West Seattle Crime Watch: Rooftop robbery; stolen car

| Crime | West Seattle news

Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch tonight:

ASSAULT/ROBBERY ON THE ROOF: A teenager’s dad is hoping someone might be able to help solve the case of who beat and robbed his son. His son was skateboarding on the roof of Chief Sealth International High School on Saturday night. He says a security guard asked him to leave; he didn’t, and the guard returned 15 minutes later, he said, trailed by “three Samoan teens between 15 and 18, one wearing a green shirt with short hair, one wearing a red shirt with a pony tail, and the third with a black tank top and fairly long hair.” He says they claimed to be relatives of the guard and said that they were going to beat him up, so he ran, but they caught up with him, hit him in the head, and then when he broke away, chased him again, and caught him in a chokehold and pummeled him until he lost consciousness.

When he came to, the victim says, they were leaving, and taking his skateboard. He called 911; firefighters came and put a ladder up to the roof to find and treat him before his father took him to urgent care. The victim describes his injuries as a broken nose, a cut that needed five stitches, and swelling around his eye (his father showed photos backing this up). His father has been trying to see if the school had surveillance video but says he first was told the cameras weren’t working, then was told they were, but that no one was available to show him the video. (We have had an inquiry out with Seattle Public Schools on that but no resolution yet.) If you have any information that might help catch the attackers, please contact SPD. (added) Their report says two school-security employees who were present told police they hadn’t seen anyone else in the area.

STOLEN CAR: Maybe you’ve seen Monica‘s car, stolen this morning?

On March 17 between midnight and 8 am my 1993 Subaru Legacy Wagon was stolen from outside my residence between 40th and 41st Ave SW on Brandon St. The car is maroon in color, license plate 244-YZB, with an “Others Like Us” face sticker on the driver’s side window. Nothing of value inside or out, just a trusty old car.

A police report is filed.

Rebecca March 17, 2015 (7:13 pm)

Obvious question perhaps, but what about the security guard the victim mentioned? If the school does employ a guard at night, shouldn’t there be a record of who this person is, and are police questioning this person? I imagine that is what you were alluding to when you mentioned the Seattle public schools inquiry?

WSB March 17, 2015 (7:24 pm)

There were two school security employees present, according to the police report on the case, which quotes them as saying that they didn’t see anyone else on the roof. Sorry, I meant to add that to the narrative.

sc March 17, 2015 (7:22 pm)

Security said to get off the roof and he didn’t.
Should the police have been called then?
And isn’t this trespassing?

WSB March 17, 2015 (7:30 pm)

SC – police were called at some point about a skateboarder on the roof – I actually heard that via scanner and tweeted it on Saturday night; sometimes we tweet unusual things we hear on the scanner. Much, however, is not monitorable by scanner any more – police communicate via cell phone, via computers. And yes, it is a trespassing investigation as well as a robbery/assault investigation.

h March 17, 2015 (7:42 pm)

What the he**? Who does stuff like this? I hope that kid is okay.

Alan March 17, 2015 (7:59 pm)

It’s hard to believe someone would skateboard that roof and refuse to leave, but it doesn’t justify what happened to him. It is also hard to believe that the guards didn’t keep an eye on him after he was told to leave, while waiting for the police. That they “didn’t see anybody else” sounds like something out of prison scene of a bad movie.

zf March 17, 2015 (8:38 pm)

This sounds insane! What is going on over there? Certainly the police should have been called when he wouldn’t leave. Sounds like EVERYBODY had poor judgement here, except possible the firefighters!

cj March 17, 2015 (9:08 pm)

When I first moved to Seattle I worked for a security contract company. I remember doing a gig at Chief Sealth for a school dance[serious eye opener]. I will just say this, there should be a record of contract security if the school it self does not employ them as regular staff.

Skate board on roof, attitude instead of leaving … really bad idea as he could have been arrested. The beat up crew however needs to be investigated IMHO.

Gabby March 17, 2015 (10:03 pm)

YES the beat up crew needs to be investigated – AND arrested and charged for robbery and assault. And maybe even charged with something more serious.

Trespassing is a far less serious crime than assault and robbery. This kid may have a few screws loose skateboarding on a school roof at night, but whoever beat him up to the point of him losing consciousness needs to do serious time.

sc March 18, 2015 (6:16 am)

If the fire fighters needed a ladder to get to him how did everybody else get on the roof?

Insanity Rules March 18, 2015 (9:31 am)

Really sc? The Fire Fighters are Union Workers they need to follow the rules. No one else here seems to. Have you ever heard of Parkour?

Sharon March 18, 2015 (9:38 am)

Trespassing vs assault. Its a no-brainer folks. These “security guards” need to be investigated. With all the “activity” around Denny and Sealth, there should be video. SPS needs to step up and show video. What kind of guards are they that they didn’t see anything in the area?

Alan March 18, 2015 (10:39 am)

Yes, I’m sure that everyone involved “parkoured” their way onto the roof, except the firemen. Even elementary school kids find ways onto school roofs that don’t involve ninja-like skills. If the firemen had to go onto the roof to help the kid, they probably planned to help him off as well. No ladder kicking around the school is going to support that kind of weight, so of course they are going to use their own.

WSB March 18, 2015 (10:55 am)

The police report mentioned wooden pallets, with the inference that they might have been what the teenager used to get onto the roof.

The Truth March 18, 2015 (2:59 pm)

Alan,

I actually laughed out loud when I read your comment. Thanks for that!!!

sc March 18, 2015 (8:42 pm)

“Stupid is as stupid does.”
–
Forest Gump
–

Eric March 20, 2015 (12:22 pm)

Wait, a security guard asked the kid to get down. Came back with three Samoan that the guard claimed were relatives, who best kid. Later it was said that the two guards there didn’t see anyone else that night, yet police were called. Either someone was impersonating a guard or one of the two parties is lying

WSB March 20, 2015 (12:29 pm)

No, the three reported attacker/robbers claimed the guard was a relative, according to the victim. The guard is not quoted as saying anything but, get off the roof.

Sorry, comment time is over.