WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Cars vandalized; axe-arrest followup

Two reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:

CARS VANDALIZED: The photo and report are from Pelicans:

Sometime overnight, someone broke windows in 5 vehicles on both sides of the street on the 3300 block of Beach Drive SW, at Constellation Park. One had five broken, some one, two or three. The perps worked from the street side, as well as the sidewalk side. All vehicles were SUV’s. The only other cars parked there were a Prius and a sedan, which were untouched.

An SPD officer was cruising by sometime after dawn and noticed all the damage and the glass in the road. He took photos and filed a report. The incident # is 2021-171103. He said he thought this was vandalism versus done for the purpose of car prowling.

Apparently no car alarms nor anything else was heard. Please, if any one has overnight video, or heard/saw anything, contact SPD and reference the above incident number.

AXE ARREST FOLLOWUP: We reported Monday on a Fourth of July arrest – a man accused of trying to attack a Junction 7-11 employee with an axe. Here’s what more we’ve found out about the suspect: He’s 29 years old, still in jail as of this morning, and held not only in connection with this incident, but also on a failure-to-appear warrant in an unrelated assault case, We looked up the documents in that one; it’s a Municipal Court case in which he is accused of attacking a man on Capitol Hill in 2019. His prior criminal history includes an assault conviction from a 2018 random attack on a woman and her father walking downtown. Those case documents say the woman tried to defend herself with an expandable baton she pulled from her purse; he took it away and injured both her and her father. The case ended in a plea agreement and a 9-month sentence; he’d already served that much time when the case was resolved, and he was released. In this week’s West Seattle case, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is awaiting a referral from police for a charging decision.

21 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Cars vandalized; axe-arrest followup"

  • Mel July 7, 2021 (12:13 pm)

    Let me get this straight. He served 9 months for assaulting a woman downtown in 2018. He then assaulted someone on Capitol hill in 2019 and was released (hence the warrant)? Only to then go and nearly kill this poor store clerk. When will this city learn? Criminals do often reoffend. He is clearly a danger to society and yet our judicial system just lets these people walk the streets. He committed what sounds like a serious attack (it’s pretty hard to get 9 months time around here) and then did it again in 2019 and they let him go!!!! What the heck? 

    • The King July 7, 2021 (3:14 pm)

      Everything you have brought up falls directly in line with Seattle city attorney Pete Holmes’ ideas. Up and comers like Nicole Thomas-Kennedy make Dimebag Pete look like someone who is tough on crime. They are out of touch and delusional abolitionists. 

    • wscommuter July 7, 2021 (6:08 pm)

      Knowing nothing about the facts of the prior crimes aside from what was reported here on the WSB, the 2018 assault sounds like Assault 2nd degree, for which he apparently was given the maximum statutory standard punishment for that offense (9 months) for a first time felon.  Just the law – if you don’t like it, blame the legislature and not the courts or prosecutors.  While deadly weapon enhancement could have been possible (the baton), not a guarantee.  Not enough information here to know whether it was appropriate in that case.  Also, if it was a felony, not a “City” prosecution, but a County prosecution.  The warrant for the Municipal Court (City) case means that that charge is a misdemeanor (Assault 4).  The current crime can be charged as either Assault 1 or Assault 2 depending on the facts here (not having read the police report, not enough information to know what the charging decision will be).  The axe will surely result in a deadly weapon enhancement to whatever charge is filed.  We’ll know more after KCPO charges this offense.  Save your outrage until you have all the facts.  WSB does an amazing job of getting us what information is available, but they are at the mercy of information being released by KCPO and SPD.  It takes some time.  

      • WSB July 7, 2021 (7:39 pm)

        Thanks as always for the informed reply. Just to clarify a few things on this one:

        -The only info I was at the mercy of in this case was, the suspect’s name. SPD does not answer all requests, depends on how busy the Public Affairs unit is, and they didn’t answer this one. All I had was an SPD incident number, and those are only cross-referenceable if a person is cited/charged in Municipal Court – there is no public way to cross reference SPD incidents with people being held on possible felonies, Finally late last night a very helpful media person at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was able to get the name for me, and the probable cause hearing “superform.” I was then able, with a name, to look into the suspect’s history. In the 2018 case he was originally charged with third- and fourth-degree assault, and first-degree theft. In the plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, and the other two charges were dropped. And indeed, the “standard sentencing range” for that per the documents was nine to 12 months; he was sentenced to nine months and had already served that much time in jail. In the 2019 case, that case is still open and has a copious number of documents in the Muni Court file, I have not had time to go through them all yet to see when bail was set, how much, etc. The FTA warrant in that case is noted on the jail roster as “no PR” (personal recognizance), bail set at $10,000. – TR

  • John July 7, 2021 (12:31 pm)

    Seattle’s War on SUVs?Lack of parking enforcement?Parking spot competiton?

    • Pelicans July 7, 2021 (2:08 pm)

      None of the above. The street was almost empty.

  • alki_2008 July 7, 2021 (12:56 pm)

    Thanks WSB for the axe follow-up.  Sounds like this person committed two other random attacks. Hopefully the city/county will finally realize this person is a danger to the community and either force treatment or keep him locked away before he kills someone.

  • AlkiJames July 7, 2021 (1:30 pm)

    I saw at least 3 car windows broken out along the Alki trail on my ride into work as well, roughly 2300 block of Alki.

    • Pelicans July 7, 2021 (2:13 pm)

      AlkiJames,

       Please report this to SPD. You can do it online. It may or may not be connected.It would be great to get some high quality doorbell or security video of this.P.

  • West Seattle July 7, 2021 (2:11 pm)

    There’s 3 cars on the main Alki drag that weren’t SUVs that were shattered as well. 

  • Reed July 7, 2021 (2:27 pm)

    Hoping all that glass gets cleaned up so bike tires and dog feet don’t get cut up.

  • Duffy July 7, 2021 (2:28 pm)

    Wow. Soooo, just complete happenstance that this dude hasn’t killed someone yet? Hey let’s release him again!

  • skeeter July 7, 2021 (4:00 pm)

    All the SUVs had smashed windows.  The Prius and smaller cars were left alone.  I’m wondering if Jort is gonna need an alibi.    (Seriously, my condolences to the victims.  I know how awful it feels to have your stuff damaged or stolen by thieves and criminals.  Huge waste of time and money.)

    • Lagartija Nick July 7, 2021 (5:20 pm)

      Defaming someone, even in jest, is really pathetic and incredible poor taste. (You should have just stuck with the second part of your comment).

      • Rhonda July 8, 2021 (1:32 am)

        I thought his jest was 100% spot-on 

      • Neighbor July 8, 2021 (3:26 am)

        Defamation?  Jort does plenty of that by posting in the first place.  This is more like characterization.

        Calling someone pathetic in the same sentence as you call them out for “defamation” is itself pathetic. Or by your definition, defamation.

      • Pelicans July 8, 2021 (10:16 am)

        Please recognize snark when you  see it. Don’t think Jort wast the perp here…

      • skeeter July 8, 2021 (5:48 pm)

        My comment about Jort was intended to give people (Jort included) a chuckle.  Whether you love or hate Jort’s comments (I’m in the former camp) you gotta admit he/she sparks some great discussions to these comments we all enjoy.  And just to clarify since one person seemed offended – I would stake my Orca card and bike bell that Jort would never damage someone’s property or car.  

  • Joan July 8, 2021 (9:16 am)

    A coupla windows, easily $1,000. Condolences to the owners.

  • Pessoa July 8, 2021 (1:06 pm)

    What is odd is the familiarity with which you all seem to have with another individual whom you only know (presumably) through his/her comments – even referring to that individual in their absence.  

  • fitz July 11, 2021 (8:15 am)

    I google the ax guys name and found this tweet from kiro from 2018.  In 2 years (2016 to 2018) he’s been causing trouble pretty much non-stop.  Can we assume 2018 to this latest incident, he’s been still at it??**Suspect David Ailep, homeless man accused of attacking woman & dad in Seattle had 24 warrants since 2016.**Pete Holmes…  how is this guy still on the streets?

Sorry, comment time is over.