WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Carjacking in The Junction

Police are investigating an early morning carjacking in The Junction, near 42nd/Alaska. They say it happened around 3:30 am. The narrative we obtained says the car’s owner was inside an unnamed business, working, “when she saw a male, 16-20 years old, thin build, wearing a dark blue hoodie, dark blue mask covering his face, and dark blue jeans looking into her vehicle. There was also a small black SUV idling in the street next to her vehicle that the suspect arrived in. (She) tried to get the suspect’s attention from inside the store, but she couldn’t. (She) then went outside to talk to the suspect who was at the driver’s door now.” A co-worker went outside with her; the suspect “saw them and held up a long unknown object, but did not say anything. (The victim) said (the co-worker) then pulled her back and told her that the suspect had a gun and they went back into the store. The suspect then entered the car and took off eastbound on SW Alaska St as she was calling the police.” They then told police they’d seen a second suspect.” In addition to what’s in the provided narrative, we found the archived incident audio, which further updated the two carjackers as white men in their 20s, both believed to be armed, and described the car they stole as a 2017 silver Hyundai Elantra, plate beginning in BJO. The narrative added this descriptive detail: “The rubber trim along the driver’s side door is missing and could be identified that way. The door handle was also recovered in the street where it was parked.” If you have any information, the incident # is 25-67415.

23 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Carjacking in The Junction"

  • KT March 13, 2025 (3:15 pm)

    Oh man, was that an employee of Bakery Nueuveaux?  Seems like that would be one of the only employees with people working that early.  

    • WSB March 13, 2025 (3:29 pm)

      Bakery Nouveau is on California a few blocks away from 42nd/Alaska. I’m thinking that even though it’s closed at that hour, the QFC might still have employees on duty?

      • Al King March 13, 2025 (4:01 pm)

        QFC would have people stocking the shelves overnight.

  • Timetogo March 13, 2025 (3:59 pm)

    That entire neighborhood has gotten scary. I’ve lived on that block for 6 years and it’s time to leave. Absolutely overrun with homeless and junkies that have nothing better to do than destroy property and make a mess. This city just continues to sit back and allow it to happen.

    • Taking back our City! March 13, 2025 (4:25 pm)

      We need to come together as a community and NOT let these thugs and junkies take over our wonderful WS! We also need more police presence to keep us safe. I saw what looked like a stolen goods sell off transaction in the little park in the heart of the junction. One guy giving another a handful of cash for an iPad that he pulled out of his backpack while other homeless/junkies partied on the park benches and their puppy pitbulls wrestled off-leash on the grass. I mean,  come on Seattle leaders! Your TAXPAYERS ARE WANTING TO LEAVE this crap. Someone? Anyone? We need help before there’s a mass exit. 

      • Gay March 13, 2025 (8:42 pm)

        Mass exit?  Don’t be a drama queen.

    • I live here March 13, 2025 (4:36 pm)

      I take the bus. I would normally hesitate to agree with you but…  I feel very self conscious saying this, but there has been an marked decrease in safety as a result of the shelter in WS. I have been at the bus stop just west of the shelter and watched people staying at the shelter walk to the bus stop (across from the firestation). They often stop to ‘use’ right off the sidewalk near the vet or around that area. At the bus stop, I have been spit on, an attempted gropping, threatened more times than I can count, watched drug sales and blatent drug use.  They then take the bus and exit in the Junction or at WWV.  Over time, I’ve recongnized people from the shelter steal in the Junction QFC and at other times recognized people stealing at different stores in WWV.  All the issues I have experienced have happened over the years since the shelter has been in operation. It’s not all the time but enough. 

      • Kadoo March 13, 2025 (5:41 pm)

        I agree. Just ask the businesses near the shelter what they think of the shelter. 

      • Kristen March 14, 2025 (7:10 am)

        I live near the shelter, and wholeheartedly agree. Since opening for over night stays, I’ve seen several fires started, fent smoking nonstop, had my life threatened several times, (and sexually harassed I don’t even know how many times), seen the Les Schwab parking lot turn into a public toilet, shoplifting by the same group of people, etc. As of a few months ago, there’s now a handful of dealers that frequent the block around the shelter. I’m not surprised at all that the CHI clinic and food distributor both fenced in their properties. 

  • Chuck March 13, 2025 (5:09 pm)

    Not splitting hairs here but isn’t  this actually a car theft and not a car jacking?   A car jacking usually consists of forcibly taking a car from the person driving it.   I guess it doesn’t matter, the theft is the same. 

    • WSB March 13, 2025 (5:29 pm)

      An implied gun is force enough to turn a theft into a robbery, as evidenced with shoplift-turned-robbery cases all the time.

    • flimflam March 13, 2025 (7:20 pm)

      Im pretty sure that’s exactly what splitting hairs is…

  • SeaWalk March 13, 2025 (5:15 pm)

    I 100% with agree with “I Live Here”. I walk by the bus stop at 36th and SW Alaska (across the street from the Grove) and see drug activity everyday now. The shelter has also become a hive for activity, particularly on weekend mornings. Must be scary for neighbors and businesses in the area.

  • Linda March 13, 2025 (7:09 pm)

    I agree its the shelter. Over 50 years Ive been walking that neighborhood. Had my ballet lessons at the little elmo! Recently, its downright scary and I am in shock its allowed to house junkies! I guess I will follow my instincts and common sense and call police.

  • Triangle Resident March 13, 2025 (7:21 pm)

    The Triangle neighborhood, businesses and residents have been taking the brunt of the West Seattle Veteran Service Center since they morphed from a cold weather shelter to a private homeless shelter with no code of conduct much less enforcement. Daily overdoses on the lawn from drug sales on site, lewd disrobed dancing for the children on the playground across the street, broken windows and theft in surrounding businesses.  Can’t even walk to the YMCA without being harassed for money. The Triangle is no longer walkable because it’s not safe at any hour, day or night.

  • CAM March 13, 2025 (8:16 pm)

    And again, another incident in West Seattle which has a physical description and narrative that gives ZERO indication that it was committed by a person who is unhoused and the comments section turns into a dissertation on the reasons the unhoused are to blame for all of our troubles. 

    • Timetogo March 13, 2025 (11:40 pm)

      And again, Cam. You live on this block? You actually tracked multiple homeless junkies back to this shelter after being confronted and harassed simply for walking your dog in the afternoon and evening??? Probably not. The police do nothing about this, I have called many times in this situation. Keep playing “make believe” though, and just pretend like everything will be ok ;)

      • CAM March 14, 2025 (4:35 am)

        Why would you assume I don’t live near there or walk by there regularly? You seem to be missing the point. There’s a whole lot of ranting and posturing being thrown around in these comments for something that no one has any knowledge is connected to the incident actually referenced in the post. You can’t just make things up to make them fit the narrative. The post has nothing to do with the shelter and the incident described isn’t even close to it. My read on what’s described, based on reality, is that two men in an SUV with guns and tools sufficient to break into/steal a car aren’t exactly the typical clientele of the shelter. The suspects could also very well be unhoused but that doesn’t mean they’ve ever even been to the shelter or were in the neighborhood because of it. You’re just drawing illusory correlations. 

      • Equally tired March 14, 2025 (7:15 am)

        My experience has been the same. I’m sorry you’re also dealing with this. SPD takes forever to respond when I call, but I keep trying. 

    • I Live Here March 14, 2025 (6:31 am)

      I was responding to the comment about an increase of crime in the area. I’m a woman experiencing safety issues in our neighborhood. Attempted groping by a homeless man, coming from the shelter, when I’m trying to get on the bus with a heavy bag is a problem. Homeless men walking from the shelter to the bus stop either jumping out at me in a feign attack or picking up rocks and throwing them at me while screaming nonsense are problems. Women and small groups using in the bus stop canopy are a problem. I’ve tried calling Metro, etc. with no real result. I’m literally just standing on the sidewalk and doing nothing to provoke anyone. What I’ve been experiencing is absolutely a result of people serviced  by the shelter. It shifts west, to the bus stop, the alley behind the gas station, into the Junction and directly to WWV.. I’m on the bus so I see where people exit. In my opinion, generalized crime does open the door to bigger crimes such as the car jacking/robbery bc the neighborhood feels and looks less secure/safe.

      • CAM March 14, 2025 (10:26 am)

        I’m not going to give you information about where I live or walk or drive on a regular basis. Nobody is denying an increased presence of unhoused persons in the Triangle. What there are less of because of that is unhoused people on California and in other areas. I’ve interacted with unhoused people/users of that shelter and while I’m not always comfortable with the way they are approaching me, I can also say that no one has threatened me and I walk and wait for the bus multiple times a day. I also don’t hold the opinion that for some reason West Seattle should be immune from all of the concerns the rest of the city is dealing with. Your efforts to make this about me rather than addressing the lack of support for your claims that the shelter or unhoused people in general are responsible for this incident make it that much more clear that logic isn’t a part of this conversation. 

        Now to address your point about the appearance of unhoused people encouraging other people to engage in violent crime. No. There is not a single statistic out there that would support that statement and I’m not going to spend time trying to disprove a hypothetical based on nothing. 

  • SeaWalk March 14, 2025 (7:22 am)

    CAM do you walk? If you do, then clearly the dealing and usage stems directly from the shelter. I see it everyday! I’ve witnessed, with shock, screaming and flailing individuals walk across the street from the shelter to loiter outside of the school/day care center. If I were a parent, I’d be very concerned. It’s a real problem before businesses open in the morning. I’ve noticed that some businesses have posted appointment only signs, I suspect for this reason. To deny that this problem exists, is shocking to me. The neighborhood I suppose looks different when zipping by at 25 mph.

  • Tsenre March 14, 2025 (9:53 am)

    I sent an e mail stating concerns about the shelter to the commander of that particular American Legion Hall.  I doubt if I will get a response, but it seemed like possibly the most productive thing to do.

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