West Seattle Crime Watch: Armed break-in in Sunrise Heights; stolen store statue; fence fight

| Crime | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports today:

SUNRISE HEIGHTS ROBBERY: Just published on SPD Blotter – three men, one with a gun, broke into a home in the 7500 block of 32nd SW during the windstorm early Sunday “looking for drugs and robb(ing) a 35-year-old woman, threatening to kill her if she did not cooperate.” The SPDB report continues:

The woman told police someone banged on the back door of her home, in the 7500 block of 32nd Avenue Southwest, shortly after midnight. When she walked back to investigate, a man broke the glass and reached in to unlock the door. The victim headed toward the front door, but one of the suspects barged in, pointed a handgun and ordered her to stop. A second man, armed with a knife from the kitchen, pushed her to the floor and held the blade near her throat. The robbers told her not to look at their faces, and asked where her safe was. The victim told them it had been stolen several weeks ago. One man held her down at gunpoint while the others ransacked her house. The woman offered them her purse containing $100. The men took the purse and then saw several police cars arriving in front of the house. They fled through the back door.

The victim ran out the front door to alert officers. She was not injured. A neighbor had called the police a few minutes earlier because the men had apparently walked through the yard of a neighboring home. Detectives believe the suspects were looking for illegal drugs. A K-9 team was brought in to help search for the suspects, but no one was found. If you have any information about this incident, please contact robbery detectives at (206) 684-5535.

Also in Crime Watch:

STOLEN FOX: Pink Gorilla Games in Morgan Junction (6053 California SW) says somebody has made off with the store’s distinctive “Fox McCloud” statue, shown above. They reported the theft on Sunday. Please contact the store and SPD if you’ve seen it.

FENCE FIGHT: Police were called to the 4200 block of SW Donovan in Upper Fauntleroy last Friday to investigate a reported assault, as neighbors’ fight over a fence escalated. The report says one neighbor installed the fence for property separation and privacy more than eight years ago. The other neighbor, “thinking the fence is shared property,” according to the report, recently put up decorations. The fence owner said the decorations were damaging the fence. Three weeks of arguing over the fence ensued, according to the report. The neighbor who installed the fence finally put up “No Trespassing” signs facing the yard of the other neighbor, who subsequently “got a pair of wire cutters and attempted to cut the signs down,” at which time, police say, the sign-installing neighbor ran outside, yelled “Get off my fence,” and struck the other neighbor in the hand, repeatedly, with a Home Depot bucket. The victim declined medical attention. Police advised them to consult a surveyor if they’re not clear about the property line, and advised the fence owner to call police if they suspect trespassing, not to take matters into their own hands.

steve October 27, 2014 (2:05 pm)

I thought fences were supposed to make better neighbors? Time for fence surveillance cameras.
Send neighbor a nice letter about the hard work work that went into the fence. Your concerns. No, it’s not community property. After 8 years that fence might have squatters rights, even if it’s on his property. You have receipts right? Record any damage, then sue. But, if it were me, and it was on his property, I’d move it, in the interest of neighborly love. But he would have to prove it with a survey. Just my random thoughts……

J October 27, 2014 (2:15 pm)

The armed break-in is scary! My family lives on that block and had my preschooler overnight the night of the windstorm. They didn’t know about this incident; so thankful no one was injured.

Westgirl October 27, 2014 (2:17 pm)

Wow, how scary. A knife and held at gunpoint?? Thank God someone called the police.

R Frost October 27, 2014 (2:27 pm)

Oops. Sorry, looks like I was wrong!

Joe Szilagyi October 27, 2014 (2:38 pm)

How in the hell did an armed home invasion not make more news?

WSB October 27, 2014 (2:45 pm)

Joe – I was listening to the scanner well into the night because of the windstorm, blocked roads, etc. (see our live-as-it-happened coverage). I didn’t hear anything about this. And if I didn’t, chances are other scanner-listening news orgs (TV stations, mostly) didn’t, either. If SPD Blotter hadn’t posted this, I would have had something by day’s end today because I happened to be checking the online police-report map to see if we’d missed anything in the past day or two, and saw the icon mentioning “robbery-gun” at this address – I was writing a note to SPD media relations to request the report (since report narrative is not openly available online for up to a week) when the Blotter writeup appeared. Otherwise, our backups are: Neighbors calling/texting to ask why a bunch of police are at (wherever). Didn’t get anything. But again, 50 mph winds were raging at the time, many were out of power … TR

G October 27, 2014 (2:40 pm)

What a devastating ordeal to go through and frightening for neighbors. Violated doesn’t even begin to describe such an experience. Glad my mother is finally moved out of state. Bittersweet, though.

Nick October 27, 2014 (2:41 pm)

I can’t believe someone stole the star fox statue I thought that was a cool statue and I hope they get it back.

Kelli October 27, 2014 (2:57 pm)

Home invasion is what we worry about living between 2 neighbors we grown pot lots of it in their backyards. Wish people grew the crap in their basements and not stunk up the whole neighborhood.

wakeflood October 27, 2014 (3:11 pm)

Almost sounded like the home invasion wasn’t “entirely” random?? Like maybe the perps suspected they would find what they were looking for there? Might have read too much into that note.

WSB October 27, 2014 (3:18 pm)

Sometimes police point that out – but it doesn’t mean that the perps had the “right” house – nor are they entitled to violently barge in and terrorize people even if illegal activity WAS going on at any given location (not that you said that, but some try to suggest it).

wakeflood October 27, 2014 (3:22 pm)

Oh no, far from that, WSB, I was just commenting on the additional fear factor that total randomness usually brings to the table.

Eric October 27, 2014 (4:27 pm)

I was just thinking the same thing wakeflood, and it is either a coincidence or they possibly had the right house, when the perps asked where the safe was and was told that it had already been stolen. They were obviously aware somehow that there was a safe in the house.

Even worse. the perps fled out the backdoor as police arrived. The woman seems to have immediately ran outside to notify the police and the police couldn’t catch them? Two scenarios come to mind off the top of my head. Either the police were incompetent in quickly setting up a perimeter and the perps got away (the neighbor that called probably gave some kind of description of the perps), or the perps went (back) to a house that was very close to the victims house.

Creighton October 27, 2014 (4:32 pm)

I saw that Fox McCloud statue on craigslist last night, Sunday night. I can’t find the post, but I was looking around 10:30 – 11:30pm at all items for sale (no filters) and noticed an odd add for it. The ad was a picture of a white person’s hand on Fox’s crotch and only showing his torso. I can’t recall the exact message, but it was something like. “I’ve got your video game statue right here.” I know that’s cryptic, but it’s something. I can’t find the post now, but I’m 100% it was that statue.

WSB October 27, 2014 (4:34 pm)

Creighton – unless it’s a different post, the folks at Pink Gorilla have already ruled that one out. They first sent me some info on that and then said it turned out to be a different one, for various reasons.

Oakley34 October 27, 2014 (4:49 pm)

It’s a jaded man that finds the taking of the Star Fox statue sadder than an armed home invasion. I am that man.

JulNJer October 27, 2014 (5:26 pm)

Wait. There are TWO fox statues? WTH?

Amy October 27, 2014 (5:40 pm)

We just saw the fox walking past us (sitting in Th Bridge) headed back to Pink Gorilla….

Eric1 October 27, 2014 (6:06 pm)

Oakley, I am that guy too. I would hope it is a haloween/homecoming/practical joke with the fox being found undamaged in amusing place later. However, stealing a statue for personal use or profit is pretty low even for the normal thieving scum.
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Not to say that an armed robbery isn’t bad, it is just that human scum robbing people of drugs and money has become a bit trite these days. And the punishment, even when caught, is often laughable so why expect it to change?

Fedup October 27, 2014 (6:10 pm)

Regarding the home invasion. Is it just me or does the level of brazen violence seem to be rising around here? The thugs seem to display less fear of the SPD. Entering an occupied home is high risk criminal behavior. They either didn’t fear an armed homeowner or didn’t care. This is OUR community, and this is unacceptable.

sc October 27, 2014 (6:20 pm)

If someone bangs on my back door at midnight, I will be calling 911, not walking back to investigate.

Joe Szilagyi October 27, 2014 (6:32 pm)

You are deep scum to steal a Star Fox statue.

West Seattle Hipster October 27, 2014 (6:46 pm)

That area 7500 block of 32nd) seems to be a hotspot for police responses, usually regarding drug activity.

KM October 27, 2014 (9:53 pm)

@West Seattle Hipster

I don’t notice a problem with this block or surrounding area at all, but I do recall a drive-by shooting on this same block a year or two back–and I believe the house actually hit was not the intended target? If my memory serves me with the shooting, it sounds like there may be an intended target in a pretty safe and laid-back neighborhood, and possibly why this block may seem like a hotspot to some.

Eric October 28, 2014 (5:26 am)

Wow, stealing (most likely stupid kids) a publicity statue of a mediocre retro game series character with a “hipster” cult following is the scum that is below a home invasion that involved being held at gun and knife point.

KellyM October 28, 2014 (7:43 am)

Geesh. I stupidly thought when the old well known drug house on 32nd was razed and very, very spendy homes built the likely hood of home invasion and drive-bys were down to almost zero…looks like someone else on the block may have taken on the business…..wonder which house?

kurly212 October 28, 2014 (9:55 am)

KM: If we’re thinking of the same drive-by, it was not in the same block, but close. It was in the 7300 block of 32nd (at Othello). That is 1/2 block away from my house, and every so often I wonder what ever came of that. I don’t recall reading that anyone was caught.

Beto October 28, 2014 (9:56 am)

I’ve always have played mentally a similar scenario. I think if someone is knocking on our door late at night I’d check to see who is it and I’d have a phone on my hand to dial 911 immediately.

KM October 28, 2014 (10:02 am)

Kurly212-

Yep, that’s what I was thinking of, thanks. I can’t find any follow up on that either. I remember from the details presented being pretty convinced it was mistaken identity.

WSB October 28, 2014 (10:18 am)

I apologize but followup on all but the most major cases is virtually impossible, if there wasn’t an initial arrest. There is no easy or even remotely easy way to do it – there is no online access to the current status of a particular incident #, for example – and I run out of time in the middle of the night every single day. When there are arrests, and we get names, it’s a different story (literally) and we are able to follow court cases, etc. (Even that gets to be difficult – the county court system shuts down 11 pm-4 am every single night and that just kills me in the midst of major research time.) – TR

faceless October 28, 2014 (11:36 am)

You know what is interesting about this robbery is the comment she made about the safe
“The robbers told her not to look at their faces, and asked where her safe was. The victim told them it had been stolen several weeks ago.”
Sounds like some of their buddies told them about the safe or they know the guys that had stolen the safe several weeks before.

In either case – this stuff just pisses me off. They had been stalking her house long before they broke in. We probably need more paranoid neighbors and more cameras. Hats off to the person that notified the police.

kurly212 October 28, 2014 (4:15 pm)

TR – You’re so on top of things, the thought never crossed my mind that you neglected to follow up on the drive-by. I assumed either there was nothing to report or I somehow missed the update (which I could have ruled out for myself by doing a search).

Thomas M. October 28, 2014 (10:57 pm)

Thanks TR for all the details we do get from you.
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From the peanut gallery: We need to unify the court systems and put all courts on one ECR. It saves a ton of money on administrative costs everywhere it has been done. Why have three completely different court systems when one system can be managed by just one set of mucky mucks?
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It works for the Feds who have at least all district courts and the bankruptcy courts in one website called PACER (public access to court electronic records). You can look up just about anything nationally. Easy.

Sorry, comment time is over.