West Seattle Crime Watch: “All for a hubcap?”

So asked Beth, leading into this report via e-mail:

In High Point tonight while sitting in the yard and enjoying the company of a neighbor, a woman we didn’t know/recognize pulled up to the curb. I said hello to her. At the same time, our neighbors husband pulled up to the curb. In front of all of us, the woman we didn’t know proceeded to take a hubcap off a vehicle owned by the neighbors we were talking with! The woman threw it in her trunk, refused to talk with any of us (who were by now asking her why she was stealing hubcaps!). The worst part? She did this with her kids in the car.

The Caucasian woman was about 5’3″, weighed about 175lbs, wore medical scrubs, and drove a bright blue Toyota Corolla with a dent in the front passenger door that was missing (wait for it!) a hubcap.

We know we’ve mentioned this multiple times already today – but once again, whatever West Seattle neighborhood you’re in, the WS Crime Prevention Council is the place to come share your concerns, ask police questions, and hear about crime trends, 7 pm tomorrow, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster – the entrance to the building is off the parking lot on Webster west of Delridge). ADDED 11 AM TUESDAY: David just e-mailed this “sequel” (we are not publishing the entire plate because our policy is not to publish full identifying information — plates included — on people not charged with a crime, unless there is an immediate risk to public safety or law enforcers ask for assistance):

A car with this description parked in front of our neighbor’s house (32nd & Trenton) last night, around 8:40-8:45pm, and soon the driver was hammering something on their car (looked like a hubcap) then roared off down Trenton St eastbound. I got the license #: WA plate, 454-**D, a bright blue late model four-door Toyota Corolla. Didn’t see any dents on passenger side but it was traveling fast when it passed me.

This is not a 100% ID. I didn’t see the race/gender of driver; didn’t see the dent, or see any passengers in the car.

13 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: "All for a hubcap?""

  • nuni June 15, 2009 (10:30 pm)

    that’s ghetto. I would have gotten in my car and followed that *#!$$# until I got my hubcap back. Did you by chance get the license plate number down?

  • Mike June 15, 2009 (10:36 pm)

    When you find her car, be sure to take an extra 3 hubcaps as spares in case she comes back.

  • KateMcA June 15, 2009 (10:36 pm)

    Ok, that’s it, people are officially insane. Hope you got the plate and called the cops…

  • cjboffoli June 15, 2009 (10:42 pm)

    No one ever seems to get the license plate number of the car. I guess no one thought this woman was going to do what she did. But still.

  • MrPatty June 15, 2009 (11:19 pm)

    Wow. I live in White Center, so I’ve seen some things. But that sounds disturbing. It’s scary when people stop acting like people.

  • rico June 16, 2009 (6:20 am)

    I sure hope there is more to the story, or did all these neighbors really passively just sit and watch? Of course maybe everyone was elderly, or handicap, or maybe just chickensh*&.

    Come on people stop the woman, chase her down, yell, pummel her, throw rocks at the car, something. Sure it is only a hubcap, but there needs to be some pushback, need some street justice. The passive attitude of this town is well known to these folks and they have no fear of anything.

  • Babs June 16, 2009 (6:32 am)

    Please explain why you sat in the yard and did not walk toward her – cell phone in hand, calling the police and getting the license plate number? Maybe you did but this story did not cite that. Darwins law?

  • Meghan June 16, 2009 (9:32 am)

    Wow, this is really unbelievable. Just think of the lessons those children in the car are learning. But let’s stop blaming the victim here. They were probably so shocked, the woman was probably driving off before they realize what had happened. But boy, it certainly is a sad commentary on what’s happening in our society. The Fall of Rome…

  • M June 16, 2009 (12:01 pm)

    When I lived on ALki I used to see some weird stuff, but this takes the cake. I used to call 911 they always said they were too busy so I just gave up trying.
    But I can’t see beating up a person for taking a lousy hubcap.

  • coffeeisgood June 16, 2009 (1:22 pm)

    ok, this is bad. And we wonder why the 12 year old beat the kid over the head. When your children are watching acts like this its no wonder that they act they way they do. Completely disgusted with parents these days, not all parents mind you.

  • Jenava June 16, 2009 (1:45 pm)

    Obviously, this woman really needed a hubcap!

  • Worms Roxanne, I'm afraid of worms. June 16, 2009 (1:56 pm)

    This is not the act of a rational individual. I am leaning toward mental illness, or just batsh#t crazy!

    I honestly don’t think i would have done anything other than sit there is mouth agape. Crazy people are scary.

  • beth June 16, 2009 (5:02 pm)

    We definitely had the license number and were on the phone with the cops before she even pulled away. I know they came by later in the evening to take a statement. CRAZY CHICK!

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