West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
(Added – photo taken just after 6 am Saturday, showing how far the taped-off scene extended)
FIRST 2:42 AM REPORT: Police are setting up at various locations around South Delridge and also working with county to check on the White Center side. No other details yet. 2:52 AM UPDATE: Call now definitely described as a shooting. Also per scanner, police say a witness told them the suspect was a black male, 20s, in a black hoodie, driving a white Ford Crown Victoria with big rims, last seen heading northbound. 3:05 AM UPDATE: We had originally heard DOA via the scanner but no confirmation; however, via Twitter, KIRO is also reporting 1 dead. No word of an arrest yet. EARLY SUNDAY UPDATE: Our partners at the Seattle Times have an update that says the victim was a man in his 20s.
The three newest West Seattle Crime Watch reports include two car break-ins along Harbor Avenue, and a home break-in – read on for full details:Read More
Following up on the High Point stabbing almost three weeks ago: The man who’s been in jail since then, in lieu of $1 million bail, 22-year-old Marcus Combs, was supposed to be in court this morning to enter a plea to the charge of first-degree assault, but instead, his arraignment was postponed until May 26th. According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, “Combs will undergo a 15-day mental evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial.” The victim, a 40-year-old woman whom investigators say was attacked randomly while walking with her 9-year-old, has been recovering at home since the day after the attack.
Thanks to everyone who called/texted about police activity in The Junction just before 6 pm tonight – we happened to be en route to the Triangle Advisory Group meeting steps away and caught the end of it, just after police had cuffed a suspect (iPhone photo above). Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James confirms the original call was about a shoplifter at the liquor store who was suspected of having a gun – that’s why police were in the area looking for him with their guns drawn – Lt. James says the suspect turned out not to be armed. Onlookers lined the sidewalk when we arrived in the area – business staffers as well as shoppers – and one bystander called out to this officer, who was putting away his rifle as he returned to his car, “Good work!”
ADDED 8:14 PM: A few more details from Lt. Ron Smith: “Officer responded to a call of a subject in the liquor store … placing a bottle in his pants pocket. Store employee confronted the subject and advised him that the police were called. The subject denied taking the bottle and was observed removing the bottle and returning the bottle to the shelf. The employee observed what she thought was a handgun in the front of his pants. The subject left the store and was contacted by patrol officers a short distance away. The subject was positively identified by store employees. No weapon was found on the subject, who appeared to be a transient with mental issues. He was transported downtown.”
Story and photos by Christopher Boffoli
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
About a dozen Junction-area residents turned out at Ginomai tonight for an information-packed meeting of the Junction Neighborhood Organization. Much of the meeting centered around the guest speaker, SPD Officer Tom Burns, who talked about neighborhood crime trends and a range of issues relating to SPD activity in the Junction retail district and surrounding neighborhoods. In particular, Burns touched on some growing gang activity, homeless people living in cars on neighborhood streets, recent bank robberies, and ongoing challenges SPD officers face in dealing with crime.
JuNO President Erica Karlovits opened the meeting and introduced Officer Burns, who told the group that he grew up in West Seattle and knows its neighborhoods very well. He began by assuring the attendees that the community is safe. He said that most of the crimes SPD deals with in the Junction area are non-violent property crimes, though he admitted that lately there has been a group of about troubled teens that the SPD has been watching. They are roughly a dozen members who have been promoting themselves as the “Junction Bloods.” The group is led by a couple of young men who are actually gang members, and the rest are just aspirational teens who aren’t in school. Burns said their activity has largely been a nuisance thus far but that their activity has been escalating from petty crime and vandalism to dealing an increasing amount of marijuana and, lately, organized street robberies where the gang members work in concert by creating distractions.
Tina e-mailed to report her silver 1991 Subaru Legacy LS Wagon stolen from outside their home on 44th SW near Hinds (map). But there’s more to the story – as her husband writes:
To the person who stole our family’s 1991 Subaru station wagon (license plate # DP 02112), I want you to know something about us. I depend on my wife to drive now because an aggressive brain tumor that was discovered a few months ago left me more than 50% blind. The prognosis for this tumor is a 50% survival rate for six months to one year. We’ve been relying on the Subbie for transportation to my radiation and other medical appointments, and now for transportation for my elderly mother who just had a stroke and needs 24 hour custodial care. We can’t afford to buy a replacement because I’ve been 100% disabled since 1987 and my wife can’t work while providing 24 hour care for my mother. If you truly feel that you deserve and/or need our car more than we do, I’m so very sorry indeed.
The theft has been reported to police. MIDNIGHT UPDATE: KING 5 News picked up this story and talked with Tina, as well as one of the commenters – see their story here.
Two quick notes to share in West Seattle Crime Watch news this morning. Turns out these two latest reports are from the same area. First, from Emily:
Just wanted to get the word out that the car prowlers are back in my neighborhood. I live around 37th and Graham [map] and it’s the third time in the past few months my car has been broken into. The first time they broke in, they got some coffee-soaked change, the second and third time, nada! (Car owner learned her lesson of leaving spare change in car).
And from Vanessa, about two blocks north:
Just noticed over the last couple of days, someone has cut what they can off of the utility poles for the copper. Our alley is between Findlay SW and Juneau SW and between 36th SW and 37 SW. [map]
Side note – The West Seattle Crime Prevention Council has announced its guest speaker for the next meeting (7 pm May 18, Southwest Precinct) – Lt. Woodrow Perkins of the Liquor Control Board.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share this morning – first, a stolen car (with a photo); second, stolen mail, and where part of it turned up – read on for both:Read More
FIRST: Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James tells WSB that the suspected robber and getaway driver from yesterday’s Admiral Way Bank of America robbery (WSB coverage here) both have been arrested. No details yet except that, according to Lt. James, “Tukwila PD that arrested the female driver after a short pursuit which subsequently led to the arrest of the male robber.” SECOND: We also asked him about an incident late last night in the same area, after two people sent us notes asking what was up with a notable police/fire presence around 11 last night. Lt. James says they got a call that someone had hit the clerk at the Admiral Way 7-11; the assault suspect walked/ran away, police set up “containment” including a K-9 unit, but didn’t find the suspect. 2:06 PM UPDATE: SPD Blotter has more details on this now, including the arrest of the male suspect at a Tukwila motel this morning – read the full report here.
Thanks to everybody who called, e-mailed and sent Facebook messages about the big police response at Admiral and California. Police at the scene confirm the Bank of America on Admiral at 44th has been robbed. No description at this point and no word of any arrest. The bank is closed because of the robbery. 6:34 PM UPDATE: Still no arrest, but Southwest Precinct Lt. Norm James has a few more details: “No weapon seen, just a displayed note. The suspect was described as a white male, 35 years old. Witness stated he fled on foot to a waiting bluish/green Honda, driven by a female. Witness got a plate on it that turned out to be stolen plates.”
Remember the Junction KeyBank heist one month ago today? It’s believed the robber has struck again – and as this release from the King County Sheriff’s Office notes, they’re definitely thinking it might be a man disguising himself as a woman:
The Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Police, and the FBI are looking for what is possibly a male bank robber who disguises himself as a woman to rob banks—at least two so far.
The first robbery attributed to this suspect was on April 5th at the KeyBank, 4701 California Ave SW. The robber gave the teller demand note. No weapon was seen.
The second robbery was on April 28th at the Sterling Savings Bank in Burien, 224 SW 152nd. This time a note was also handed to the teller. But then the robber said there were “men who will hurt me” and that “she had kids”.
The teller did not hand over any money and believed the suspect was a woman. However detectives viewed surveillance video and came to the conclusion most likely “she” is actually a “he”.
The suspect is about 5’ 5” and 135 lbs. perhaps 40 to 50 years old. At the Sterling Bank his face appeared “bruised”. He/she wore a black hat, with a brim, yellow scarf, dark blazer jacket, black shirt, and black gloves.
Here’s a shot from the Burien heist.
Compare to a shot from April 5th in West Seattle:
Call 911 if you have any information about the robber – or, from our report last month: “Contact the FBI by telephone at (206) 622-0460, or e-mail at seattle.fbi@ic.fbi.gov.”
Two West Seattle Crime Watch reports to share tonight. First, a burglary this morning; second, the recent tale of what one witness described as “the drunken plant thief” – read on for both:Read More
(WSB photo from December 2009)
Five months ago today, we broke the news that the totem pole at West Seattle Rotary Viewpoint Park had been stolen. In the following days and weeks, we followed the story through the investigation, the first arrest, the discovery of the pole in Oregon a week later along with another stolen pole from Renton, and the poles’ return to Seattle, where the Parks Department took possession of the one from West Seattle:
(WSB photo from December 2009)
The next chapter’s taken a while, so we haven’t had an update for some time. However, since our inbox indicates many are wondering – here’s what’s going on. First, regarding the theft itself: Prosecutors have yet to file charges against the 69-year-old suspect, who was arrested twice in December, the second time in connection with the second stolen pole. We checked today with King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Dan Donohoe – which we have done many times in the past few months – and here’s his reply:
It is still under review and investigation. Seeking some additional information, and we’ll let you know when we have a charging decision.
(WSB policy note: We evaluate every case separately, but our baseline policy is to not identify suspects until and unless they are charged. If you are just catching up on this story, the alleged motive for the theft was detailed in the law-enforcement document we transcribed for this late December report.) Meantime, the Rotary Club of West Seattle – which gave Viewpoint Park and the totem pole to the city in 1976 – is awaiting the outcome of this part of the case. But there’s some urgency, explains Josh Sutton from Rotary, who had two updates when we checked with him today – first:
Our club had decided in January that we would await outcome from thief/prosecutor on next steps for the pole. We are reconsidering our options, as this has taken much too long.
He then went on to add that one of the Rotarians who cracked the case is fighting for his life: “On a more personal note to our club, Ken Wise, longtime Rotarian, has received word that his cancer is terminal, potentially end of summer.” Ken is one of the men in this photo we took near Lake Sawyer, when we went along as he and fellow Rotarian Duane Ruud accompanied the tow-truck driver who took the pole away the night it was stolen – believing the removal had been authorized – back to where he’d dropped it off:
(WSB photo from December 2009)
Josh goes on to say, “Ken has made it clear he wants the pole put back before he passes. Our club is working hard to see what we can do to make that possible.”
Three Crime Watch reports to share this afternoon – after the jump:Read More
Four West Seattle Crime Watch reports ahead – including an intruder caught on surveillance camera, pricey shoes pilfered from a car trunk, more car break-ins, and a puzzling porch theft – read on to see the reports (with a few photos):Read More
The full, long story will take a while to write, so for now, a few toplines from tonight’s High Point community meeting, organized by the High Point Neighborhood Association to discuss safety concerns in the aftermath of last Friday’s stabbing: Overflow crowd (photo shows a corner at the front of the big meeting room) at High Point Neighborhood Center, with HPNA leaders up front along with Southwest Precinct top leadership and Seattle Housing Authority reps. … The nearby assault that sent a 16-year-old boy to the hospital 2 hours earlier was a topic of discussion too – he was said to be Somali, and his injuries were described as serious … Asked why the suspect in last Friday’s attack was not charged with a hate crime, police explained that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office makes the final decision, but so far, they said, their investigation had not turned up evidence it was a hate crime … SHA management acknowledged there are “tensions” between groups of teenagers and promised more programs at the center and in nearby Commons Park in time for summer … A long line of people spoke at the meeting, with many different perspectives: Some criticized HP management. Some criticized police; some complimented them. Some criticized troublemakers’ parents. Others challenged HP residents to get to know each other better. … Now, a note that was NOT discussed at the meeting, because of its length (2 1/2 hours) and intensity: HPNA president Jennifer Cobb just sent word of the announcement they forgot to make as the meeting wrapped up:
We are collecting donations for the woman who was attacked. Make checks payable to the High Point Neighborhood Association and drop off at the High Point Center or mail to HPNA – 6400 SW Sylvan Way/Seattle, WA 98126 by Friday, May 14th.
As we’ve reported, the 40-year-old victim is home now; the 22-year-old suspect is charged with first-degree assault, jailed in lieu of $1 million bail, and scheduled for arraignment in two weeks. Again, our full story on tonight’s meeting is in the works.
(WSB cameraphone photo added 4:33 pm)
FIRST REPORT AT 3:58 PM: Thanks for the tips on the “multiple medic response/14” at Lanham/Morgan – which usually means an incident with multiple victims. On our way. 4:10 PM UPDATE: Police at the scene referred us to the SPD Media Unit, which tells us they received a report of an assault about half an hour ago. A 16-year-old boy had been assaulted at a basketball court by the High Point Neighborhood Center/Commons Park; “a large crowd had gathered, was not being cooperative with officers,” Officer Renee Witt says. They are still looking for the suspect, who was said to have punched the victim and then walked away; only description, a red shirt. Despite the Medic 14 dispatch, Officer Witt says only one victim is reported – but she also stresses, this is “very preliminary information.” (Neighborhood Center will be the scene of a community meeting coming up at 6 pm, to discuss last week’s stabbing nearby; police were invited, as well as neighborhood leaders and community members.) ADDED 4:20 PM: Seattle Fire spokesperson Helen Fitzpatrick confirms only one patient was transported to the hospital, but doesn’t have any condition info. The scene is mostly clear now.
(Friday afternoon photo by Christopher Boffoli)
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has just announced that 22-year-old Marcus Combs is now charged with first-degree assault in connection with last Friday’s stabbing of a 40-year-old woman who was walking with her 9-year-old. Court documents we obtained and reported on Monday said he stabbed her 15 times in the head and body after attacking her and pushing her down along a High Point street. But as disclosed in a Seattle Housing Authority update on Monday, the victim was doing well enough to leave the hospital over the weekend and is recovering at home. Combs is scheduled for arraignment on May 12th; if found guilty on this charge, he could be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison. The High Point Neighborhood Association is sponsoring a community meeting tomorrow night at HP Neighborhood Center to discuss the incident and other issues, and is also working to find out if there is anything the community can do collectively to help the victim’s family. ADDED 3:24 PM: Transcription, from the charging documents, of exactly how it’s alleged the Friday afternoon attack went down – read on:Read More
Severson Construction in the 3200 block of Harbor Avenue (map) was burglarized overnight. We received this report from Candace Severson, who is hoping you will be on the lookout for three stolen computers:
The Seattle Police Department called us at home this morning (April 27th) at 2:00 a.m. from the inside of our office on Harbor Avenue. The front window had been taken out and three desktops (one black Sony Vaio desktop and two iMac Desktops) were stolen.
Some tenants who live in the condos above saw two men in a dark vehicle carrying the stolen merchandise. We have filed a police report and serial numbers have been placed on Craigslist for any good citizen who is interested in helping us recover our stolen items.
Here are the serial numbers;
I Mac Desktop 20″ White – W 88284 JUZE 2
I Mac Desktop – W 94492 DOPP 7
Sony “Vaio” Desktop – 27504130 – 4 – 3000366 – 4Reward for information concerning this theft.
SPD’s non-emergency number is 206-625-5011 – but if you think you see something suspicious happening now, don’t hesitate to call 911.
If you’ve seen police activity in Seaview the past couple hours, Doug‘s report explains it:
Our housekeeper spotted three people in an old light blue van pull into the alley behind our house this morning. Two of the people got out and came into our backyard. She scared them off and called me. I drove around and found them doing the same thing in the alley near 47th and Findlay [map]. I got the police on the phone and followed the van for several blocks throughout the Seaview neighborhood until police arrived and stopped them in an alley off Graham and 46th. They told the cops they were looking for scrap metal, but officers are running their names to check for any warrants. As always, please report any suspicious vehicles to police. There have been far too many home burglaries in the area lately.
Not long after Doug’s note, we also heard from Gary, who said that a tow truck has since shown up to take the van away. We’re checking with police to see if that means there were arrests involving the three people who were in it. SECOND CRIME WATCH REPORT: Bob at Seattle Integrated Martial Arts in The Junction says a sandwich-board sign for his business and co-housed Limber Yoga was stolen from 42nd/Alaska on Sunday night – if you’ve seen it anywhere, let them and/or police know.
Out of the WSB inbox, from Holly:
Just sending in a quick note to alert the community of a car theft. My white 1990 Honda Civic DX hatchback (plate #774-MVS) was stolen from in front of my home sometime between 9:00 last night and 9:00 this morning. We live in the Highland Park neighborhood on 18th Ave SW between Thistle and Cloverdale [map]. Any information regarding my beloved “Lily White” would be much appreciated.
(Friday afternoon photo by Christopher Boffoli)
ORIGINAL 2:41 PM REPORT: Prosecutors have until Wednesday to file charges against the 22-year-old man arrested in connection with the stabbing of a 40-year-old woman along a High Point street Friday afternoon, but in the meantime, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has just provided us with the document that indicates probable cause, and tells the story not only of the brutality of the attack, but also of the three heroes who helped and led police to the suspect. 3:25 PM UPDATE: After that document, following the jump, we also have added a letter that High Point residents are receiving, which includes information about a Thursday community meeting, the victim’s current condition, and eviction proceedings for the suspect’s household – read on to see it all:Read More
That Seattle Times video about Seattle’s “Graffiti Rangers” is part of a package of stories that just hit the Times site, including a contribution from WSB. It’s been seven months since we and other neighborhood-news sites around the area became part of the J-Lab Networked Journalism Project – an experiment to see how small and large news organizations could work together – and while offshoots of that collaboration have been visible here in other ways, such as Times photos we’ve sought permission to run, and links from the Times home page directly to WSB coverage of big West Seattle stories, this is the first official collaborative project. A Times reporter has taken a look at the graffiti-vandalism “big picture” – and six of us partner sites have contributed stories and vignettes about what’s happening in the neighborhoods. You can see it all here.
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