WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: 3 reports, including axe-attack charge

| Crime | West Seattle news

Three reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

MAILBOXES BROKEN INTO: From AL:

While walking my dog this morning I noticed that my mailbox on Cloverdale and most mailboxes on the 8400 block of 25th Ave SW were busted open. I’ve reported to SPD non-emergency but thought your readers would like to know.

TENNIS COURT VANDALISM: Players arriving at the Solstice Park tennis courts this morning noticed two nets had been tampered with and another appeared to have been cut down and taken, with only this (lower left) left behind:

It’s been reported to police.

AXE SUSPECT CHARGED: One followup today – a felony charge is now filed against the man accused of swinging an axe at a West Seattle Junction 7-11 employee on the Fourth of July. 29-year-old David D. Ailep Jr. is charged with second-degree assault. The charging documents say that the employee had asked Ailep to leave the store because he was acting aggressively, yelling, and throwing items on the floor. Her shift was almost over; her husband was waiting outside to drive her home, and she went out to tell him she needed to do a few more things. Ailep had just left and confronted her outside the store, the documents say, pulling out the axe and swinging at her; she told police that if she hadn’t backed up to get out of the way, he would have hit her in the head/neck/chest. The employee’s husband subsequently got out of his car and used bear spray on Ailep, who police say then fled; they found him in an alley a block away, lying on the ground, the axe under him. Ailep remains in the King County Jail, bail set at $150,000.

flimflam July 10, 2021 (11:21 am)

The husband showed amazing restraint. This stuff is nuts.

enuf? July 10, 2021 (1:25 pm)

If this is the same repeat offender who was homeless and intoxicated in 2018 when allegedly attacked a family outside the Cinerama, then he is the prototypical violent, drug addled, mentally unstable homeless person we all fear. Apparently there have been dozens of interactions with the police. There have been arrests, incarcerations and mental health evaluations. —But, people like this are still human beings. They deserve compassion and help in the ‘lost world’ they inhabit. –And I am thankful that the husband who intervened only used pepper spray. A firearm would have been far more dangerous (if only to innocent bystanders), likely deadly and would result in legal investigations of the shooting. -Let’s all hope our re-imagining of police with social services, housing and mental health/drug treatments replacing this revolving door of sub humanity we see on our streets.

Sam July 10, 2021 (2:06 pm)

Guy attacked two in 2018, had 24 warrants since 2016. https://mobile.twitter.com/RobMunoz88/status/1009217644858245120

WSB July 10, 2021 (2:26 pm)

The 2018 case is one of the cases noted in our previous coverage (linked in the story).
Michaele July 10, 2021 (10:37 pm)

I’m soo disgusted with our Non Justice System, multiple violent attacks, multiple felonies, a danger to others, but our Justice System and Judges think it’s better having him trying to kill someone than in prison and getting At least some kind of treatment?’🥺🤬

Ly July 10, 2021 (4:08 pm)

This person is clearly a menace to people. So they’re waiting for him to behead someone and then put him away for good, or what?

Karen July 10, 2021 (4:47 pm)

What a SAD commentary for our community

1994 July 10, 2021 (10:14 pm)

Working people and businesses pay a LOT in taxes for the government to keep us safe from mentally ill and very dangerous people like this guy. Keep us safe!

This July 11, 2021 (12:16 am)

Is there video of the 7-11 incident? Would be curious to see just how this escalated.

It’s an unnerving incident, however there are a lot more people out there carrying guns, and the risk of being shot by a road rager or stray bullet is likely much greater, than a similar encounter with a man wielding an axe.

StopCuttingDownTrees July 11, 2021 (12:54 pm)

Statistically, your risk of being assaulted with fists, feet, blunt or sharp objects is FAR higher than being struck by a stray bullet or shot by a road rager.
alki_2008 July 12, 2021 (1:13 pm)

“However”??? Someone in the state of mind of this perpetrator doesn’t require much to “escalate” the situation. Most people that have guns do not have the mental capacity that this person has. It seems his condition hasn’t improved since he was like this video 3 years ago: Delusional Seattle Homeless Man Attacks Passerby: Police Response & Investigation – YouTube Some people think that letting people in this condition continue to live on the streets and continue poisoning their bodies and minds to their heart’s content is compassionate. But is it?
- This July 13, 2021 (9:01 pm)
  
  Yes, ‘however,’ did you read the rest of the sentence, because you didn’t say anything regarding the point about guns.
  
  Why are we more concerned about a man swinging an axe at someone than people out there wielding guns, and shooting them at people, cars, homes. That happens way more than this scenario.
  
  Of course this man needs help, and as already said, the incident is very concerning.
  - alki_2008 July 14, 2021 (12:25 am)
    
    Who said the axe is more concerning than a gun? There is no gun involved in this incident. Only an axe and bear spray……..It sounds like you’re making a leap by thinking that concern about a man that has repeatedly behaved erratically and violently somehow means no concern about someone that uses a gun illegally? I really don’t see what point you are trying to make.
    - This July 14, 2021 (7:20 am)
      
      I can see you aren’t connecting with the point, let me try to better explain.
      
      The point is the reaction of some to a story about a man welding an axe is seemingly stronger than to the everyday occurence of people wielding and using guns as weapons against people in the community.
      
      A man was recently killed on Alki by a gun, and several others injured. On the 4th of July, stray bullets entered people’s homes. This incident here is a man who swung an axe in the direction of people, and the emotional reaction of some appears stronger, more appalled, more damning of the individual, than we hear regarding gun incidents.
      
      Just find this curious and concerning.
    - This July 14, 2021 (11:24 pm)
      
      The point I’m trying to make is that people carrying guns and gun violence has become such common place that people have become somewhat numb and accepting of it. But one man swinging an axe at someone is outrageous. Think people should be more outraged and intolerant of people wielding guns, all around us, every day. There is a lot more of this as a risk than of what happened at 7-11.
Alex S. July 12, 2021 (2:13 pm)

Well, given his long / recent history of unprovoked harassment and assault, I’m willing to go way out on a limb and say escalation is something he is really good at.
- This July 12, 2021 (7:01 pm)
  
  ‘given his long / recent history of unprovoked harassment’
  
  Haven’t reviewed his history, but it sounds like this is a person in some crisis, who was exhibiting concerning behavior, and the situation escalated.
  
  How those around respond and treat a person in crisis may cause escalations. Someone under mental distress being told to leave a store or treated unkindly may become more upset. Going even further by following them out a store after they have left, and then even pepper spraying them, it apparently might cause such a person to start swinging an axe.
  
  Think there is often more to these stories than we hear or listen to, maybe because the escalation or resultant behavior is so inappropriate, but maybe the other person contributed to the situation escalating, and there’s something to learn there.
  
  If we want to reduce these kinds of incidents, people need to take more responsibility for their role in interactions, even with, and maybe especially with folks who are different or suffering or make you uncomfortable in some way.
  
  Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron, has a book called, ‘Welcome the Unwelcome.’ Maybe if this 7-11 employee had followed that advice from him entering the store, he wouldn’t have yelled and thrown anything, and if they hadn’t followed him out of the store, etc. he wouldn’t have swung an axe at them.
  
  In that situation, would have asked the man if there was anything I could do to help, then offer to call the crisis line for help, and then if needed calmly asked him to leave. After he left, would lock the door if concerned, and call the crisis line or police.
  
  Like I said, would be interesting to see camera footage and learn just how this escalated, perhaps considering both parties experience.
  
  And there really are a lot more people out there with guns than men with axes in their pants.

scubafrog July 11, 2021 (6:17 am)

We need more (good) mental health facilities. Reagan and the gop closed them down, where do we put the hopelessly-mentally ill? I’m not referring to the criminally insane. Almost axe-killer must go to prison for decades, clearly, and Tom-foolery with the Mail is a federal crime. It does seem like society overall (in America) has gone haywire. People on airlines have lost it! Fly private, much safer, worth the premium. And until we reform the white extremists in the SPD, absolutely no more officers.

doug July 15, 2021 (12:19 am)

Let’s hope the charges stick this time.https://mynorthwest.com/1022394/intoxicated-armed-homeless-man-attacks-family-seattle/?

Doug July 15, 2021 (12:21 am)

I’m guessing not though.https://twitter.com/RobMunoz88/status/1009217644858245120?s=20Suspect David Ailep, homeless man accused of attacking woman & dad in Seattle had 24 warrants since 2016. Bail set at $75,000

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