Barring breaking news, here’s our last West Seattle Crime Watch roundup of 2014. (You can always check the archives, by the way, via either the CW page – see the tab on our header – or here.) We are always sorry to hear about ANY of this happening, but we appreciate the reader reports, so that other West Seattleites can be better-informed – as we mention often, we don’t get as much information from police as you might assume. (We’re working on that, though.)

RECOGNIZE THIS CAMERA THIEF’S JACKET/BOOTS? From Grant in Morgan Junction:

My home’s two exterior security cameras were stolen on Monday, December 29 around 10:00 pm. I believe the thief crept along a narrow unlit path alongside my property, then across my backyard, and around to my front door to disable and remove my door camera from behind. Next he proceeded to my driveway camera where he again came up from behind it and disabled it before removing and leaving.

A rake was found by my door suggesting this was used tilt the camera. The door camera was thoroughly removed with a screwdriver, but the driveway camera had part of its mount left attached to the house. This suggests to me the thief was probably just wanting to get the cameras fast to sell them.

If nothing else, it shows someone had studied my house beforehand and planned how to come in through the backyard to take these at night. That person may have already been in the backyard before to make sure there was no backyard cam to catch him coming in that way. Lesson learned: mount valuables like security camera high up and with tamper-resistant screws, and make sure a thief can’t disable and remove them from behind.

HAVE YOU SEEN KATHY’S CAR? Stolen in Upper Fauntleroy:

My one and only family car….blue 1997 4-door Honda Civic was stolen last night on SW Sullivan Street near 39th Avenue SW. It has a child’s car seat in the back. License plate AJY 3038. The black chrome along the bottom of the driver’s side has also been removed (previous car prowl incident) . There are a couple of small bumper stickers on the back with Seattle Storm license plate frame.

Call 911 if you see it.

Click or scroll for (updated) three more reports – another stolen car, found; prowler/peeper at a local home; and (just confirmed and added, 2:07 pm) a store break-in:

FOLLOWUP – STOLEN CAR, FOUND: From Brian, whose stolen car was noted in WS Crime Watch earlier this month:

Ten days after the theft, my car was located in Kent. A KC Sheriff called to say that it had been privately impounded and was not damaged. This was still an expensive surprise: $260 to impound plus $60/day for storage. I was traveling and the impound lot would not allow my girlfriend to recover the car! Fortunately, my insurance company was able to have it towed to WS for inspection. No damage, just filled with pine needles, men’s clothes and some toys. It looks like they raided a donation bin.

Minor car stuff stolen: snow shovel, phone charger (in glove compartment), small change. My “Club” was gone. I have another one on it now, but still feeling vulnerable – what else can you do?

PROWLER OR PEEPER: This happened Monday night, per our reader report:

Around 11:30 PM – I was sitting in my room on the 5600 block of 36th AVE SW – when I noticed that a flashlight was shining from the outside into my room . When I turned on the light it must have scared him off – he ran back into his car and sped off almost hitting another car on the way down the street . I didn’t get a good look at him but he was an African American male , probably in his late teens – early twenties . He was driving a small red/maroon older car (possibly a Camry) and was wearing a Seahawks hat . If you live around the High Point area – please keep your eyes peeled out for this guy.

ADDED 2:07 PM – STORE BURGLARY: Just confirmed this via police and the store manager – the Capco Beverages liquor store at 41st/Alaska in The Junction was broken into early today.

The tip came from NLB, who saw the broken window this morning and called police. Store management says it happened around 3:30; they are still tallying up what was taken, but they remain open for business, until 7 pm tonight, noon-5 tomorrow.