WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Tree taken; gold CR-V stolen, with car seats

9:58 AM: An unusual, and heavy, theft target in northeast Morgan Junction – the photo is from Dana, who reports, “I had a tree stolen from my truck at 39th and Graham the afternoon of November 14th. around 3:30. It is a weeping beech in a pot and weighs over 300 pounds.”

ADDED 10:07 AM: Minutes after we published that, we received one more Crime Watch report via email, so we’re adding it:

Jim reports, “Our trusty 2001 Honda CRV was stolen overnight from in front of our house – just 2 blocks south of the West Seattle Junction. It’s an older car, but reliable and needed and used every day. It also has our car seats inside. We can’t afford to replace it. And insurance won’t give us much value. Perhaps a reader has seen it. It is gold, and has a spare tire and folding bike rack on the back. The license plate is 709XMA.” Call 911 if you see this or any other known stolen car.

Mellow Kitty November 15, 2020 (10:32 am)

Seriously!? Who steals a tree!?

RT November 15, 2020 (1:12 pm)

Maybe a typo. That potted tree looks like it may weigh over 30 lbs…but not over 300! Hope it is recovered….if not…hope it is planted where it can thrive.

anonyme November 15, 2020 (2:29 pm)

As a former arborist, I would guess the weight of the tree to be somewhere around 100 lbs., not 30, not 300 (although I have dug up trees with root balls in excess of 300 lbs.). That said, what kind of ignorant slimeball steals a tree? Seriously? They’re difficult to resell, and what kind of person plants a tree in their yard knowing it is stolen? The only other option is that it was taken by a landscaper who will charge a client for it – if they even know what it is, which is doubtful given the dubious plant knowledge of most mow and blow operations.

WSB November 15, 2020 (2:33 pm)

Whatever the weight, a reader thinks they spotted it abandoned in the street – we have sent Dana a note with the possible location. Hope there’s a reunion. Thanks to everyone for keeping watch for reported stolen items big and small – TR

22blades November 15, 2020 (2:33 pm)

We reported an unmarked (no logo or GVWT), flat black Dodge Ram dolly style tow truck looking into cars on Alki. He saw us looking & took off. We waited & he went around the block, then took off again. Reported but then again, could be legit, but pretty fishy. You’ll never see that truck at night.

WSB Reader November 16, 2020 (9:29 am)

Saw a similar truck like this last year in the Admiral area in the middle of the night/early morning. Looked out the window and saw people on foot looking at license plates/into cars and then getting back in the dolly-style tow truck.

MS November 15, 2020 (5:00 pm)

Anyone ever see the movie Harold and Maude? Maude stole a tree, sorry that’s the first thing I thought of. I do hope you find it!!

Tori November 16, 2020 (8:25 am)

Pretty sure I just saw the crv on it’s side at 34th and Roxbury. Did it have a blue sticker on back window? Police are there now

Tori November 16, 2020 (8:33 am)

Like a block south from Roxbury I should say
WSB November 16, 2020 (10:05 am)

Odd, there are no crash responses on the SFD log … we’ll go look.
- tori November 16, 2020 (10:34 am)
  
  Oh no. I would’ve called 911 but there were definitely police already there. The gold crv hit a parked car and was on its side.
- WSB November 16, 2020 (10:39 am)
  
  Just learned that someone texted us a photo of this early in the morning. No SFD call but the SPD call is classified as a crash, not a stolen-vehicle recovery, and the photo showed a temp tag on the window, but we’ll ask the OP – thanks.