West Seattle Crime Watch: Recognize these women? Plus: Burglars take bikes

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today:

The surveillance photos above show two women who police say used stolen credit cards at Target in Westwood Village. The cards were stolen in a burglary north of Lincoln Park, at Amy‘s house; she writes: “My family came home from vacation to find our home burglarized. They have stolen all our valuable goods, including my wedding ring” – and the aforementioned credit cards. Amy adds, “There is a cash reward for anyone who can solve the burglary. Thank you and please help my family!!!!!” If you have information, Det. Adonis Topacio at the Southwest Precinct: 206-233-7830.

Next, a multiple-bicycle break-in, reported by Gary:

Harbor Place Condominium, located on Harbor Ave just north of Luna Park Café, was hit by bike thieves around January 4 – 7. After breaching the parking garages, thieves used bolt cutters to cut bike locks and at last count, around 8 bikes were stolen from condo building “B.” Police and condo management have been contacted. Review of on-site video surveillance cameras will hopefully produce some clues or leads, and websites selling bicycles will be monitored.

G January 9, 2013 (3:56 pm)

What an absolute violation to have someone ransack your home and to make it worse start running up a bill on your credit card. These scum should be put in a stockade.

I’m glad I’m heading south for a few weeks. Out of here.

chris January 9, 2013 (4:05 pm)

The one one the left looks to be wearing a wig…could be a man…just sayin’.

Micheal January 9, 2013 (4:22 pm)

Someone broke into our Highland Park house the week before christmas. No forced entry signs and took only jewelry, a video camera and a gift card; leaving three expensive laptops among other more valuable things. The officer said a guy a street over had caught two women trying to break into his car. I wonder if these two POS’s are connected.

Faith4 January 9, 2013 (4:27 pm)

The lady with the glasses on her head looks familiar but just cannot place her. Might have seen shopping at a grocery store in West Seattle. I have seen her somewhere and just cannot figure out where…Safeway/Admiral or Thriftway? Do these pictures get distributed to grocery stores?

ca January 9, 2013 (4:28 pm)

are/where these people together in target?? what dirtbags…

Eric January 9, 2013 (5:00 pm)

Target has video surveillance in it’s parking lot area also. I wonder if this was also checked. Interesting they have surveillance video of the two AFTER the fact. They must have spent less than 50 bucks per transaction, otherwise they should have had to show ID. Both these two look very familiar and I believe local, especially the one on the right with the glasses.

delilah January 9, 2013 (5:07 pm)

I belive the one on the right was just arrested at Met Market

onceachef January 9, 2013 (5:26 pm)

Have fun in jail honey…you earned it!

Greenpeace January 9, 2013 (5:31 pm)

Dung! Hope they both get caught!!! Gosh, I hate to hear of people robbing and hurting others. Low budget trash!!!!!!!

Eric January 9, 2013 (5:40 pm)

Delilah,

That would be super cool if you’re correct!

Delridge Chick January 9, 2013 (5:42 pm)

Well, at least the one on the right didn’t go thirsty….we wouldn’t have wanted that. Putting that card to good use, I see!

Delridge Chick January 9, 2013 (5:46 pm)

We can only hope, Delilah! Hope Amy gets some justice.

ws born & bred January 9, 2013 (6:37 pm)

It always bothers me that stores don’t check your ID anymore for credit card transactions. Its been years since I’ve had a store ask for ID. My husband and I use each others credit cards all the time and never once have been questioned. We don’t have the same last name and our first names are pretty gender specific. Enough so that you’d think at least one out of fifty times somebody might say “Hey, can I see your ID?” Its just sad.

walnut January 9, 2013 (6:53 pm)

A small safety measure you can use for your credit/debit cards is to write “SEE ID” on the signature line (instead of signing).
Police officer gave me this tip once after robbery. Over the years, store clerks usually ask to see my ID about half the time.

Tiffany Kosa January 9, 2013 (7:30 pm)

I recognize the girl on the right. Can’t think of her name though. She’s a west seattle native, a girl that used to hang out with the Junction rats when I was a teen. Probably class of 2002/2003? Sealth.

lisa January 9, 2013 (7:38 pm)

We at lighthouse point condos lost several bikes over the cours of a few months during the fall :( have to carry mine to 3rd floor to keep in my unit now

WSB January 9, 2013 (7:45 pm)

I have also received a note from someone at the West Water complex in south Morgan Junction saying they’ve had similar problems. Going to follow this up further.

Santa January 9, 2013 (7:42 pm)

Instead of “signing” your credit card on the back, write the words “ask for id”…then it won’t be able to be used if stolen…

B January 9, 2013 (8:00 pm)

Delilih, How Sure are you that the women on the right was just arrested at the Met Market? Was it around 5PM, same as your post?

JN January 9, 2013 (8:09 pm)

8 bikes stolen? Jeez. It really sucks when what could be your only way of getting around gets stolen, but when it is in a supposedly safe area? I hope those thieves get what’s coming to them.

Kdsea January 9, 2013 (8:20 pm)

A few points about credit cards:

-Merchants aren’t supposed to ask for additional identification if the credit card swipes. This is standard in all contracts between merchants and the merchant banks. A “card present” transaction is confirmed when an encrypted block of information from the magnetic stripe is validated by the bank that issued the card during the authorization step of a retail transaction.

-You are not liable for more than $50 if you report the card lost or stolen. Once reported, the card will not authorize for any purchases.

When retailers ask for your ID, it’s an attempt to limit their own liability and does nothing to help protect you. Don’t be fooled.

-If you’ve ever used your card for regular, everyday purchases then there is a good chance of someone already having you credit card information. Massive breaches have occurred over the past several years from small retailers to major processing service providers.

Thieves (not the hillbillies in the photos above) typically sit on card numbers for 12-18 months before trying tiny transactions on them to see if they are live. If you notice these tiny transactions on your account (commonly called micro transactions) then you are likely about to get hit with much larger transactions.

annika January 9, 2013 (8:31 pm)

Having “See ID” is a great idea in theory, but I’ve had no luck with it. People do not look at my card at all to see that it says that on it. They just swipe it and hand it back. Only about 3% of the time does someone look at it and ask me for id. Store’s policies needs to be changed, I guess.

Eric January 9, 2013 (9:00 pm)

Tiffany,

If you think you may know this girl and she graduated about 2002/2003 at Sealth, you should let the detective know this possibility. He may be able to do a quick scan of Sealth’s year books from these years to see if a name can be made to the face.

That is, if she wasn’t already arrested, as it has been pointed out that this is a possibility.

westseattledood January 9, 2013 (9:00 pm)

If you recognize them Tiffany, if you haven’t already done so, call Det. Topacio at the Precinct. His phone number is in the article.

And sorry to all the folks who have been burgled or otherwise lost property. Such a bummer, but maybe some thieves will get caught soon. Hope so.

Delilah January 9, 2013 (9:07 pm)

All I know is that a gal who looks like the one on the right was detained by two officers in the met market parking lot a little before 5

Tiffany January 9, 2013 (9:12 pm)

I know one of those girls

KK January 9, 2013 (9:51 pm)

I’n most certain these 2 were in a car parked outside my house in Sunrise Heights 2 days ago. It looked so suspicious at the time. Just had a weird feeling about it. Pretty much know who comes and goes on our block and they were out of place.

Sarah January 9, 2013 (9:56 pm)

Anyone can use your debit card as a credit transaction in a grocery store. If you don’t know your PIN number it allows you to cancel and select credit instead. Working in a grocery store, there is just too many people paying with cards there is no way they would have time to check every persons Id

norskgirl January 10, 2013 (6:13 am)

I agree with an earlier post; the woman on the right in black seems to look like one of the check-out staff at Met. Market.

anonyme January 10, 2013 (6:14 am)

I’m sure I’ve seen these two before. The blond rides the bus sometimes and appears to have a drug problem.

AN January 10, 2013 (8:48 am)

The CID on the back of a card may have your purchase denied due to the fact that the small print specifies that your card is not valid until signed. Victoria’s Secret denied my purchase due to this.

MB January 10, 2013 (8:58 am)

This is going to drive me insane…they are both very familiar! I feel like I’ve been in the same room with one or both before, but I just can’t place them :/

Here January 10, 2013 (8:59 am)

I think the blond got on the same bus I did last week. She was smoking pot at the bus stop. I may haven a little paranoid, but I also thought she was eyeballing my purse.

zeetrains January 10, 2013 (9:21 am)

As far as Harbor Place goes, garage A also had thefts the week prior around Christmas time. It was miscellaneous items since there’s no dedicated bicycle parking in that garage on two separate occasions.

WSratsinacage January 10, 2013 (10:00 am)

It’s pretty low to break in to someones house and steal their stuff while the owner is out doing what the criminal should be doing: working or going to school! No excuse for it.
.
I’d pay more in taxes to house these winners for a long time.

comment January 10, 2013 (11:45 am)

Jeeze… Even a huge chain like target still hasn’t invested in high rez cameras.

Tiffany January 10, 2013 (2:05 pm)

I called the detective and gave her name he hasn’t called back yet I know her first and last name I left it on the voicemail for the detective

Chris January 10, 2013 (4:41 pm)

Innocent until PROVEN guilty !

Eric January 10, 2013 (5:20 pm)

Chris: Innocent until PROVEN guilty !

WSB Report: The surveillance photos above show two women who police say used stolen credit cards at Target in Westwood Village.

Eric: According to the police, these two used stolen credit cards at Target, not are supspected of having used stolen credit cards at Target. In essence, this was an actual happening and not a suspected happening.

If this is the case, what are they innocent of? Did someone slip the stolen credit cards into these unsuspecting women’s purse, only for them to “accidently” use them?

Or is it a more sinister plot and someone was holding a family member hostage forcing them to use the credit cards at Target at low level purchasing, so as not to require the cashier to ask for their ID?

Eric January 10, 2013 (8:06 pm)

KK, What kind of car were they in that was parked

Chris January 11, 2013 (4:42 am)

Eric. Just stating a fact. No one has yet to be convicted of anything, except apparently in this court of public opinion. Regarding surveillance photos. I am confident that the authorities could find any number of pics of you going about your daily routine. Does that make you guilty of anything?

Robert January 11, 2013 (9:37 am)

UNTIL THE PEOPLE OF SEATTLE CHANGE THE ATTITUDE OF THE PROCEUTERS OFFICE,IE THE PERP IS BACK ON THE STREET BEFORE THE COP IS THROUGH WITH THE PAPPERWORK IT WILL BE MORE OF THE SAME….

Stacy January 11, 2013 (12:48 pm)

The people burglarized are friends of mine and they are just beside themselves. So sad that these preditorr take it upon themselves to violate someone’s home that they should be able to feel safe in. These ratchet low lifes will be caught and prosecuted…it’s only a matter of time! And thank you to all of the people who have come forward to identify these thieves. They’ll only be able to rest easy once they are all in jail!

Eric January 11, 2013 (5:20 pm)

Chris: I am confident that the authorities could find any number of pics of you going about your daily routine. Does that make you guilty of anything?

Eric: No, because I’m not guilty of anything, so you’re argument doesn’t work. As I already stated, the police said these two women USED stolen credit cards at Target, NOT SUSPECTED of using stolen credit cards at Target. If the police would have said suspected of using stolen credit cards, then I would agree with you, but obviously they have evidence of an actual happening and not a “suspected” happening to use such definitve language.

Mos' Deff January 11, 2013 (8:59 pm)

PP is correct- the blonde girl definitely did go to Sealth. I don’t know her name or her exact grade, but I called the detective with a range of years she would have attended. I’m sorry to those who were violated and I can’t wait to see a story about these two getting caught.

Eric January 12, 2013 (6:44 am)

Awesome Tiffany and Mos’ Deff. Thanks for stepping up and calling the detective to help out with this case. Maybe WSB can find out any updates with the detective on this?

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