West Seattle Crime Watch: Hate-graffiti vandalism suspect caught

(WSB photo from May 5)
Breaking news: A commenter on our earlier report says a suspect is in custody in the hate-graffiti vandalism around West Seattle (first report May 4), and we have confirmation from a reliable source. Leaving a message for the Seattle Police media unit to see what details they can share. P.S. Just took a second look at the comment that brought us first news of the arrest – it’s from a writer who identified himself in an earlier comment as one of the victims:

Just an update:

The police have caught the person who has been writing anti-gay slurs all over West Seattle. Kudos to the Seattle Police Department! Great Job!

I hope he spends some time behind bars so he has time to think about what he’s been doing and the grief that he’s been causing people.

6:27 PM UPDATE: Seattle Police have released a bit more information about today’s arrest, which is also now posted on the SPDBlotter site. The suspect is described as a 31-year-old man, booked for investigation of property damage, still under investigation for possible “malicious harassment” — as in, hate crime. Detective Jeff Kappel in the media unit told WSB that since this is an “active investigation,” he isn’t releasing more details such as where and how the man was taken into custody, which the SPDBlotter item says happened just after 1 this afternoon.

33 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Hate-graffiti vandalism suspect caught"

  • livingonthebeach May 19, 2009 (4:55 pm)

    Aweomse. Hopefully they make the person repair all the damage, apologize the victim/property owners and attend a harrassment / sensitivity training.

  • Cait May 19, 2009 (5:07 pm)

    Even though it sounds like he’s not exactly in the best mental state, I hope they do make an example of him. Oh how I long for the days of tarring and feathering…

  • Charles May 19, 2009 (5:22 pm)

    Wow…tarring and feathering. Really? Perhaps it’s time to reinstate public floggings and hangings as well. The drumbeat continues!

  • Roadsterboy May 19, 2009 (5:26 pm)

    I think that sentencing this person, if they are found guilty, to about 120 hours of public service work removing graffiti throughout the neighborhood would go a long way toward making things right. And, Charles, please relax. I think Cait was being facetious.

  • Charles May 19, 2009 (5:52 pm)

    I’m chill and relaxed, Roadie. Just waiting for the auto-da-fé for our de facto mentally ill hate artist.

  • JanS May 19, 2009 (6:32 pm)

    so, Charles, what do you suggest should happen to this person? serious question, does not require a sarcastic answer. Thanks..

  • Save Our Streets Seattle May 19, 2009 (6:40 pm)

    Glad they caught the culprit. I can’t wait to read all about it as the story unfolds. I hope the capture of the vandal receives as much attention (even nationally) that his hate speech vandalism did when it was discovered!

  • bridge to somewhere May 19, 2009 (7:28 pm)

    i reiterate the kudos for SPD in this matter. far too often they are criticized for whatever reason, and far too rarely are they congratulated for a job well done. thanks spd and our southwest precinct!

  • Charles May 19, 2009 (7:35 pm)

    Glad you asked. I suggest we allow the legal system to do its job. Why is it acceptable to infer torture in the community yet oppose torture abroad?

  • Cait May 19, 2009 (8:00 pm)

    Oh for God’s sake, Charles. And I thought twice about posting that. I thought “Someone with no sense of humor might take this the wrong way” and then I thought “tarring and feathering? No one could possibly think I was serious.” And I posted it. In faith that people had better things to do and would respond instead to the serious issue of hate crimes and the fact that children all over our community that were privy to its message. How could I have been so naive? Thanks Charles for educating me.

    For the record I think community service removing the graffiti and some mandated education on sensitivity towards others would be quite sufficient. Thanks for telepathically gleaning my stance on “torture abroad” too. And to think some people would read this and deem you assumptive.

  • Charles May 19, 2009 (8:28 pm)

    That was easy.

  • JanS May 19, 2009 (8:48 pm)

    Easy? Charles, are you serious? You totally misunderstood the poster Cait, took her seriously, and then condemned her assumptively…what nerve. I appreciate your answer about what to do with this person, and I’m going to assume that no one, and I mean NO ONE on here means that we should subject this person or anyone to torture, and that we all believe that the legal system should do it’s job, and hopefully will. I hope he also gets the help that he needs if, in fact, he has some sort of mental deficiency.

    But you do judge us on here harshly, I’m afraid, and maybe you need to lighten up a little? This community and the people in in do, for the most part, take this sort of crime very seriously.

  • Cait May 19, 2009 (9:06 pm)

    Charles, as Jan said, you obviously misunderstood my intentions and I’m not sure what you thought was “easy.” I suppose taking everything at face value in your obvious quest to be insulted would be pretty easy. You’re lucky I’M not offended by your assumption that anyone here would be simple enough to think tarring and feathering would be a viable option. Have some faith in people – maybe ask if they’re serious if something like this comes up again? Might save yourself some trouble.

    Back to the topic at hand – are there any remaining tags that could be offered up as a means for him to pay back the community by covering it up. And I’m sad to hear that an Easy Street mural was affected – I’ve met the guy that does those and he’s wonderful. Hopefully he’ll be able to cover it up…

  • KBear May 19, 2009 (9:22 pm)

    Where’s a good place to buy tar and feathers, now that the Junction Feed & Seed is gone?

  • Charles May 19, 2009 (9:34 pm)

    Close enough.

  • GenHillOne May 19, 2009 (9:50 pm)

    I think I’ve heard this song before…

  • Lewis May 19, 2009 (9:59 pm)

    So much culture clashing. Why can we not all just hug it out? I really do not think the discussion about tarring and feathering is a happy one. Chickens die to make feathers, and there is a lot of meanness out there and a lot of us who are not always healthy mentally.

  • My2Cents May 19, 2009 (11:50 pm)

    So, really, what was wrong with a public flogging for the crime? Would it hurt his feelings more than his skin…

  • CandrewB May 20, 2009 (6:26 am)

    Tar and feather control legislation from the 1790’s made it illegal to sell tar and feathers at the same location. There is also the 3-day waiting period on tarable feathers…

  • Tonya May 20, 2009 (8:22 am)

    Like all the other criminals with this kind of offense, it will be catch and release. He will be fined, given community service and that’s it. His mental status is questionable and he clearly is a homophobe but the way the courts are around here, they will find a way to process him, give him the standard punishment and release him back into our neighborhood.
    What I wish the authoriities would do is make some mental health counseling mandatory.

  • KBear May 20, 2009 (8:24 am)

    Free-range feathers, then?

  • austin May 20, 2009 (8:46 am)

    Tar and wooling is the new, chicken-safe method of dispensing vigilante mob justice dontchaknow.

    In all seriousness though, it’s a good thing this guy was finally caught. Maybe now he’ll think twice before.. wait, no. It’s too bad the state doesn’t just lobotomize people like this.

  • Charles May 20, 2009 (9:30 am)

    Tonya, I agree about the mental health counseling. A good place to start would be right here in the community.

  • Roadsterboy May 20, 2009 (9:50 am)

    I nominate Charles for some mental health “counseling.” All in favor say “aye.” Everyone except Charles will know I’m kidding, but now I feel I have to be explicit for his benefit, so here goes: Just kidding Charles!

  • JanS May 20, 2009 (10:13 am)

    Wow, Charles…keep up the insults and no one on here will ever take you seriously…perhaps too much coffee has affected your “nice vibes”, if you have any. You seem to think little of this community, and the people who live here and frequent this news source and forum…is there really a good reason why you even come here? Lighten up, for goodness sake, and go find something positive and constructive to do.

  • Charles May 20, 2009 (10:51 am)

    So much anger. Let’s recap: I want the legal system to do its job. I think people that aren’t qualified mental health professionals shouldn’t make public comments about people’s state of mental health. I’m not for torture of any kind, domestic or abroad, because it is unilaterally wrong. I’m stunned at the level of intolerance towards others as communicated in this discussion by people espousing their lack of tolerance of people that are intolerant. Remember: intolerance is the root cause of the crime perpetrated against these good people in the community, and intolerance in return perpetuates the cycle of intolerance.

  • JanS May 20, 2009 (12:05 pm)

    and , Charles, it’s not your job to judge the rest of us…all I said was lighten up, and stop putting us down at every turn. I think the only thing I’m intolerant of right now is your comments aimed at the rest of us…methinks you need to look in the mirror. NO ONE said this guy should be tortured. It was said that IF this person has some sort of mental deficiency, then hopefully he’ll get some treatment by qualified people.

    The latest news is that he does have a long record. We can only hope that he doesn’t get a wrist slap, as I don’t consider this just “mischief”…I consider it a hate crime..now that you can take to the bank as me being intolerant of, thank you very much. We can agree on one thing, that the authorities do their job, and prosecute this to the fullest.

  • Charles May 20, 2009 (1:44 pm)

    My goodness. It appears an emotional nerve has been hit. I won’t berate anyone for something they cannot control. Like the good citizens directly affected by this harassment, I’m not going to lie on my back and be accosted or threatened in public by unstable people. A civilized society has no place for frontier justice. Moving on. Seems based on the preliminary charges this wasn’t a Federal hate crime like many hoped it would be, and this person will be charged under local and state statutes. I suspect the legal system is burdened and going after people that commit crimes that physically endanger or cause bodily harm as is the case with the Alki shooter and the crime wave plaguing West Seattle in general.

  • Ex-Westwood Resident May 20, 2009 (2:13 pm)

    Why not do what Singapore does???
    They don’t have a problem with tagging and vandalism of this nature there.
    For those that want to know look it up. If you have a good memory there was (iirc) a Washington resident that was caught and was given the typical sentence for this crime there. I remember, do you????

  • Charles May 20, 2009 (2:32 pm)

    Sure do! CANING.

  • PinkFeathers May 21, 2009 (10:34 pm)

    Long time reader and long time tongue biter.

    1. I really think his name should be posted on the blog. I see the WSB does that for most crimes unless they are a minor. If he’s mentally unstable, that just makes it more Terrorizing and what if the guy had a gun and shot someone. Let the Judicial system make that decision and not the reporters. Be fair about it.

    2. As a gay person who lives in west seattle, these acts terrorized our village, whether straight or gay. Any act like this should be treated as a hate crime and I’m sick and tired of seeing the justice system let hate crimes go un-punished.

    3. Congrats to the SPD for catching this guy! I salute you guys

    4. Maybe a village linching wouldn’t be a bad idea ;-) Please start or join a Neighborhood Watch Group if you don’t already!

  • WSB May 21, 2009 (11:00 pm)

    PinkF, as soon as I have confirmed that he has been charged I will publish his name. What I saw on the municipal court log tonight looks like formal charges but I didn’t see them till everyone went home for the night and the municipal court lookup system is a little tortuous – so I am going to have a message waiting for the local muni prosecutor in the morning.
    .
    Our criteria for publishing names (and otherwise identifying people, such as, showing faces) – same ones I helped establish and enforce in my last decade-plus of old media news management – include (and of course there are always exceptions):
    –formal charges are filed
    –person police are seeking because of serious public danger (and therefore they request that the suspect be identified)
    If charges are not yet filed, we generally still would identify if we know the person:
    –was caught in the act (and in this case we still do not know the exact circumstances of the arrest, whether he was allegedly committing more vandalism at that exact moment)
    –has confessed
    .
    The reason for a policy like this is that innocent people DO get arrested – and charges never get filed – but if their name and face already have been publicized, damage has been done. Not to say that the filing of charges is absolutely foolproof (nor is a confession, certainly people have confessed to things they didn’t do), but if we’re going to set the bar somewhere, that’s where we set it – when prosecutors have said “We have enough evidence that we’re pretty sure this guy did it so we are filing formal charges.”
    .
    This comment is on our original story about the arrest – hope you have seen the two stories filed since, including the one tonight with bail upped to $5,000. Looks like he has a hearing in June. – TR

  • PinkFeathers May 21, 2009 (11:02 pm)

    thank you for clarifying that…..

    Love the blog!

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