WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Police arrest five in shoplifting crackdown at Westwood Village Marshalls

SPD announced this afternoon that they arrested five people, ages 38 to 65, during an “organized retail theft operation” at the Westwood Village Marshalls store on Wednesday. Here’s their summary:

On the afternoon of Oct. 8, patrol officers and detectives in the General Investigations Unit (GIU) conducted an operation at a retail store in the 2600 block of Southwest Barton Street, which suffers a significant amount of theft.

Detectives teamed up with loss-prevention employees to identify and apprehend suspects they caught stealing. Ultimately, five suspects were arrested for shoplifting.

One of the suspects had an additional misdemeanor theft warrant and a felony warrant for narcotics. Officers placed another suspect, who was with one of the arrestees, into custody for a robbery warrant. Police booked him into SCORE jail.

Police booked three suspects into the King County Jail.

Officers identified and released one of the suspects. He, and all of the suspects, are permanently trespassed from entering into the store.

Police recovered $460 in stolen merchandise.

“This was a team effort and could not have taken place without the hard work by GIU detectives, patrol, and partnership with the loss prevention employees at Marshalls,” said Sergeant Austin Davis. GIU detectives will handle all of the follow-up investigations.

We’re checking with city/county prosecutors to see if any had hearings this afternoon.

34 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Police arrest five in shoplifting crackdown at Westwood Village Marshalls"

  • Alki resident October 9, 2025 (3:55 pm)

    38-65, so life long criminal careers. 

  • helpermonkey October 9, 2025 (4:25 pm)

    I think until we get the 34 count career felon out of the white house, all crimes should be legal. Why not? 

  • Wes T October 9, 2025 (4:44 pm)

    SPD recovered $460 in merchandise. SPD’s murder clearance rate is 24%, meaning only a quarter of murder cases end in an arrest. Is this the best use of resources?

    • K October 9, 2025 (4:55 pm)

      My thoughts exactly.  I can’t imagine it didn’t cost more than the recovery to do this op.  What a waste of resources.  

      • Tks October 9, 2025 (5:24 pm)

        Thank you SPD!!!

      • Derp October 9, 2025 (5:41 pm)

        If that’s the way you look at it, why even have a police force. You will never recover anything near that you would approve of,  but great job SPD. 

        • K October 9, 2025 (6:00 pm)

          Because there are other crimes besides property crimes? 

          • Anne October 9, 2025 (6:11 pm)

            What an inane comment. 

          • Also John October 9, 2025 (6:40 pm)

            Exactly…..Thank you SPD.

          • Question Authority October 9, 2025 (6:55 pm)

            K.  Property belongs to someone, why do you feel it’s free for the taking?  Do you leave your keys in the front door or your car running while away?  

        • WSzombie October 9, 2025 (10:14 pm)

          There’s a lot of families that would pay that $460 to have the murder conviction rate go up by 1%. A lot of families that don’t have closure. A lot of victims of violent crimes that haven’t been able to look at the person whole stole a life, not a few coats and shoes, but a life.So yeah, I guess I’m on the side of, “who cares about shoplifting when we have so many unsolved murders”. 

      • Question Authority October 9, 2025 (5:53 pm)

        Oh please stop with the “it’s only things – it’s just profit loss – maybe they needed it – blah, blah, blah” you may be OK with rampant theft at this or any store, but it’s still a crime and not a good human trait.

      • Deeper October 9, 2025 (9:33 pm)

        A less simplistic viewpoint of the excellent work of the people catching these thieves is:  it’s not only the value of that one theft at Marshalls. It is getting repeat offenders and future offenders caught.. It’s deeper than one event. Thank you, SPD.!  Let’s get more of those losers off the street.

    • KT October 9, 2025 (5:28 pm)

      Agreed, but I feel that way about all property crimes.  

    • ltmmgm October 9, 2025 (6:05 pm)

      It may have been “only” $460.00 this bust but how much had they gotten away with before this. It seems like every time I goto WWV I see someone walking out with something unpaid, just as Pieguy commented below. So good job SPD! 

    • Al King October 9, 2025 (6:45 pm)

      Wes T & K. Educate us on the connection between these arrests and your assertion that other crimes are not being worked. You do have facts, don’t you? 

    • K October 9, 2025 (6:53 pm)

      No, it is not. If it’s not “organized” retail crime, bikini baristas, or massage parlors, SPD will not put in the effort. 

    • Neto October 9, 2025 (8:28 pm)

      What the f*** I have just read? So… We should just allow folks to take any property at will? No consequences?Take a break and celebrate the win. Police did good here. And we need to further support them so they do a better job on bigger crimes as well.

  • DRW October 9, 2025 (4:44 pm)

    Thank you SPD. Well done.

  • JeffJeff October 9, 2025 (4:59 pm)

    That’s awesome.  Hopefully they get more than a slap on the wrist!  Great job to all involved.  Keep it up!

    • Justin October 9, 2025 (5:12 pm)

      Agreed. Glad we’re arresting these people and not just giving them cupcakes like Katie Wilson would do.

      • IDC9 October 9, 2025 (6:17 pm)

        Somehow, I don’t think Wilson will be giving retail theft suspects cupcakes. Lighter sentences perhaps, but not cupcakes.

        • K October 9, 2025 (10:18 pm)

          She won’t give them that either.  Mayors have nothing to do with charges or sentencing.  

  • Admiral2009 October 9, 2025 (5:20 pm)

    Retail theft is a huge problem and COSTS everyone money via higher costs for good’s and service’s.  I hope the perps are made accountable!

  • PieGuy October 9, 2025 (5:39 pm)

    Westwood Village …. Just the other night pulled up to QFC (shoplifters paradise) car was leaving QFC, stopped by where pumpkins were outside……these 2 guys popped the trunk and stole like 15 pumpkins & left. Happy Halloween 🎃 

    • IDC9 October 9, 2025 (6:16 pm)

      They stole pumpkins? What a pair of Halloween grinches!

  • WSEnvironmentalist October 9, 2025 (6:26 pm)

    Marshall’s has been suffering shoplifting thefts for a long time. IMO it has to do with fear that the employees will be attacked if they try to stop a theft.  A while ago and saw a young person pulling  a huge Marshall’s suitcase through the aisles and dropping stuff into the bag.  Then I saw them take the bag out the front door without paying.  When I said something to one of the staff I was told that they had been advised to not confront shoplifters in order to protect the safety of the staff members.  Don’t know if this a nationwide policy or specific to Marshall’s in Westwood Village.

    • Brig October 9, 2025 (7:55 pm)

      Definitely not Westwood-specific. I’ve got a friend who works at Target in another state and they’ve got the same policy. To be clear, it’s a good policy: massive liability risk to have random clerks and cashiers attempting to detain shoplifters. They’re not trained for crime fighting, and it puts both worker and shoppers and risk.

  • Patrick October 9, 2025 (6:56 pm)

    Nice work SPD! What is a SCORE jail?

  • Sally Ann October 9, 2025 (7:35 pm)

    There is an employee at that Marcshall‘s who suffered a fractured pelvis because a shoplifter was running out of the store and slammed into her!  After that happened I felt unsafe shopping in that store. Thank you thank you SPD for making it safer for everyone and hopefully these people do time in jail and then go get a job

  • Joe October 9, 2025 (7:59 pm)

    Great job, SPD. I wish they’d clear more of these lowlifes out of WWV. 

  • Jack October 9, 2025 (8:33 pm)

    When people continue to steal from these retail operations, WE, the honest shoppers, pay the higher prices that retailers must get due to ongoing, nonstop, outrageous, retail theft. Thank you SPD.

  • ArborRes October 9, 2025 (9:29 pm)

    Rampant retail theft makes these places unsafe for paying shoppers and hardworking employees. Such theft, sometimes accompanied by threats of, or actual violence, can lead to store shutdowns. I welcome Marshall’s lower prices and interesting items. I am hopeful that the organized theft arrests will keep this store and others in business at WWV.  Not all of us can, or want to, shop online (at least not all the time), so I like having at least some retail stores nearby.   Thank you, Seattle Police Department.

Leave a Reply to K Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.