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.

47 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.

      • DeadEnder October 10, 2025 (9:20 am)

        So, crime that doesn’t break the budget is an acceptable loss, or… not criminal? Do think about how many times this team got away with ‘it,’ and maybe your accounting ledger balances a bit better.

      • Ts October 11, 2025 (10:52 am)

        That’s one way to look at it. I look at it from another. The drug dealer that operated out of the same property I used to live at and threatened me twice has not been sitting outside of QFC asking for help while being given stolen items to keep under his wheelchair seat. This means that he is no longer following me into the store making me and my daughters feel unsafe. Recap-3 females feel safer going to the area due to the efforts and expense and a drug dealer involved with the ring is no longer spending time in the area

    • KT October 9, 2025 (5:28 pm)

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

      • Ts October 11, 2025 (10:59 am)

        It’s not just prosperity crimes. These people trade the items for drugs and smoke them on surrounding properties. They steal our packages and pee in our stairways (or worse). We have had people pee in our elevator and smoke drugs in it as well. 

    • 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.

      • Question Authority October 9, 2025 (9:26 pm)

        It’s common for “K” to tout anti Police bias and excuse the actions of thieves as the fault of society and corporate greed.  It’s actually quite alarming to have someone so jaded they ignore the effects that crime have on people, it’s as if they live in different reality realm.

        • k October 10, 2025 (6:55 am)

          There are at least three different people who post with this handle, FYI.  Not every K in this thread is even the same person.

        • Scarlett October 10, 2025 (10:48 am)

          Question Authority:  How about addressing “K” directly instead of this juvenile junior high gossip stuff?  This city is full of “adults” in various stages of arrested adolescence. 

          • Question Authority October 10, 2025 (3:32 pm)

            It’s not gossip, K has repeatedly shared on this Blog they don’t feel property crime is a problem and is never the fault of the thief.  They’re free to tell all of us why that is and just receive more negative comments because that view is misguided.

    • Snarky October 9, 2025 (11:44 pm)

      The arresting officers were not homicide detectives……..

    • WW Resident October 10, 2025 (6:13 am)

      What an absolutely moronic take. Not every officer is a homicide detective. These officers did the job assigned to them

  • 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.

  • Rhonda October 9, 2025 (8:53 pm)

    Good job SPD. #WootWoot 💪

  • 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.

  • flimflam October 10, 2025 (9:51 am)

    What a sad life to be a 65 year old shoplifter.

  • Mike October 10, 2025 (2:50 pm)

    I’ve shopped there twice in the past 2 weeks, and both times was surprised to see 2 dedicated security guards in the store. I thought it to be lots of additional overhead for a store with obviously tight profit margins. Now I know why. I assume we as paying customers all foot the bills for fighting these serial criminals. I truly hope jail time is involved. 

  • The Manager October 11, 2025 (4:09 pm)

    I live right down the street from Westwood Village and never worried before but I now watch my back from car to store and store to car everytime I go there. The 1st time I realized was not a safe place was when I was locked down in The Big Five store for an hour because someone had shot out the window of another store a door or two down. I will never forget it, but I refuse to let these these people scare me enough to stay away and live my life. I’m just more careful and aware. I know that SPD has been limited to what they can do, not their fault, they are doing what they are told, like all of us do everyday at our jobs.GREAT WORK SPD, IT MAY BE JUST A DENT IN THE ISSUE BUT IT IS A START AND ON TO THE NEXT.  THANK YOU!

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