West Seattle Crime Watch: four 5 more reports to share

Four Five (with a late addition) more reports to share with you tonight, starting with a burglary this afternoon — read on:

First, a short note from Dan, who e-mailed to say that his house in The Junction, 4400 block of 42nd SW, was broken into “between 1:30 and 3 this afternoon.”

Second, e-mail from Christine, who interrupted a intruder at her home:

Just a note to let people know that our house in the Westwood neighborhood was robbed last Wednesday morning (April 8th) between 7:05 and 8:45 AM. I came home to find a man in our house. He fled on foot down our alley. Several rooms were ransacked and a laptop computer was stolen. I immediately called 911 and the police responded very quickly and thoroughly, though no arrests have been made.

In speaking with neighbors, it appears that someone was going through people’s yards the day before, which is consistent with the way our break-in happened.

I just want people to know and be very careful. There are a lot more people out and about this time of year, and if you see someone you think looks sketchy it might warrant a call to the police.

Mandy in Arbor Heights e-mailed:

Last Tuesday my husband came home from work and went to grab our lawn mower that was stored under our deck and it was gone, stolen! We had just mowed on Sunday so it happened sometime between Sunday and Tuesday. We have a pretty large back yard with a chain link fence that swings open and a drive way where my husband parks his truck. The fence did not (does now) have a lock on it, but in order for someone to get our lawn mower they would have had to have opened the large gate, walked about 50 feet into our property to under our deck, push the mower out and close the gate behind them. We are assuming this happened during the day as there is no way we would not have
heard something at night.

That was just the start of the story – Mandy and her husband say they ultimately found the lawn mower – and a ladder they didn’t even know was stolen – at a business on Delridge that sells miscellaneous items. They say they spoke to the owner of the business, who said he had no idea the items were stolen, but they have called police to report finding their items there.

Jen, who’s also in Arbor Heights, thinks she may have interrupted would-be burglars as well:

(Monday) night around 9:30 I arrived at my home on 102nd and 34th in Arbor Heights. As I arrived home I witnessed 2 young men who looked like they were in their teens sprinting from my back yard. They had gone through my shed and it looked like they were trying to find a tool to break into my house. I think if I had gotten home any later they would have broken into my home and I would have confronted them walking through the door. It was quite unsettling that they tried to break in during the night. Just wanted to alert you and the rest of my West Seattle neighbors. I called the police and filed a report. They tried to search for the suspects but didn’t find them.

And Joel sent this later Wednesday:

… another car prowl. Last night (Tuesday) on our quiet dead end street just down the stairs from South Seattle CC I heard a noise about 12:30am. I looked out the window to see two African American youths (18ish?) standing near my neighbor’s car directly underneath a streetlight. They saw me and bolted with the speed that only people engaged in illegal activity would use. I went outside to find his truck window broken out with a cinder block. I called SPD and they came but were unable to locate the suspects. My neighbor’s GPS unit was taken, but at least my presence may have stopped them from trying to take anything else. Keep an eye out, folks.

One thing to stress – be sure that, no matter how small you think a crime is, you report it to police; they need to keep an accurate picture of what’s happening in the area, and that also helps them make the best staff-allocation decisions too.

12 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: <strike>four</strike> 5 more reports to share"

  • Kevin April 15, 2009 (7:50 pm)

    Regarding lawnmowers and ladders. These are items that are kept in my garage. I have a heavy length of chain running through the ladders and also through the handles on the mower and secured to a post.

    Just a minor tip that could slow down or totally discourage a would be thief, where they might see a quick opportunity if they find a garage door open, or break in to a garage.

    Another tip learned from an old Dragnet TV show from years ago. Hang your clothes in your closet with each hanger hooked the opposite way on the rack. This keeps a thief from being able to grab a whole bunch of clothes off the rack at one time.

  • iggy April 15, 2009 (8:00 pm)

    Kevin, I’m smiling about your Dragnet tip. I’ve noticed the show is still on cable each evening; maybe I’ll start watching it for more tips !! Seriously, a few years ago my friend’s home was robbed, and the thieves did take all of his clothes (he had some expensive business suits) from the bedroom closet.

  • gretchen April 15, 2009 (9:21 pm)

    Our next door neighbor in Westwood-Sealth HS area was broken into last week. It happened early around 10am we were home and heard nothing. Dogs barked alittle…as they always are doing. Lucky for them their dog encouraged the theif to leave everthing there. Remember to secure your belongings and re-lock those windows when you leave the house.

    Also another friend had their basement window kicked in on Saturday mid-morning. North Admiral 42nd and Atlantic. This one also was scared away before gaining full entry into the home.

    Police reports where taken at both crime scenes. Also alerted as many neighbors as possible.

  • danielleS April 15, 2009 (9:26 pm)

    We live a little further south…across from evergreen hs off of fourth. Both of our cars were broken into early easter morning. They were in our driveway, just feet from where we were sleeping! Ugh…

  • Ingrid April 16, 2009 (7:14 am)

    That business on Delridge that sells “miscellaneous items” would be the first place I would go to find my stolen items.

  • Raymond April 16, 2009 (1:28 pm)

    I’m surprised that “that business” on delridge still exists, as I offered someone a place to stay for the night years ago only to find half of my dvd collection missing. When I found her again she took me there and I had to pay $5 each to get them back. The word “fence” comes to mind.

  • Angela April 16, 2009 (2:01 pm)

    One thing I’ve read over and over and over regarding car prowls is GPS units being stolen. For God’s sake people! Don’t leave them in your cars! Especially not on the holder! That is just an invitation. Take them with you whenever you leave your car. There is no protective field to keep your car from being broken into. Unless, of course, it’s in your garage. But even then, you should still not leave anything in your car.

  • The Dude April 16, 2009 (10:17 pm)

    The ‘business’ on Delridge near the Library is only a symptom. The real problem is the clown that owns the Delridge building and then leases it to be used in such a way. Old timers in WS/Burien/Shorewood probably recognize the last name of the owner…Megale. Daddy Megale was a dentist and now Junior Megale plays with Daddy’s money, acting out the role of a slumlord, renting the building to another clown who operates what anyone with the faintest of street smarts knows is a fence joint.

  • blue April 22, 2009 (4:08 pm)

    I live in the Westwood area and was burglarized in early January, same day as 5 others in the area according to the police who responded to my call. My neighbors even saw something suspicous but did nothing about it.

  • madmom April 23, 2009 (7:06 am)

    We live on 37th Ave SW between Roxbury and Cambridge. Our truck alarm seems to go off on it’s own volition at all hours starting every spring. First I would like to apologize to our neighbors if the noise bothers you. Next I would like to say that we will NOT be turning it off. Yes, it can be annoying but after having the truck broken into 3 times in 2 years, we have learned a lesson. Our neighbor across from us had their truck broken into as well. They learned to stop leaving things in their vehicle as well. We still get up and go look whenever the alarm goes off no matter what time it is. I suggest every one who has an alarm USE IT! That’s why you have it. There are those who know that some alarms may be triggered with a CB mike or other electronic device. Any car prowler who wants what you have will do what they can to get you to let your guard down and that includes annoying you with your own alarm until you shut it off thus making your vehicle easy prey.

  • Frank April 27, 2009 (3:58 pm)

    How does one get into the back room of this establishment to see if your stolen items are there? I noticed lawn mowers galore there, but nothing like the laptop and LCD screen stolen from my Arbor heights home on April 1st.

    Did anyone see this link?
    http://www.westseattleherald.com/2009/04/21/news/delridge-pawn-shop-owner-pleads-guilty-charges

  • WSB April 27, 2009 (4:39 pm)

    We reported that information shortly after it was announced at last Tuesday’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. Also, it’s not a pawn shop – that requires a different kind of license. Here’s our story. https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=15937
    .
    A followup is in the works, too.

Sorry, comment time is over.