By Megan Sheppard
On the WSBeat, for West Seattle Blog

As always, the WSBeat summaries are from reports on cases handled recently by Southwest Precinct officers, incidents of note that (usually) have not already appeared here in breaking-news coverage or West Seattle Crime Watch reports, but that might at least answer the question “what WERE all those police doing on my block (whenever)?”:

*A recent Monday, around 8 p.m., a citizen yelled at some suspicious teens who were lurking in bushes near 30th and Roxbury. The three boys began cursing at her, but only one remained after she revealed that cops were on the way. He squared off against the 62-year-old and took a swing, landing a glancing blow on her chest. In return, she — quoting the police report — “jabbed him in the chest with a left, on the nose with a right, and then kneed him in the groin.” After running away, the underage, drunk, and combative trio tried to hide in some blackberry bushes. Stumbling and tripping, they were transported to the Southwest Precinct, where one vomited in the holding cell. Released to their parents, they face investigation of obstruction and minor-in-possession of alcohol. The third will also face questions about his failure at fisticuffs and might be charged with assault.

*Feeling that his tile saw was heavy enough to stymie any would-be thieves, a citizen left it in the bed of his pickup truck, which was parked in his driveway in the 3400 block of 41st SW. Overnight on the 30th, someone managed to lug it away without being detected.

Eight more summaries ahead:

*On Saturday the 26th, around 7 p.m., a woman was rollerblading in the 2500 block of Alki SW when she was struck from behind by a teen on a long skateboard. She fell down and broke her wrist. He later returned to the scene, and when confronted by witnesses he laughed and said, “I didn’t see her” before skating off on his merry way.

*An awake citizen witnessed a car prowl in the early hours of the 31st, in the 4200 block of Beach Drive SW. She called 911 with a suspect description. About ten minutes later, an officer found a perfect match in the 5400 block of Jacobsen Rd. He was carrying a Garmin GPS and charger, a camera, iPod, and typical burglary tools. He claimed to be walking home from a friend’s house. The officer asked, “Don’t you have a car?” When the suspect said, “No,” the officer countered with, “Well then, why are you carrying a vehicle GPS system?” The suspect — a Westwood-area resident — was identified by his Department of Corrections ID (having been previously convicted for burglary). He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of theft and car prowl.

*A North Seattle man who is well known in the Alaska Junction for public disturbances (and who is also known to abuse drugs and carry weapons) was arrested early Thursday after confronting a woman and threatening to kill her. She already has a protection order against him. He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of violation of a court order and harassment.

*Officers tried — to no avail — to coax a Vashon resident from her car, which was blocking traffic at the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal. After delaying the ferry departure for 15 minutes, she was forced from the vehicle, resisting the whole time. Medics cleared the woman for health problems. Officers could tell she had been drinking, yet she did not appear intoxicated. They had planned to simply identify and release her and request charges later, but she refused to cooperate, slipping out of the handcuffs and fighting. She was booked into King County Jail and faces investigation of DUI, obstruction, and trespassing.

*In a Junction parking lot early Sunday, a man got of out his car to talk with a driver of a Cadillac in the next stall to the right. (That driver had hit the victim’s car with his door.) Before they could speak, a man got out of the car to the left, came up behind the victim, and hit him in the head with his elbow. The victim fell forward and hit his head on the Cadillac’s bumper before falling to the ground. Both the Cadillac and the assailant’s car fled the area. The aggressor was riding in a red passenger car driven by a woman. He was described as black, male, around 5’10”, 240 pounds, muscular, with short black hair.

*The Nickelsville camp was paid a visit by a man who had been permanently barred from the community after repeated violations. The man guarding the rear entrance told the suspect he was not allowed on the property and was not welcome. Before letting him close the gate, the suspect punched the guard three times in the face with a closed fist and kicked him in the groin. He then drove off.

*An alert citizen called 911 to ask for a check on his elderly neighbor: She had recently had problems with her balance, and he had heard the water running in her apartment for at least an hour. Officers and medics arrived, and when the woman failed to answer the door, they forced their way inside. They found that she had fallen in the bathtub and was deceased. There were no signs of criminal activity.

*A 22-year-old suffered a violent mental health episode in her grandmother’s Arbor Heights home on Monday, throwing furniture, punching holes in walls and screaming constantly. (In fact, it was a delivery person who called 911 after hearing the disturbance from outside the home.) Officers recognized that the woman was a danger to herself and others and called an ambulance to transport to Harborview for a mental exam. She refused to go, balled her hands into fists and screamed for another 20 minutes straight. Officers had to pick her up and carry her to the gurney as she repeatedly threatened to assault everyone involved.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Remember, the CRISIS LINE is a resource for those in crisis, including thoughts or acts of self-harm: 206.461.3222 … WSBeat roundups are archived here. We also continue to publish crime reports the rest of the week, when we get tips or hear noteworthy incidents via the scanner, so don’t be shy about letting us know when you see/hear something happening = calling or texting 206-293-6302 is the best way.