West Seattle Crime Watch: Suspected burglar arrested twice in one week, allegedly confesses to more

(UPDATED THURSDAY NIGHT with new charge filed)

(WSB photo of February 15th arrest scene at 48th/Findlay)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Two recent burglary arrests reported here – exactly one week apart – involve the same suspect, WSB has learned. And court documents say he has confessed to more than 20 other break-ins.

The first arrest was at 48th and Findlay in Seaview, on February 15th. Police arrested 24-year-old Justin Wood for allegedly trying to break into a house there. Court documents say Wood told police that day that he had committed other burglaries, as noted in our two updates last week – in the February 20th WSBeat roundup and our February 21st report on last week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting.

We don’t know why Wood wasn’t booked into jail on February 15th. But we do know now that exactly one week later – last Friday, February 22nd – he was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a home near Camp Long (here’s our report from that day), caught after an alert neighbor called police. This time, Wood was booked into jail – after confessing to more burglaries, none of them, court documents say, covered in the previous confession.

Yesterday, after five days in jail, Wood appeared before King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler, who agreed to set what by any account is an extraordinary bail amount for a property-crime case: Half a million dollars.

While Wood has not yet been charged in the recent burglaries, we are identifying him by name because of the report that he has confessed and because he already was charged in another case – a Morgan Junction burglary last October. Before that, according to court documents, Wood’s history included 2009 charges of theft and trafficking stolen property, which led to a conviction on a lesser charge. According to documents from the October case, Wood was tracked down via fingerprints, and arrested at a Genesee Hill residence in November. Jail records show that his bail was set at $5,000 and he got out less than 24 hours after he was booked.

Now, he’s jailed in lieu of a hundred times that. While charges haven’t been filed in connection with either of this month’s cases, we have a message out to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to find out if there’s an estimate on when that might happen; court records show that Wood was scheduled for a hearing today related to the October burglary, and we’re keeping an eye out for results of that.

Meantime, in case you are wondering – so far as we know, this has no relation to the case reported here on WSB last night, also expected to solve multiple burglaries, though we did come across the new information on this case while talking with police about the other one.

ADDED 9:21 PM: Checking the online case files one more time before they go offline for the night, we discovered that prosecutors charged Wood today with one count of attempted burglary for the 35th SW incident last Friday. They are asking that his bail remain set at half a million dollars, explaining in the charging document:

… the defendant is a serious threat to the West Seattle community and now faces significant jeopardy on numerous charges.

… On February 15, 2013, the defendant was arrested for another Residential Burglary. During the investigation of that case, the defendant confessed to 10 burglaries in West Seattle. The defendant was released from custody on the February 15, 2013, case, and only a week later, was arrested on February 22, 2013, for the Attempted Residential Burglary charged in (the document). During the investigation of that case, the defendant confessed to an additional 13 burglaries in West Seattle, none of which duplicated his earlier confession. The defendant showed officers the location of each burglary and provided specific details about each crime.

In total, Seattle PD is now investigating 24 residential burglaries that the defendant committed in West Seattle from September 2012 to present. At least three of those burglaries involved a theft of firearms. Seattle PD is in the process of investigating all of these cases and contacting the victims and will forward these cases to the prosecutor’s office for filing when the investigation is complete.

43 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Suspected burglar arrested twice in one week, allegedly confesses to more"

  • onceachef February 28, 2013 (4:22 pm)

    So if he was arrested on Feb. 15, and confessed to other burglaries then, why in the world was he released so quickly only to be found committing more burglaries…can the police or prosecutors office offer any explanation? Is it that hard to hold a criminal who’s admitted doing robberies? Sheesh!

  • a February 28, 2013 (4:30 pm)

    I love the high bail but I fear this clown will only get a year or two and be right back out on the streets doing the same thing. Check back with the blog in a couple years and when you are reading multiple reports on burglaries you will know he has been released. Mandatory ten year minimum sentence for anyone convicted of invading someone’s home! The criminal justice system isn’t treating this as a serious crime and it is! Stop releasing these pieces of chit and keep them in jail where they belong! Breaking into someone’s house is such a horrible crime and can leave the victim with PTSD. We need to demand that the legal system treat it as a serious crime or it’s gonna get worse when more people realize we have a catch and release program for burglars.

  • West Seattle Hipster February 28, 2013 (4:55 pm)

    Thanks for the story, good to know some arrests are being made.

    Nice work SPD and Judge Kessler!

  • Ordinary_Citizen February 28, 2013 (5:11 pm)

    Can we see the mug shot? No cameras needed when we all know what he looks like.

  • Chris February 28, 2013 (5:13 pm)

    Legalize drugs, free non violent, non dirtbag drug users and many low level sellers and use some of the savings from the reduced cost to incarcerate to create drug diversion and treatment and then use the rest of the savings to lock up the dirtbag drug users who harm the public with robberies and burglaries. Like many we read about on the blog.

  • EdSane February 28, 2013 (5:15 pm)

    @onceachef, when someone is arrested they are not being punished for a crime that they “allegedly” committed. Regardless of a confession. A bail hearing is held to determine the likelihood of the accused fleeing justice. Punishment (detention/jail time) starts once they have been found guilty (in a court of law)…

  • Jeff February 28, 2013 (5:25 pm)

    I have to agree with you a. Lax sentencing encourages vigilantism too, people will only take so much.

  • C February 28, 2013 (5:28 pm)

    Please post a pic of this guy so we know who to look out for…. Thanks

    • WSB February 28, 2013 (5:47 pm)

      C, we don’t have one. Unless a suspect has served time in the state prison system, which I don’t believe is the case, there is no mugshot available, to media or anybody else. If and when he is arraigned, we might be able to photograph him in court. – TR

  • LG February 28, 2013 (5:38 pm)

    I was one of the burglary victims that he originally confessed about. I was told by the SPD that they didnt put him in jail the day of the 2/15 arrest in exchange for the confession. He was working with them – including showing the detectives the homes he broke into AND where he sold the stolen items. He “really didnt want to go to jail that night” and was willing to work with the detectives to avoid it. The plan was to put together the case with all 10/15 burglaries and hand it off to the Prosecutor’s office.

    Although I wish he was arrested on 2/15, I am sure he would already be out and he wouldnt have made either set of confessions. It actually might be the best case scenario that he wasn’t arrested on the 15th and couldn’t stop himself from doing it again (apparently, he has a drug habit), because now he has that huge bail amount and I am sure he will be made an example of. Nice job SPD!!! (Now, where is my stolen jewelry?????)

  • D/M February 28, 2013 (6:45 pm)

    SPD informed us today that our house (4000 block of 38th Ave SW) is one of those burglarized by the scoundrel they have in custody. We’ll be meeeting the invetigative team and identifying our recovered property next Friday. If your house was recently broken into in our area, call the authorities and give your testimony to help build the case and retrieve your belongings.

    High praise for the SPD!

  • Come on February 28, 2013 (7:17 pm)

    Yes please provide a photo if you can, would love to know what this guy looks like, I will call the police anytime I see him on my block

  • toodles February 28, 2013 (8:03 pm)

    Pictures!

  • sara February 28, 2013 (8:16 pm)

    What Chris says.

  • AIDM February 28, 2013 (8:48 pm)

    @Edsane, a bail hearing is also to determine a suspect’s potential threat to the community. In this case the threat was greatly underestimated.
    .
    Further, I find it pretty unsettling that the police and prosecutor would opt to let him go free with prior burglary convictions. Though it may have all worked to give him a longer sentence, there are a number of home owners who now have to pay for this mistake and who faced potentially lethal situations if they had encountered him during the breaks in.

  • Heather February 28, 2013 (8:56 pm)

    Yes, I would love to see a picture. I have an eye witness to my home burglary on 2/12 two blocks from the 48th/Findlay location.

    • WSB February 28, 2013 (9:21 pm)

      Again – there is no photo available. Mugshots are not made available unless the person spent time in the state prison system – not the case here – or unless there is a manhunt and the authorities decide to pull up some available photo to distribute. When he is next in court, we will do our best to be there – but arraignments are in a courtroom where photography is difficult at best. I’ve just learned, meantime, that a charge was filed today in connection with last week’s incident – adding to the story momentarily. – TR
      .
      Also to clarify an earlier comment: Wood does NOT have any past burglary convictions. The charging document filed today reiterates this: “…the defendant’s only known criminal history is a conviction for attempted trafficking in stolen property (2009).”

  • Jen February 28, 2013 (10:02 pm)

    My house near 34th and Andover was robbed in Oct. 2009. I interrupted them. I stepped out the front and they ran out the back. Never got a look at them. I would love to know if this is related.

  • NettiFace February 28, 2013 (10:27 pm)

    If any of you want some early identification on him, ask any young adult in your life if they know him. This guy is only
    24…. If he’s from here, someone(and I bet a significant amount of “someones”) has to know him and maybe even have a photo of him. Yearbook? Candids of “him N tha homies”? Regardless of all the yuppy transplants that have relocated to the West, we still have a pretty good “everybody knows everybody” protocol. He’s just about my fiance’s age; best believe I’ll be asking if he knows who this guy is.

  • Mark February 28, 2013 (10:47 pm)

    Try searching Facebook for “Justin Wood Seattle” and you will find a young man featuring a few guns in his photos.

  • Koodies February 28, 2013 (10:47 pm)

    Can t someone find him on Facebook? Sure someone knows him.

  • c. February 28, 2013 (10:50 pm)

    I wonder if this guy was the one who robbed the estate sale in Admiral a few weeks back.

  • J February 28, 2013 (11:30 pm)

    Why don’t these losers go out and get a real job and stop terrorizing our neighborhoods. Punks!

  • TL March 1, 2013 (12:20 am)

    Crazy. Had a bike stolen from the garage of our building on Avalon in November. He cut a very small hole in the metal grating of the door and slipped through. Never reported it as SPD was very elusive at the time, and thought it was pointless. Figure there is a good chance it could be this guy!

  • bestbets March 1, 2013 (12:43 am)

    He has a drug habit. Yes we should be protected from him (thank you SPD and alert neighbors) but eventually he will get out and do the same thing if he is still addicted. Hope this gets addressed in the form of treatment for him at some point as well.

  • WSB March 1, 2013 (12:51 am)

    If people want to search a social-media site on their own, that’s fine, but without knowing 100 percent for sure that it’s the guy, I’m not approving any links for publication here. There have been way too many cases of (a) unrelated people getting burned and (b) realistic-looking hoax pages getting spread around. May not be likely, but we don’t take chances. I already searched and found one that seemed like it PROBABLY was the same guy, but “probably” doesn’t meet our standards, and there was nothing on it that seemed to relate to any of this, so its relevance was dubious. Thanks. – TR

  • HP March 1, 2013 (5:55 am)

    Is anyone missing a collection of Halo video game gear?

  • AG March 1, 2013 (7:19 am)

    … Apparently the guy on 48th had pockets full of needles too. Why he was let go to face charges another time absolutely confounds me … It’s not like his need for drug money will disappear between now and then. I predict more break ins.

    Comment by AG — 4:40 pm February 20, 2013

    Funny. I said this about letting him go after the burglary in Seaview. This guy really needs rehab, or we’ll continue to have burglaries so he can support his habit. Given the confessions, i suspect he’s asking for help. This would be a good time to mandate treatment prior to his jail time.

    “Attempted burglary” doesn’t seem a strong enough charge for what happened in Seaview. He was found with stolen property in his hand – two items from the backyard. I’m so sick of this guy already.

  • wscommuter March 1, 2013 (8:46 am)

    a – All felonies in WA are sentenced using a formula established by the legislature (not judges or prosecutors) where each type of crime, such as residential burglary, is ranked according to seriousness under the state’s Sentencing Guidelines. Likewise, multiple offenses, such as here, are multipliers which push the punishment range up. Previous felony convictions also count. The formula then arrives at a “sentencing range” (such as “41 months – 52 months”) which the judge is then required to sentence within (unless there are aggravating factors, and there may be here, due to the high number of offenses, which can allow a judge discretion to go even higher in punishment). This guy will be charged with multiple counts of Res. Burg. and will face more than just a year or two … but he won’t get 10 years either.

    If you don’t like the punishment for Res. Burg., speak to your legislator. Only Olympia can change this – not a judge or prosecutor.

  • juju March 1, 2013 (9:54 am)

    We were one of the houses robbed in January that he confessed to on the 15th…I was upset they let him go — and glad they caught him just a week later. What is frustrating is that he was arrested back in October…if they let these bastards back out pending trial, can’t they at least put a monitoring device on them in the meantime? The fact that he is finally caught is not going to bring back my piece of mind or any of my jewelry…and speaking of that — what is up with the damn laws and sketchy people who run those jewelry for money places? I think if you provide an easy way to get to get cash for stolen items, you become part of the crime and should be culpable in some way. This guy was obviously a regular at these places.

  • hmmm... March 1, 2013 (9:56 am)

    Can’t believe this! Well, yes, I guess I can.

    If you are a bad guy/gal you just get a shame on you. If you are the good guy/gal, you get a well, you need to get a better alarm, get a dog, don’t go out anywhere …

  • Steve March 1, 2013 (12:02 pm)

    Thanks SPD! Job well done

  • S March 1, 2013 (12:10 pm)

    I know him, and what he looks like! He’s a dirtbag…..

  • AE March 1, 2013 (1:51 pm)

    I feel so bad for all the people for whom this one person has caused so much grief. The first 2 times I was a victim of theft (car and burglary) I was a mess. Not fair that this person gets away with all the heartache he’s caused. I hope he loses all rights to live free.
    .
    And yeah, where do they sell the stuff they steal? If that market was taken away, these losers would just loot your house for cash and drugs and leave your precious personal items alone.

  • Nitro March 1, 2013 (4:30 pm)

    How does the three strikes rule work? Isn’t this like 24 strikes?

    • WSB March 1, 2013 (4:42 pm)

      Burglary is not a “strike” offense.

  • EdSane March 1, 2013 (6:40 pm)

    @AIDM, you are quite mistaken. How can someone be determined a “threat” to the public for a crime s/he has only been accused of and not convicted. I realize not everyone is familiar with the legal system. Again, bail is just a function to compel an individual to court. If someone has a history of skipping bail or is charged with a crime where there could be a significant sentence that’s when they create high (but not insurmountable ) bail.

  • Shirley Enebrad March 2, 2013 (11:49 am)

    Justin Wood stole from my home seven years ago. We got back everything he had taken when his father went to the pawn shops to retrieve them. His father at the time made excuses for his son’s behavior. When I saw the blog articles about a serial burglar running amok in WS I knew instinctively that it was him. Glad he got caught and hoping that the judge will throw the book at him.

  • Jessica March 2, 2013 (8:36 pm)

    http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/justin.wood.752?fref=ts

    Here is his facebook page, I knew him from High School. Doesn’t surprise me at all.

  • juju March 5, 2013 (8:54 am)

    Two month’s later, and I am still discovering things that he took from us…things that were passed down from my great grandmother…it makes my heart hurt. He should have been in jail long ago…

  • Former WSEATTLE March 6, 2013 (4:26 am)

    Our WS Seaview home was burglarized in early December 2012, but we’ve since moved out of the country… any contact information from SPD? The numbers I have go into teleprompt void…

  • Sgt. Joe March 7, 2013 (10:04 am)

    @Former WSEATTLE. email me with your case number and contact info. I will put you in touch with your case detective.
    Sgt. Joe Bauer of SW Precinct
    joseph.bauer@seattle.gov

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