West Seattle Crime Watch: Police search for bike thief in Delridge

10:21 PM: Thanks for the tips about the police search in Delridge – we’ve just gone to the area where police with K9 are searching, the 26th/Brandon vicinity, to find out more. They tell us they are looking for a suspected thief, after recovering a stolen bicycle. The Guardian One helicopter is joining them. The man they’re looking for is described as in his 50s, white, 6′ tall, with a white beard. More as we get it.

11:13 PM: Helicopter has moved on after exhausting the possibilities in the area. No report of an arrest so far.

ADDED 11:03 AM: As promised, we contacted SPD’s media office this morning for more details. From Det. Mark Jamieson:

A victim called 911 to report seeing his recently (unreported) stolen bicycle being pushed past his location in the 7100 block of Delridge Way SW. He called out to the suspect, who fled the scene riding the bicycle northbound. Officers conducted an area check and located the suspect in the 5400 block Delridge Way SW. The suspect observed officers in the area and, again, fled the scene. He was observed in the 5400 block of 26 Ave SW before losing sight of him. Containment was set up and a K9 track was established. K9 observed the suspect in the nearby wooded area, but due to the terrain and natural obstacles, the suspect managed to elude the officers. K9 located the stolen bicycle, which was returned to the owner. The suspect was not located after an extensive area check with assistance of Guardian One.

72 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Police search for bike thief in Delridge"

  • CRD December 4, 2018 (10:29 pm)

    Wow, big response for a bike thief. As a previous victim of bike theft myself, I have to offer a huge ‘thank you’ to SPD! Get ’em!

  • pdid December 4, 2018 (10:31 pm)

    Chopper to find a bike?

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (10:37 pm)

      The bicycle’s already been found and recovered. They’re looking for the suspect.

    • Rick December 5, 2018 (10:59 am)

      Maybe the “bike” was a chopper?

  • That's a big response December 4, 2018 (10:31 pm)

    There’s gotta be more to it than that if they’ve got the helicopter hovering over my house… 

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (10:36 pm)

      No, that’s what they told us and what I subsequently heard on the scanner. Don’t know the exact circumstances of the theft – when police are in the thick of a search, words are few; unless the owner happens to weigh in on this, that will probably have to await the written report tomorrow.

  • West seattle guy December 4, 2018 (10:32 pm)

    Sounds like Guardian One is assisting?  Helicopter looming up above.

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (10:33 pm)

      Yes, that’s been in the story since I published it …

  • Jen December 4, 2018 (10:35 pm)

    Seriously?? All this for a bike?! Come on, it’s bed time!! 

    • NorthArdmiralGuuy December 4, 2018 (11:54 pm)

      No such thing as a bedtime for the police or ambulance or fire! 

  • Jason Barrett December 4, 2018 (10:36 pm)

    All this for a stolen bicycle?

  • Mommaofthree December 4, 2018 (10:41 pm)

    I’m surprised that there is this much response for a bike thief. Bikes get stolen, literally, SO often that most times you will be advised to just call the non emergency line and phone report. I wonder if there’s more to the story. Guess I’ll have to be patient. 

  • Snake Hill December 4, 2018 (10:41 pm)

    They have been searching for quite awhile now. Seems strange for simply a bike theft.thanks WSB for the update.

  • lk December 4, 2018 (10:44 pm)

    K9 unit just went through our backyard.  Helicopter + K9 does seem like a heavy response for ‘just’ a bike.  Granted, ‘just a bike’ can mean mean a surprising amount of $$ on the owner’s end.  

  • Rafael December 4, 2018 (10:47 pm)

    Bike: $100 air search support: $5,000 payment: tax payer Doesn’t t add up 

    • Mike December 4, 2018 (11:58 pm)

      $100 Bike?  Not sure you know how much some bikes cost.  My bicycle is worth more than my Subaru. #firstworldproblems

  • KK December 4, 2018 (10:48 pm)

    What is the cost to run Guardian One? This is an expensive manhunt! 

  • Jenava Sexton December 4, 2018 (10:50 pm)

    Bike thieves beware, I guess….we take that kind of thing seriously!   I just pray they dont wake my kids up.

  • Daniel December 4, 2018 (10:50 pm)

    It’s nearly 11pm one of the helis has been circling for about an hour.. for a bicycle..? Wow. I’m still watching it go in circles.. noisy!

  • MDB December 4, 2018 (10:52 pm)

    It seems like after 35-40+circles you might call it a loss….!

  • Keri December 4, 2018 (10:52 pm)

    LOL over a bike?? Seems like a waste of money.  Must be a real special bike or a very wealthy owner.  Still, a k-9 and Guardian 1?? I guess we know why the homeless are going to freeze tonight.

    • Eddie December 5, 2018 (8:22 am)

      This reply makes me angry. Everyone complains about “how bad the crime is”, but when the hard working police make some noise over what seems like “…just a bike theft”, now it’s a “waste of money”, “special bike”, “wealthy owner” (really, a wealthy person can summon the police helicopter at whim????), homeless freezing hyperbole.Surprised I haven’t read the “…check the homeless camp, I see a lot of (supposedly stolen) bikes there…”.Get a grip!

  • John December 4, 2018 (10:54 pm)

    Making West Seattle safe one chopper at a time!

  • Dahir December 4, 2018 (10:56 pm)

    The moral of this story is to not steal a bike. They’ll get you with a K-9 unit and helicopter. You can steal but you can’t hide. Eager to see an update on this. 

    • p December 5, 2018 (9:03 am)

      UPDATE: You can steal and you can hide.

  • Cheryl Cole December 4, 2018 (10:58 pm)

    There is a left bike in my yard on 25th and Juneau – I was not sure who it belongs to.  

    • Diana December 6, 2018 (6:21 pm)

      Would it happen to be white with fat tires? Because someone stole my bike a few years ago around the area.

  • Daniel December 4, 2018 (11:00 pm)

    Aren’t there multiple choppers? Been seeing one hovering in the distance.. I assume it’s a heli it has flashing lights and it’s too bright to be a star..

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (11:03 pm)

      No, there is only one law enforcement helicopter in King County, Guardian One. (It has a backup, Guardian Two, that is more often used in search and rescue missions.) Media choppers don’t fly at this hour except for the occasional special event such as 4th of July/New Year’s fireworks broadcasts. If you think you are hearing another one somewhere, there’s a Lifeflight helicopter that often passes over around this time of night, but it would be unrelated. – TR

      • Daniel December 4, 2018 (11:06 pm)

        I don’t hear it.. I just see weird shimmering flashing lights in the sky looks pretty distant but it hasn’t moved and I was assuming it was another helicopter.

  • Hmm December 4, 2018 (11:01 pm)

    I’m thinking we’ll wake up to more of a story, too, I mean should we get to sleep at some point. I have a nice bike that I’m very attached to, but if it were stolen, and SPD said they were gonna dispatch Guardian One at 10:30pm, I’d be like, “Or you could just give me the 1/100 or less of the money it costs to get an even nicer a new one and let my neighbors get to sleep.” 😂 Looking forward to the real story!

  • SJ December 4, 2018 (11:01 pm)

    Are they searching the Longfellow Creek? I live on 30th between Findlay and Juneau and that chopper is very loud!

  • AlyPie December 4, 2018 (11:02 pm)

    No way this is all for a stupid bike…

  • RedHeadedGal December 4, 2018 (11:03 pm)

    Wow.I am in Morgan Junction and the helicopter is right above my place.We can’t get rid of violent predators harassing kids and screaming obscenities at neighbors by a school or the Junction…but SPD goes all out for a f’n bike?I’ve sent approximately 70 photos, with geotags, of bikes, cars, and boxes of delivered items in the last few months only to have near zero reaction or help to find out what we can do to curb this rampant crime. Last night, a guy zipped in front of my car, no seat, helmet strapped and locked on to where the seat would be, obviously NOT the owner of the bike….and you know what? It wasn’t worth bothering the cops over. The helicopter is still circling above.I sent photos to Lime bike, again with geotags, to show them where their bikes are stuffed in piles in West Seattle and along 1st Avenue.They were grateful. And yes, they are frustrated that they, too, aren’t getting help with law enforcement even though these bikes can be tracked to criminall active hotspots all the time.I just don’t get this city at all.I don’t even like most bikers because they’re unsafe and think they own the road while dressing like Lance Armstrong wanna-bes.But, my gut aches seeing an adult riding a kid’s bike they just stole. 

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (11:12 pm)

      The response is dependent on what’s happening at the time and what’s available. The helicopter isn’t always up/available – sitting next to the scanner many hours every day, I have heard it often requested but unavailable (as was the case earlier this evening in a different incident, outside Seattle, I believe). Sometimes it shows up on things that seem fairly low-level because it happened to be in the area and the crew jumps on the radio to ask if they can help. It also visits schools on occasion.
      http://whitecenternow.com/2015/04/29/video-king-county-sheriffs-office-north-highline-fire-district-amr-ambulance-other-safety-specialists-visit-white-center-heights-elementary/

    • Jort December 4, 2018 (11:22 pm)

      Just an FYI for you: cyclists “own the road” just as much as car drivers do. This is codified in state law. If you don’t like sharing the road with cyclists, you’re out of luck. 

    • Jort December 4, 2018 (11:25 pm)

      Also, when you say you don’t like cyclists because they’re “unsafe,” keep in mind that car drivers are one of America’s leading causes of deaths and serious injuries in America. Not cyclists, who kill roughly zero people with their bikes. 

    • Eddie December 5, 2018 (8:25 am)

      This reply makes me angry also.  Get over your bike hate!

      • ak December 5, 2018 (1:40 pm)

        lol, also apparently you need to be able to win the Tour de France in order to enjoy cycling

    • Kathy December 5, 2018 (3:34 pm)

      Redheadedgal, you should be down on your knees thanking everyone who gets around by bicycle and begging the city to put bike lanes on every street in order to save yourself from global climate/environmental disaster that has been brought on by the moneyed interests who designed our country to be dependent on transportation by private automobile.  I am sorry to hear you don’t like bike riders. If you see one you think is unsafe, please drive more carefully, practice using your patience, pass at a safe distance (at least 3 feet) and YOU be the safe one by never driving over the speed limit.  Obey speed limits to protect people walking and biking.

  • Jonathan December 4, 2018 (11:04 pm)

    Those of you under the copter might be thinking the same thing as me, there’s a dude who lives in the area, matches the description, and is literally always on a different bike or with people who are. I gave a tip to non emergency, but if the bike owner actually saw the perp, maybe they could verify?

  • Mark Price December 4, 2018 (11:04 pm)

    Must be Jenny Durkan’s bike. My car gets broken into and they don’t even bother to send anybody out at all.

    • Swede. December 5, 2018 (5:43 am)

      Good point! It definitely must be more to it than just a stolen bicycle. Burning $2500/hour and the resources of having the chopper up seams strange. 

  • K Murdock December 4, 2018 (11:04 pm)

    26th and Juneau.. still flying around; maybe they’re finally responding to my request(s) to get rid of the illegal campers in the green belt off of the Longfellow Creek trail..across from the Delridge Substation;.. burning fires now.. needles in my dog’s play field; unleashed ..unlicensed dogs attacking my dog from their campsite…constant traffic late at night in and out.. afraid to walk my dog late… Tired of it!!!! my husband found a gas can w hose to steal gas … have reported this so many times.. no one is listening 😡

    • Marietta December 5, 2018 (1:09 pm)

      Your dog has a playfield? 

    • Chris December 5, 2018 (4:44 pm)

      SPD has successfully moved 3 campers from that area in the last year. Are there more there now? If there’s new activity I’m confident we can get it addressed based on the response lately.

  • RedHeadedGal December 4, 2018 (11:07 pm)

    Jesus. That formatting sucks. Please ignore how crappy my note looks. I blame the helicopter for the lack of better formatting.

  • Anonymous December 4, 2018 (11:07 pm)

    Have they found the suspect yet? I don’t hear the helicopter anymore?

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (11:13 pm)

      Helicopter had pretty much exhausted the possibilities an left.

  • Soda & Pop Rocks December 4, 2018 (11:14 pm)

    The suspect description sounds suspiciously like Gandalf, and he has vanished. Put the whirlybird back on its perch.

  • hj December 4, 2018 (11:18 pm)

    I want to give a counter-perspective to all the “all this for just a bike?????” posters. There’s a lot of vehicle crime in WS, and when someone gets their car or truck stolen, there’s a certain amount of “I need a car for my job” and “I need a car to go to the doctor” or whatever. Has it occurred to you that maybe there are people for which a bike is as equally as important? I hear a lot of talk about staying local and not needing to leave the peninsula and a bike is a perfect tool for that, but when one gets stolen all you can do is whine and complain? We’re all in this together.

    • PangolinPie December 5, 2018 (9:05 am)

      HJ, I think the surprise is that when someone gets a car or truck stolen, there’s nowhere near this level of cop response, not that a bike doesn’t deserve it. Ideally there would be full police response any time a property crime occurs, but in reality they might swing by hours or days later, if at all.

  • Anonymous December 4, 2018 (11:20 pm)

    Is the suspect at large still?

    • WSB December 4, 2018 (11:31 pm)

      Far as I know. Have been continuously monitoring and have not heard anything further (aside from the helicopter moving on).

  • Buttercup December 5, 2018 (8:26 am)

    Since the bike was already recov÷red before search and the suspect was known to police, could it be that he had a warrant or person of interest in something else. Let’s all support our police to do their job and stop complaining. People complain and bitch when they say they don’t do their job and when they do take a look at what your messaging. I’m glad they are taking the time to do this. We need West Seattle to return to low crime.

  • Kim December 5, 2018 (9:02 am)

    My bike cost more than my car.  And I have epilepsy so biking is my mode of transportation at the moment. Thank you to Seattle PD for putting some effort into catching this thief. 

  • anonyme December 5, 2018 (9:18 am)

    Nothing screams “loser!” like a 50 year old bicycle thief.

  • Mj December 5, 2018 (9:18 am)

    I hope they catch the thief and prosecute the blank out of him.  As a victim of a bike theft its very frustrating the lack of aggressive police response.  Personally, I hope this response is a harbinger of the future enforcement.  Many people choose bikes, that can cost thousands of dollars, as their primary transportation mode and bike theft needs to be stopped.

    • LJ December 5, 2018 (3:13 pm)

      Totally. I’m glad that they did everything they could, and happy that the bike was returned to the owner. Bummer he wasn’t caught, but hopefully he’ll think twice before doing it again. Bike theft is frustrating and out of control, and whoever thinks that it’s “just a bike” has clearly never had their $1k+ bike stolen from them, never to be seen again. 

    • Mike is that you December 16, 2018 (5:01 am)

      Mike Johnson? What up yo! What are you all About?seen my bike 🤔

  • Rick December 5, 2018 (10:55 am)

    So my fancy expensive bike (just assuming)is worthy of an all out Police,K9,helicopter search when my 29.00 garage sale bike isn’t?  Guess I’d better trade in my old 2006 Ford Explorer for a brand new Tesla so I can get the protection I deserve. I feel better already, but am now living in the Tesla. But that’s OK, because it’s my home. Just don’t have that 29.00 bike to get to and from anymore.

  • WSB December 5, 2018 (11:03 am)

    Just in, report recap, adding above.

  • Marjorie December 5, 2018 (11:15 am)

    @Rafael…my husbands bike was  well worth over 10k

  • Lisa December 5, 2018 (1:59 pm)

    If cracking down on theft were a regular thing, I’d be happy. Only time will tell in terms of that. But what I find interesting is “all this” for a bike the owner couldn’t be bothered to report stolen.

    • WSB December 5, 2018 (2:23 pm)

      Before judging the theft victim, please note that “unreported” could mean it was stolen five minutes earlier and not reported yet. OR five weeks/months earlier. “Unreported stolen” is a phrase often heard on police radio when officers find a vehicle that hasn’t been reported as stolen yet because the owner didn’t know it was stolen (turns up abandoned early in the morning). That said, PLEASE report any and all crimes, large and small. SPD is increasingly “data-driven” and if it’s not in the system, it didn’t happen. As for the level of response, one more point I meant to make somewhere: When something is happening NOW – depending on responder availability – that is a different level of response than something that happened hours or days earlier. – TR

  • Marietta December 5, 2018 (2:07 pm)

    I think the bigger story everyone is missing here is that this person is obviously an uncatchable shapeshifter from the future. He’s like a Michael Caine jewel thief. No matter what you throw at him-  dogs, copters, etc- he cannot be taken.. Except by a rogue unemployed future cop, who has been disowned by loved ones. 

  • Steve December 5, 2018 (2:59 pm)

    To all these people who ask ‘why all this for a bike?’ Chances are this is not his only crime and he will commit more crimes. I am sure he doesn’t just do only bike thefts. Use your brain.

    • datamuse December 5, 2018 (5:37 pm)

      I’m sure you’re right. I like Marietta’s theory, though. ;)

  • Graciano December 5, 2018 (3:34 pm)

    We all know that if the SPD didn’t show up until like 1/2 hour later or never at all there’d still be complainers here making posts…you’re da*med if you do and you’re da*med if you don’t.

  • Ho ho ho! December 5, 2018 (6:11 pm)

    Shape shifter from the future?  Gandolf?  Come on, it’s Christmas time.  I hope the police are checking chimneys too!  It’s that time of year for older white males with white beards who look like they are in their 50s when really they are ageless.  Any reports about reindeer without leashes around the same time?

  • Suzanne December 5, 2018 (6:25 pm)

    What odd replies.  It’s a crime.  It something expensive, possibly you primary transportation, got stolen, you’d want to let the criminal get away with it because it costs too much for law enforcement to do their job?

  • WS Mom December 5, 2018 (8:12 pm)

    I am grateful, plain and simple, to our terrific Seattle Police Dept and Guardian 1.  Cheers.  No jeers.  Just too bad they didn’t get the creep who managed to elude the search.  Wish my son’s stolen bicycle had also been recovered, that he saved up all his gift money and part time job earnings to buy the expensive parts and build carefully over many months, only to have it stolen from a locked garage.

Sorry, comment time is over.