West Seattle Crime Watch: 2 arrests might solve many burglaries

| Crime | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL REPORT, 7:14 PM: Word tonight from Southwest Precinct Lt. Ron Smith that West Seattle officers have made a big bust that might solve numerous burglaries. Here’s what happened:

At a self-storage facility, victims confronted two suspects last Sunday who were reported to have “the (victims’) stolen items in another unit.” Those suspects “locked up and left” – but police had been called, and tracked down and arrested the suspects. Search warrants followed, for the suspects’ unit and a U-Haul van a block from their residence. The searches happened yesterday and “recovered massive amounts of stolen property from multiple crimes” – at least 119 line items of evidence, including boxes of recovered items worth thousands of dollars, even a safe.

Lt. Smith says the arrest and property recovery might solve “multiple commercial and residential burglaries.” We’re working to get more information – including the storage facility’s location.

8:16 PM UPDATE: Finally dug up the address to match to the case number, thanks to Tweets by Beat (which you can see on the WSB Crime Watch page any time – though take note, not all calls turn out to be the kind of violation they’re described as): 2900 block of SW Avalon Way, location of Public Storage.

onceachef February 27, 2013 (7:19 pm)

Good news!

Faith4 February 27, 2013 (7:44 pm)

I hope arrangements can be made for people to recover their stolen property. Such very, very good news. Thank you!

Robert February 27, 2013 (8:08 pm)

I wonder if those are the SOBs that broke into my house in Arbor Heights and stole my computer. I’m hoping that there will be a way to find out if your stolen items are part of this “massive amount.”

WSB February 27, 2013 (8:10 pm)

If you are a burglary victim, you should have a case number and a detective name. With those, you should be able to contact police to ask. I will ask on followup (still trying to find out the bust location) about their plan for doing that – though I would imagine it’ll take a while. Another reason why they ask that everybody have a way to identify their property in case of loss or theft – engraved info, serial numbers, photos, etc. … TR

Toni Reineke February 27, 2013 (8:12 pm)

I’ve been meaning to ask you this (see Faith’s comment) since my own break-in in June last year (yes, reported to police): What do the police do with the evidence/loot? Is there a way for victims to view the stuff? I lost a few one-of-a-kind keepsake items and would love to get them back. I provided photos to the police but felt like they were so overwhelmed with the sheer volume of items they retreive that there was no hope.

West Seattle Hipster February 27, 2013 (8:17 pm)

Great work SPD.

Mark February 27, 2013 (8:35 pm)

We have such an awesome police department…. Ranging from responding to the disoriented drunk trying to get into our house of teenage kids when we were not at home to dealing with the weirdo who approached our 11 year old on the sidewalk…. Thanks for protecting us. I’m now debating whether to point out how incredibly unethical the doj crackpots are as they seek to issue press releases to promote their careers. Ok I won’t mention it.

Ace20604 February 27, 2013 (9:50 pm)

These victims were not passive and ended (for a while) some of the crime around here by daring to do what some may call being a vigilante. The vigilante is the persons whom takes punishment into their own hands. These citizens assisted in investigation of their our accord, they made a difference in a lawful manner, this is an example to follow folks of an assertive community that will not tolerate crimes.

RileyaPup February 27, 2013 (10:08 pm)

Way to go SPD. Hopefully u recovered my neighbor’s belongings. Lock ’em up Dano!

ws_suzanne February 27, 2013 (10:08 pm)

Do the police automatically contact victims of break ins or is it better for the victims to call them? Two of my neighbors have had their homes burglarized recently.

Jeff platt February 27, 2013 (11:12 pm)

Ready for the catch
I bet they are back on the street in less than a month even while obviously being involed in multi res burgs
If you can follow these people i think it would be an interesting point about robbery in seattle wsb
Thanks for staying on top of it so well

SKB February 28, 2013 (12:03 am)

I know that the storage place has surveillance cameras in the garage & elevators, do they report suspicious activity?

mike February 28, 2013 (6:49 am)

Nice work citizens being observant and making a call to get SPD to make an arrest.

Dave February 28, 2013 (8:09 am)

I’m hoping for some significant follow-up reporting … names, records, photos, etc. Thx.

WSB February 28, 2013 (8:42 am)

If I can get the names, of course, and I’m working on it. Even the redacted report is not available online, though. Photos – not available unless they have served time in the state prison system. Otherwise, trial/sentencing are the main significant opportunities to photograph or get video of suspects – arraignments are in the cattle-call courtroom where you might have to spend two hours waiting for a fleeting appearance, with the suspect turned away, behind glass, across two rows of attorneys and court personnel.

Faceless February 28, 2013 (8:42 am)

I guess I’m a little confused. Why doesn’t the storage facility have cameras and if so why didn’t an employee call the police when they see suspect activity going on from the cameras. Is this place not monitored?

Mary Decker February 28, 2013 (11:57 am)

The Public Storage facility has cameras on the outside and in the garage but not on the individual floors. We had a lot of stuff stolen from a unit on the second floor in July 2010. The cameras reveal nothing at all if the thieves simply move stuff out of your unit and into theirs. Also, the employees did not strike us as the honest type, let’s just say.

WSB February 28, 2013 (12:46 pm)

I have spoken with police today and they already have contacted the owners of much of what they’ve found so far – there were some large items like a generator and even a fireplace – but they’re continuing to work on matches for the rest of it. We’ve also offered to publish any information that can be made available to help match people and property. – TR

justin February 28, 2013 (5:38 pm)

I am wondering if it could be linked to the U-haul I had stolen from 38 and gennesse a few weeks ago. Mostly large furniture, antiques, and kitchen items and personal stuff.