West Seattle Crime Watch: Drive-by BBs; luggage theft; more

| Crime | West Seattle news

~~Two~~ Three West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports to share (with a suspicion-evoking sighting added 12:18 pm) – read on:

First:

We live on the 3200 block of 49th Ave SW [map] – (Friday) night at approximately 11:00PM a car drove past our house while shooting (what appears to have been an automatic airsoft BB gun) at our front window. They kept driving and we were unable to identify the car. The police were called and will be patrolling the area. Thought we should let others know to be on the look out!

Nothing was broken, the resident explained, so we asked how they knew it was a BB drive-by:

We were just finishing a movie when we heard multiple hits hitting our window. It sounded like a woodpecker rattling the window. We saw a car drive off, but we could not get make or model of the car.

We went outside to look and see if there was damage to the house and the BB’s scuffed the window. We did find one plastic BB (Friday) night with a flashlight and more (Saturday) morning. Nothing was broken. They came from an “Airsoft” gun which comes in fully automatic and look and feel like real weapons, the only way you can tell the difference is that they have an orange tip on the barrel. Very scary!

Second, just in this morning, from David in the Junction area, who says this happened late Saturday morning:

Two pieces of full luggage were stolen … Inside was a white Kindle, a silver laptop that’s password-protected and unusable, and lots of clothes and convention toys. One piece was a gray REI backpack, and the other was a Totes brand black roller-type carry-on piece with a big red stripe down the middle.

ADDED 12:19 PM SUNDAY: From GX:

About 9:30 am while all you good folk were at church: White Dodge pick-up truck w/ canopy – LP tag [starting with # A193] Low profile truck, like a mini ford ranger, not the large dodge dakota looking model. Possibly early 90’s, decent paint job.

Driver caucasian/possibly hispanic w/ a short t-shirt exposing a rahter large beer belly, scruffy, at least mid 40’s to 50ish. Passenger white male, 6ft, around early 40’s, baseball cap, thin build, jeans, open flanel shirt.

These two trolls were up to no good. They drove by slowly the first time, two minutes later, came back around and stopped in the alley. Driver/Lookout exited and stood by the truck with the door open. Passenger walked accross the street toward an empty neighbor’s house. Headed for his enclosed deck, eyed the bbq, gardening tools, etc, then he saw a passerby and headed suspiciously toward the boat instead, possibly looking at the motor, nothing else there to take. (Other neighbor had boat motor stolen recently).

After keeping an eye on these perps for about a minute, I decided no one else was noticing so I headed out the back gate and made it obvious to the dirty duo that I was jotting down his plate.
Driver spooked and motioned to the methfaced acomplice it was time to go. Driver jumped back into the truck, the other guy RAN back across the street toward the vehicle and they sped off down the alley.

For Highland Park area, please be on the lookout while your neighbors are at Seafair!

JB August 7, 2011 (1:25 pm)

GX, did I overlook the part of your report where you called 911 to notify the police of the trespassing, so they could get there and make sure the plates match the vehicle? You did call 911, right?

Nick August 7, 2011 (1:45 pm)

Good job handling those two scumbags

Max August 7, 2011 (3:05 pm)

Please DO call 911 and report it as a “non-emergency”, especially if you have a license plate number. Officers have told us at the WSPC meetings that if we call and file legitimate concerns, even “casing” calls, that it will justify for them more police patrols for our neighborhoods. They WANT us to call and report, it helps them. And thank you for taking action!

Alexis Johnson August 7, 2011 (3:14 pm)

My friend and I were walking directly by this house at the exact same time, it was around 10 or 11 pm ish. As a matter of fact, those people were shooting at us as well and they hit us; they hit the house next to us. We were on the the block that is on Walnut and Hanford, right next to West Seattle High School. I live on the next block over and we were walking to 711 when they drove by and shot at us. From what I remember it was a black car, or at least very dark colored, and it looked like a volvo, and there were two guys in it, they looked like they were in between the ages of around 17 to their early 20’s. One of them was wearing a black or white cap. From far away, it looked like they were hilding a BB pistol but I’m not sure. I never got the lisence plate number though.
I left my email here just in case, contact me at aj_rocks777@yahoo.com for anything else.

sam-c August 7, 2011 (4:21 pm)

where was the luggage stolen from, a car? a house?

Mike August 7, 2011 (5:32 pm)

This past few months I’ve seen elementary to middle school aged kids walking around Schmitz Park / Elementary with airsoft rifles. They dress in camo and walk by in a group. I can’t say if they might be related to the same older people that shot at the window, but it’s possible since it’s in the same local area.
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To the parents of these kids I see walking around carrying airsoft guns dressed in camo, you might want to wrangle them in. We don’t live out in the sticks, we live in a very urban setting, somebody might freak out and do harm to them even though what these kids are doing could be justified as ‘kids play’.
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Guys like me will know what they are carrying, but if they were to point it at me they’ll have a broken airsoft and I’ll gladly drag the kid to their parents house and call the police.

out for a walk August 7, 2011 (10:36 pm)

Yikes!!! This is too much! Where are the parents? This is not “kids play”. This is not acceptable.

Max August 8, 2011 (8:40 am)

A parent can only do so much. I finally had to take the airsoft gun (which he bought with his own money) away from my kid after he painted the tip black and then eventually broke it off, so that it looked like a real 9mm. I think it is a big problem and stems from, in our case, violent video games, movies, increasingly explicit song lyrics continually pumped into his ears, and a no consequence society that we live in. Yes we took all the games and movies out of his world while at home, but that didn’t stop him from getting that culture at school or at freinds houses. So it is a constant battle, and not just as easy as just talking to your kid. You first have to have a kid that will respond to reason, consequence and disipline. I mean, we used counselors and youth groups and grounding and loss of privilege, as well as insentives like vacations and even bought him a car for when he was able to drive. None of it kept him from destructive behavior and identifying with the wrong crowd.
So, don’t be so quick to assume that the parents aren’t doing all they can. Part of the blame needs to reside on the kids. That is the problem. When something goes wrong, we tend to look around for some one else to blame besides the kid and they end up not learning from their mistakes, because there is no consequence to their actions. Some of these kids just have to learn the hard way. Let’s just hope it is not at the cost of their life.

furor scribendi August 8, 2011 (11:39 am)

Max, the problem is precisely the myth that “a parent can only do so much”. Children look to parents for limits – – and finding none will do as they please. Parents who knowingly allow their kids access to any kind of gun, BB or otherwise, and allow them to roam neighborhoods all camo’d up, are as fully responsible for the outcome as the law allows.

Max August 8, 2011 (3:21 pm)

I know what you mean. I screwed up on allowing my kid to have the air soft gun in the first place, and not just taking it back to the store immediately. When I tryed to “not allow” him to leave the house, he just went out the window at night, so I locked it. When he broke the window so much so that it wouldn’t close, I screwed a board across it. (now we are talking fire hazard and some would cry abuse) So, what can you do, chain him to the bed? You can’t report him missing until something like 48 hours out. So yes, the parent is responsible until he turns 18, and that is why we tryed so hard to control/encourage his behavior. Nothing really worked. But alas, he is 18 now, and out of the house, and unable to blame the consequnces of his actions on us.
So, have you had a successful experience with a teen that you loved but was out of control? I hope not.
The thoughts that I have shared are only a fraction of the story. Walk a mile in my shoes. All kids are not the same. I just wanted to say that some parents are doing all they can and know to do, and they do seek professional help, and still they have problems. I don’t know what the answer is with these BB gun kids. Obviously, you do. So what precisely are your recomendations on how to “enforce limits” when you are dealing with a 17 year old 6′ 165 lb of testosterone?

WSB August 8, 2011 (3:38 pm)

Max … as both WSB editor and parent of a teenager, I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to share your story so frankly. – TR

Sjoy August 8, 2011 (9:55 pm)

First I would like to state that I am very sorry as a West Seattlelite and as a normal caring person that GX’s house was shot. This is not acceptable and I hope that you are able to find who did this and that the police can take care of it. We were riding our bikes on Alki a few years ago and my friend was shot in the arm by some kids in a car. Luckily the police caught the kids. As to what happened to them, I have no idea.
Secondly, Max – I am sorry that you have had issues with your son and thank you for pointing out for people not to assume that parents aren’t doing all they can. I know several people who are great parents with kids that seem to have “issues”. Sometimes you can only do what you can do. Parents are people too… Though we wish we could have super powers – we don’t.
I am a parent of one of those “elementary to middle school age kids” that has played in Schmitz Park with his airsoft gun and his friends. Alexis Johnson stated the boys that were shooting at the house (and them) were “ages of around 17 to their early 20’s”. I’m not sure how Mike can come up with the suggestion that the “elementary to middle school age kids” may be “related to the older people that shot at the window, but it’s possible since it’s the same local area”. There are thousands of kids in West Seattle, and the difference between elementary school kids and 17 to early 20’s is vast. I am very frustrated that Mike would make such an unreasonable comparison.
Our son enjoys playing airsoft with his friends, running around camouflaged and playing “army”. Our son is not violent, misguided or irresponsible. He does not have issues that stem from violent video games, movies or music. He is a fully functional, responsible, athlete, martial artist and 4.0 student through his two years so far in middle school. He has manners, because he was taught manners. He is very considerate and wouldn’t hurt a fly or spider as he makes sure to take them out of the house and not kill them. They are playing in the park, where else would you prefer that they play? It is not illegal. When people walk by, the kids immediately stop and call out that there are people. Nobody has ever been shot or shot at, even on accident because they are very careful as they understand the need to be responsible and respectful or else they will not be allowed to play there.
Some of the statements, as a parent of one of these kids who plays airsoft with his friends baffle me.
Furor scribendi : “Parents who knowingly allow their kids access to any kind of gun, BB or otherwise, and allow them to roam neighborhoods all camo’d up, are as fully responsible for the outcome as the law allows”. Really???? What is illegal about playing airsoft in the park? Especially when you are doing it responsibly and respectfully? And no, they are not “roaming the neighborhoods” they are playing in the park. There are no laws that they can’t play airsoft in the park, so I’m not sure what you mean by “the law allows”
Out for a walk: “Yikes!!! This is too much! Where are the parents? This is not “kids Play”. This is not acceptable.” I am right here. I know where my son is at all times and he is doing exactly what he said he would be doing. He is a good kid, thank God! What about this is not “kids play”. Didn’t we all play cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, and all kinds of games like that? Who knows, some of these boys that enjoy this that are responsible and respectful might be fighting in a real war protecting your freedom and rights as an American. These kids look up to our armed forces, that’s part of the reason they like playing airsoft and camo’ing up. As long as they have it in perspective (which mine does), what is really the problem?
Mike: “Wrangle them in” Really??? And Schmitz park is “the sticks”, or as much of the sticks as we’re going to get around here. In fact, the police stopped my son and his friends at Bonair and told them they could not play there. Tthe police, suggested they go to Schmitz Park. Also, for clarification, did they ever point one of the airsoft guns at you? Were they disrespectful? In my son’s case, I can guarantee that there will be no need to “drag the kid to their parent’s house and call the police” because he is doing nothing wrong. My son wouldn’t point his airsoft gun at you, on purpose or on accident. He has been taught how to handle it properly. There is no mistaking that his gun is an airsoft gun as it has an orange tip – a big orange tip.

sun*e August 9, 2011 (9:08 am)

@Sjoy: doth protest too much, methinks.

Sjoy August 9, 2011 (10:21 am)

Sorry it just burns me that people are so quick to judge – especially when it comes to my kid – I guess it’s a momma bear thing. I can totally understand if these kids in the park were being jerks and shooting at people but they are not… they are good kids and are really trying to be respectful of others that use the park – it’s a big park. I wish there was somewhere else that they could go in the area to play.

Sorry, comment time is over.