(WSB photo from 48th/Findlay arrest scene last February)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Half a year ago, you might recall the saga of what appeared to be a one-man burglary wave – 25-year-old Justin Wood, arrested twice, for two burglaries, one week apart, while he was already facing prosecution for another, and then confessing to more than 20 more break-ins. Wood’s bail eventually was set at an extraordinarily high amount for a “nonviolent criminal” – half a million dollars.
We lost track of Wood’s case until a WSB’er’s note last night informing us he had pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. So we dug up the court documents to find out more about the plea bargain struck in this case:
Last Thursday, Wood pleaded guilty to seven counts of residential burglary, one count of attempted residential burglary, and two counts of theft of a firearm, from incidents between September of last year and February of this year, all at residences in West Seattle. The burglaries to which he has confessed happened all over the peninsula, from North Admiral to Westwood, according to addresses and summaries in the court documents, which say some loot was recovered, but a lot was pawned, apparently so Wood could feed a heroin habit. He was found in possession of heroin during one of his final arrests back in February. Some of the burglaries were committed while he was out on personal recognizance after a December arrest for a November burglary last year.
Documents show the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office plans to recommend a variety of concurrent sentences that, if the judge agrees, will add up to 8 1/2 years total. Wood’s sentencing is scheduled for October. He’s been back in jail six months as of tomorrow, with his bail still at that half-million-dollar level set shortly after he went back in.
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