West Seattle Crime Watch: Door-kick burglary

| Crime | Gatewood | West Seattle news

The photo and report are from Lauren, whose house was burglarized this morning:

We live in the Gatewood neighborhood on California Ave SW and SW Webster. While my boyfriend and I were at work, the house was broken into via the back door. It was kicked in and the panels that create the lower portion of the door collapsed. The only thing we have found stolen at this time was my wooden standing jewelry box/cabinet.

I’m pretty upset because most of my jewelry was not expensive, but sentimental. They got my watches, hair combs, costume jewelry, and some select few pieces of nice jewelry. I will keep an eye on the blog in case random bits get trashed or left in an alleyway, etc. The window for the break-in occurring was very small- I left for work at 7:30 am and my boyfriend returned at 11:30 am to meet a repairman for our dryer.

We’ll add the police report # when we get it from Lauren. (Update: 18-323552)

waikikigirl August 30, 2018 (5:54 pm)

Someone tried kicking in our front door awhile back and the police said the only thing that saved us was the extra long screws we used on the door jamb/knob. With the type of door you have Lauren Don’t think anything would had stopped them from kicking it in. :>( Replace it with a solid wood or steel door and extra long screws!

Martyn August 30, 2018 (9:08 pm)

This is virtually identical to a break in at our house close by last year, same method of break in and only jewellery taken too. We caught the person that broke in on our ring door bell but the police have done nothing (incident #17-432859) in the way of follow-up. We did report it on here but I can’t find the linkWe we’re convinced that someone knew where to look to find the jewlerly too as they went straight to it, nothing else touched – we had a lot of contractors in our house in the months before the break-in inc. a new cleaner that we discontinued. If anything above resonates let’s discuss.

John August 30, 2018 (10:27 pm)

I highly recommend one of these. I use them on all my doors. It was what my father used to protect his business in New York and the thieves could not get through during an attempted break-in. Also get good deadbolts and deeper screws https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y65VMVM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_B8mIBbP5J4R46

Mj August 30, 2018 (10:31 pm)

MartynI hear your frustration with lack of follow up. The system is broken, most SPD officers I have chatted with are also frustrated. They catch and arrest criminals only to catch them again a few months later after they are released.Enforcement double standard is also an item that needs to be corrected, that in part gets back to the catch and release problem.Frustration by citizens hopefully will lead to a different response to criminals, personally criminals need to be put in prison and made to work behind bars or with non violent prisoners litter clean up duty is good

M September 1, 2018 (9:31 am)

This happened to my friend in Queen Anne just a few days after she had the lock on her front door repaired. The guy who came to change her lock was a total creep but she didn’t want to be rude so didn’t turn him away. A couple days later someone just kicked out the door and the lock came off with the door and part of the door frame. She’s pretty sure it was the same guy but couldn’t prove it. Just awful.