West Seattle Crime Watch: More hit-run damage; car prowls

| Crime | West Seattle news

Four West Seattle Crime Watch reports so far this weekend, starting with a hit-run that left the above-shown damage on Kami and Martin‘s car:

Someone hit our car early (Saturday) morning and drove off. The sound of the crash woke me, but by the time I looked out the window they were gone. It happened about 2:15 am. Our car is parked in High Point at 29th & Raymond. Their car must be pretty damaged, as we cannot even drive ours. They left some blue paint on our car and mirror and glass on the road. Their car (probably a blue color) would have damage to the driver’s side from the headlight down the side, damaged side mirror and headlight and probably some black paint on it from our car. It is just disturbing that someone leaves the scene like this and costs a family a $1,000 deductible, rental car and towing expense.

Ahead, three notes including two cases of car prowling, both spotted in progress overnight:

Early this morning, this is what Rob saw:

(I) observed two people attempting to enter my truck outside Admiral Safeway on California. Once they saw us running toward it, they got in their full-size, dark-colored extended cab pickup, made a u-turn and headed south. Distinctive feature on their vehicle was a chrome one-sided bed tool box. Easy to see at 1:30 am…

A couple hours earlier, also in Admiral, Nancy saw an apparent car prowler using two-wheeled transportation:

While walking home from the Admiral theater on Saturday evening at about 11:45, we saw a person on a bike looking into cars and checking the doors. He was on 39th Ave SW between Manning and Charlestown. We called the police and they said they would send a cruiser. Not sure if this was helpful since it was dark and we couldn’t provide a good description of the bike rider but thought it was better to call it in than to ignore it and continue walking home.

One last note – we’ll be following up on this one in-depth, but a couple of local P-Patches, including Lincoln Park, are reported to have had repeated vandalism problems lately. If you live near one, keep a close watch; Jim‘s note about the Lincoln Park trouble (that’s the Solstice Park P-Patch) says a tennis player in one of the downslope courts observed some of the “activities” and called police, and he says thanks for that.

P.S. We occasionally hear from people who hadn’t reported car prowls and other “property crimes” to police yet – and we always urge them, please file that report, even belatedly! For something relatively simple, you can do it online: here’s the link. But if you see something happening, even “just” a suspected car prowl – call 911 (like Nancy did).

Skeeter July 29, 2012 (1:04 pm)

I’ll keep my eyes out for the person who damaged Kami and Martin’s car. That’s awful. I live on your block and walk around the neighborhood all the time. It is very likely whoever did it lives within just a few blocks. That is really awful.

juniperberry July 29, 2012 (1:46 pm)

We live on 38th Ave. SW near Dakota and our car was proweled Fri. night — nothing of value in the car — nothing taken that we can see– they left the door ajar and the glove box open. We didn’t file a report but I guess I will now.

Kit Case July 29, 2012 (2:11 pm)

I have learned from years working in Pioneer Square that report numbers are used when the City is allocating police services. Report the incidents, even if it may not lead to arrest or recovery of stolen items. Squeaky wheel, etc…

Jason July 29, 2012 (3:26 pm)

A little late now, but check into a $250 deductible, if you can get it. More than likely, the $$$ difference over 5-10 years would be less than the $750 you’re going to have to pay above that!

ws dad July 29, 2012 (3:48 pm)

Our car was prowled Friday too, had a half rack of Blue Moon beer stolen out of it we are Belvidere and Charlestown. First time in about a year we forgot to lock it.

SAR July 29, 2012 (4:28 pm)

My car was broken into Thursday night. All they took was my sunglasses. On California between Raymond and Juneau.
:-(

Kayla July 29, 2012 (9:16 pm)

This makes me so mad, because a few months ago I was involved in a hit and run on brandon and 25th. Blue car. It spun my car twice with me in it, and i was thrown onto the curb. They took off. Their plate fell off during the accident, which I gave to the police and they took as “evidence”. They told me the car that hit me was a known drug dealers car and that they have many offenses. Long story short, the cops didn’t do a thing, wouldn’t even help my insurance company find who this person was. My car was totaled, and I ended up having to come out of MY own pocket for the deductible. Sadly these things rarely end well. I hope your situation is different. Good luck!

Tk July 30, 2012 (12:39 am)

Better than a DUI lol. Hope they find em!

CD July 30, 2012 (9:45 am)

My brother’s car was broken into on Thursday night (the 26th). They broke the turn signals as they were yanking out the navigation and stereo systems. The neighbor’s car was broken into too. Also, one of them said he saw someone trying to enter their house. He turned on the lights and they ran away. This was on 40th and Brandon St.

Eric July 30, 2012 (6:00 pm)

@ Kayla. That kind of stuff ticks me off to no end. I have had some very dissapointing encounters with cops NOT doing their job. I am waiting for the next police-community meeting, because I want some answers on their lack of being able to do their job. We’re told to work with the police and then when we do, they don’t live up to their end of the bargain.

If you were injured, hit and run is a class C felony. I don’t understand why this would at least not be a good excuse/reason to get this guy/girl off the streets….pathetic.

It’s not like this person is going to go home and reflect on this a vow to be a better person. They are going to see that they got away with it and most likely make the person more brazen since the police doesn’t follow through with doing their job.

Kayla July 31, 2012 (1:50 pm)

The police got an attitude when I asked why they wouldn’t tell me who the vehicle was registered to, and they said, and I’m not joking, “you did us a favor cuz now we can be more on the lookout for this person, they won’t be charged with this hit and run, but hopefully we catch them doing other illegal activity”. So I had to pay the ultima price, because they’re lazy and won’t write a police report, heaven forbid they do their job, that tax payers PAY FOR them to do. It’s pointless the file a report, hate to say it. You’re better off counting your losses. Even with the actual physical plate, and about 10 witnesses to my accident, I still came out of pocket for hundreds of dollars. Ughh frustrating!

Jason July 31, 2012 (3:53 pm)

Kayla,
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While I’m sure we’re missing parts of the story from both sides, I can offer you this:
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1) The police will not ever tell anyone who a car is registered to, because that is a violation of privacy and disclosure laws, and is for your and that person’s safety. If you were to become vengeful, and go to that person’s house and harm them, that would fall on SPD’s responsibility. If you showed up at their house, and THEY harmed you, that could also be pinned back on SPD. So, you’re not going to get the information, period. Your insurance company can very easily get that information with the plate info (they have limited access to that database) but they too should NOT be releasing it to you (that would be a violation of their access agreement, and would jeopardize their access to the data – something they would not want to lose!) At this point, who it was, or where they live doesn’t really matter to -you-.
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2) SPD cannot charge the registered owner with anything, because there is apparently no proof of who was actually driving the vehicle at the time of the collision. Did anyone get a good, clear, unmistakable view of who was driving, that they would be willing to testify to, or pick out in a photo lineup? Apparently not. Unless the registered owner freely admits to being responsible, or other readily available evidence indicates otherwise, no charges can be filed. All that person has to say is “I left the keys in it by accident” and they are free and clear. If they were “seasoned” criminals, they know that, and probably said that.
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I assure you that SPD was not “lazy” and that a report was written – take the case number that was written on the card that should have been given to you, and go make a request for a copy of it. If you weren’t given a card, make a trip down to the SW Precinct with the date and approximate time of your incident, and they will find your the case number. Every call that SPD responds to has a case number. It still won’t have any identifying information in it though, if that’s what you are hoping for.
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Without witnesses, there may not be anything they can do about it, to YOUR satisfaction. That’s just the way the system works. Hopefully they CAN catch them doing other activity!

Carl August 1, 2012 (6:31 am)

Lighten up on our police, these men and women have the hardest job in the city, put their lives on the line every day, and get very little acknowledgement for the great work they do. When they do catch creeps, our tax dollars pay for the creeps legal defense and the courts usually let them off with a wrist slap. How about we focus on being very watchful and vigilant in our activities, pay attention in our neighborhoods and do our part to catch and report crimes? My experience in “this day” Seattle is that very few people actually know their neighbors or what’s going on in their neighborhoods. If you’re being “nosey” then you’re on the right track. Sign me “Mr. Nosey”.

Crime Victim in W. Seattle August 1, 2012 (12:28 pm)

@ Carl, Seattle Police are rated among the worst, and most corrupt, in modern-day, metropolitan law enforcement. Having been let down by them now four times while living in West Seattle I have unfortunately now lost the last trace of faith I had in that department. There is a reason why Federal intervention was necessary within the department re: SPD’s excessive force issues. We cannot blame individual Seattle police personnel for their general conduct – the internal culture is a departmental problem, which it seems has come from the top down. Police are nothing more than average people doing a job – some better than others of course, and of course some very good and very honorable. However, I no longer trust them and feel that they have shown little concern or compassion for the public they SIGN UP to protect. The culture within SPD was unfortunately and very obviously enabling for killer Ian Birk – who gunned down a debilitated, feeble old man with a whittling knife. I actually tried to at least appreciate Birk’s argument for his killing of the old man, but in the end I could not – and SPD’s sluggish response in condemning Birk’s actions was horrifying. I hope the integrity of the SPD improves. They are needed in Arbor Heights – just at least for an occassional patrol and to establish a deterring presence due to the spike in break-ins, theft, and prowling. I have called and requested this and seen nothing – and my car was broken into yet again while we’ve been waiting for them to come help us out here with a little police presence. Nothing. To protect and serve – remember?

Jason August 1, 2012 (4:39 pm)

“Seattle Police are rated among the worst, and most corrupt, in modern-day, metropolitan law enforcement.”
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Oh, Crime Victim… PLEASE quote your source for that!!!

Jeff August 1, 2012 (11:54 pm)

My condolences to Kami and Martin on their loss.

My Girlfriend and I live on the same block, and had nearly the exact same thing happen around 8 months ago. Our car was hit from behind, by a white vehicle, but like you we had several thousand dollars worth of damage that we had to pay out of pocket. That area near the redwood seems to be a particularly bad spot to park.

Sorry, comment time is over.