CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Beach Drive burglary suspect charged, ordered released

Back on Sunday, we reported on the arrest of an 38-year-old man after a reported burglary in the 4800 block of Beach Drive SW. The City Attorney’s Office subsequently charged the suspect, Christopher D. Montano, with a misdemeanor, 1st-degree criminal trespass. At Montano’s arraignment hearing today, according to court documents, the CAO asked that bail be set at $2500, but Judge Faye Chess ordered him released on personal recognizance. According to the police-report narrative in the case file, officers found him outside the house; he told them he had only gone inside for a few minutes and hadn’t taken anything. Officers say he told them he had burglarized that house before, so he was familiar with it, and that he was homeless, staying at a shelter, but looking for someplace “quiet.” He told officers he had gotten inside just by opening a door, but the housesitter, who had left an hour earlier, told them she had locked all the doors. Montano is due back in court in four weeks.

Marcus February 19, 2025 (2:40 pm)

but Judge Faye Chess ordered him released on personal recognizance. Really! I thing we should have given him a home for a week or two behind bars.

Neighbor February 19, 2025 (3:36 pm)

Please practice compassion.
- Lauren February 19, 2025 (3:54 pm)
  
  He literally broke into someone’s house. Compassion is gone.
- Question Authority February 19, 2025 (4:28 pm)
  
  How about the thief practices being a contributing member of society and uses charitable resources for support instead of stealing from people. Why does he deserve compassion, what has he done to even earn it? Stop the enabling.
- KD February 19, 2025 (4:45 pm)
  
  Neighbor; how EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING for that poor housesitter and the home owners‼️ Geez, you’ve got the perpetrators and the judges name now from this story, contact them both and offer them YOUR address, ‘your’ compassion is needed to step up now for this guy! Unbelievable 🙄
- Alki resident February 19, 2025 (5:01 pm)
  
  Where’s your compassion for the victims? It’s extremely violating to have someone enter your home. Something really bad could’ve happened to the family there. Quit coddling criminals.
- Kravitz February 19, 2025 (5:10 pm)
  
  @Neighbor – Since the WSB has published the intruder’s name, how about you call the local shelters to try and track him down and offer him a compassionate quiet stay at your place? While I feel for this person’s current situation, this does not entitle him (or anyone) to break into someone else’s home to seek shelter.
- Anne February 19, 2025 (5:16 pm)
  
  How about we practice compassion for the victim?
- onion February 19, 2025 (5:19 pm)
  
  I believe in compassion, but sometimes compassion involves imposing discipline that a person cannot provide for themselves. Perhaps the best outcome for this person would be custody in jail rather than to be out on the streets where they could endanger themselves or others.
- David February 19, 2025 (5:33 pm)
  
  Compassion to law abiding citizens would be locking this burglar up.
- Daiso Gal February 19, 2025 (7:21 pm)
  
  Please practice compassion for the victims of residential burglary from repeat offenders, Neighbor.
- AnonymousInAdmiralJ February 24, 2025 (12:55 am)
  
  The “empathy” and “compassion” movements have gone waaay too far. The only people who have compassion for those who perpetrate evil upon others are those who have not been victims of crime. I used to have compassion for those who were in and out of jail and prison, and who could not stop breaking the law, so much so that I got educated, and worked with recidivists in the Baltimore/Hagerstown area of Western Maryland, counseling, and trying to do job placement. I learned that repeat offenders are a different breed, and are wired differently. They don’t think like the average person. They would gleefully plan and commit truly heinous crimes, then, with no shame, arrogantly and self-righteously demand understanding, pity, and immediate forgiveness from the people that they had raped, assaulted, burgled, defrauded, knifed, maimed, and vandalized, as well as from the citizenry, the Court, and their counselors. They insulted their victims, telling them to judge not, lest they be judged. They gloated over the havok they had created. They preyed upon those with compassion, and they laughed about it when they sat around, telling stories, faces aglow, lovingly reminiscing about their crimes. Half of them were alcoholics and/or addicts, and the other half were not users or drinkers at all…it would have affected their “job”…but were addicted to the adrenaline rushes they experienced when they thought about, committed, fled from, relived, and related their counterculture exploits to others. They had absolutely no remorse, no interest in living a law-abiding, peaceful life, and never did I see any respect or affection for those who showed them empathy, compassion, or who gave them money and free stuff. Some of the people I worried about, edified, wrote resumes for, fed, bought books for, transported back and forth, and, when called, put in a good word for in Court, came to my building, and robbed my truck and every car on the street (multiple times), stole from me, my landlord, the neighbors, trashed my yard, and ran drugs on my porch. At first, I believed then when they said they were sorry, even when they smirked and said that it was “just business”. It took me four years to realize that they were not teachable. Nothing affected them or got through to them. You have no idea how good career criminals are at getting people to feel sorry for them. They know just what to say and how to say it to gain your confidence or soft feelings. In the recovery community we have a saying, “Never listen to what your clients SAY…watch what they DO. After a few years of working my a– off, and seeing the same faces over and over again, I had no compassion or zeal for trying to help these people who swear up and down that they want to lead an honest life. That kind of life BORED them, and they would start jonesing for the excitement of destroying and stealing. I got the heck out of that city the third time I heard shots fired on my once beautiful, historic street. All my compassion was drained out of me, and I keep my distance from criminals.

ltm..mgm February 19, 2025 (2:56 pm)

The Judge says no bail and to release him because he will return in 4 weeks… 🤦🏻‍♀️ be sure to remember this Judges name!

Mike February 19, 2025 (3:32 pm)

I’m the neighbor who called this in to WSB. I was impressed by the initial police response, having lost faith in their willingness to address this sort of crime. Incensed that judge Chess would release the burglar without bail, given his admission that he’d burglarized this very house before and had no permanent address nor residence. Maybe next time someone will be in the house he burglarizes and he or the victims will get hurt? I’ll remember judge Chess next time she’s up for election.

Neighbor February 19, 2025 (3:38 pm)

Bail isn’t a punishment. It’s a guarantee the accused will return to court. If he doesn’t have $2500.00 then it would be unfair to hold him for that alone.
- Mike February 19, 2025 (3:52 pm)
  
  Honest question: do you believe residential burglary merits ANY punishment? You mention showing compassion but you show none for the crime victims, and little respect for the law
  - Dandysmile February 20, 2025 (9:15 am)
    
    EXACTLY !!
- Marcus February 19, 2025 (3:56 pm)
  
  This is the problem! There is more compassion for criminals than for home owners, business owners and people just trying to get by.
- Curious George February 19, 2025 (4:19 pm)
  
  Neighbor – Let’s see if he returns to court as he promised he would❓
- k February 19, 2025 (4:19 pm)
  
  Or $250 and collateral for the rest. Seriously, the charge is nothing, so the bail was not significant, and saying “it’s not worth the court’s time to hold you for $250” is more than justified for a person who is innocent in the eyes of the law, and facing misdemeanor charges.
  - JP February 19, 2025 (6:35 pm)
    
    “Innocent in the eyes of the law”? Did you miss the part where he admitted to breaking and entering (twice!) and burglary?
    - k February 20, 2025 (9:56 am)
      
      I see the part where he is guilty in the eyes of JP, but in the eyes of the law someone is innocent until they’re convicted. Even if it’s on camera, even if they confess. You may have your authoritarian state soon, where people are found guilty of crimes without trial, but at least for now the law does not see someone as guilty until they are convicted in court.
    - JP February 20, 2025 (8:20 pm)
      
      Well, ya got me there. Due process. Absolutely. That said, I still don’t see the point of your original post. This individual was caught in the act, admitted guilt, and indicated he had nowhere to go. Judge would have been well within reason to accept the CAO recommendation considering the reasonably high probability of the suspect repeating the crime… in case he, ya know, needed to be “somewhere quiet”. We elect these people to make high judgement decisions. Many in our community seem to be having buyer’s remorse over Ms. Chase.
- Nope February 19, 2025 (4:26 pm)
  
  No it wouldn’t! It is unfair to the people who live in this house that he has now broken into multiple times! “Neighbor” you need to stop pandering to this behavior!
- David February 19, 2025 (5:36 pm)
  
  That’s not how bail works. One’s income or available assets are irrelevant.

please February 19, 2025 (3:56 pm)

Apparently “neighbor” doesnt have much compassion for the crime victims here.

Oh come on February 19, 2025 (5:05 pm)

Be nice to people who hurt you and your neighbors.
K February 19, 2025 (5:11 pm)

This may come as a shock to you and other posters, but it is possible to have compassion for the victim, as well at the homeless person. Compassion and empathy are not finite resources.

realistic February 19, 2025 (4:11 pm)

in response to “have compassion”. I have more than anyone I know, however if this guy had broken into my house and found my 16 year old daughter in the shower I would feel differently. it would change her life forever

WS Res February 19, 2025 (4:33 pm)

So you’re just… inventing something that didn’t happen? Cool.
Lauren February 19, 2025 (4:41 pm)

…. That’s REALLY not what happened
- Could have though February 20, 2025 (8:49 am)
  
  It could have though, I think that’s the point Realistic is trying to make. If we as a society just let people go around breaking laws (that we as a society voted for), it’s reasonable to worry that other sorts of criminal activity will occur.

wetone February 19, 2025 (5:40 pm)

I’m curious as to how this gets recorded as for crime data point ? Does it get recorded as break-in and theft ? or just as nothing happened…. Crazy stuff going on in Seattle and King County with the recordings of data these days;) Would like to see data recorded as was done 10yrs ago. Heck can’t believe all the homeless encampments in WS today. Harbor ave (in woods) is quite busy from the bi weekly garbage collections I see. Then at Safeway on Roxbury (what a mess ) a vehicle was stolen from gas pump while I was there today (not mine). Where’s the accountability in this city ?

Alki Roamer February 19, 2025 (5:54 pm)

Hey Neighbor, how much compassion would you have if he broke into your home twice? This poor individual most likely has drug or mental issues but serial criminals got to do the time for the crime…hopefully city hall has allocated money for treatment. I doubt it…

what to do February 19, 2025 (6:15 pm)

our amazing SPD who risk their lives for us, really have no incentive to catch the bad guys, since they are out of jail in hours! I have heard them say these actual words.

K February 19, 2025 (7:07 pm)

They have no incentive to catch the bad guys because their pay and job security are not performance-based. Unless they are on a high-profile case or are weirdo stalkers, cops rarely find out what charges or sentences the people they arrest get. Their job is done once they’re booked.
- Mel February 20, 2025 (6:18 am)
  
  False. Police are in contact with prosecutors and do often find out. They also consistently run into repeat offenders on the street post release.
  - Pelicans February 20, 2025 (10:35 am)
    
    Mel, So how much good does that do, in the end?
    I feel for them. Robbery detectives never contacted me a year ago even though I called them many times. I had video of my robbery/assaulter. What good does this all do?

flimflam February 20, 2025 (6:34 am)

Wow, many of these judges really do NOT have the best intrests of the general public in mind. Ridiculous.

Pelicans February 20, 2025 (10:48 am)

At this point, between the robbery detectives, prosecutors, judges and prosecuting/bail/bond/sentencing guidelines, it’s a free-for-all for law breakers in Seattle, King County and Washington State. Publishing the names of these judges won’t help come election time . State sentencing criminal guidelines must be changed, period.

Sorry, comment time is over.