WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Rock-throwing suspect update; mailboxes targeted

| Crime | West Seattle news

In West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

(Reader photo from Sunday night)

WHISKY WEST ROCK SUSPECT UPDATE: The man arrested for throwing three rocks through the Morgan Junction restaurant’s windows Sunday night (as first reported here Monday) had a bail hearing this afternoon. Police documents say he’s 18 but he’s listed as 19 on the jail register, which shows conditional release granted for this case – pending a potential charge of malicious mischief – but $5,100 bail set on a failure-to-appear warrant for a disorderly-conduct case last year in Kent, so he’s still in jail. Other than that case, the only record shown for him is another Kent Municipal Court case from earlier last year, no details available.

MAILBOXES TARGETED: The photo and report are from RW on 31st SW:

This morning we discovered that someone tried to break in to the postal-supplied mail boxes on 31st and Findlay overnight. They succeeded with one. Looks like they tried to pull the other two off of the supports but weren’t successful. The post office says they no longer replace them and that there is a waiting list for PO boxes. It takes 30 days to repair locks if that will work. They had no response when I asked could we mount individual boxes in front of our homes. I have lived at this address 31 years. Never have we had this problem.

REMINDER: Bring your neighborhood crime concerns/questions to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s first post-summer-hiatus meeting next Tuesday (September 17th), 7 pm, Southwest Precinct (2300 SW Webster). Besides hearing from/talking with local police, you will also get info about ID theft from a consumer-protection specialist with the state Attorney General’s Office.

Introducing our newest Genesee "neighbor" September 11, 2019 (4:47 pm)

Earlier today I got to watch a prowler enjoy the balcony of the unoccupied house next door. He had clearly used a tall ladder from their yard (which is now leaning against the balcony) but the police said they can’t go inside to check it out without the owner’s permission. We have video of him poking around the outside of the house first, but that makes no difference.They assured me the Community Police will try to get in contact with the owner. (Don’t you feel reassured?)

Joan September 11, 2019 (5:21 pm)

That really stinks about the mail boxes. We have those on our street and it’s crazy to hear that they post office will no longer replace them. If that happens to us, we’ll all have to get individual mail boxes, and the carriers will have to walk from house to house! See how they like that! Won’t that be fun for all. Looks like we need security cameras on our mail boxes now.

candrewb September 12, 2019 (10:35 am)

Actually it’s quite logical. The Federal Post Office isn’t about to fund our misguided local decisions.

Jim P. September 11, 2019 (5:24 pm)

There was a time when an attack on mailboxes like this would bring in Federal authorities and be treated as a major crime. Theft of the U.S. Mail was a no fooling felony with serious consequences and would have resulted in a major investigation.Now you can’t even get a straight answer about what you can replace the destroyed mailboxes with. But put in the wrong ones and they will let you know, after you spent the money.

John September 11, 2019 (5:54 pm)

Sorry to hear about the mailboxes. However Joans suggestion that people might move their mailboxes is way naive of the Federal Bureaucratic Structure with accompanying regulations at their disposal. Give up! Its the US Mail.

Mj September 11, 2019 (6:08 pm)

The rock thrower absolutely needs to pay full restitution to fix the damage he caused. This is so frustrating the lack of accountability.

Gene September 11, 2019 (7:09 pm)

Yeah good luck on that happening-if he can’t afford bail-no way he’s got money to replace those windows.
Alex S. September 12, 2019 (10:41 am)

If the idiot rock thrower had to pay full restitution, he would need to pay tens of thousands more to those living and working around the areas he caused destruction in. My homeowners insurance went up nearly $700 last year – I’ve never had a claim in the 20 years I’ve had the policy, but vandalism and crime around me bumps up the price we all pay. And, just like always, it’s only a small group of repeat offenders who cause 90% of all the damage. Back in the day, those lost-cause punks would face consequences for their actions. We are now on a trajectory where society and the criminal justice system views the criminals as victims, hoping to hug-away all the future damage we all know they will cause. It only stops when they seriously hurt or kill somebody, which is also mostly inevitable.
- Rick September 12, 2019 (10:47 am)
  
  That’s a bingo!!!

nick September 11, 2019 (8:41 pm)

so tired of the mail theft. I now have to pay for a po box after loosing hundreds of dollars of items and attempted identify theft. Reports to the police do nothing and even if I caught them they will just get out the next day.

Alex S. September 12, 2019 (10:45 am)

$5,000 bail for $10,000 + worth of damage. Makes total sense, now that our criminal justice system is strongly tilting towards the criminals… I mean, the community members. In Seattle, they might as well just stop punishing crime altogether, since these serial criminals seem to be able to get away with almost anything.

WSB September 12, 2019 (10:59 am)

The $5,000 bail is for an unrelated matter in Kent. Their court records aren’t online so far as I can find so I don’t have details. Bail amount is not related to the dollar value of a suspected crime.
wscommuter September 12, 2019 (2:25 pm)

I understand the frustration over low bail on property crime cases. The hard truth is that the jails are stuffed to the gills. Judges know that and are forced to set bails that many knuckleheads are able to post/bond around and in some cases, they get out and then re-offend. However, short of building another jail, that is reality. So those of you who want more people incarcerated, do write your representatives urging them to raise taxes to fund the construction of and staffing for more jails. If you’re not willing to pay more taxes for this, then your complaints ring hollow here.
- pjmanley September 12, 2019 (3:26 pm)
  
  @WSCommuter: I don’t think that’s true anymore. Capacity of the downtown Jail is approximately 1700 and it’s currently holding less than 1200 inmates. The Kent RJC’s capacity is slightly under 1400 and they are currently holding about 800 inmates. Normally I would expect the jails to be full, but about 1 mo. ago, I was surprised to read a Seattle Times article about a proposal to use currently empty beds and areas in the downtown jail to house 400 to 500 homeless people.
- flimflam September 12, 2019 (4:08 pm)
  
  this city will NEVER put a levy like that out to be voted on – we’ve know the SPD, for example, has been understaffed for years now yet never even a peep from the city about asking taxpayers to pony up so they can achieve proper staffing.
  - WSB September 12, 2019 (4:22 pm)
    
    Yes, actually, there have been “peeps.” Former mayor Ed Murray talked about one in 2014. Then he said never mind in 2016.

KT September 12, 2019 (2:31 pm)

“…pending a potential charge of malicious mischief…”????? Let me guess, the City Attorney hasn’t made up his mind to charge yet?

WSB September 12, 2019 (2:45 pm)

That’s potentially a felony charge.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.48.080
Would be the county prosecutor. City charges actually usually move faster.

McGruff September 12, 2019 (3:34 pm)

WSCUMMUTER Agree totally!! Remember the protests in Kent over building the jail. Nobody wanted it. Amazing the number of people that want something but think it should all be free(and invisible). Weren’t they going to build a jail in WS? Protesters got that shut down in a hurry.

WSB September 12, 2019 (4:13 pm)

No, protesters did not “get that shut down in a hurry.” It was to be a misdemeanor Seattle city jail and it was eventually decided that the space was not needed after all. The county then eventually committed to space if the city needed it:
https://westseattleblog.com/2011/04/west-seattle-jail-site-fight-postscript-citycounty-long-term-deal/

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