West Seattle Crime Watch: Car prowler to watch out for

| Crime | West Seattle news

Just out of the WSB inbox, from a tipster who didn’t want their name used:

I spotted a car prowler about 9:45 pm tonight on 45th Ave SW near Alaska. He was trying to open every car via the car door handle. Male wearing a white/beige ball cap. Wearing black hoodie or sweater. I immediately called the police and they sent someone out to look for the suspect. Just wanted to let you know so people can be sure to lock their cars, especially on streets that have no street lights.

Also important … as police advise over and over again: Don’t leave anything in your car that might even remotely tempt a thief, not even something that hints there might be items of value (example: if you have GPS, don’t just bring it in for the night, take down the suction cups too).

WS Mom November 26, 2011 (11:18 pm)

We have had repeated car prowl incidents always via an unlocked car door, in our neighborhood (north admiral). At least 6 of my neighbors have had their cars gone through over the past few months; some several times. Fortunately, this person was not destructive, nothing missing but change. Take your garage door openers out of your cars. Mine was not missing but thankful it was overlooked.

Neighborly November 27, 2011 (6:31 am)

We saw that a small truck on Edmonds, across from True Value had it’s passenger door window smashed, door ajar, and a laptop bag sitting on the seat at 10 pm.

Dave November 27, 2011 (11:33 am)

We had someone go through our truck, in our driveway, on Monday night in the Highpoint neighborhood. Nothing taken, but they left the door wide open in the pouring rain. What a pain!

Junction mom November 27, 2011 (11:54 am)

I echo what WS Mom said. We live behind Rite-Aid on California (south Alaska Junction) and have at least twice had our car rummaged through, the only times I’ve left the car unlocked. Someone is definitely doing this very regularly and systematically.

adrienne November 27, 2011 (6:32 pm)

on oct 29 we had the same thing happen to our car near 50th and andover. The person took a backpack with clothes in it from the trunk of our car. Luckily we found most of the stuff on the sidewalk down the road…along with a bunch of drug baggies. Yuck!

bigjer November 27, 2011 (9:54 pm)

Ditto on the car prowler Monday night in High Point – they jimmied the lock of my 2 year old Xterra in the driveway and made off with a battery operated tire gauge and some killer sunglasses I stupidly left in the closed console (totally out of sight) that afternoon to make room in my purse for something I was carrying for my daughter – ironically this is the one and only time I have ever left anything of value in my car – ARGH! Just happy they didn’t break the window or leave the door open as in Dave’s case – sad that people make choices such as these – guess they needed those rockin’ sunglasses more than me…

kathy November 27, 2011 (10:58 pm)

HIDE IN YOUR CAR SOME NITE … when they snoop around ; jump at them ?… ….just saying.

Curiouser November 28, 2011 (9:35 am)

Last year our car was hit while sitting in the driveway. (We live in Fauntlee Hills above the ferry.) This was the one time my husband recalls that he may have left the doors unlocked AND also the streetlight in front of our house was out. The glove box was gone thru and some loose change taken, but the thing that really gets me is that they stole a somewhat expensive yard lighting fixture next to the driveway – looked like copper, but wasn’t. They also turned off the dome light that comes on when you open the door.

If you have a street light out, you can easily submit it to the city (http://www.seattle.gov/light/streetlight/form.asp) and they fix it fairly quickly. Just curious if any of the recent car burgles were in low light conditions.

bigjer November 28, 2011 (8:39 pm)

Hi Curiouser:
My burglary was in low light, the porch light was not on and the driveway does not have a separate light. The nearest street lamp is too far illuminate the driveway. I strongly feel that had I remembered to turn the porch light on the outcome would have been much different. Meanwhile, thanks for mentioning the dome light, I haven’t checked but will.

Fundamentally, I’m lucky to have lost so little on a comparative basis. That said, it still makes me profoundly sad that there are those out there having the moral dialogue in their head and deciding it’s ok to rip others off in order to get what they feel they need – sucks for everyone…

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