3:24 PM: A trend that police warned about earlier this month has suddenly shown up in West Seattle today. Right now police are investigating two reported carjacking attempts involving the would-be carjackers rear-ending (or otherwise bumping) someone, and then trying to carjack the unsuspected victim. One attempt is reported to have happened at Spokane/Harbor, one at Harbor/California. Both are reported to have involved a white Lexus LS 450 sedan with three or four people inside described only as male and black or Hispanic, at least one with a gun. If you have any tips, call 911.

3:33 PM: The Guardian One helicopter is expected to join the search, so if you see/hear it, that’s why. One victim said the armed would-be carjacker was in a tan sweatsuit and had a light streak in his hair.

5:24 PM: No further incidents reported so far.

Sentencing is scheduled this Friday for Mohamed A. Yusuf, who hit and killed bicyclist Robb Mason on July 15, 2022, just east of the low bridge. We learned today from Mr. Mason’s widow Claudia that Yusuf, who is 21 – one-third the age of the man he killed – pleaded guilty last week to vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run. We’ve subsequently obtained the court documents. In them, Yusuf admits, “I was speeding twice the posted limit and crossed into oncoming traffic and slammed into a bicyclist who was crossing at an intersection. I killed him and drove away. I never called the police or reported the crash.” Yusuf was charged five and a half months after hitting Mr. Mason while driving his Hyundai Elantra at 52 mph; the victim was riding home to Magnolia from his job as a West Seattle massage therapist. Detectives identified Yusuf through evidence including debris at the scene, video from a Metro bus, and online records indicating he was aware of what he had done and had been reading news reports about it. He has been on electronic home monitoring ever since his arraignment. According to the plea-bargain court document, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is recommending a sentence totaling 41 months – just under 3 1/2 years – which is the low end of the “standard range.” (Yusuf has no criminal history.) King County Superior Court Judge Andrea Darvas will sentence Yusuf at 1:45 pm Friday afternoon (September 22nd). Claudia Mason says anyone who wants to send a message to the judge before the sentencing can do so by the end of today via KCPAO victim advocate Kaili Brown at kaibrown@kingcounty.gov.

Two crash-and-grab burglaries to report:

GLOBAL SMOKE & VAPE, AGAIN: The all-too-familiar photo is from Sam, who was first to tip us that Global Smoke & Vape at 35th/Roxbury was broken into again, fourth time in three and a half weeks. It happened around 5:15 am. According to archived police/dispatch audio, the shop owner got an alarm notification and called police while watching the burglary on a video feed. A vehicle was used. Its description wasn’t discussed over the air but we followed up with SPD and they say it appears to likely have been a white SUV. Previous break-ins were on August 26th, September 6th, and September 13th.

MR. O.G. IN WHITE CENTER: Thanks to Zac for the tip and photo.

Zac noticed last night that the cannabis store at 9823 15th SW had the telltale boarded-up front. That’s in King County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, so we checked with them this morning. They say a vehicle was used to break into the shop early Monday and the burglars left the vehicle (no description given) behind,

More Crime Watch reports before the night’s out:

THREE MORE ROBBERIES: We don’t have a ton of details on these – the radio transmissions are spottier than usual tonight. Here’s what we have: A street robbery was reported around 8:30 pm in the 4400 block of 44th SW – not certain whether that is where it happened, or that’s what their victim reported it from. This reader photo shows part of the police response:

A white vehicle (not the one in the photo) was reported associated with the robber(s), possibly a RAV-4. Items taken were reported to have included a phone. … Then just before 10 pm, an armed robbery was reported at the 35th/Avalon 7-11. One robber, described as a Black man, 20 to 30 years old, 5’10” to 6 feet, in a blue hoodie and black ski mask, got away on foot. If you have any information, that robbery’s SPD incident # is 23-271572; the 44th case is 23-271510.

Then as we were writing this, around 11:50 pm, word came in of a “purse snatch” in the 4500 block of California, with a “silver car” possibly involved. We’ll add anything more we hear. Meantime, three other reports, all via email:

ANOTHER WESTWOOD CAR THEFT: From Stacey:

At 5:45 pm tonight, my husband witnessed three teens, get off the bus on SW Barton, head to the Target parking lot, and steal the ehite Hyundai on the picture below.

He tried to video it, but had trouble due to a truck in the way. The police incident report is 23-271416. The police sent someone to check out the area.

Finally, two package-related notes:

FOUND ON THE STAIRS: Chris found these on the Spokane Street Stairs:

He said they were “all Amazon” and he planned to take them to Alki Mail and Dispatch, so if you’re missing an Amazon package, you might check there tomorrow.

PACKAGE THEFT: A different Chris reports:

We had a package theft on September 11 but just discovered it today. We live in the Endolyne area near the ferry dock. We scanned our security camera and have photos of the gray car and the thief.

This clip shows the entire theft.