1:27 AM: Happening right now – police and fire are responding to what’s reported to be a flipped-vehicle crash toward the north end of California SW, involving a driver suspected in a hit-run by Seacrest. Officers report they have one person in custody at the California crash scene. The flipped vehicle (we don’t actually know so far if it’s on its roof or side, as authorities tend to use “rollover” to describe both circumstances) is reported to be a Chevrolet Colorado truck.

1:44 AM: The truck has since been described as off the road, flipped, minus one or two wheels. Meantime, one person at the hit-run scene is reported to be injured.

At least three West Seattle cases are among almost 80 robberies and other violent crimes that police are linking to four teenagers they arrested Thursday in Federal Way. From this afternoon’s announcement, made by Seattle Police, who say other agencies were involved:

On September 5th, many King County police agencies began investigating a rash of violent robberies, carjackings, burglaries, and shootings. This crime spree has totaled 78 known cases throughout King County alone. This group is responsible for at least 22 Seattle cases, most of which are armed robberies.

The targets of the majority of these robberies were gas stations as well as late-night fast-food restaurants. The group would often consist of 2-3 males wearing face masks and hooded clothing. The suspects would show up in a stolen vehicle which was either taken in a vehicle theft or a carjacking. They would enter the store, prop the door open, and point guns directly at the employees demanding they open the cash register. In many cases they would destroy computers they believed were tied to surveillance footage.

With probable cause generated by the Seattle Police Robbery Unit, we conducted surveillance with assistance from the Gun Violence Reduction Unit (GVRU) on a location where these suspects were known to frequent in Federal Way. While on this surveillance operation, detectives armed with knowledge of a recent Bellevue carjacking that had just occurred roughly 30-40 minutes prior, observed the suspects pulling into the parking lot of this apartment complex. Seattle Police SWAT operators were mobilized as were King County’s Guardian One helicopter and K9 units. The suspects then exited the apartment unit and got back into the stolen Mercedes and drove away.

With helicopter surveillance, a tire-deflation device, SWAT officers, and a foot pursuit, they finally arrested the suspects; the SPD Blotter post gets into those details. SPD’s post also includes this map showing some of the locations, including three in West Seattle:

We don’t have a list cross-referencing the locations/numbers to incidents, and no charges are yet filed referring to specific incidents (that’s expected next week). But during a briefing at HQ this afternoon (we weren’t able to go downtown but watched via regional-media stream – update: SPD has now made the video available here), a detective specifically mentioned the September 30th incident at the 16th/Holden 7-11, in which a would-be robber tried to shoot his way into the (locked) store, so that’s one of the cases.

WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE THE ARRESTS: The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says the lone adult, an 18-year-old, had an appearance this afternoon. He was initially arrested for investigation of unlawful gun possession. Prosecutors asked for $200,000 bail; a judge set it at $100,000. Police say the gun was stolen, and that he is ineligible to possess any gun because he’s a convicted felon. (Juvenile court records show he pleaded guilty in two robbery cases.)

Of the juveniles, here’s what KCPAO spokesperson Casey McNerthney said has happened so far:

A 16-year-old arrested was in court Friday afternoon for a 1:30 p.m. hearing the Clark Child and Family Justice Center. He was arrested for investigation of robbery and investigation of unlawful possession of a firearm for two different offense dates. Prosecutors asked for him to be held in custody. (In juvenile court in King County, a bail amount is not argued – it’s either in our out of custody, which is decided by the Court). The Court found probable cause for Robbery in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. He remains in custody. King County prosecutors anticipate receiving a case from police investigators for a charging decision by Tuesday, Oct. 15. In juvenile cases statewide, first appearance document are not available in juvenile cases the same way they are in adult cases, in line with state law. Police narratives are available after charges are filed and charging decisions have been made by prosecutors – and that comes after law enforcement investigators make a full case referral (which is anticipated for these specific allegations on Oct. 15).

A 15-year-old was arrested on a warrant for a previous case that he is on supervision for. In August 2024, the teen was sentenced through traditional prosecution for Taking a Motor Vehicle Without Permission in the Second Degree and Robbery in the Second Degree and was granted a suspended disposition alternative by the Court, as authorized by law. When the 15-year-old did not follow his court-ordered terms, King County prosecutors made a motion for a bench warrant on August 22, 2024. The 15-year-old was arrested Thursday on that warrant. King County prosecutors asked for the Court to hold him in custody, and the Court held him in custody after hearing from both sides. (Again, there is not a bail amount set in juvenile court – it’s either in or out of custody.) A new case or new first appearance document for the 15-year-old has not been referred to King County prosecutors at this point.

Another 16-year-old was identified by police in this investigation, but it does not appear he was formally booked. Information for a first appearance hearing for that 16-year-old has not been sent to King County prosecutors. (Arrest and booking decisions are separate from prosecutors.) If prosecutors receive a case referral, it will be reviewed for a charging decision and police can send cases anytime within the statute of limitations.

Three incidents in West Seattle Crime Watch:

CRASH-AND-GRAB ATTEMPT: That security video shows would-be burglars trying to crash their way into Seamart at 16th/Holden early this morning. The owner called police around 7:15 am after arriving and discovering the door glass shattered. We went over to follow up; he provided us with the security video and said that, as it shows, the would-be burglars backed into the front of the store twice, but then drove away without getting into the store. If you have any information, the incident # is 24-288674.

Two reader reports:

GARAGE PROWLER: This happened in a garage at 35th and Graham:

At 1:42 AM on Wednesday the 8th, a femme-looking stranger trespassed into our building’s garage from Graham Street, wearing a dark baseball cap with a circular logo on the front, pulled low to cover their face, and also wore glasses on their face. They entered our garbage room and closed the door behind them, peeked out a few times, and when they left the room after about 15 minutes their cap and glasses were gone.

They had changed out of their pants into either shorts or a skirt, and was wearing a different t-shirt. They then tested a locked door nearby before exiting the garage and walking north along the alley between 35th and 36th.

This incident # is 24-287961.

DECORATIONS STOLEN: “Frustrated in Fauntleroy” emailed to report, “We had our ‘Nightmare Before Halloween’ decorations stolen from in front of our house (Tuesday) night.” Online temporary report # T00013437.

Thanks for the tip. The latest West Seattle 7-11 robbery happened just before 8:30 pm tonight at the Avalon store. According to police-radio audio, the robber was described as male, wearing a black ski mask, armed with a gun. He got away with cash, a phone, and ID. In the recent wave of local 7-11 robberies, this is the second one reported at the Avalon store in a little over a week.

(Reader photo, July 16, 2023, 1300 block Alki Avenue)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

One year and three months after an Alki crash that left a woman fighting for her life after bystanders pulled her from her submerged car, we’ve learned that the driver accused of hitting her is charged.

We discovered during a routine periodic check of online court files that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has filed three charges against Angel I. Godoy Cruz, now 24 – vehicular assault (a Class B felony), reckless driving (a gross misdemeanor), and “no valid operator’s license” (a misdemeanor).

Here’s how the charging document summarizes the allegations:

On Sunday, July 13, 2023, at approximately 5:46 p.m., the defendant, 23-year-old Angel Godoy Cruz, an unlicensed driver with suspended driver’s license privileges, was speeding on northbound Alki Ave SW in a 2011 Infiniti G37 sedan, traveling at approximately 83 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone along Alki Beach. Alki Ave SW is a two-way arterial street consisting of one northbound lane and one southbound lane, with the lanes separated by a single dashed yellow line. The defendant then weaved around a vehicle by traveling into the southbound lane and back into the northbound lane.

At the same time, 24-year-old Madison Kelly was driving southbound in a 2005 Toyota Corolla and began to make a left turn from Alki Ave SW into a parking lot. Less than two seconds into her turn, the defendant crashed into Kelly’s vehicle at approximately 83 mph, causing the Toyota to roll northbound and fall into Elliott Bay. It is only because of the heroic efforts of witnesses who jumped into the bay to rescue Kelly from her submerged vehicle by cracking a car window open with a rock that she survived the collision. Witnesses then performed CPR on Kelly until medics arrived, who transported her to Harborview unconscious and in critical condition, suffering from extensive traumatic brain injuries and internal injuries.

As people gathered to perform life-saving efforts on Kelly, the defendant exited his vehicle. One witness confronted the defendant and stated that the defendant would be going to jail. According to the witness, the defendant replied, “Why would I be going to jail?” to which the witness responded that he may have killed the driver. The defendant then stated, “I don’t give a s–t,” and went back into his car. Law enforcement then contacted the defendant and observed a strong odor of intoxicants from the defendant’s person and observed an open can of IPA beer in plain view on the rear floorboard of the vehicle. After being read his Miranda rights, the defendant claimed the beer was from several days prior and that he had not drank alcohol that day but admitted to consuming marijuana that morning. He admitted to driving around the first vehicle because “it was going slow” and admitted that the speed limit for the area was 25 MPH. A search warrant was issued authorizing a blood draw for the defendant’s blood to determine his BAC. The toxicology report determined the defendant’s BAC was .011 three hours and 14 minutes after the collision, well above the per-se legal limit. …

Notably, the defendant has never possessed a valid driver’s license, but has a history of repeated disregard for traffic safety laws: Speeding, No Valid Operating License (08/31/2022), Expired License (06/20/2022), Vehicle Plates Expired (02/28/2019), Speed Too Fast for Road Conditions, Expired License, Vehicle Plates Expired (11/20/2015)

According to the documents, police submitted the case to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office this past August; the charges were filed four weeks later, on September 20, with a request for $150,000 bail. However, when Godoy Cruz appeared for arraignment on October 3, Judge David Keenan set bail at $25,000, with electronic home monitoring as a condition, and gave him a week on personal recognizance to post bond. Godoy Cruz is required to do that, and to start electronic home monitoring, by the end of the day tomorrow (Thursday, October 10). If he fails to do so, prosecutors can seek an arrest warrant. (He had a North Seattle address at the time of the crash but has told the court he is now living in West Seattle. After the crash, he was taken to the hospital, rather than jail, because of injuries.)

We asked the KCPAO why the case took so long to file. Spokesperson Casey McNerthney confirmed that they received it four weeks before filing it, which was 13 months after the crash (we will be following up separately with SPD); those four weeks were spent reviewing the evidence, which, the office says, included a lot of video. (The court documents indicate that’s part of how they determined the 83 mph speed.)

As for the victim, we have sent inquiries to family/friends multiple times since the crash to ask how Ms. Kelly is doing, but have not received a reply. Regional TV reports said she was out of the hospital and inpatient rehab and back home two months after the crash.

THURSDAY UPDATE: Godoy Cruz did report for the home-monitoring placement, according to Department of Adult Detention records.

Three reader reports:

DELIVERY VAN STOLEN + MAIL THEFT: From a resident in the 6500 block of 42nd SW:

Busy day in Morgan Junction. An Amazon van was stolen on Holly and 42nd – thief sped down the alley toward Thriftway while the Amazon driver chased on foot. I live (in) a townhouse building with seven units; all seven of our mailboxes were broken into. We’re guessing it’s the same person. The event number from 911 is 24-286148.

We heard a bit about the theft via police radio, but not which type of van; will add if we get that info. This happened between 4:30 pm and 5 pm.

ABANDONED VOLVO: A reader says this plateless maroon Volvo XC90, with signs of having been in a crash (including front-end damage and deployed airbags), has been in their neighborhood at least four days. They’ve reported it but also wanted to post here in case someone’s looking for it:

Yours? Let us know and we’ll get you more info.

DUMPED CARDS, KEYS: Same goes for these found items – west of Westwood Village, a reader spotted a small pile of dumped items, car keys plus cards with different names – a PayPal debit card in the name of someone with first initial T, a local sports team “event staff” badge with first initial C, gift cards for wine and auto parts. They left the items where they found them, but if any sound like yours, let us know.

Another burglary at Itto’s Tapas on the north edge of The Junction:

Itto’s sent that photo of the damaged door, reporting that the break-in happened sometime after midnight, and that the burglar(s) got away with the register. Previous burglaries at Itto’s (4160 California SW) that we’ve reported included one last January as well as one in August 2022. No security video or police report # available yet.

The video and report were sent by Kelly:

My car was stolen this morning. Black Dodge Charger. They had the keys, spare set. Not sure how. Plate APT 4041. Arbor Heights.

Call 911 if you find it.

Two reader reports today:

VINTAGE CLOTHING STOLEN: MM reports that this happened in Seaview: “My car was burglarized in the front of my house between the hours of Friday October 4th night 6 pm – Saturday 10 am. A gray plastic bin with an attached lid was full of vintage clothing. Some of the items taken were WW2 gray military pants, two gold purses, 1940s women’s shoes, Levis, vintage fabric, alligator purse, dresses.” SPD incident # is 24-941744.

PACKAGES FOUND: If you live on 12th SW and are missing packages, that might be what WSM spotted:

Was out walking today in the Highland Park neighborhood and saw discarded (possibly stolen) packages along the parking strip … blocks away from the address shown.

If possibly yours, let us know and we’ll connect you.

Another West Seattle 7-11 robbery early today, but this one played out differently. An officer was on “directed patrol” focused on the Harbor Avenue 7-11 around 1:30 am when, according to the early summary, “The officer saw two suspects enter the 7-11 and grab the till. The officer interrupted the robbery, and the suspects entered a white Kia SUV. The officer recognized the robbery suspects being the same from the night prior at the 7-11 on SW Admiral. The officer initiated a pursuit, and other officers joined.” The archived audio indicates the robbers were chased across the bridge and onto northbound I-5, above 100 mph, at which point “it was terminated due to speeds” around Exit 168, north of downtown. Eventually, SPD tells us, the vehicle was dumped “in the East Precinct’s area and it was recovered.” Turned out to be stolen. The robbers, however, remain at large. They did not get away with the till, which police say was left at the scene when the robbery was interrupted. The Harbor Avenue 7-11 was the fourth one in West Seattle targeted in the past week, as detailed here.

A child-sex-abuse case that began with a West Seattle raid five years ago led to a 30-year prison sentence today. Sentenced was 40-year-old Shabnam D. Pilisuk, found guilty by a federal jury a year and a half ago. Federal prosecutors say that a Seattle Police detective “uncovered information about a website that included discussion of incest and child abuse” and learned that Pilisuk was its operator; investigators then found out she “had traveled with an 11-year-old and sexually molested the child.” In March 2019, the news release about the sentencing says:

Seattle Police and Homeland Security Investigations served a judicially authorized search warrant on Pilisuk’s West Seattle home. They seized her electronic devices. The devices were forensically examined and determined to have images of child sexual abuse.

Then in November 2021, prosecutors say, the aforementioned victim disclosed that they had been abused; Pilisuk has been in custody since then and was found guilty on five felony counts last year. For today’s sentencing, federal prosecutors asked for a 45-year sentence; U.S. District Judge Tana Lin ordered Pilisuk to serve two-thirds of that.

That’s Steve‘s work vehicle, stolen Monday night in the Alki area: 2008 Scion XB, license plates CGU6932, marked with Revive Pro Services logo/info. No police report number yet, but if you find it, call 911.

ORIGINAL REPORT, 11:59 PM TUESDAY: Thanks for the tip. This time the Admiral Way 7-11 has been hit by robbers. The clerk was held up less than an hour ago. Initial information from police was only that there were two robbers, both masked, and a gun was held to the clerk’s head. This is less than 24 hours after the Avalon Way 7-11 was held up, which in turn was less than 24 hours after a would-be robber tried to shoot his way through a locked door at the Highland Park 7-11. If you have any information about the Admiral robbery, the SPD incident # is 24-279573.

ADDED 12:44 PM WEDNESDAY: Here’s the SPD preliminary summary:

At 0131 hours, the suspects walked in the 7-11 located at the 4300 BLK of SW Admiral Wy. The suspects were driving a possibly dark sedan. The suspects entered the store, and one jumped over the counter. The second suspect walked around the counter. The suspects punched the clerk in the back twice and jabbed the back of his neck. The clerk felt pain. The suspects took approximately $200 in cash and left in their vehicle. The manager responded to the scene and video footage was reviewed. Possibly the same car was seen at a 7-11 located at the 9000 BLK of Delridge Wy SW. The two suspects attempted to walk inside the 7-11 wearing masks, but the clerk locked the door (Case# 24-279550). The SPD Robbery Unit was notified about both incidents.

There have been multiple recent robberies in South Seattle and West Seattle that appear to be connected to the same robbery crew (see many recent [incident reports]). Detectives with the Robbery Unit are working tirelessly on these investigations. No arrests have been made at this time. We will be releasing more information soon.

Two robbers hit the Avalon 7-11 after midnight, according to police radio. No weapons reported, so this was a “strong-arm” robbery; they are reported to have taken cash from the till. Only description – Black, male, teens/early 20s, no taller than 5’7″, black hoodies, one with a blue face mask, one with a black face madk, last seen walking westbound on Avalon.

Thanks for the tip on one more incident of note today, early-morning gunfire at the 7-11 at 16th/Holden. We just obtained the summary from SPD:

On 9/30/24 at 3:01 a.m., patrol officers responded to a report of an attempted armed robbery at a 7-11 in the 1600 block of Southwest Holden Street. When they arrived, they spoke with the victim; he was not injured.

According to the officer’s report, the door was locked for cleaning when the suspect(s) arrived in a dark sedan. The clerk was in the back room when he heard a disturbance at the front door. When he went to the front of the store, a possibly teenage male produced a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at him.

The clerk ran for cover and hid in the back of the store. The suspect attempted to gain entry by using some firewood to break the door window open but was unsuccessful. He then fired multiple rounds inside of the store causing damage. The clerk did not sustain any injuries from the shooting.

The suspect fled the area in the vehicle and was not located. Multiple shell casings were recovered from the scene. Video footage was also collected as evidence.

Detectives with the Robbery Unit have been assigned to this case. This is preliminary information and is subject to change as they complete their investigation.

The initial description, according to archived police-radio audio, was “possibly Hispanic teenage male, face mask, dark down jacket, dark jeans, black shoes.” If you have any information, the police tipline is 206-233-5000, and the incident # is 24-277630.

Three notes in West Seattle Crime Watch this afternoon:

ARSON INVESTIGATION: In our coverage of a small fire at a vacant house in Westwood on Saturday night, we noted that SFD’s investigator had requested police assistance. Today SFD confirms the fire was determined to have been “intentionally set.” No other information so far but if you have tips for investigators, the SPD incident # is 24-276472.

TRUCK BREAK-INS: Sent by a reader:

On 1600 block of 42nd Ave SW and on Palm Ave SW, we had vehicle prowls last night with windows broken out and one vehicle we know of had the ignition punched out. From what we heard from other neighbors urther north on Palm Ave, it appears that these criminals are only targeting trucks. Other vehicles were not touched. The vehicles on 42nd and Palm hit were all trucks. We know for sure of 6.

CAR BREAK-IN: Sent by Katie:

We live on SW Grayson near 51st and someone went through our unlocked Honda Accord last night, parked on the street in front of our house – nothing to take except there might have been some loose small amount of cash.
Saw at least 3 cars with smashed out windows along 49th on our way to/from school at Schmitz Park/Alki Elementary.

Two reader reports today, both thefts in unexpected circumstances, both sent by people named Sarah:

STOLEN WHILE LOADING: Thefts of items left in vehicles for hours aren’t surprising. Sarah H did not expect this theft to happen during the process of loading up for an outing:

This morning as we were about to leave for a backpacking trip, both our backpacks full of camping gear were stolen from in front of our house between 7:06 and 7:08 am as we were loading our car near PCC. It happened so fast that we believe it was a vehicle driving by, as we essentially had our backs turned. The backpacks are teal green (Osprey) and a gray/black (Gregory). If you happen to have any sightings or camera footage, please let us know. Most of our backpacking gear was from our wedding registry and we are heartbroken!

(added) Police report # is 24-275862.

(added) Sarah H’s stove was found by commenter Tom. They’ve connected. One more detail: They believe the thieves were in a “beige or silver 4-door sedan.”

STOLEN WHILE CHARGING: We’ve heard of public-charger cord thefts, but not so much the type of theft Sarah D is reporting:

Yesterday I went outside and found that someone had stolen my electric plug to my car. It was plugged into my electric car and a box on the street. I live on 40th Ave SW. Only reporting because other people leave their plugs in their cars overnight and wanted people to be aware.

Two reader reports:

STOLEN MINIVAN: Sent by Kelly:

Sometime between yesterday evening and today (Friday) 10:30 am, a 2014 Mazda 5 was stolen from the first block of Hudson off California (the west side of California). It is a less than perfect looking silver older, small minivan. My niece had $1000 worth of work done on the car in BC, just days ago. Ohio license plates.

They’re awaiting the report number; call 911 if you find it. (Update: SPD incident # 24-275015)

POSSIBLY ABANDONED MOTORCYCLE: A reader says this has been in the same spot for more than a month:

My best guess is it looks like a 1980 Honda CB400T with a bit of custom work – and a slow oil leak. Maybe someone is missing their project bike?

If it’s yours and indeed stolen, let us know.

A reader sent this from southwest Morgan Junction:

On Wednesday night we (my 9-year-old and I) came upon this guy attaching my rooftop carrier to his own car. Stolen from top of my car with a tool that he left at scene. Fauntleroy at Holly SW. He was late 20s/early 30s with a woman in the car too. Sped away in a very loud Mercedes, all-black super-tinted. No front plate, rear was obscured in image.

Police report # is 24-940633.