver’s license, however, showed an address in the 5400 block of 31st SW, which he hadn’t registered with authorities as required. He said it was for something that happened when he was 14 and he didn’t think it still mattered.

BEER THEFT SUSPECT’S EXCUSE: Police arrested a man suspected of stealing a box of Corona beer from West Seattle Thriftway around 3:30 last Wednesday afternoon. Employees stopped him from leaving; when police arrived, he told them he needed alcohol to ease his symptoms of withdrawing from “speed.” He also said he was homeless. Police found three outstanding warrants for his arrest, including one for domestic-violence assault.

HIT-AND-RUN DAMAGE: Saturday night at Harbor Ave/Harbor Lane, two people who had parked their car to go running were heading back when they saw a black Honda Prelude, heading southbound on Harbor, lose its hood, which hit the roof of their vehicle. The car kept going without stopping.

CHASE AND GETAWAY: Early Sunday morning, police noticed a car driving erratically southbound on California through The Junction. They tried to stop the driver at 44th and Findlay, but he accelerated and tried to get away, running a red light, turning through The Junction and heading finally toward Fauntleroy and onto the West Seattle Bridge. Police followed him and eventually found his car at a gas station at 1st Ave S and Kenyon. They didn’t find the driver but do know who they are looking for, a 26-year-old with a West Seattle address.

CAR PROWLERS SCARED OFF: Early Wednesday in the 6000 block of 17th SW, someone called police after hearing a loud noise outside and then seeing two males standing near an orange pickup truck with a broken window. The suspects ran away, southbound on 18th SW, and are described only as black and about 18 years old.

GANG MEMBER/DRUG SUSPECT ARRESTED IN HIGHLAND PARK: In the 8400 block of 12th SW late last Thursday night, police arrested a 15-year-old North Seattle girl who is described in the police repot as an admitted gang member. They saw her making contact with several people in what the report says is an area known for high gang activity and high street narcotics use/sale. She turned out to have a warrant out for her arrest on a parole violation.

CONSTRUCTION TRAILER STOLEN: Early last Friday morning in the 4000 block of 16th SW, a 5×8 utility trailer with tilt gate was stolen.

Concerned about crime? Interested in prevention? The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets tomorrow night – 7 pm Tuesday 4/21 – at the SW Precinct (Delridge/Webster).