WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Mail theft; cars prowled; packages taken; tools recovered

| Crime | West Seattle news

Three property-crime-related reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

MAIL THEFT: Mark reports, “Mail theft early am of 2-7-2020. 10000 block of 26th Avenue SW. Locking box forced open, neighbors’ mail missing also.”

CAR PROWL, PACKAGE THEFT: Christopher reports:

My immediate area was hit by a car prowler early this morning around 2am. (3200 California Ave. SW. Mid-block. Alley between Cali and 44th, Hanford and Hinds).There was an attempt on my next-door neighbor’s car with no loss or damage. And then the neighbors to the west and south both had windows broken. The thief took an odd assortment of things. Passed up tools and loose change in plain view but took an orange and white umbrella from one car and a paper registration from another.

His cameras caught multiple angles – this is the clearest:

Then:

In the process of looking through security clips I found footage of a package thief stealing two Amazon packages off my neighbor’s doorstep. That theft happened on 2/4 around 5:11 pm while it was still light so the footage is better.

Notice the person appears to go in for scoping, then emerges, then pulls up a hood and goes in again,

STOLEN TOOLS RECOVERED: Missed this on SPD Blotter Friday afternoon while we were in court – an undercover buy-back sting recovered tools stolen in a West Seattle burglary. Details are here.

Dave February 8, 2020 (9:33 pm)

I wish there were less crime articles on the homepage of WSB.

WSB February 8, 2020 (10:12 pm)

I do too – ultimately it would be great if there were no crime at all, and therefore no need to report on it! Till then … all depends on how the news flow goes. Some days we have none (like this past Tuesday). Some days we have three (like yesterday). – TR

bertha February 9, 2020 (7:51 am)

I see so many of these home security videos and often wonder if they lead to the arrest and prosecution of package thieves/car prowlers. I’m sure that in the case of assault and/or murder they do play a part in identification of a suspect but because the arrest in property crimes don’t generate the publicity of the bigger cases we don’t hear about it. Just curious.

Richard February 9, 2020 (10:01 am)

Please keep posting as it’s such a valuable community service! A photo made from a few video stills of the packages taken video.

bolo February 9, 2020 (1:39 pm)

After reading the tools recovered report– Could it really be that easy? After a theft, walk into the precinct and give the descriptions of the tools and the seller’s ad info and the police will go out to recover it? That seems too easy, right? But that’s what happened here? I’m cautiously optimistic!