West Seattle, Washington
10 Wednesday
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.
Just found during our periodic check of open case files: A plea bargain in a crime that drew regional attention one afternoon last August, after an SUV was stolen from outside a Highland Park mini-mart with a baby in the back seat.
(8/27/14 photo by BETTINA HANSEN/THE SEATTLE TIMES, republished by permission)
25-year-old Estevan L. Sanchez pleaded guilty last week to auto theft and unlawful imprisonment – reduced from second-degree kidnapping – for stealing the vehicle from outside the Sea-Mart store at 16th and Holden last August 27th with a 10-month-old girl in the back seat. According to court documents from the plea bargain and from the original charges, the baby’s father ran into the store with the vehicle’s engine running, but the SUV was supposed to be locked and unable to be shifted out of “park.” Instead, Sanchez got in and drove it away even as the baby’s father ran out of the store and yelled for him to stop. 15 minutes later, the vehicle was found abandoned in White Center’s Greenbridge neighborhood, with the baby safe inside; Sanchez, a Highland Park resident, was found within the hour at 17th and Roxbury.
He already was wanted on warrants from a domestic-violence case in which he injured his girlfriend and her 11-year-old son, attacking her with a stun gun and knocking him down just before stealing her car.. As part of this plea agreement, Sanchez has pleaded guilty to reduced domestic-violence charges in that case too. In all, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is recommending 19.5 months in prison – a little over a year and a half – for Sanchez, who has been in jail for seven months since his August arrest. King County Superior Court Judge Monica Benton is scheduled to sentence him on April 17th. .
Maybe it’s somewhere on YOUR block – or beyond:
STOLEN in last 48-72 hours, ’83 Mazda B2000 2-door p/u truck, license C15356B, silver color; rust painted over on back right side; small damage/rust front left fender. Rear of truck saws MAZDA in blue letters. Taken near Bartell Pharmacy in Admiral area. If you spot this truck, call 911 and tell police location of vehicle do not approach occupant, if any.
Two cars to show you in West Seattle Crime Watch. First:
SEEN IN HIGHLAND PARK: Laura sent us that photo, and before we got the chance to publish it, Gretchen sent a note about the same car, a Nissan Sentra GXE, abandoned at 18th and Cloverdale (map), described as “entire engine block … missing and had four spare tires. No license plates.” And a gutted interior. It’s been reported to SPD.
HIT-AND-RUN MYSTERY: This happened to Brian‘s car early today:
He writes:
I live at 48th SW and Oregon [map]. Last night right before 2:30 am, a red SUV with a black roof and chrome extended grill smashed into my car. I heard the collision and saw the SUV take off heading west on Oregon from my bedroom window but didn’t get the plate.
Any idea whose SUV that was? A report’s been filed with police – case #100658.
Today’s West Seattle Crime Watch roundup starts with two incidents from last night:
SOUTHEAST SEATTLE SHOOTING SUSPECT FOUND IN WEST SEATTLE: Last night at 23rd SW/SW Brandon, police made a “felony stop” – guns drawn, as is SOP when someone in a pulled-over vehicle is suspected of a felony. We thought we heard, via scanner, the word “shooting,” but couldn’t find evidence of any West Seattle gunfire incidents last night, and couldn’t reach police for information.
After we contacted the Media Relations unit this morning, Det. Drew Fowler looked into this for us and discovered it was related to an incident in Southeast Seattle that was already on SPD Blotter; they’ve as a result just updated it to include the West Seattle angle: The original incident involved gunfire from three cars in the Rainier Beach area around 7:45 last night; nobody was hit. The car then pulled over at 23rd/Brandon matched the description of one vehicle seen speeding from the scene. Gang detectives arrested its 21-year-old driver, a Federal Way resident and convicted felon who police say they saw “ditching a gun at the original shooting scene,” for felony weapons possession, and booked him into jail. (The car was impounded.)
IF YOU HEARD GUARDIAN ONE OVER THE JUNCTION LAST NIGHT: It was NOT related to the incident above, so far as we know. They were in the area and helping SPD check out a report of “a large fight” in The Junction. The King County Air Support crew subsequently reported via Twitter that nothing was found.
ABANDONED, GUTTED TRUCK: Scott shared the photo, in case you recognize it:
An abandoned Chevy stepside pick up truck was discovered on SW 104th at 38th this morning next to AHES construction site. No plates, no engine, and the interior is gutted. City of Seattle notified through their Find it, Fix it app.
Two West Seattle Crime Watch followups tonight:
STORE BURGLARY ARREST: You might recall Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village getting broken into twice in December, the first one hitting hours before their holiday open house, to which they responded defiantly with a bow over the plywood covering the smashed-in door:
Talking with the proprietors this week, we found out a suspect has been arrested and charged in that break-in. Police identified 38-year-old Ioane Sua of First Hill via a palm-print match and surveillance video. Once they knew who they were looking for, he wasn’t hard to find … he was already in the King County Jail, arrested on January 10th after being found driving a car that had been stolen on New Year’s Day from the Home Depot parking lot on Delridge. Prosecutors charged Sua with second-degree burglary in late January, and have since charged him in the stolen-car case too. He was scheduled to return to court today, but the hearing was postponed because a possible plea agreement is in the works, according to a document in the online files. He remains jailed in lieu of $30,000 bail, and has a lengthy criminal record.
STOLEN CAR FOUND: Speaking of stolen cars – the one reported here this morning has since been found, reports its owner:
They found my car in White Center with stolen plates on it. The inside was filled with garbage, food and a bag full of stolen mail that was all opened, from as far away as Sammamish, hence my full tank of gas depleted. My glovebox, console, trunk all emptied. Every part of the inside and parts of the outside wiped down with smelly, greasy cleaner to cover their tracks. The good news is that there’s no real damage. With case # in hand I drove home with no license plates, which I’ll have to replace tomorrow.
Four West Seattle Crime Watch reader reports this morning:
STOLEN BICYCLE: That bike’s owner says it was stolen last night around 9:45 pm:
My bike (which happens to be my primary means of transportation) was stolen on the 42XX block of Admiral Way. It was locked to a bike rack in front of Vidiot (a small bar). A report has been filed with the police who drove around for a bit in search of the property. I saw the man ride away but unfortunately could not keep up with him. He was wearing street clothes, had a backpack, and had medium length curly hair. … The police mentioned that stolen bikes are typically ditched after a joy ride or end up in a pawn shop. I’m hoping that if someone sees the bike they can alert the police.
(added) STOLEN CAR: Got word of this just after we publishing this roundup, so we’re adding:
My car was stolen from in front of my house. On 40th Ave SW between Brandon and Findlay. 1994 Honda Accord LX, black with plates AFV7888. Has a sticker like this one on the right side back bumper, maybe a different color. I think I had a Sierra Club sticker in back window, or WTA sticker.
MAILBOX BREAK-IN: From a Highland Park resident:
I just wanted to let you know that we had our mailbox, which is a sturdy locked box, broken into. It looks like they used something to bend the metal, dislodging the locking mechanism. Mail was taken and discarded on the side of our property- I guess they didn’t want our medical bill or mortgage statement :) This happened this weekend while we were out of town. We live on the corner of 17th and Cloverdale.
SUSPICIOUS PERSON: In the 4400 block of 39th SW last night:
We had to call the police … At 10:00 pm, there was a man smoking either crack or meth on our front lawn. He knocked on my door and asked for water. When we asked him to leave, he danced and lit his pipe. We called 911. The police came but said they could not arrest him. They said they would monitor his activity.
ABOUT READER REPORTS: SPD does not routinely make public the detailed reports of most incidents – so unless we get a reader report or happen to cover an incident as it happens, we won’t hear about it, but it’s often helpful for your West Seattle neighbors to know what’s happening and where (not just your block – a stolen car, bike, etc., could turn up miles away). We hope you WON’T ever have anything to report, but if you do, editor@westseattleblog.com … provided you’ve already reported it to the police. For breaking news, 206-293-6302, text or voice, 24/7; thank you!
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
When we first reported on Sunday about the early-morning shooting on Alki that left one person hurt, we had little information. We have since been contacted by a witness who recorded almost a minute of the chaos and gunfire and wanted to make it public, saying, “I believe that this will show many why we need more police and why our youth/young adults should be monitored closely at these hours of the night.”
ALERT: This is unedited phone video (except to fix it from vertical to horizontal fit) and you will hear lots of profanities in the audio **if you choose to play the clip.** The gunshots are audible and muzzle flashes are seen, but the person who was shot is not:
In a long text conversation with the witness who recorded that while at a restaurant/bar across the street, we agreed to keep them anonymous (we don’t even know their name). They had already shown the video to police, who, they say, showed up quickly, within “three or four minutes” of the gunfire.
From the witness’s view, it started as “a very large group of young adults yelling and using derogatory terms as well as throwing things at this vehicle, which led to a fistfight in the middle of the street.” Then, the witness says, one person kicked off the black car’s driver’s-side mirror, and another punched out a passenger side window, followed by shots from a passenger, and then toward the end, someone “returned fire” after the black car sped off westbound.
As noted in our Sunday report, there was no “assault with weapons” large Seattle Fire medic response, because police found no victim at the scene. Seattle Police say they were later contacted by Everett Police after a 17-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the leg turned up at a hospital there. Police have since talked to the victim; on Sunday, they told us he was “uncooperative” with investigators. The incident also is now detailed on SPD Blotter.
As far as we can tell from WSB archives, this is the first incident in 2 1/2 years in which someone has been shot in the Alki area. Not the first case of gunfire, but the first case with a victim, since this case in August 2012.
Even before this, local police had promised more presence at the beach this year via both the new Southwest Precinct bicycle patrols and a new mobile-precinct vehicle that is on the way after the precinct went years without a replacement for the one SPD lost in an arson attack. That is what the lifelong West Seattleite who shared video of Sunday’s shooting is hoping for: “I hate that these hoodlums are ruining my neighborhood.”
ADDED 2:11 PM: A few additional details are in the Southwest Precinct summary of what happened, which we obtained from precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith:
On 3/22/15 at 0109 hour, Officers were dispatched to a fight disturbance/shots fired incident in the 2600 block of Alki Av SW (just west of Marine Av SW & Alki Av SW). Initial report to 911 has it that: two people were down and that someone has a leg wound.
Upon officers arriving in the area, the suspects involved in the fight/shots-fired were GOA [gone on arrival], possibly in vehicle/s. There was no “scene” other than the spot where the incident occurred. Officers checked the area and did not locate any evidence such as shell casings or blood to indicate that someone has been shot. A baseball cap was located and submitted into evidence. During a canvas of the bar across the street, an officer located a witness who had recorded the shots fired incident on his cell phone. The video was sent to the police and submitted into evidence.
Based upon the on-scene investigation, it appears that at least 6 people were surrounding a vehicle. One of the 6 people kicked the vehicle’s left rear view mirror and damaged it. The front passenger from the vehicle fired at least 3 shots at the 6 people as the 6 people were surrounding it. The 6 people then scattered, running away. A white male is then seen getting into the driver’s seat of the vehicle and drove it away, on Alki Av SW.
At 0345 hour, Everett PD called SPD 911 and reported that they have a “victim” with a non-life threatening gunshot wound in the leg. The “victim” was uncooperative and was with his girlfriend. The Everett PD Officers will complete a report under their case number, DD 15-5308. This incident was screened by phone with our Homicide/Assault unit.
Lt. Smith, who is acting precinct commander, confirms that patrols, including officers on bicycles, will be increased. The mobile-precinct vehicle has not yet been delivered.
9:18 PM: Auto thieves have hit one family in Gatewood twice in the past three days. The vehicles taken from their driveway/carport are a taupe 2006 Volvo XC70, license plate AMR4548, stolen Friday morning, and a silver 2006 Nissan Frontier 4-door pickup, license plate B31289L, gone since early today. The vehicles’ owners say there was nothing about the first theft that facilitated the second – no key left in either car, for example. If you see either vehicle, please call 911.
9 AM MONDAY: The vehicles’ owner says they both were found in an apartment-building parking lot in the 6500 block of 35th SW, less than a mile away from where they were stolen: “Someone in the apartments called to report the Volvo as a suspicious vehicle. When we arrived, we saw the truck parked in another stall. The Volvo was driven more than 150 miles and contained a lot of drug and DNA evidence. Unfortunately, there were no clean prints. The truck had more of the same drug evidence, it wasn’t driven more than 20+ miles.”
1:19 PM SUNDAY: Finally just confirmed some information about a shooting on Alki early today. Usually, a shooting leads to an “assault with weapons” Seattle Fire callout and that’s our first hint; this one didn’t, and no texts had come in (206-293-6302 any time!), so we’ve been trying to reach police for info, after a couple of e-mail questions came in later in the morning. It happened around 1:30 am in the Alki SW/Marine vicinity. People heard gunfire, multiple shots, including uphill in Admiral. No victim was found at the scene – but hours later, we just confirmed with Seattle Police, they were notified by Everett Police that a victim had shown up at an Everett hospital with a leg wound. No other details of circumstances, so far.
11 AM MONDAY: SPD Blotter has just published an item about this. We have received video of the incident from a witness and will be publishing that shortly in a separate followup.
Reader report with an alert from an Arbor Heights resident who encountered an exposer this afternoon:
In the alley behind 100th between 37th and 39th, a 20-30-year-old white male (was) masturbating, watching me mow my lawn. I contacted SPD. Be aware of your surroundings!
That’s the only description given.
West Seattle Crime Watch reader report from JW:
Our dark blue 2009 Toyota Sienna minivan was stolen last night from Fauntlee Hills at 3:15 am, car seats and all! WA plates 909YUE. Please call 911 if you see it.
We woke up to the alarm and watched the taillights disappearing up the street. At least one other neighbor’s car alarm had gone off at around 2.30am as well. Prowlers?
P.S. If you missed our report on this week’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, published very early today – lots of quick updates on local police/crime.
After a bike-theft bust downtown, Seattle Police have photographed the dozens of bicycles they recovered, and posted photos on SPD Blotter. If you’re a bike-theft victim, check it out in case yours is among them.
From the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council‘s meeting at the Southwest Precinct on Tuesday night:
No new commander announced for the precinct yet, one week after the news of now-Assistant Chief Steve Wilske‘s promotion, which came one year after his SWP arrival. Operations Lt. Ron Smith, who’s in charge of the precinct in the meantime, said he isn’t seeking the position.
CRIME TRENDS: Lt. Smith led the customary briefing. Auto theft is up; burglaries are down. And as has been widely reported, including here, strong-arm robberies are up – if you don’t know the definition, “no weapons implied or used, but that doesn’t make much difference to the victim,” as Lt. Smith put it. He also discussed how incidents get classified as robberies if they aren’t the stereotypical case of a criminal coming up to a victim and demanding something; in particular, the shoplift-turned-robbery type of case was discussed.
Community Police Team Officers Jon Flores and Erin Nicholson got up at that point to get into more detail.
According to our check of the police-report map, 20 car prowls have been reported in West Seattle in the past week:
That’s up from 15 during the same week last year. Car-prowl details aren’t posted by SPD – only where/when they happened – but we have details via two reader reports – first, from Jill:
Just wanted to inform the neighbors and also wondering if anyone saw anything:
The rear driver’s side window of my Subaru Outback was smashed in last night sometime between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm, at the West Seattle YMCA. It was parked in the gravel spaces on the north side of the building (along SW Oregon St). They rummaged through my really boring stuff in the backseat, but nothing was taken. I don’t think they even made their way to the front seats or the cargo area, as all the doors were still locked. If someone scared them off, I hope they can provide some description of the perp(s) to the police.
Earlier this week, Alex‘s car was ransacked in the Luna Park area:
My car was broken into (window smashed) and my backpack full of books and student papers ( I teach at a local college) was taken. I have a feeling that the backpack and its contents will be disposed of somewhere, as I can’t see them being helpful to anyone but me. Can you ask readers to keep their eyes peeled for a purple backpack full of ESL textbooks and papers?
These are the latest unfortunate reminders that even if you think what you left in your vehicle doesn’t look like something criminals would bother with – chances are, you’re wrong. Even a couple of canvas grocery bags strewn in the back of a car might look to a prowler like something worth checking out – possibly at the expense of the glass in your vehicle’s window.
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