WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Purse taken at gas station; packages stolen from porch; more…

GAS-STATION PURSE THEFT: Mary Lou reports that someone stole her purse from her car while she was getting fuel at the (corrected location) 41st SW/Admiral Way service station. It happened in broad daylight – around 1:30 this afternoon. No surveillance video available (she asked).

PACKAGES TAKEN: Also in the Admiral area, Nate shares this security-camera video of packages being taken from his porch around quarter till 6 last night near 47th/Admiral. He says others in his neighborhood have reported thefts, too.

And from the SPD files:

ANOTHER HOLDUP: Here’s a street robbery we didn’t hear about until now – just found it while checking SPD online reports for the handful of days-later narratives posted each week. It happened around 1:20 am last Saturday (January 20th) in a parking lot near California SW/SW Edmunds. A man told police he was walking to his apartment after leaving a party when a masked man jumped out of a car, showed a gun, and demanded his phone and wallet. He threw them on the ground and the robber took them, along with his wristwatch, and got away in a white Honda Accord. After getting back to his apartment, the victim used a “find my iPhone” app to track his phone to a nightclub in SODO. Police found the white Honda Accord – which turned out to be stolen – there, but no suspect, and the phone was no longer trackable. The victim’s cards showed a purchase made at a 7-11 in the Rainier Valley area; police looked there too, and impounded the stolen car, while planning to pursue video evidence. No indication of arrests so far.

Chris January 28, 2018 (8:01 am)

After hearing about things being stolen out of cars while filling gas, we have made a habit out of always locking the car while filling our gas tank.

Hopefully this helps someone.

Travelinggranny January 28, 2018 (7:10 pm)

Amazing to watch the UPS driver place packages on porches. A few minutes later, someone pulls up, gets out of their car and takes packages. Then they continue on following the UPS truck. Repeat. Cameras are no threat to these bold face theives. STOP having your packages delivered to your house!

they January 29, 2018 (10:26 am)

Wow, someone points a gun at one of our neighbors robs them of there belongings and it doesn’t even make the headlines over packages and purses.

WSB January 29, 2018 (10:39 am)

Thanks for the critique but we generally prioritize by chronological order, and that incident was a full week old before we just happened onto the report, buried on the police website. Wish we had heard about it closer to when it happened, but not a word from anyone, either witnesses or victim, so by this point it’s an FYI as much as anything. The next night, we did hear about a street robbery shortly after it happened, and covered it in “real time.” – TR
miws January 29, 2018 (11:01 am)

Yet again, an example of the importance of collaboration. Witness an incident? First, call 911 if applicable, then contact WSB. WSB does amazing work at keeping the community informed of so many goings-on.

But, primary resources aren’t always on top of informing the media or the public on situations, getting further details from the primary sources may not be available on weekends/holidays, and WSB doesn’t have the time to dig deeply into the info out there searching for incidents that they may not have been informed of immediately after they occurred. and may not have been prominently displayed agency reports.

Mike