West Seattle, Washington
02 Wednesday
Just out of the inbox from Seattle City Light, a warning about a new scam – somebody who might try to make an appointment to get into your house:Read More
From the latest reports at the Southwest Precinct, we begin with yet another round of rock-throwers, this time on the south end of West Seattle: 
A man in his 80s who lives in the 9400 block of 9th SW called police around 8:30 last night, complaining that four or five boys have been throwing rocks at his house for the past week and a half, on non-rainy nights, always between 7:45 and 9 pm. Last night, he spotted them crouching behind a tree on the south side of Roxbury; he yelled to his wife to call the police, and the boys bolted. He told police he’s lived in the house 45 years and never had a problem like this. No description of the suspects, though. Next — another throwing incident, and a masher at the mini-mart:Read More
From our most recent round of report-reviewing at the Southwest Precinct: A couple in the 2600 block of 52nd SW called police after discovering an alarming anomaly in their bank account: In late January, they wrote a $30 check to their newspaper carrier, put it in the self-addressed envelope he provided, and put it in their mailbox for pickup. Unfortunately, someone else apparently got to it first; in early February, they discovered their bank account was running a lot lower than it should have been. Checking online, they discovered the $30 check had been forged into $800, and that the payee name had been altered too. Next: Car-cutting, indecent exposure, and more:Read More
Those are our first clips from a media tour this afternoon of ongoing Viaduct strengthening work that’s been under way since fall beneath the section of the Viaduct that’s just south of Columbia. This is the part – site of the old Yesler Mill, long ago, according to WSDOT’s Matt Preedy – that’s settled several inches, and WSDOT isn’t sure why this section settles more than the rest, but they’ve got a couple months more work to keep it from getting worse. Here’s his progress overview:
Another WSDOT spokesperson told us this event was meant not only as a media update on the work but also as a reminder of tomorrow night’s meeting at Cooper Elementary, which will focus on the big piece of the Viaduct puzzle – what might be done with the “Central Waterfront” section. WSDOT confirms that it will be open-house format 5:30-6:30, then open mike @ 6:30 for you to have your say on what you hope will happen. (And another reminder, the next weekend closure of the Viaduct is March 22-23.)
It’s been on our Events list page but in case you missed it, the Seattle/King County Gang Prevention and Outreach Group will be at Delridge Community Center 6-8 pm tonight for a community forum. Be part of the solution. Here’s the flyer; here’s the agenda.
First, for those who wondered about the activity at Westwood Village tonight: One witness tells us it appeared someone had been hit and badly hurt, but we don’t have any official info so far. (SUNDAY UPDATE: We do have info now; see the comments.) Now, before we get to some additional Southwest Precinct reports from the past few days, a little more about the two arrest situations very early this morning in east Admiral. First, the catalytic-converter theft: One of the victims who spotted the suspect cutting a converter out from under their truck e-mailed WSB to say:
What they are after are catalytic converters, which for our truck costs $700. If you have trucks that are high enough off the ground for easy access, these guys are cutting and grabbing.
Further, we have learned through speaking to the police and our auto repair shop that this is a widespread problem across Seattle and it’s typically Meth drug addicts trying to making quick money. Based on the cuts they made under (our) truck these guys were amateurs but they are BRAZEN and their lack of experience did not stop them from obtaining a pickup load of catalytic converters that (we) and one of the policemen found. Please alert your neighbors and be aware of suspicious behavior!
Police tell WSB the converters are sold as parts, not for scrap metal as you might suspect. The other case in the area, involving a woman arrested for allegedly stealing a newspaper carrier’s car and crashing it into parked cars nearby, has one side note: According to the report, the 24-year-old woman caught in the stolen car told officers “she only took the car because she was afraid of going back to jail and she wanted to get away from all the cops in the area. (She) stated, ‘I just got out of jail for a VUCSA and I don’t want to go back’.” (VUCSA means drug crime.) She then admitted she had three rocks of cocaine on her. (Jail records indeed show she was in jail Tuesday night through Wednesday night; following this morning’s arrest, she’s still there now.” More police reports ahead:Read More
Besides the case of the laptop bandit (suspect now under arrest), we’ve got a few more police reports from the Southwest Precinct to tell you about before the night’s over:Read More
Wanted to get this info out before finishing the Sealth/Denny meeting report — we were gathering this at the Southwest Precinct when the Charlestown Cafe fire broke out, and from there, it was right off to the school meeting. Anyway, from the latest police reports — we start with a robbery involving teens: A local middle-schooler was at the bus stop by KeyBank at California/Alaska this morning, playing with his GameBoy, when another teen sat down next to him, said “Hey, that’s a cool game, I used to play that on Nintendo G4,” edged closer, then suddenly grabbed the boy’s game and ran. The victim chased him for a while; then the robber turned on him and pushed him into a fence before getting away. The victim wasn’t badly hurt; he continued on to school, where he told administrators, who called police. Next — the gas-pump hit & run:Read More
First, from Harbor Avenue – this just out of the inbox from Jeff @ Skyline Secure Park:
We just wanted to let everyone know that the dangerous semi trucks that used to roar up and down Harbor Ave. between 7-11 and the West Seattle bridge are officially gone. The company who owned them has moved to a more appropriate home! I know a lot of people will be happy about this because there were hundreds of trucks crossing the bike/walk path every day, creating a safety issue.
And from Alki Avenue – Babs says she’s tired of risking life and limb:
I’m wondering if you can post a reminder that the Alki beach bike path is for bikes. Yes I understand other walkers/runners use it but maybe a reminder that large groups of people should not stand there and have “hi 5” meetings or discussions. I can survive a jogger here and there, a dog walker or two… but large groups blocking the path pose serious risk to all parties. I almost had to ride off the bike path [Saturday] because of a large group of rude woman joggers (who saw me coming) but continued their meeting which took over the entire path. I was rude in voice to them but it’s SCARY when people do not yield.
From our latest review of reports at the Southwest Precinct (which, if you’re new here, is the “police station” for West Seattle, at Delridge/Webster by Home Depot): We start with a suspected drunk driver caught asleep at the wheel — in his Oldsmobile Cutlass, motor running, blocking an intersection. This happened after 3 am Saturday at 25th/Cloverdale. Officers woke the 26-year-old man up; one of his breath tests came in at two and a half times the level officially defined as DUI. Next — how a police car wound up with its back window smashed out:Read More
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Mark in the Admiral District:
Last week, a contractor of mine was doing some work at my house noticed a red Ford F-350 extended cab, with Oregon license plates (starting in 101) stop in front of my house with 4 people in it. One of them was inspecting my contractor’s truck and detached trailer when my contractor asked what they were doing. They pretended to be an “automobile dent repair company” and asked if he was interested in getting a dent removed from his truck, when they were clearly looking at possible ways to take his trailer. Please keep a close eye out for this truck.
Obviously, these folks could have been legit (so we have not included the entire license # from Mark’s note) but he was concerned enough to want to let others know, so we are passing it along.
Just a few things to share from our latest review of reports at the Southwest Precinct, starting with an apparent flasher at Westcrest Park: This happened at 4:30 pm Wednesday, but wasn’t reported till a day later. Two girls, 12 and 13, told police they saw a man running up and down a hill (between the off-leash area and the rest of the park) with his private parts not-so-private. They left the area, then saw him again in another part of the park, “stretching and exercising,” and still exposed. No detailed description of the suspect was available. Next: The hit-and-run suspect who wasn’t hard to find:Read More
The latest from the files at the Southwest Precinct – and we’ve got a lot to tell you about, since our last visit was last Thursday. We start with a “good news” story that unfolded while we were at the precinct late today: It started this morning, when a West Seattle man found a wallet in the Central District. He reported it to police later by flagging down an officer at Delridge and Hudson. Police called the wallet’s owner and asked if she could come pick it up at the Southwest Precinct. She arrived around 4 this afternoon, received the wallet from officer Buzzy Katzer at the front desk, and exclaimed, “Wow, my 11 dollars are even still in here!” She wanted to thank the man who found her wallet and turned it in; at last report, police were trying to reach him to convey her message. Ahead – an amazing array of other incidents, including the “adult model” dispute and the runaway litterer:Read More
35TH/ROXBURY: Reminder that you will see a significant police presence there much of the day because of teenage shooting victim DeChe Morrison‘s memorial service @ Freedom Church later this morning (as reported here last week).
READER REPORTS CAR BREAK-IN: From Melissa in the 9700 block of 41st (map):
I thought our little neighborhood was immune, but no. Our dog went a little bonkers at about 10 pm Monday night. That must have been whenever was taking my cellphone and binoculars and rifling through our cars was doing so. My husband went out at 5:45 this morning to find my door still open. I wonder if our dog’s barking scared the thief off?
From Colleen in the 48th/Dakota vicinity:
Friday night my son’s bike was taken out of my van. They also took a clay cat that my daughter had made, only valuable to me. I’m curious if they hit any other vehicles around here.
Besides whatever we hear here, we’ll also check next time we’re reviewing reports @ the Southwest Precinct. Meantime, the important reminders: Call 911 if you know or suspect something’s happening right now or just happened; 206/625-5011 is the non-emergency number; lots of crime-prevention resource info at the bottom of the WSB Crime Watch page.
The latest from the files at the Southwest Precinct: We start with an indecent-exposure arrest in the 9400 block of 30th SW. An 11-year-old boy was walking in a nearby alley Wednesday afternoon when, he said, a man motioned him over, then dropped his pants and exposed himself. He ran to a nearby school to report what happened. Other information led officers to believe they knew who they were looking for, and before they had finished talking with the young victim, the suspect showed up in the area, and they arrested him. Police say they have dealt with the suspect before, mostly for “mental-health situations.” More police-report summaries ahead, including a “home invasion” that happened this morning:Read More
We saw that close call while spending time at 34th/Morgan this past Tuesday morning, meeting with neighborhood and pedestrian-safety activists who say it’s one of this area’s most dangerous places for schoolkids to have to cross. Here’s a taste of the regular traffic:
Kids coming from the booming north side of High Point cross here to get to West Seattle (formerly High Point) Elementary, which is further south on 34th.Read More
Here’s the news release. Haven’t seen a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakout yet. 5:52 PM ADDENDUM: One stat we can break down with regards to West Seattle — of the 24 murder cases in the city last year, three happened here – March at 37th/Findlay, April at Cal-Mor Circle, October at 59th/Admiral. The suspects in all three cases are still awaiting trial. In the 59th/Admiral case, the newest court documents show that the 18-year-old suspect has been found competent to stand trial, and his next hearing date is Feb. 11. (We reported the then-impending competency hearing on Dec. 29.)
That quote from Southwest Precinct Sgt. Jeff Durden at Tuesday night’s West Seattle Community Safety Partnership meeting — from which we have a few holdover notes to share with you before too much more time elapses, in addition to the news we reported last night about the high-security funeral that’ll be at Freedom Church next Tuesday. To elaborate on that quote, in the past month, SW Precinct leadership estimates its team has arrested more than 15 burglary suspects. Lt. Steve Paulsen noted that detectives and patrol officers are working more closely together, literally – four detectives are now based at the precinct, rather than elsewhere, which means more chances for them to talk face-to-face with the officers working the streets. “Our clearance [case-solving] rate has just been remarkable,” Lt. Paulsen noted. Not only are they arresting suspects, but he says they’re recovering lots of stolen property too. And they also praised community members whose eagle eyes and quick phone calls are helping them detect crimes and catch suspects more quickly. Other notes from the WSCSP meeting, including community “trouble spots” they’re watching:Read More
From the files at the Southwest Precinct (and no, it’s not that there’s been a lot of crime lately, this is just our first run through the reports since last Thursday): We start with someone who went to great lengths AND great heights to commit a crime. Sometime between Thursday night and Monday morning, at the megaproject construction site on 42nd north of Alaska, someone stole two mobile radio/phones worth $750 from a crane cab — meaning, according to the police report, that they had to climb a chain link fence, go down a 30-foot wooden ladder into the big construction hole, then up a 20-foot mud hill to reach the crane, and after that, up 150 feet to the cab (and of course back down again). Next, followups on a few incidents that readers reported here in the past few days, including a drive-by shooting and the alleged Starbucks groper:Read More
2 of the 11 West Seattle events for today/tonight that you’ll find (along with dozens of other events for the rest of the month and way beyond) on the WSB Events page:
MORGAN JUNCTION PARK: 7 pm tonight at The Kenney. It’s the first public meeting in almost a year on the park-to-be that’s going in next to the new Beveridge Place Pub (former Video Vault). According to the official city news release, this will be a chance for you “to review preliminary site plans and to provide feedback to the design team.” Notes from the last public meeting in March ’07 are on the Morgan Community Association website.
WEST SEATTLE COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP: 7 pm, Southwest Precinct. If you have crime/safety concerns in your neighborhood, or don’t have them yet and want to keep it that way, the WSCSP meeting is a great one to attend. Not only do Seattle Police reps (including members of the SW Precinct’s Community Police Team) attend and present updates on what they’re seeing and hearing, community organizers such as the group’s Seattle Neighborhood Group staff liaison Lois Grammon-Simpson present information on topics such as what to do about “nuisance properties” and what’s being done about some already reported. (As you’ll see in the notes from the last meeting in November.)
Two people just e-mailed WSB about this. The following account is from Luckie (thank you!):
Last night at about 7:50, three shots were fired on SW Hanford near 44th Ave, and then a car was heard speeding away toward California Ave. I immediately called 911, as did several other neighbors. This morning, I searched the area where I heard it happen, and found three bullet casings and a slug in the street. A neighbor’s car, parked on the street, now sports two bullet holes. We called the police non-emergency number, and an officer arrived about five minutes later. She gathered the evidence and took statements. I don’t wish to give any more details, but this car was a specific target—this wasn’t a random shooting.
We will be checking with the Southwest Precinct to see if there is anything more. MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: Lt. Steve Paulsen @ the precinct says, “We are working hard on this … [indeed] it was not a random event.”
This just out of the inbox, from Teresa (thank you!):
Was at the Westwood Starbucks this morning and there apparently is a man that is approaching women and actually trying to touch them inappropriately. One of the employees of Starbucks was calling the police as I was leaving. He apparently approached a grounds worker while I was getting my coffee. PERV!
No word so far if anyone was caught.
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