WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen car, trailer, birthday-present package

| Crime | West Seattle news

Three West Seattle Crime Watch reports:

STOLEN CAR: Taken near 56th/Alki around mid-morning Thursday, a black 2011 2-door BWM 128i cloth top convertible.” Photo of its plate:

Call 911 if you see it.

STOLEN TRAILER: The photo and report are from Cary:

My 1978 Aros utility trailer was stolen sometime between 9/18- 9/21 in the back alley between the 5400 block of SW 46th and 47th. Any information would be greatly appreciated as I just purchased the trailer a month ago.

STOLEN PACKAGE: Matthew‘s video tells the story of the theft of a package containing his child’s birthday present:

He says it happened near 51st SW and SW Edmunds; if you have any tips about the thief’s identity, you can refer to police report # 17-350167.

Alki Resident September 22, 2017 (2:54 pm)

Matthew, incredible clear footage. What is your camera brand please? I’m sorry for your sons present theft.

waikikigirl September 22, 2017 (3:02 pm)

To the B.Day package thief…too late sucker you didn’t cover your face soon enough!!! Hopefully whomever knows this guy will do the right thing and turn him in!

Al September 22, 2017 (3:34 pm)

We need to catch this person….bigtime

Carole September 22, 2017 (4:20 pm)

That looks like an Amazon box. If Amazon delivers (vs ups or fed ex) they just drop the package..no knock, no doorbell. I schedule all Amazon deliveries to one of their lockbox locations. There are several in WS.

sam September 22, 2017 (4:20 pm)

Regarding the thief caught on camera, the car appears to me to be a late model 1989-1993 Subaru Legacy wagon.

Chris September 22, 2017 (5:09 pm)

That is a very impressive video. Very well done. Believing to catch this guy too. Wishing your 8 year old a happy birthday despite it all. May all go well for you and your family in the future.

Seattlite September 22, 2017 (8:12 pm)

Great video especially when the criminal looked straight into the camera. I hope they catch him!

Out for a Walk September 22, 2017 (8:44 pm)

An amazing video. You’re obviously an expert on putting things like this together. You, we, the community will find this thief.

TJ September 23, 2017 (9:57 am)

A great shot of his face. Obviously somebody would recognize him if they happened to see the video. All these videos I have seen, and yet the vast majority don’t seem to get solved. Video just turns out to be a cruel reminder to the homeowners. This guy knew there was a camera and still followed through on the theft.

Nik September 23, 2017 (1:39 pm)

When this happened to me, we printed flyers with the guys picture and stapled them to light poles. The guy lived 4 blocks away and was caught. Horrible person.

Mitch September 23, 2017 (8:10 pm)

C’mon, folks. This guy is obviously pretty pathetic, but Holly Moses, this ridiculously melodramatic video makes it look like The Beast himself has arrived. So he unwittingly took a kids birthday present. Boo hoo. It’s not like he stole the kids soul. He’s a common thief, like all the common thieves before him. And not worthy of the rage this kind of thing seems to trigger in so many. And certainly not worthy of the operatic biblical treatment the video gave it.

Misunderstood September 24, 2017 (1:20 pm)

Right, Mitch. He actually knew what it was, but only took it to give to an even less fortunate 7 year old- so he’s kind of like Robin Hood. Is that what you’re going for, Mitch?

Mitch September 24, 2017 (2:10 pm)

I watched this video again just to see if it was as awful as I remembered it, and sure enough, it’s as overwrought and inflammatory the second time around as the first. I literally laughed out loud when the angels began singing as the text implored us to never let this happen to another 8 year old (here’s a parenting tip: don’t tell the kid and buy him another present).

But unintended humor aside, it’s the intentionally ugly tone of the video that’s the real problem. I’m a professional filmmaker and have spent many years sitting at the editing bench going over footage frame by frame. And although this video was done by an amateur, the editor knew enough to go through the footage and pick the least flattering freeze frames from it. It’s not rocket science, just tedious. And then he zoomed in on the stills, making them grainier and darker and more sinister looking. Mix in a little apocalyptic music, some ominous and maudlin text, and voila, you’ve got a way too long video intentionally designed to generate fear and hatred.

And I’m disappointed the WSB would allow inflammatory statements like “immoral deplorables like this” in reference to a perp to be included in their otherwise excellent reporting. The clip spoke for itself. The edited version was Willy Horton stuff. You’re better than that.

Jim September 24, 2017 (3:44 pm)

Mitch, some societies would cut off this guys hand for stealing what isn’t his. I think we can all tolerate a little “melodrama” from the ones he stole from, rather than tolerate “common thieves.”

Mitch September 25, 2017 (1:37 pm)

If it helps, the guy looks terrified to me, like most common thieves probably are when they do this stuff. I can only imagine what might drive them to it. I’m not particularly sympathetic to his type, but they’ve been around forever and the odds are that we’re probably all going to be a victim at some point in our long and generally very safe lives. It’s happened to me several times (lawnmower, laptop, nice jacket). I was a random target. Nothing personal. Could even be mentally ill, like the guy in the video might be, based on his odd walk and other mannerisms. No need to call in the angels, like West Seattle’s Cecil B. DeMille seems to have found necessary.

And think of it this way; can you imagine how disappointed this guy must have been when he opened up the package and instead of the iPhone or jewelry he was dreaming of it contained a box of Pokemon cards? That’s poetic justice, at least, if not the other kind.
- Ash Lemmon October 9, 2017 (11:47 pm)
  
  Thank you Mitch,
  
  I NEVER respond to these I just really felt grateful someone else is willing to be a voice of reason in our community. Things are not as black and white as many of the angry people I end up reading about every day, there are a lot of grey perspectives. Seattle is known for being understanding of people with different issues and just because you can’t see mental illness like you can some one with cancer, it doesn’t make the pain any less real and more likely to be fatal with less effective treatment available. We all have our own struggles and I don’t want my future to end with being in the shoes of some one desperate enough to steal packages to survive. 99% of actions that cause me to feel attacked or insulted have no thing to do with me , and having a childhood filled with religious education my understanding is that the goal was to be non judgemental compassionate and even generous to those that feel they need to steak to survive, most people just want to be accepted , hurt people ….hurt people. Perhaps if you find someone stealing you could ask them what they need, like Les miserable, an act of kindness or even of Christianity can go a long way to give hope to someone who is that desperate.
  
  There are some truly dangerous disturbed people in every society but most people are just doing the best they can with what they know. I’m not pro enabling people to just live off others but an occasional act of undeserved kindness to someone who is obviously at the lowest point in their life can’t do more harm than vilifying them in this manner.
  
  Thank you for being brave enough to express what should be common sense to those that claim to be religious instead of the standard angry blaming hypocrisy.

Sorry, comment time is over.