West Seattle Crime Watch: The case of the leaping prowler

| Crime | West Seattle news

Recognize that man? A neighbor took the photos as he leaped off the fence and out of the yard where he’d been prowling, at Jennifer‘s home:

My husband spotted a prowler in our yard on 38th Ave SW (between Edmunds and Hudson) at approximately 6:20 p.m. today. Pretty brazen considering everyone was home and cooking dinner in a kitchen overlooking the yard! He was stumbling around in our garden and my husband yelled at him. Our neighbor happened to be walking down the alley and got these pictures of him jumping our fence to leave via the alley. He headed east toward The Mount.

Another neighbor who e-mailed us about this says police later found a knife in the area. If you have information about the prowlers identity, the SPD incident number to refer to is 16-166064.

Kravitz May 13, 2016 (6:10 am)

This is seriously frightening. Great photos by the neighbor – hopefully this jerk will be identified and caught. Of course, he’ll probably be right back out doing it again…what is happening to our community?

justme May 13, 2016 (7:27 am)

Might be a case of the peeping toms. Very creepy.

John May 13, 2016 (8:12 am)

Absolutely incredible documentary photos.

Impressive (and risky?) presence of mind and position of the brave neighbor/photographer.

Thanks.

AmandaKH May 13, 2016 (8:45 am)

It’s not just our community, it’s communities all over. The rise in drug use is skyrocketing, and it leads to guys like this being ultra brazen looking for money (or things to sell) in order to stay high.

Willistheclown May 13, 2016 (9:17 am)

One of these days someone will just follow these guys (from afar or on a car), call 911 and lead to cops right to them.

John May 13, 2016 (9:36 am)

There would be nothing to charge him with. Fence jumping is not a punishable crime. It appears he did not have a backpack or obvious bag of loot.
- WSB May 13, 2016 (9:45 am)
  
  Criminal trespass, 2nd degree: https://www2.municode.com/library/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT12ACRCO_SUBTITLE_ICRCO_CH12A.08OFAGPR_12A.08.040CRTR
  - John May 13, 2016 (10:24 am)
    
    I’m no attorney.
    
    But from personal experience and the code, “ he or she knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building”, there is nothing that can or will be done.
    
    Scary as it may be, just being in someone’s yard and jumping the fence does not appear to be a crime.
    
    I once photographed a similar situation where I witnessed someone enter our neighbor’s property and attempt to open the garage door then disappeared into their backyard.
    
    When he left I photographed him from my car, but he spotted me, chased and kicked in the door as I was driving off. Another neighbor had simultaneously witnessed him trying the neighbor’s back door and had already called 911 before I did.
    
    The cops caught him within five minutes. I provided the photos of for the prosecutor.
    
    He did $1.500 damage to our volvo. He lives down the block with his grandfather and has never paid his court ordered damages to us. He claimed he was ‘handing out landscaping flyers’, but had none when arrested. Whenever he saw me, he would flip me off.
    - WSB May 13, 2016 (10:34 am)
      
      Building is first degree. “Premises” is second degree. I do see people on the jail register with trespassing listed as the only violation.
- Mike May 14, 2016 (7:07 am)
  
  John, don’t try and test your theory. Things that could happen, legally to you.
  
  – You are spotted and arrested, spend time in jail for trespassing.
  
  – Owner of property shoots you dead, owner is legally in the right as long as you’re not shot in the back.
  
  Don’t test your theory.
Alan May 13, 2016 (3:57 pm)

I did that once years ago. It did not go well. I believe that I was just unfortunate on the officers that were sent out as they were mad at me for following him and did NOT want the information on where I followed him to. They informed me that I had endangered myself and that the person I followed was a minor and that he may have felt threatened by me.

Beyond trespassing, a window was broken. The officers informed me that I had to have a barrier and signs stating “no trespassing” for that to be enforced. This was my worst experience with the police and what they told me may very well reflect more their personal disinterest than department policy.
- Mike May 14, 2016 (7:09 am)
  
  Alan, the police lied to you then. You do not need signs stating no trespassing.

Alan May 13, 2016 (9:35 am)

I am glad that his urge was to flee rather than fight and take the camera (phone?). Good pictures, unlike the usual sasquatch sightings we see. Somebody should recognize him.

YourAdHere May 13, 2016 (10:21 am)

Would it be possible to get the original, high quality photo? Can run it through the facebook facial recognition API to search for a match.

Krz May 13, 2016 (1:49 pm)

This is a smart idea, but I’m pretty sure the Facebook API only allows access to your own friends’ faces for matching.

waikikigirl May 13, 2016 (11:14 am)

Alan….someone might recognize him but will they turn him in, that’s the question we should all ask???

WSB…for your own property/home do we need to have it posted as private property as to be able to charge someone with trespassing? Just curious.

SoundersFan May 13, 2016 (1:21 pm)

Plant blackberries, nettles, or roses on the alley side of your fence

LivesInWS May 13, 2016 (2:05 pm)

From that link:

</blockquote>A person is guilty of criminal trespass in the second degree if he or she knowingly
enters or remains unlawfully in or upon premises of another under circumstances not
constituting criminal trespass in the first degree.</blockquote>

Does not require signage.

Bernie May 13, 2016 (2:11 pm)

AmandaKH

seem to be suggesting drugs should be given to addicts?
If there is no need to steal they wouldn’t?
Perhaps a Standard Income would help?
The problem is not the kid, it’s our society.
Crime goes down when scrambling for survival is eased.
Drug addiction goes down when people feel secure.
Private prisons and vilification makes life worse for all.
Just ask innocent Jennifer if she enjoyed being prowled.

AmandaKH May 13, 2016 (3:23 pm)

It was just a statement not an endorsement, so take it down a notch.

Chery May 13, 2016 (2:36 pm)

We had a late night or early morning prowler in a gated fenced back yard, so yes, now that I know the gazelles are active will start some new strategies for bayberry hedges. And, other.

IMHO May 13, 2016 (5:10 pm)

Nettles, definitely nettles!

Joleen May 13, 2016 (6:28 pm)

Just a note that this man was hiding under our porch in the backyard on Wednesday afternoon when I returned from work. He had been there for a few hours drinking and smoking after he was almost caught after breaking into a few homes in our neighborhood. The police searched the neighborhood after he fled but didn’t find him. Looks like he has resurfaced!! He was in the North Shorewood neighborhood around 24th Ave and 103rd St. He jumped our fence as well to flee the police.