West Seattle, Washington
28 Friday
(MOST RECENT UPDATE 3:54 PM – scroll down)
2:35 PM: Another attack on a local student – this time in the Admiral area. From SPD Blotter:
Police are searching West Seattle for a man who groped a middle school student Thursday as she was on her way to school.
School officials called police around 11 AM after a student reported that a man had followed her off a bus near California Avenue and SW Stevens Street and grabbed her from behind.
The suspect is described as a black male, in his mid 20’s, with short dreadlocks, wearing a black sweatshirt and black jeans. He reportedly boarded a bus in the West Seattle Junction neighborhood after the incident. Seattle Police are working with King County Metro Police and school officials to identify the man and ensure the safety of students.
If you witnessed this incident or have any information about the suspect, please call 911.
This happened two days after an attack on a student at Westwood Village – here’s the report on that.
ADDED 2:51 PM: We’ve just obtained the letter sent home by the principal of Madison Middle School:
Dear Madison Middle School Families,
We want to share with you information right away regarding an incident that was reported this morning involving one of our scholars on her way to school.
At approximately 10:20am a female scholar was followed from the Metro bus stop at McDonalds and California west on Stevens by a man who approached her from behind and grabbed her. He was described as an African man in his early 20’s or 30’s, thin build, with short curly hair. Our scholar turned and yelled at him, and he ran back toward PCC on California. She proceeded to school and immediately reported the incident to school staff. Madison administration notified the family and the Seattle Police Department, who are actively investigating.
The safety of our scholars is our top priority. We are continuing to coordinate with the SW Precinct Captain to discuss the safety and their increased policing efforts. We will continue to collaborate with the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Public Schools Safety and Security to help monitor the surrounding area.
You can help your children stay safe by talking to them about personal safety. Tips to discuss are:
Walking in pairs or groups and being aware of their surroundings at all times.
Leaving for school at times where there are high levels of pedestrian traffic.
Immediately reporting anything suspicious to trusted adults (school staff and family members).
Keep earbuds off and expensive phones or other items out of sight.
More tips and information can be found on the Seattle Police Department website:
seattle.gov/police/prevention/child/default.htm.Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Gary, Principal
Madison Middle School
3:55 PM UPDATE: Just talked to SPD spokesperson Det. Drew Fowler. No arrest so far. He says police are aware that the descriptions in this incident and the Tuesday Westwood Village incident are similar, and the same detective is handling both cases – so again, if you have any information, please call 911.
Several people are asking this morning about a helicopter search in eastern West Seattle early today. Here’s what we’ve found out: Guardian One helped Seattle Police try to catch a man who robbed the 35th/Avalon 7-11 around 2 am. According to the police report we’ve obtained, the clerk was mopping the floor when the robber approached him from behind and placed the barrel of a handgun against his neck, ordering him to empty the register and give him all the money. After the clerk complied, the robber grabbed six packages of cigars and ran out of the store – dropping the cigars in the process, but not the money. The clerk summoned police immediately; they searched on the ground with a K-9 and from the air with Guardian One, but couldn’t find the robber, whose track ended in an alley near the golf course, several blocks east. No description – we’ll add it if we get it.
(WSB photo)
We took that photo this morning in the 10200 block of Myers Way – just south of the city limits – after a texted tip (206-293-6302 any time) from someone who reported seeing a major presence of Washington State Patrol and FBI agents there. When we asked the FBI about it, they told us information would be forthcoming shortly on a multi-agency, multi-location operation – and here it is:
Federal, state and local law enforcement partners made 18 arrests and searched more than a dozen locations in connection with a two-year investigation into a violent drug trafficking organization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. The organization distributed cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine across a wide swath of the greater Seattle metro area. The defendants (were) scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle at 2:00 today.
“These defendants preyed on our community by supplying drugs in neighborhoods across Seattle, and demonstrated a willingness to use violence where it served their purposes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Their criminal activities included hiding weapons and using violence in homeless encampments located along Interstate-5.”
According to the indictment and court records, beginning in February 2013 law enforcement authorities used a variety of tools including telephone wire taps and confidential sources to infiltrate and interdict this drug organization. The investigation determined that the organization distributed approximately 15-20 kilos of cocaine, 10-15 kilos of heroin and 5 kilos of methamphetamine per month.
(UPDATED 2:11 pm with letter sent home by Denny/Sealth prinicipals)
Just in, from Seattle Police:
Police are investigating after a 15-year-old girl was grabbed while walking through Westwood Village Tuesday morning.
The girl told officers she was walking to school at 6:30 AM when a man approached her and asked where he could buy a phone charger. She answered his question and made her way to a nearby coffee shop. The girl said that when she exited the cafe, the man continued to follow her, at one point wrapping both of his arms around her. The girl broke free and ran the rest of the way to Denny International Middle School, where she reported the incident to administrators.
The victim described the man as in his early 30’s, black, wearing a black hoodie and sweat pants. If you have any information in this case please call 911 and speak with an officer.
This is the first walking-to/from-school incident reported against a Denny or Sealth student in more than a month – last one in our archives was in early March.
Reminder that, as mentioned earlier, the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meets tonight, so if you have questions/concerns about this or anything else recently in WS, come hear from and talk to police, 7 pm @ the precinct (Delridge/Webster).
ADDED 2:11 PM: We asked Denny principal Jeff Clark to please share the letter that we expected would be sent home to parents. Here it is (it’s to be sent to Sealth families too) – please note that they still need volunteers for the safety effort we spotlighted here last month:
April 21, 2015
Dear Denny and Chief Sealth Scholars and Families,We want to share with you information right away regarding an incident that was reported this morning involving one of our scholars on her way to school.
At approximately 6:20 am an eighth-grade female scholar was followed around Westwood Village by a man who persistently asked her questions. He was described as an East African man in his early 30’s, thin built with short curly hair and a goatee, who spoke with an accent. He continued to follow her through the parking lot and on the path from Westwood through the Southwest Athletic Center toward our campus. When she approached Thistle, he grabbed her. She broke free from his grasp and ran to school and reported the incident to school staff right away. Denny Staff notified the family and the Seattle Police Department, who are actively investigating.
The safety of our scholars is our top priority. We are continuing to coordinate with the SW Precinct Captain to discuss the safety and their increased policing efforts. We will continue to collaborate with the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Public Schools Safety and Security to help monitor the surrounding area. As a part of these efforts, we are recruiting a team of volunteers to be trained and posted around the neighborhood to serve as part of a “block watch” system as our scholars come to and from school. If you are interested in helping with this, please contact Jeff Clark at jclark@seattleschools.org or 206-252-9000.
You can help your children stay safe by talking to them about personal safety. Tips to discuss are:
• Walking in pairs or groups and being aware of their surroundings at all times.
• Leaving for school at times where there are high levels of pedestrian traffic.
• Immediately reporting anything suspicious to trusted adults (school staff and family members).
• Keep earbuds off and expensive phones out of sight.More tips and information can be found on the Seattle Police Department website: http://www.seattle.gov/police/prevention/child/default.htm.
This time we’ll start with the reminder:
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL MEETS TONIGHT … 7 pm, precinct (Webster/Delridge). Bring your questions and concerns for local police, who will share updates on crime trends. Plus – special guest, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes. All welcome.
Now, the newest reader reports we’ve received about local incidents:
STOLEN CAR: White two-door 1998 Honda Civic DX, license plate ASU-1986, stolen from the 4700 block of 36th SW. Distinctive features include “a “Drager” Breathalyzer with a camera on the dash, the front end (hood, front bumper, and passenger side fender) had been repainted and doesn’t exactly match the rest of the car,” and no muffler.
PURSE STOLEN FROM CAR: Marj is hoping the prowlers who broke into her car trunk in the south-side parking lot at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) late Monday morning might have discarded her purse – “light colored black leather with a short leather strap and a striped over the body strap. Inside was a black shiny snake wallet, green check register, black & white cat beaded glass case and small brown and green address book. Purse says made in Italy inside.” A police report was filed.
FOUND PURSE: This isn’t Marj’s purse but – whether it was stolen or lost, it turned up, empty, on a bench at Lincoln Park:
DLBJ sent the photo, saying it was “two benches south of Colman Pool.”
STOLEN LAWN MOWER: Tom reports from the 7500 block of 15th SW:
We had a lawn mower stolen from the back of a pickup truck and 150 ft of electrical cord stolen from the sidewalk on Saturday (4/18) around 2:30 pm. A neighbor had seen an unknown white male with a tattoo on his hand driving a black pickup truck looking for yard work at the time of the thefts. Police report has been filed.
BELATED BULLET-HOLE REPORT: We heard over the weekend from Barbara, who saw the report about Admiral cars with bullet holes and wondered if anyone else heard gunfire/had damage from two weekends earlier:
Our car was parked on the street on Alki Ave SW in the 1500 block (not directly in front of our condo building, but close) from the afternoon of Wed. 4/1 through Sunday 4/5 while we were out of town, in our other car. Sunday 4/5 we came home and saw the bullet hole in the driver’s side door.
Police told her they had no other gunfire reports in the area that weekend; if you have any information and/or it happened to you too but you didn’t report it, the case # is 111-279.
THANKS … for sharing Crime Watch reader reports, so your neighbors in the wider WS community can be alerted too. If something is happening NOW, please text or call, 24/7, at 206-293-6302.
In West Seattle Crime Watch as the weekend wraps up:
‘VENT’ FROM A REPEAT CAR-PROWL VICTIM: Jeff in Arbor Heights sent this, saying he “needed to vent”:
I live in Arbor Heights, at 37th PL SW and SW 102nd ST. [map] My truck was broken into last night around midnight. My lock was punched, my door was dented, and all compartments in the vehicle were tossed. Luckily, I had no valuables in the vehicle except a car seat which was not touched. This is the second time my truck has been broken into. Now both doors are dented. I work hard for everything I have, and every couple months, someone damages the fruits of my labor, and my confidence in society.
My gut reaction is that I would like to catch someone in the act and then you know what. I’m sure everyone who has experienced theft or property damage feels some extreme emotions. I’m glad I didn’t catch the people who did this, I’m sure their lives are filled with some sort of turmoil and pain that I can’t imagine.
I would like to thank the Seattle Police, who responded to our house and treated my wife with respect and assured her they were doing everything that could be done. I wish I could sit down with the people who steal and damage our property, and get them on a path to success. Their lives are sad.
STOLEN CAR FOUND: A Highland Park resident texted us last night to ask if this white Saturn station wagon, which had been in their neighborhood at least three days, was on record as stolen:
We looked at SPD’s @getyourcarback Twitter account, where most if not all cars reported as stolen are tweeted by SPD’s 911 center (but without location information, which means we do NOT know which were stolen in West Seattle unless we’ve heard directly from a vehicle’s owner). In this case, we did find an exact match (from four days earlier), plate and make/model/color, so the finder called 911, police were sent, and the car was picked up overnight.
ANOTHER STOLEN CAR: Here’s one you won’t find on SPD’s Twitter feed, because it was taken outside their jurisdiction, but Sue asked if we’d mention it, since cars stolen south of the city-county line can wind up here, and vice versa: “It was stolen near the cross streets of 108th St SW and 8th. [map] It is a white Honda Accord, 93. Plate number ADE 1742.” If you see it somewhere, be sure to tell 911 it’s a King County Sheriff’s Office case.
STOLEN BIKE: Akemi‘s bicycle was taken in The Junction:
Bike stolen off porch, West Junction neighborhood: Mint-green Schwinn 21 speed. left side handle has (stem) mirror adapter. Scratches on front post from basket attachment which may still be on handle bars. Mini-tire pump on frame. Combo lock cable around post of light brown saddle-seat.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL ON TUESDAY: One more note – WSCPC has announced its agenda for Tuesday night’s monthly meeting (7 pm, Southwest Precinct). City Attorney Pete Holmes will be the guest: “He will speak to the organization and duties of his office as well as other current issues; ie, marijuana rules and regs.” And SPD will present crime trends and policing updates. The precinct’s at Webster/Delridge, and all are welcome.
A commenter mentioned this earlier – and now details are on SPD Blotter:
Officers responded to calls of street racing in West Seattle Saturday and arrested three teens for auto theft.
A witness called police at 7:45 Saturday morning and reported street racing followed by suspicious behavior around a car in the 5400 block of 34 Ave. SW. Officers quickly arrived and saw three teen boys run from a car in the area. An officer checked the car and found the steering column, instrument panel, and other parts of the car either damaged or removed. Other officers flooded the area and located the teenagers a few blocks away. While talking to and searching the boys, an officer found a shaved key, used for stealing cars, on one of the teens.
A fourth teen, who stayed at the original scene in another car, allowed officers to search his vehicle. Officers found several car parts from the damaged vehicle inside the trunk of the teen’s car.
The owner of the damaged car called police and confirmed that his car had just been stolen.
Officers arrested and booked the three teens who ran into the King County Youth Service Center, while the fourth teen who stayed behind was released to his parents.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Last night, we published reports of two cars stolen in West Seattle. Today – an F350 Harley pickup truck stolen this morning from Upper Fauntleroy:
It was taken sometime between 12:30 am and 11:00 am this morning from the 9000 block of 36th Ave SW. This isn’t an exact photo of the truck, but it’s close. The stolen truck does not have the outside chrome roll-bar rack, and the tires are different but otherwise, it’s a very close match.
Plate is B49938V. Call 911 if you see it.
UPDATED: Photo of actual pickup now included above.
If you thought you heard gunfire overnight in Admiral – there’s finally confirmation. When this came up in another thread earlier today, we checked the police-call log on Twitter (as shown on the WSB Crime Watch page) and couldn’t find any confirmed gunfire (if shell casings and/or damage is found, the official designation will usually follow). Then tonight we heard from a resident in the 3000 block of 45th SW (map), where neighbors had just found bullet holes in two cars:
They think they heard at least three shots and are hoping neighbors in the area might have surveillance video to help solve the case. If you have any information, the case number provided by the resident is 15-124892. There may be more than one case in the area, as we’re also seeing a property damage case in the same block, 15-125827.
Both stolen in West Seattle within the past few days:
STOLEN CAR #1: 1996 dark green Acura, plate AGC7998, taken last night in Highland Park.
STOLEN CAR #2: 1998 teal Honda Civic, plate 201-VGJ, taken Wednesday morning or afternoon. This car’s owner tells us police told her of a rash of stolen Civics and Camrys this month.
If you see either car, please call 911.
Just posted on SPD Blotter:
Two masked men forced their way inside a Seattle marijuana shop owner’s West Seattle home early Friday and tied him up at gunpoint, before making off with tens of thousands of dollars in cash, a half-dozen pistols and a high-powered rifle.
The 47-year-old owner was walking up to his home in the 8600 block of 35th Avenue SW around 12:30 AM when two masked men approached him. The suspects grabbed a puppy the victim was carrying, and forced the man inside his home at gunpoint.
The suspects forced the victim to open two safes inside the home and then tied him to a bed while they took a large amount of cash, six different handguns, a rifle, four watches, and the victim’s surveillance system.
About an hour after the incident began, the victim got free and began searching for his puppy. When he found the dog, he called police.
The victim wasn’t able to provide much of a description of the suspects: he told officers both men appeared to be in their 30s, one was white, the other Hispanic.
Robbery detectives are investigating the case, and asking anyone with information to contact police at (206) 684-5535.
Seattle Police are warning of a bogus “plumber” scamming his way into homes – and says one was in West Seattle:
… In five different cases between January 22nd and April 8th, the suspect has approached women – all between the ages of 76 and 91 – at their homes, claimed to work for Fox Plumbing, and then tried to snake his way inside to steal cash, credit cards, and IDs.
In the first incident, the suspect approached a woman at her home in the 4700 block of 25th Ave SW, said he was working at a neighbor’s home, and needed to check her water. The victim allowed the man inside, where he strolled from room to room, turning on faucets before leaving. The victim became suspicious and called Fox Plumbing, only to learn they did not have anyone working in the area. She then discovered the suspect had stolen cash, credit cards and her ID.
The full story, with incidents elsewhere in the city, is here.
Attempted car theft, mail theft, burglary, all in this roundup of West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports, ahead:
2:24 PM: Thanks to everyone who messaged us about this. The situation in Morgan Junction right now with police taking three people into custody at gunpoint involves a stolen car. That’s all we know so far; whenever a felony is suspected, the procedure for a “felony stop” requires guns to be drawn. More details if/when we get them.
3:12 PM UPDATE: We went down the hill to try to find out more. The owner of the vehicle, a black Mercedes SUV, was already back in it, in the parking area north of Cal-Mor Circle (on California north of Fauntleroy).
ADDED: Police weren’t able to tell us where the car was stolen from, but they say that the owner herself spotted it being driven around in West Seattle, and called 911. The driver was booked into King County Jail; two others from the car were questioned and released.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch notes:
CAR PROWLS: A Gatewood resident tells us prowlers hit multiple cars overnight along SW Southern between 39th and 41st SW (map): “Thieves didn’t make off with much, but would love to know if anyone saw anything or has security camera footage.”
SCAM PHONE CALLS: You might have heard that one of the latest waves of scam phone calls is attempting to target BECU customers. These bogus calls are even being received by non-BECU customers – we got one, and so did a WSB reader who wanted to share this warning today:
Just received a scam call from 202 area code (DC) advising BECU Visa was locked, and directing entry of the 16 digit card number. Since I don’t have a BECU Visa, an obvious scam. I have heard of others referencing generic Visa, this is the first I have heard BECU mentioned.
BECU issued a fraud alert on its own website earlier this week, stressing that it has nothing to do with these calls and telling its customers what to do if they fell for it. This same type of scam has been done in the name of various banks and financial institutions – we featured one back in 2011 that fraudulently used Wells Fargo’s name. This is just another example of so-called “phishing”; here’s advice on preventing and fighting it.
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli)
9:45 PM: Just in case you heard it too – we’re getting texts, and police are reporting multiple calls, of possible gunshots heard in the High Point/Upper Morgan area. No further details yet. As we’ve told texters, if you heard them, please let 911 know – that’ll help them zero in on a location.
9:58 PM: This apparently happened in/from an apartment building in the 6500 block of 35th SW. Police are still arriving – avoid the area. An “assault with weapons” SFD response is headed that way, too, though we don’t know whether police have confirmed any victim(s).
10:12 PM: Police have now confirmed what a neighbor told us – one person shot in the leg.
10:30 PM: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli is at the scene. He tells us the victim is a man in his late 30s/early 40s, being taken to the hospital by private ambulance – shot in the foot, not a life-threatening injury.
11:33 PM: New information from Christopher – police are wrapping up at the scene. The suspect is not yet in custody, they told him (though we had heard via scanner earlier that they believe they know who they are looking for). They believe the shooting was deliberate, not an accident (we hadn’t been sure about that) and now clarify that the wound was in the victim’s ankle.
ADDED 8:19 AM: New information this morning via SPD Blotter – police say it was “a dispute over text messages.” Excerpt:
… Police responded to SW Morgan Street and 35th Avenue SW just before 9:45 PM after receiving reports that a man had fired shots from an apartment building, striking a man on the street. Officers evacuated the building and searched for the suspect, but were unable to find him.
The victim of the shooting also called 911 shortly after the incident and said he had been shot in the leg. Officers found the man across the street from the scene of the shooting.
The victim told officers he knew the suspect through a mutual acquaintance — an ex-girlfriend —and had received a series of harassing text messages from the man Thursday evening. When the victim went to the suspect’s apartment building to confront him over the texts, the suspect appeared on a third-floor balcony and opened fire. …
(Reader photo: Car with window damage, near scene of one of last night’s gunfire incidents)
Seattle Police have just announced an arrest following last night’s string of shootings (here’s our original story). This was just posted to SPD Blotter:
A 16-year-old boy arrested this morning for pulling a gun on his family in West Seattle is also under investigation for a series of late-night drive-bys in the neighborhood.
Seattle police first received reports of gunfire around 8 pm Wednesday in the 5400 block of Delridge Way SW. Officer did not find any damage, injuries or shell casings at the scene..
Later, around 10:45 PM, police again received numerous reports of shooting, this time near 17th Ave SW and Delridge Way SW, where officers found several shell casings. Witnesses told officers a red four-door car had fled the scene, and police began searching the neighborhood for the vehicle.
As police continued their search for the gunman and red vehicle throughout the night, officers received a third report of a shooting around 11:30 PM at 23 Ave SW and SW Findlay St. Again, police found shell casings and were told a red car had sped away from the scene.
Half an hour later, at midnight, police received another report that the a red four-door car had pulled alongside another vehicle at Olson Pl SW and 4 Ave SW and fired two shots striking, the other car twice. No one was injured.
Gang Unit detectives joined patrol officers in the investigation and search for the suspect in the red car.
Finally, at 2 AM, police received a report of a domestic disturbance involving a firearm at a home in the 7700 block of 12th Avenue SW.
Officers arrived and learned a 16-year-old boy had pulled a gun on his family members. The teen reportedly pointed the gun at one victim’s head and pulled the trigger. The gun was not loaded at the time.
Police arrested the teen and seized the gun, which matched the caliber of shell casings recovered Wednesday night at several of the West Seattle shooting scenes. Officers also impounded a red Honda civic found parked near the teen’s home.
Police booked the 16-year-old into the King County Youth Service Center for investigation of domestic violence harassment. Detectives are still investigating the teen in connection with the four shootings. Police have not received any reports of injuries in any of the incidents.
11:04 PM: If you’re in the South Delridge area and thought you heard gunfire … police report finding at least one shell casing in the area of the 9000 block of Delridge Way SW. No reports of any injuries so far. (Thanks to the person who texted the tip.)
11:15 PM: Via the scanner, we’ve heard police report also finding casings near 17th/Barton, and now officers think they are hearing shots in the distance to the southwest, possibly closer to 13th/Roxbury, where people are calling in about it. They’ve also found a car window shot out – we’ve just received a photo we’re adding atop this story.
11:42 PM: Also, reports shots were heard near Delridge and Juneau.
12:01 AM: And now in the Olson vicinity, east end of Roxbury, near Arrowhead Gardens. Helicopter alert: You might also hear Guardian One joining the search.
12:14 AM: The car they’re looking for is described (again, via scanner) as a red older 4-door Honda, possibly loud exhaust, 3-5 male teens/young adults inside. If you have any tips, call 911.
11:48 AM: Police report the overnight arrest of a 16-year-old who’s under investigation in connection with all this – we’ve published a separate update.
(WSB photo: SPD vehicles around the corner from reported crime scene)
11:48 PM: Seattle Police just tweeted that they are investigating an armed robbery reported at a home in the 8100 block of 22nd SW. We are arriving in the area and see police along Thistle west of 22nd. More to come.
12:03 PM: Yes, that’s a TV helicopter. Meantime, police at the scene tell us they’re still sorting out the circumstances – whether robbery or burglary.
12:24 PM: The police search spans several blocks in all directions from the house where an intruder was spotted, so if you’re seeing police anywhere from Sunrise Heights to Westwood, it’s likely related. Seattle Public Schools spokesperson Stacy Howard tells us that Sealth/Denny are NOT on lockdown or shelter-in-place, in case you are wondering.
12:34 PM: Update – now Howard says these schools are sheltering in place: Sealth, Denny, WS Elementary, Highland Park, Sanislo.
12:50 PM: Police tell us they have confirmed this was a home invasion. More just posted to SPD Blotter:
Police are searching for a man who entered a West Seattle home Tuesday morning and pointed a gun at the resident before fleeing with several stolen purses.
A woman called 911 around 11:30 AM saying a man armed with a shotgun had entered her home in the 8100 block of
22nd Ave SWand locked her and her four-year-old son in a bathroom. The woman and her son climbed through a bathroom window and ran to a neighbors house where she called 911.According to the victim the suspect left the home after stealing two purses and some prescription medications. The suspect is described as a white male, about 5’4″, thin build, with “scruffy” facial hair, wearing a black Kangol hat, black jacket, dark pants and sunglasses.
Officer searched the home and neighborhood and are still working to locate the suspect. Robbery detectives will be handling the investigation.
1:01 PM UPDATE: SPS says shelter in place lifted at all 7 schools that had one because of this.
5:27 PM UPDATE: As pointed out in comments, the address turned out to be on 24th, not 22nd as per both of SPD’s initial reports above.
We don’t have stats, but we have to say we’re hearing more about mail theft these days – so please take steps to protect yours. Tonight, police were dispatched to a mail-theft report in southeast West Seattle, in the 9400 block of 5th SW (map), with someone reported to have gone through mailboxes and then left southbound in a white SUV – no other description. We heard earlier from Barney in Arbor Heights, who saw eight mailboxes open early this morning on SW 98th near 37th SW (map).
Interested in detailed prevention info? The West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network brought in police and Postal Service inspectors to talk about mail theft/fraud at a meeting two years ago – here’s our coverage, including video. And here’s the Postal Inspection Service’s advice on preventing (and reporting) mail theft.
The police search in the mid-Beach Drive area is because of a reported burglary attempt upslope in the 5900 block of Atlas Drive. Someone is reported to have tried to break into a house there by breaking a window. Only a partial description so far – white man, heavy set, in a blue and green Seahawks sweatshirt and dark shorts, who fled on foot, toward the water. Any information, call 911.
Two reader reports involving stolen/tampered mail. From RP: “Found my neighbor’s mail on the ground around 10 o’clock (Thursday night) while I went to retrieve something from my car. About 10 pieces of mail . I live near Holy Family School on Roxbury. This is the second time this happened.” Also from Thursday night, Scott reports, “Someone opened mailboxes and scattered/took the contents on Glenridge SW in the Gatewood neighborhood.” You can report mail theft online, if it’s not happening right now (anything immediate should be called in to 911) – via SPD’s system, and via USPS’s system.
Two reader reports in West Seattle Crime Watch today:
GROCERY THEFT: From Heather:
So for the past two years, we have never had an issue with our front porch delivery for Amazon Fresh, but when I went out to gather our groceries this morning, all that remained was a 24 pack of water (presumably too heavy or not worth carting off). Delivery is normally made around 4 am, so someone got to our groceries between then and 7 am. We are at 34th/holly. Don’t know if anyone else in the area has had any similar issues, but wanted to put the word out.
5:13 PM – BICYCLE ‘THEFT’ UPDATE: The bicycle mentioned here when we originally published this less than half an hour ago turned up NOT stolen. Sorry for the false alarm!
P.S. If you haven’t already seen it, the Southwest/South Precincts’ Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon‘s newest newsletter includes scam/property-crime info, and the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network has published it on their website.
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