WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Stolen black Ford pickup; charges filed in two other auto-theft-related cases
Three more auto-theft-related West Seattle Crime Watch reports:
STOLEN PICKUP: The report and photos are from Sam:
My car, a 1996 black Ford Ranger XLT, was stolen near Alki on 12/28. The phone number for tips would be (updated) 206-625-5011 and the police case number is 22-346724.
(added) The plates on the truck when taken are C53926Y.
CHARGES FILED IN STOLEN-VAN CASE: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed charges in a case we covered last week, in which a 39-year-old man is accused of abandoning a stolen van on West Seattle railroad tracks after hitting a police car while trying to get away from officers in SODO. The suspect, Jesse R. Volk of Burien, is charged with two felonies, possession of a stolen vehicle and attempting to elude police. Court documents say Volk has one felony conviction on his record but four others filed and not yet resolved – three of which are also related to stolen vehicles. He remains in the King County Jail, where he’s been since his arrest eight days ago, in lieu of $25,000 bail.
CHARGE FILED IN STOLEN-CAR CASE: 43-year-old Nicholas V. Renion is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle – a car in which police say they found him early the morning of December 19th in West Seattle, shortly after the car was stolen in White Center. The owner of the Chevrolet Aveo had started it up outside his home in the 10000 block of 17th SW to warm it up; he left it running and went inside, and it was taken. He was able to track it via an Apple AirTag on his keychain, and within an hour, he and his parents found it parked in a lot in the 9000 block of Delridge Way SW. They notified Seattle Police, who found Renion in the car, and arrested him. He’s been in jail ever since, bail set at $15,000. Inside the recovered car, the victim found a bag that did not belong to him, and the documents say:
Inside the bag, officers found five access devices in the names of three different people. A Keybank debit card and a Bank of America debit card were located in (one person’s name). A Seattle Credit Union card was located in (another name). A BECU debit card was located in the name of (the car’s owner).
Renion has a criminal history dating back 29 years, with prior convictions including stolen-vehicle possession, burglary, and assault, plus another auto-theft case currently pending. He’s been in the King County Jail for 10 days, his third booking this fall; the previous two totaled 43 days.
Some of the info is incorrect on the Ford Ranger, the case number is 2022-346724. The license number is C53926Y and any tips can be directed towards the police at 206-625-5011.
That’s the same case # as above (22 or 2022 is the year, our style is to use the last two digits). The license #, I’m adding, as it just came in, and the phone number is what was in your report – I’ll update it.
NOT victim blaming here, but wanting to jog my memory. The Drivers Guide (booklet we studied to prepare for the written test, and to learn driving laws in general) used to state not to leave a car running unattended, correct? Maybe also not to leave the keys in the car? Or am I thinking from something else?
I always figured it was for a reason, thought it was kids.
Bolo, you are correct. It is a misdemeanor, meant both to deter this kind of crime and also to reduce emissions.
One, it is illegal to idle your engine and/or leave a running vehicle unattended in Washington State. It is also dumb, as idling can damage your engine. This ‘warming’ nonsense is commonplace for those too lazy to put on a warm coat, with the expectation that the environment should adjust to their needs instead of the other way around.