Last night at the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting (earlier reports here and here), Southwest Precinct Lt. Steve Paulsen briefly mentioned that officers had been busy yesterday afternoon chasing after burglars who’d hit at least three places. He also said an arrest had been made thanks to alert citizens noticing and reporting someone suspicious. This morning we have the story firsthand from one of those citizens – who happened also to be among the victims – and actually tracked down one of the suspects:
Our home, in which we have lived for 26 years, near 35th and Morgan [map], was robbed September 15, 2009.
Our neighbor saw a youth with a backpack leaving the area about 4 PM.
My wife arrived home at about 4:30 PM and found a window screen off a back window, door open, drawers open in bedrooms, my son’s coin containers on the floor, and a laptop computer missing.
I returned home about 5 PM and decided to check the Westwood QFC to see if the thief had deposited the coins my son had saved for years on his dresser.
There was the thief, feeding my son’s coins into the Coinstar machine. I introduced myself and asked to look in the backpack, there was the computer and my son’s iPod speakers…I detained this young man until the police arrived.
Several youths left the parking lot in a white car with a spoiler in a hurry when the police arrived.
Our possessions were returned and the thief was described to me as a convicted felon.
We have asked police for more information today about this case and any other related break-ins yesterday and will add to this story when those details come in. 4:54 PM UPDATE: Talked with Detective Brian Ballew. He says they’re not sure if this suspect is linked to the two other burglaries yesterday afternoon – the only thing in common is that “large amounts of coins” were taken in the others. Also they’re not sure if anyone else was actually involved with this break-in – the one suspect who was nabbed matched the description of the one person seen afterward – but someone did drop the suspect off at the QFC, and, as described above, left in a car described only as “white … with a spoiler.” Det. Ballew also confirmed the suspect was booked into jail and that he has a record.
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