From White Center Now: Helicopter search; update – suspect caught

| Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news | White Center

11:01 AM: We’re getting questions about the King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter over downtown White Center. In case you’re seeing it and wondering too, here’s what we published on partner site White Center Now: KCSO says the search is for someone who broke into a car and stole a purse. Deputies are searching on the ground too, and were seen in the 14th/96th vicinity.

11:56 AM: Search is over – per @kcsoairsupport, they didn’t find the person they were looking for.

12:27 PM: Our ground crew says the search was centered toward the park end of SW 96th, east of 14th SW. They took the relatively rare opportunity to get a clear photo of Guardian One – which assists other law-enforcement agencies at times, including Seattle Police, which doesn’t have its own chopper – in case you aren’t familiar with what it looks like (sometimes handy in order to distinguish between law-enforcement and TV choppers).

3:52 PM: Update from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West: “The suspect from (this incident) was arrested near 102 and 8th SW after being spotted prowling cars in Steve Cox Park.”

Andi October 10, 2013 (11:20 am)

If this helicopter wakes my napping toddler, I’ll hunt the guy down myself.

jkboison October 10, 2013 (11:31 am)

was this person armed? chopper has been circling over head with street block off for a car prowl?

WSB October 10, 2013 (11:41 am)

We have a ground crew trying to find out more but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to get close enough. What the helicopter helps with often depends on where it is at the time, what else is going on … so often police tell us (and we see with some of these arrests) that “just one suspect” is responsible for so much more than the one incident … but in terms of hard facts on this, that’s all we know so far. – TR

T October 10, 2013 (11:43 am)

No description yet?

Howdy October 10, 2013 (11:52 am)

Wow! a chopper in the air for a car prowl and stolen purse! On a related note I just arrived home in Highland park to find out someone went through my car, somewhere between last night and while I was at work. Good thing there was nothing in it. My registration is gone though.

WSB October 10, 2013 (11:54 am)

Sounds from the latest @kcsoairsupport tweet that the suspect got away and the search is either over or winding down. Haven’t heard yet from our crew who headed over to check it out.

West Seattle Hipster October 10, 2013 (12:25 pm)

Wonder if they are looking for Al Polevia or Don Plute?

WSB October 10, 2013 (12:31 pm)

Both still in jail.

BlairJ October 10, 2013 (12:42 pm)

We had a car prowler in our alley in Highland Park early Wednesday morning. I called 911 & the dispatcher said there was a similar suspect description at about the same time from a block away.

Howdy: I hear they sometimes steal registration from an older car to get cheap tabs, then they put the cheap tabs on a more expensive car.

Alki Resident October 10, 2013 (1:32 pm)

Andi -I feel your pain, but thanks for the laugh.

Mr Elliott October 10, 2013 (2:22 pm)

A helicopter for a purse-snatcher? I thought the SWAT team at the restaurant was a bit extreme but clearly I should have waited a couple days.

Neighbor October 10, 2013 (3:14 pm)

I’ve been hearing more and more about car break-ins that steal the registration. The police told my friend that this is done so they can then burglarize the residence. Incidents have been happening at park and rides. I no longer keep my address in my car. Instead I keep it on my person. It’s just one more hassle.

G October 10, 2013 (3:22 pm)

If your car hasn’t been prowled, or broken into, count yourself one of the lucky few. It’s routine in West Seattle now.

keden October 10, 2013 (4:17 pm)

Unfortunately, car prowls have been going on in WS for a long time. My car was broken into at Lincoln Park 25 years ago, and the police said it was common.

WSB October 10, 2013 (4:36 pm)

Indeed, crime isn’t new. Our car window and about a dozen others were shot out when we rented on Beach Drive in our first two years here (1991-1993). That last year remains the most violent year in West Seattle of our 22 years here. Violent crime here is extremely rare. I was on the journalist panel for a Seattle Channel program last week (“Civic Cocktail”) with former Mayor Nickels and Interim SPD Chief Jim Pugel, and when asked about public safety here, that’s what I noted – property crime is relatively common but violent crime isn’t – nonetheless, property crime leaves you feeling violated, so it can’t be dismissed.
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Anyway, what is newer is the ability to find out about it in time to at least be aware it’s happening. That’s our goal – to report information about what’s happening now, or what has happened recently. And, with other types of events, what’s GOING to happen. FWIW. – TR

miws October 10, 2013 (5:06 pm)

I saw the chopper right away, (sorry I wasn’t in a good position to text/call it in) when I left my 16th & Barton-ish apartment at around 10:50 this morning, to head the the bus stop next to Bartell’s, to catch my bus.

It seemed, from my perspective and perception, to be circling from around Cambridge to the north, down into White Center to the south, and 15th to maybe 14th or 13th.

By probably around 10:55, it had tightened up its circle, at least at the north end, to about Roxbury.

Mike

BlairJ October 11, 2013 (9:03 am)

I make a copy of the registration with our address blocked out, and keep that in the car. It won’t stop anyone from breaking in to the car. But if they do, they won’t see where we live.

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