West Seattle Crime Watch: Arbor Heights updates; another car prowl

Two major updates and a new case have come in since our earlier West Seattle Crime Watch roundup, so we’re starting a new one.

First, Lonjina‘s stolen truck is back, and might offer clues for other crime victims:

Was found by a friend of ours at 122nd and Ambaum in the Forest View Apt Complex parking lot. Full of possibly stolen gardening tools. We believe they were not done with the truck! Let readers know if they had their garage or gardening tools missing last night to contact the Burien Police Dept.

Updating the other incident in our earlier roundup – from Al’s wife Christine:

On Friday 4/26 at approximately 4:30 PM a suspicious vehicle was witnessed stopped in front of a home at 10XXX 37th Avenue in Arbor Heights. He was witnessed taking photos of the same car burglarized at the same location on Wednesday 4/24 between 11 PM and 6:45 AM. He sped off toward 102nd when confronted by a neighbor. The prowler’s vehicle was later spotted in the Arbor Heights area.

Vehicle Description: Mid 90s, Dark Green, Chevy S-10 pickup truck

As of Friday this vehicle was making a very loud rumbling engine sound as though it was out of oil.

Suspect Description: White man with an odd long face. Between the ages of 20 and 30. He is believed to be tall due to how he sat in the cab of the truck.

We have overwhelming evidence leading us to believe that this man is prowling the neighborhood with a radio frequency scanning device that allows him to “hack” into smart cars.

Be vigilant and watch out for this truck or suspects pointing tech devices (phones, laptops, etc.) toward cars and houses. Call the Seattle Police Department if you see the truck.

And Carolyn in Fauntleroy reports car vandalism, possibly a prowling attempt:

Just wanted to let you know that the passenger door window in my car was bashed overnight. The person didn’t hit the driver’s side, which was closest to the alley, but had to walked around my car and stand between the fence and my car to take out the window. My car was loaded for a community event but nothing was taken. In the past, someone has rifled through my car but not taken anything on the few occasions that I’ve forgotten to lock it. I’m in 8600 block of Fauntleroy Way SW.

7 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Arbor Heights updates; another car prowl"

  • Alki Resident April 27, 2013 (6:48 pm)

    In the first story, I would’ve waited it out near the parking lot to see who gets in and drives off with the truck. Im doubting that there were any surveillance cams at the apt complex being it’s in that area.

  • Faith4 April 28, 2013 (11:29 am)

    Is there a link somewhere that we can read that explains the high tech devices being pointed at cars and houses & perhaps how we can better protect ourselves in that regard? I remember back a few years they used to travel alleys pointing at garage doors to see if they could get them open and succeeded in doing so with certain ones. I do not understand them pointing at houses unless it is computer related. Thanks.

  • Roger April 28, 2013 (4:33 pm)

    Is the same concept with garage doors. See this link and watch the video.

    http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=mews/local&id=8830657

  • Jeff Law May 1, 2013 (7:41 am)

    We had several car prowl break-in’s on our street in Arbor Heights this past weekend. We spoke to some of the victims. All, including me, are pretty good about locking our cars. We all said, I guess I forgot to lock the car. Watched the link provided about the electronic scanner. Very disturbing.

  • Kathy May 8, 2013 (10:39 am)

    I heard that there was a helicopter search for someone over Arbor Heights yesterday, May 7. does anyone know about that ?
    thanks,
    K

    • WSB May 8, 2013 (11:46 am)

      Kathy – if there was it must have been brief as nothing surfaced to us. If it was around 5 pm, it might have been the TV choppers that came out for the Southwest Pool chlorine leak, not that far away …

  • Kalyn May 8, 2013 (4:12 pm)

    My husband and I moved to Arbor Heights from the Fauntleroy area about three weeks ago. His car was broken into our second night there. The neighbors say it happens once in a while but they hadn’t heard of any break-ins for awhile. Welcome to the neighborhood for us!

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