WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Another catalytic converter stolen; 2 back in jail; afternoon arrest

ANOTHER CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT: Just got another reader report, from D, who says thieves took the catalytic converter from her 2003 Honda Element in an apartment parking lot near Avalon/Genesee. Elements are a hot target right now – you might recall our recent report about this happening to four in two days, including ours. Catalytic-converter theft is a nationwide problem, the Washington Post explained earlier this month, largely because of low supplies of, and high prices for, a metal called rhodium.

ARRESTED AGAIN: Two familiar names are on the King County Jail roster right now. Repeat mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner was booked this morning for investigation of theft. We haven’t been able to find out details of the arrest yet. This is his seventh jail booking since the first of the year. He was charged last month with four felony counts of stolen-mail possession. … Also on the jail roster since last night – though it appears he’s in the process of getting released – Jerry S. Plute Jr., one of the two men charged in last month’s Westwood Village burglary. The reason for his booking is listed as a failure-to-appear warrant in a domestic-violence assault case. As reported here last week, he and burglary co-defendant Rafael Meyers did not appear for arraignment in the Westwood Village case two weeks ago but the judge decided not to issue warrants.

ADDED 6:02 PM – AFTERNOON ARREST: A texter asked earlier about a sizable police presence near 35th/Morgan. We went over to check – all gone. But we just received some information from SPD: A person under Department of Corrections supervision had allegedly failed a drug test, a violation of supervision rules, so DOC was searching their vehicle. In it, they found “a Grendel 380 handgun and a small quantity of narcotics,” the summary says, so they called in SPD, which seized those items and arrested the suspect.

anonyme March 24, 2021 (5:37 pm)

For all those concerned with how much of policing is unnecessary, how about considering the huge amount of time and energy police spend tracking down and arresting career criminals, only to have them released immediately, over and over and over again? Anyone care to put a dollar sign on that? Plute should not have been released at all, and now he’s being released for what, the third time in as many weeks? These guys have got the system down pat. The ONLY people who pay are their victims.

flimflam March 24, 2021 (6:27 pm)

“ Repeat mail-theft suspect Jason A. Turner was booked this morning for investigation of theft. We haven’t been able to find out details of the arrest yet. This is his seventh jail booking since the first of the year.”come on man, seriously? someone explain who benefits from this?

Js March 24, 2021 (7:43 pm)

Is there a picture of Jason Turner?

WSB March 24, 2021 (9:11 pm)

In our first story when police issued an alert about him last month.
https://westseattleblog.com/2021/02/west-seattle-crime-watch-police-alert-about-mail-theft-suspect/

M March 24, 2021 (8:05 pm)

If I ask my kids to do something 7 times and they don’t comply, I give them a time out. Jason A. Turner needs a time out.

Dan March 24, 2021 (8:27 pm)

I love that Rafael, who broke into my business months ago, was arrested and charged, spent less than 24hrs in custody for my case. Then spent less than 24 hrs for the Westwood case. Skipped his arrangement and the nudge decided not to issue a warrant. Cops do their job and judge canceled out their work for now. How many more victims will deal with this? He has 7 pending cases I believe and we let him out to do it some more. Time to elect some new judges!

1994 March 24, 2021 (9:42 pm)

Agree with you Dan. These criminal types are getting too many ‘get out of jail free’ cards. Those of us with our marbles need to figure out how to push against these crooks who are missing a few marbles but appear to have plenty of ‘get out of jail free’ cards.

B. March 24, 2021 (10:30 pm)

Why repeat arrest and release? Seems so wrong… like the kid in the candy store who gets away with a little warning. Time for a change or the criminals will see nothing wrong with their current behavior.

Marcus March 25, 2021 (5:26 am)

They are not children, they have chosen this way of life that hurts others. I care for the development of children however treating them as children does not work on hardens criminals. A 3-5 year sentence away from their drugs working in the prison bakery would be the best for them and us.

McGruff March 25, 2021 (8:01 am)

It is quite possible the Judges’ hands are tied just as surely as the Police. Judges are loathe to jail suspects right now due to COVID, and we honestly haven’t made investment in facilities to hold criminals a priority. Our leaders are failing in their duty to protect the community by removing these predators from society. This will continue until we change our leadership.Programs like LEAD are also mis-used to allow people like these criminals to keep coming out to make more mischief. This will continue until we start electing leaders who are pragmatic problem solvers and not activist Social Justice Warriors. We all pay for their idealism and high-mindedness.

Dale March 25, 2021 (9:19 am)

I’ve seen two DOC arrests in the Walgreens parking lot, (and I don’t go there that often). I’ve never seen one anywhere else in the city. Now this one near 35/Morgan. Does anyone know if there’s a DOC halfway house in that neighborhood?

WSB March 25, 2021 (10:30 am)

DOC has an office on the west side of the intersection.
https://www.doc.wa.gov/corrections/community/field-offices.htm

Daniel Munoz March 25, 2021 (9:36 am)

35th and morgan is a joke we all can see what is happening there ! What a disgrace abd people will die there! AGAIN

LuLuBelle March 25, 2021 (11:43 am)

WSB’s statement that DOC has an OFFICE at that intersection say’s it all.

WSB March 26, 2021 (5:16 am)

No, it doesn’t. The DOC has 20 field offices around King County alone. The same building in West Seattle has an exercise studio. Does that “say” something too?
https://www.doc.wa.gov/corrections/community/field-offices.htm

bolo March 25, 2021 (11:59 am)

According to the recent radio reporting I listened to, that Rhodium (inside the catalytic converters) is currently selling for near $30,000 an ounce, and used catalytic converters bring $300 each in the common wholesale market.

Alex S. March 25, 2021 (1:53 pm)

Serial thieves not showing up for their arraignments and committing more crimes? No way! It’s pretty ridiculous that so-called justice reform activists are demanding LESS accountability from perps at a time when criminals are thriving in the druggie playground known as Seattle The real irony here: anti-cop activists want less interaction between law enforcement and people who constantly break the law. Yet they are also supporting this catch-and-release system that ensures the maximum amount of contact with police and criminals. Some times several times in the same week!

anonyme March 26, 2021 (6:59 am)

Another note about Plute: he already had a failure to appear on a domestic violence assault case. Once again, a woman’s life and safety have been treated as beneath consideration by a judge. It’s bad enough that these judges view property crime as a problem only for insurance companies, but releasing someone who has committed violence against a woman has been far too common for far too long, and many women have lost their lives as a result. This has to stop.

Sorry, comment time is over.