WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Business-burglary attempt; charges filed in park assault, stolen-vehicle cases

One more West Seattle Crime Watch reader report tonight, followed by charges filed in two cases:

BUSINESS-BURGLARY ATTEMPT: From Peel & Press proprietor Dan Austin:

Someone pried the lock off my back door last night at Peel & Press. They were unable to gain entry to the building. Yet another expense that won’t be covered by insurance…

After that initial report, he sent this security-video image of a suspect and vehicle in the lot behind his restaurant:

Peel & Press has been hit by burglars before.

ASSAULT CHARGE FILED: We’ve heard a lot about trouble in Junction Plaza Park. One recent incident has resulted in a felony charge. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged 53-year-old Chet M. Bilderback with second-degree assault for allegedly hitting another man in the head with a board in the park last Sunday. When they arrived at the park, they talked with Bilderback and found the bloody board but couldn’t find the victim, so the suspect wasn’t arrested. They finally heard from the victim the next day, after he had sought medical attention. That gave them probable cause to arrest Bilderback, who they found near Junction Plaza Park one day later (Tuesday); he’s been in jail since then, in lieu of $7,500 bail. Court documents say he does not have any prior felony convictions.

CAR THEFT CHARGE FILED: The KCPAO has charged 46-year-old Malcom C. Marx with possession of a stolen vehicle after police found him in a stolen Chevy Silverado. Charging documents say they were familiar with Marx’s criminal history, including auto-theft-related convictions, and spotted this vehicle, missing its front plate, in his South Park driveway on August 25th. After subsequently seeing him driving it in Highland Park, they caught up with him on West Marginal Way. They verified the vehicle was stolen and noted it was “running without anything in the ignition.” They also found shaved keys, black checks, and a stolen e-bike in the car. They arrested Marx and took him to jail. The next day, over prosecutors’ objections, a judge released him on personal recognizance. Four days later – last Tuesday – the KCPAO filed this charge. Marx is still out of custody.

21 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Business-burglary attempt; charges filed in park assault, stolen-vehicle cases"

  • Libra September 5, 2022 (12:48 am)

    Please start providing the names of  judges who release criminals on personal recognizance against the objections of prosecutors…..we need names because voting matters, and we need to get them off the bench!!

    • WSB September 5, 2022 (1:48 am)

      We do when we have them. Don’t have a name in this case, just got the charging documents. The probable-cause hearing was an entirely separate action days earlier, and I hadn’t even heard of this case before receiving the charging documents, which say only that “the court” released him.

      • J September 5, 2022 (4:14 pm)

        I am assuming the ruling judge is public information. Do you know if there is a dot.gov page that lists the judge? Obviously if a judge is refusing to enforce the law it is our civic duty to report them to the King County or WA state bar association. Or do you at least know the case number?Thanks!

  • wssz September 5, 2022 (1:09 am)

    Given Mr. Malcom Marx’s long criminal history,  how does any judge justify releasing this guy on personal recognizance, despite prosecutors’ objections?  He’s arrested when he’s found in a stolen vehicle  with shaved keys, blank checks, and a stolen e-bike inside the vehicle, and he’s well known to law enforcement.  It’s beyond infuriating.  Please provide the name of this judge. 

  • Sue H September 5, 2022 (1:25 am)

    My good was, can’t Peel & Press catch a break? They’ve been the victim of crime a number of times now.I’ve been living in that area for a few years now and moved there because it was so nice and quiet and felt safe, but so much has been going on recently with the Morgan Junction shops that it’s feeling a lot less safely.

    • Brian September 5, 2022 (9:40 am)

      Sorry about that. We are all trying really hard to fix it. 

  • Alki resident September 5, 2022 (2:47 am)

    Chet is getting much worse and I worry about the people who live or go to the junction. Hate to see what’s next with him. 

  • Buck September 5, 2022 (7:30 am)

    Lifetime loser Chet M. Bilderbeck has been a constant threat to our community for years.  He deserves some real jail time.  He vandalized my car in the Safeway parking lot last year and got no penalty while I had to pay for the damage.  How do I add my charges to his case???

    • ItDoesntMatter September 5, 2022 (11:57 am)

      Yeah he’s been an issue for so, so long. A couple of years ago I witnessed him very aggressively screaming at a Seattle Parks employee (a kind woman who was just trying to empty the trash can). She had called 911. I also called 911. Two SPD officers showed up, walked him away and gave him a nice chat. That was it. That’s always it. As soon as the courts open back up, they’ll probably give him the key to the city, a commendation, and a back rub, and send him back out here to terrorize taxpayers and our property. I often wonder who actually governs this city. I don’t think it’s the people who pay taxes and obey the law. 

  • Jane September 5, 2022 (8:05 am)

    I walked by Junction Plaza Park in the aftermath of the assault last week. I saw the cops speaking to Chet (the man who has since been arrested) & I saw them talking separately to the woman who called 911 to report the assault. As I stood on the sidewalk watching, a woman from across the street who lives in an apartment building ran across the street to come and check on Chet. She even gave him a cigarette. She was so concerned about Chet. I remember saying to my husband how dumb it was of this woman to assume that Chet wasn’t the perpetrator in the scenario. Only recently I’ve seen him doing drugs in the park. He’s not the super chill neighborhood alcoholic that a lot of people around here seem to assume he is. I’ve lived near Junction park for 6 years & pass by there most days. Chet is a disruptive, loud, rude addict. He does hard drugs not just alcohol. Everyone needs to stop making excuses for the “regulars” that have taken over the park.

  • Audifans September 5, 2022 (8:16 am)

    Sounds like the Junction Plaza Park is a mess and a cesspool for bad actors. And then, of course, it spills out into surrounding businesses who get their windows smashed out and worse.

  • anonyme September 5, 2022 (8:50 am)

    Most judges run unopposed, so taking names is pointless regardless of how negligent the judge is.  We need to re-examine our justice system instead of just selecting a single scapegoat, although in this case releasing this turd on personal recognizance was pretty absurd.   Maybe there should be some kind of point system related to compensation or even termination for judges that are repeat offenders – that is, judges who continually release habitual offenders who go on to commit more crimes while free.  I thought there was to be a crackdown on repeat offenders, so why is Marx free at all?

  • Cranky September 5, 2022 (10:51 am)

    Lessee… stolen this and stolen that.  In possession of stolen items… Sounds like a good reason to let him walk… ugh

  • Mj September 5, 2022 (11:38 am)

    anonyme – agreed

  • Chelle September 5, 2022 (3:33 pm)

    Used to work with Chet many, many years ago at metropolitan market. He was charismatic and a nice guy. Too bad he’s become such a danger to our community, so scary.

  • Jon Wright September 5, 2022 (4:49 pm)

    Good grief, why does Peel & Press get victimized so often? Dan does so much good in the community, it just seems like a cruel hoax.

  • Josh September 5, 2022 (8:00 pm)

    They need to close that park for good, there’s always noise at night at any moment, I live in the Alaska House building and that park is a danger for my eldest neighbour’s around,  beside Chet there’s many others drug addicts that need to disappear from this area.

    • anonyme September 6, 2022 (6:44 am)

      Josh, I agree with you.  It’s nothing but a nuisance magnet, and hardly anyone uses it except for these bad actors – and pooping dogs.  They plug their amplifiers into the city-owned outlet on the brick bench they most often use to sit and process their drugs – making their activities taxpayer-funded.  Either get rid of them or get rid of the park.

  • TM7302 September 5, 2022 (9:10 pm)

    Please update the story with the judge’s name when you find out.  Thanks…

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