Four reports/updates in West Seattle Crime Watch:

POLICE AT WESTWOOD VILLAGE: A few people asked us about a big response on the east side of the center earlier this afternoon. Police responded after a man called 911 to report that someone he didn’t know showed a gun and threatened him, in or near the WWV QFC. They eventually took a suspect into custody but were continuing to search for the gun. No injuries, no shots fired.

Hours earlier, not far away …

CONFIRMED GUNFIRE: If you thought you heard gunshots in the Westwood area late last night – you did.

We went to the area after hearing a snippet of scanner traffic mentioning “shell casings found at 26th/Trenton”; when we took the quick camera photo you see above, police were apparently finishing their search, because by the time we circled around to go into the lot and park, they had left. Today, we confirmed with SPD media relations that it originated as a report of gunfire heard; no injuries, no damage, shell casings found in the street and collected as evidence.

FOLLOWUP – BURGLARY SUSPECT CHARGED: Last week, police reported arresting a 36-year-old man found inside a vacant West Seattle house “staged for sale” at 36th SW/SW Morgan. They also reported finding a variety of car-prowl loot. We followed up on the person who was arrested and discovered that he had been arrested three other times since the start of the year but had not been charged in any of those cases. In this one, however, the suspect, 36-year-old Nicholas D. Watson, is now charged with one count of residential burglary and one count of second-degree vehicle prowling. Court documents confirm the house he was found in is the former longtime problem house that was sold last year and renovated, and say that the car-prowling incident happened February 11th in the 7000 block of 30th Place SW. They allege that Watson was found in the 36th SW house with a backpack full of items including some belonging to that car-prowl victim. He is reported to have told officers he tried to use 10 stolen cards to buy things but was unsuccessful. The police narrative in the court documents also says:

There were various other pieces of ID and credit cards belonging to people other than Watson that he admitted he took from various other car prowls in West Seattle. He could not remember specific car prowls and the names on the cards did not return to any Seattle Police reports. He stated he did not know them and knew he did not have permission to possess them.

The King County Jail Register shows Watson is still in custody.

Not far from where that burglary happened …

CAR PROWLERS: From Lindsey:

This was in the east alley at 37th Ave between Graham & Morgan. This happened in the early hours of this morning, 2/20, between 12:00 AM and 1:30 AM.

These two individuals walked up to my truck parked next to my detached garage, tried to open it, looked around, and left. They returned about an hour and a half later, forcefully broke into the truck camper, and stole a valuable Festool sander I use in my business as well as some miscellaneous small tools.

The victim says she already has received tips about the possible identity of one prowler from a neighborhood list. He has not been arrested or charged so far as we know, but if you have information, the police incident # is 18-063199.

REMINDER – CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL TONIGHT: One more reminder that the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, which regularly includes Q-and-A time with local police as well as updates on local trends and incidents, is at 7 pm tonight at the Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster).