West Seattle Crime Watch: Textbooks taken in car break-in

| Crime | West Seattle news

From an Alki resident who didn’t want to be identified: Her son lost school-related items, including college textbooks, in a daylight car break-in on Saturday:

We live on the corner of 60th AV SW and SW Stevens. My son’s car was parked on Stevens right by our driveway. it was 8:00 am and i had been in the kitchen finishing up breakfast, my son’s car in plain sight while standing at the kitchen sink. i left the room and within seconds, someone walked up, smashed the driver’s window of my son’s car (alarm went off immediately) and stole his backpack (which included his laptop, college textbooks and personal items) and then quickly disappeared in very cold, blustery weather. He is in his final semester at the UW and this really sets him back. A police report was filed. The insurance company was called. The window has been repaired. But the frustration and uneasiness of being the target of crime is lingering.

The resident says another son later reported overhearing someone in the area talking about “let’s go hit some cars,” and planned to add to the police report.

Meantime, another reminder – West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets tomorrow night, 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster).

Trileigh January 16, 2012 (10:47 am)

For the mom – I’m so sorry this happened to you and your son. Would you care to share which textbooks were stolen? Perhaps some of us might have copies we could give your son. (Maybe a long shot, but possibly worth it?)

brizone January 16, 2012 (12:45 pm)

“his backpack (which included his laptop…”

Uhm, seriously, he left that in the car in plain sight?

There are people who read the blog that still do that in 2012?

sam-c January 16, 2012 (1:14 pm)

?
there are people that read the blog who blame the victim?

chase January 16, 2012 (2:40 pm)

We live on Alki Ave on the water side of the street half way to lighthouse. There were two different cars on Saturday night that got windows smashed in white car lost pair of mens boots. The other grey truck lost pair of Skis. Both car and truck it was there back windows. We did not notice till Sunday a.m. Sounds like there made it over here later in the evening that day for some smash and grab here also.

I. Ponder January 17, 2012 (9:08 am)

Teens try to leave their backpacks in my car all the time. When I ask them to take them they typically reply “but there’s nothing valuable in it”. To which I reply “yes, and then I get to deal with having my broken window fixed”. Sometimes they ask “but who will break in?”, to which i reply “a thief, a meth-head”.

The story is always the same. Car was out of sight for only a minute.

As seemingly uncaring, unsympathetic, and un-PC as this will seem, it was a bad assumption that he could safely leave his valuables in the car. Some people are not nice. Tough lesson learned.

Terri Saxlund January 17, 2012 (9:25 am)

If it’s a mac laptop it can possiblly be located. they have a form of GPS that can find the laptop when it is turned on. hopefully this was registered when comouter was purchased. this also works on Iphones. we live on 58th & Stevens & woke up to someone driving their car on the Alki ballfield.hope your son is able to get the books needed.

Westwood resident January 17, 2012 (10:44 am)

I would try searching for the textbooks being sold on craigslist, Amazon.com, and other reseller sites. If you find the books listed together or under a single reseller account, turn the info over to the detective assigned to the case. I would also contact area university and college bookstores and their police/security with a list of the stolen books, so they can notify you if someone comes in trying to sell them. Distribute a list/poster of the books with your contact info. to local textbook buyers, so it can be taped up next to where buyers sit.

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