Beacon Hill Blog

Crime notes: Civic stolen, scanner catch-up

Dan Dean writes:

Just wanted to let you know that our car was stolen last night from 14th Ave and South Hinds Street, and was hoping you could post it to the blog!

This is on the heels of a roof rack stolen off of our car last week. I don’t know what’s going on in our neighborhood, but it’s incredibly frustrating.

Please keep an eye out for a white 1998 Honda Civic 4-door with Washington plate 299 VCV.

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Chris and Amie wrote to the mailing list about a car prowl that occurred on Sunday:

Last night, someone smashed our front passenger window of our newer model car with our empty garbage can, parked on the parking pad at 19th & McClellan, an open, well lit spot. They rifled through the contents of the car, and stole my jacket in the front seat. We figured they just leaned in to look for stuff, as the alarm would have gone off if they opened a door. I would imagine it took them several tries to break a car window with an empty 24-gallon plastic garbage can. Sadly, we heard nothing. This was reported to the police.

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And catching up on recent activity logged at BHNW’s Scanner Blotter:

• Robbery reported at 17th and Shelton, 8:55pm yesterday
• Suspicious group of 5-7 men chased from back yard near 37th and Rose, 6:55pm yesterday
• Report of several shots fired near 14th and Oregon, 2:45pm yesterday
• Three men door-knocking and looking in windows ran off when they saw someone at home near 32nd and Juneau, 2pm yesterday
• Burglary reported near Morgan and Beacon, 1pm yesterday
• Forced entry burglary reported near 13th and Austin, 3pm Saturday
• Burglary reported near 14th and Hinds, 6:45pm last Thursday (very near where Dan’s car was stolen from!)

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Theresa described some suspicious activity on the mailing list last Friday:

My husband confronted two men who were scoping out houses on our block, the 2700 block of 13th Ave S, around noon today. The first man was about 6′-3″, white, blond hair, glasses, about 25-30 years old, wearing black hoodie and jeans. The second man was about 5′-6″ black, 30-35 years old, black coat, blue jeans, white shoes, carrying a duffle bag.

They walked down the street with a piece of paper in hand, stopping on the sidewalk in front of each house, sometimes going back to houses they had already looked at. They went up to some houses and looked in the front windows. My husband saw the tall man go up to one neighbor’s house look in the front window, then knock on the door, looking over his shoulder repeatedly while the other guy stayed out on the sidewalk looking up and down the street.

My husband went across the street to confront them, and the guy at the door immediately turned away from the house, mid-knock. The guys just looked at each other when he asked what they were doing, paused, then said they were “collecting information”. They departed on foot, heading north on 13th Ave S.

Tags: burglary, car theft, gunfire

Rainier Valley Food Bank burglarized, Thanksgiving food stolen

$1500-$2000 in food was stolen from the Rainier Valley Food Bank between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning when burglars broke into the food bank’s storage locker and stole potatoes, onions, canned food, peanut butter, and other food collected by local volunteers in food drives last weekend. The food was scheduled to be given out this weekend as the Thanksgiving distribution. If you would like to help, you can bring your donations to the Rainier Valley Food Bank, 4205 Rainier Avenue South, Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or donate online at rvfb.org.

Thanks to the Seattle Times for the report.

Tags: burglary, food banks, opportunities to do something good

Rash of burglaries along 13th and nearby

Going off of the scanner activity logged at bhnw.org, there’s been a seemingly large and sudden jump in burglaries in mid-north Beacon Hill, particularly along 13th Avenue South. In just the last two days, and only counting the reports logged by the part-time volunteer staff of BHNW, there have been 6+ burglaries and several other related crimes, mainly along this stretch.

Update: From Captain Emerick via Mariana Quarnstrom via Steve Louie:

FYI, the morning shift just caught two burglars in the act around Swift Ave and Eddy. They kicked a door and ran when the homeowner confronted them. Great arrest. Suspects were 2 older white guys that appear to be homeless or living at the missions. They will be going to jail soon..

Also, Mike Cheney has an update on the block watch program he’s spearheading in the forums.

Some of the security tips from the June South Precinct Email Community Newsletter are not really applicable for this time of year, but some warrant reviewing:

Install good quality dead bolt locks with at least a 1” throw on all exterior doors.

Replace the existing screws in the strike plates with screws that are 3”-4” long. When a door is forced open, it is the jamb that splinters and gives, not the door. By securing the strike plates with 3”-4” long screws, you secure the jamb to the wall stud. When the deadbolt lock is engaged, the bolt goes into the jamb and the jamb is now secured to the framing of the home. This makes it much more difficult for a person to force open a properly locked door.

Secure Tools and Ladders

Secure all tools, including ladders, so they cannot be used to gain entry into your home or that of a neighbor.

If Away For An Extended Period Of Time

If you’re going to be away for an extended time, ask a friend or trusted neighbor to watch your home. If they see suspicious activity while you are gone, they will know to call 911 for you.

Have the Post Office hold your mail and hold your newspaper delivery.

Make it appear that your home is occupied. You can do this by having timers set within the home that will turn lights on and off. You may want to consider timers for your exterior lights or photocell attachments (which activate when it gets dark and go off when it becomes light).

Do Not Leave Personal Belongings Unattended

Whether they are in a shopping cart or on a picnic blanket, always maintain positive control over your belongings. Never leave personal belongings unattended in your vehicle. Seattle has an incredibly high rate of theft of personal property from vehicles, particularly at public parks.

Additionally, record the serial numbers of your more valuable electronic items and keep them in a safe place. Consider engraving identifying information on your valuables as well. Take photographs of your valuables showing the identifying information.

Keep an eye out for suspicious individuals in your neighborhood. Be wary of solicitors or people going from door to door asking to use your phone, your bathroom, or a glass of water. Solicitors must register and carry identification in the city of Seattle. Call 911 if you encounter suspicious activity. 911 calls are used to determine police staffing and patrolling.

Tags: 13th, burglary

Crime Notes: Skipping bail; Hello, church burglaries; stripped Honda

The Beacon Hill man charged in the motel shooting death of sound engineer Tom Pfaeffle in Twisp, Kino Gomez, has apparently disappeared and is now in violation of the conditions of his release on $100,000 bail. Okanogan County Sheriff Frank Roberts told the Wenatchee World “We have no idea where he is.” King County Sheriff Sergeant John Urquhart said his department will follow any credible tip from the public. — Seattle Weekly & Seattle Times

Update: Much more from the Weekly.

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One of our newest neighborhood businesses at Hanford and Beacon has now been victim of a burglary:

Hello Bicycle was broken into and robbed last night. We have a rear door that was completely smashed in by tremendous impact that actually ripped the door frame apart. They ran in, grabbed cash, and escaped in such a hurry that they dropped some of the money on their way out. Fortunately no other property was damaged and no bicycles were stolen.

The financial loss is not tremendous but the security concern for the neighborhood is extremely upsetting. We will be installing additional security immediately. This is our second robbery, the first one being a bicycle that was retaken from the thieves down the street.

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Another break-in occurred last night not too far away from Hello Bicycle. SNB reports on the mailing list of a break-in at a church at 16th and Forest:

Last night at 12:55 a.m. we awoke to breaking glass to see a man trying to break into the Beacon Hill First Baptist Church. We called the police then watched the man continue to try and break in. We think there was already another person inside. The man was African-American in his late 30’s/early 40’s wearing black pants, black coat and a black backpack. It seemed to take forever for the police to get there but the police saw him when they arrived but he got away.

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Also on the mailing list, Renata mentions seeing a black Honda Civic HX (plate number 673 TEX) that had been apparently stolen, stripped, and dumped this morning around 10am near top of the hill at 13th Avenue South and South Court Street:

Obviously they had some serious time to strip this particular vehicle because even the tires were all gone, yet they left the car with all spares! (At least they didn’t leave it on cinder blocks!) The taillights are completely missing, the hood was up, and the dashboard/gauge was completely removed…

An hour later, a tow truck was loading it up and taking it away.

Tags: bail, burglary, church, civic, first baptist, hello bicycle, honda, kino gomez, tom pfaeffle, twisp

Crime Notes: Car found, car windows broken, Craigslist

Rob, following up on the burglary with a dramatic getaway previously reported, writes that the 2001 Jeep Cherokee stolen from his garage (exiting forcefully through his garage door) was located not too far away near Corson and Ferdinand, near the Maple Wood Playfield. If you happened to see whoever drove and dumped it there a week or two ago, please contact Rob.

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BenRifkah reports recent car prowls with multiple broken windows along Waite between 19th & 20th. Other posters identified an individual who has long been suspected of similar prowls near 17th & College. Definitely do not keep valuables in your car if at all possible.

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If you’ve been a robbery or burglary victim recently, Allison mentions monitoring Craigslist for your stolen merchandise. A mighty good suggestion. Craiglist is just as good a place to try to fence stolen property as it is to get rid of your old sofa.

Tags: burglary, car prowl, craigslist

Crime Notes: Burglary escape sounds like an action film

Rob near 15th and Spokane writes about what had to be a dramatic and brazen daylight burglary (emphasis mine):

Our house was burglarized Tuesday some time around mid-day. They appear to have entered through a window we thought was too high from the ground, or even a ladder, to make possible. They took two laptops, and our 32″ LCD TV in the living room (probably peeked through front door / window blinds and saw that, motivating the break-in). To top the whole thing off, they then stole my silver ‘01 Jeep Cherokee out of the locked garage, ramming it through the closed garage door. Fortunately nobody was home or hurt, but we are very shaken up.

That sort of exit had to attract some attention. If you have any information about this break-in that could be helpful, if you were in the area of 15th and Spokane and saw anything yesterday, please contact the Seattle Police Department. Also, keep an eye out for a silver Jeep Cherokee with 60th anniversary edition badges and 5-spoke alloy wheels, plate number A58145Z; when found, it may be useful for collecting fingerprint evidence. I’d imagine there’d also have to be a bit of scratching-up on it, having driven through a garage door.

Updated with photo from Rob.

Tags: burglary, garage door, jeep, theft

Crime Notes: Clueless caller could be casing

From the mailing list, Heidi from near 19th and Lander writes:

I think we might have been cased for a burglary. A 40ish black woman came to the door saying she was looking for a lost dog. When asked what the dog looked like, what it’s name was, or where she lost it, she could not answer any questions at all. Never looked us in the eye, just craned her neck looking around the house and past us. Very uncomfortable situation. She left quickly and as she walked down the steps and across the street, a big black SUV with 2 men in it pulled up to get her. When they noticed us watching them, they screeched off quickly down the street. Didn’t get a license number or great description because they rounded the corner and took off so fast.

She notes that the police think they were likely just wanting to see if anyone was home and checking out what sort of lucrative easy pickings might be inside to be burgled. Hopefully they’ve been scared off and won’t be back soon, but be aware of this now-common sort of ploy.

Tags: burglary, casing

Captain Liggins on recent burglary arrests, more break-in activity

At last week’s NBHC meeting, South Precinct Captain Les Liggins came by and talked a bit about burglaries in the neighborhood. He said that it has been “one of the most interesting last couple of months I’ve seen in my career,” a period of time that “started off with, I felt, a significant burglary increase in the precinct.” He cited one primary reason: “As we enter the summer months when schools are out… kids are getting out and looking for things to do… like raid a few houses.”

“Thanks to timely phone calls, we’ve been able to make significant headway,” performing an arrest during a burglary in progress, and then getting them to roll over on their associates, leading to the recovery of 300 laptop computers and other electronics.

He also said that the police have been “fortunate lately… to get significant hits on fingerprint evidence… placing people inside the houses…” and “also fortunate… our numbers are increasing… almost at 100 (officers, up from 70)”. They are trying to get their staffing up throughout the department to match workload and “get most officers out on the days and times when most activity occurs.”

Unfortunately, the impact of that well-timed arrest, the leads coming from it, and the accumulation of fingerprint evidence has not fully quelled the rash of break-ins and burglaries nearby.

Kevin on the mailing list wrote about a break-in yesterday, 7/13, at his home near 21st & McClellan. Alma responded with a note about the theft of garden tools and such the same day, 7/13, from her neighbor’s new shed near 15th & Nevada. Suzanne wrote to us about her home being burglarized last Wednesday, 7/8, at 18th & Bayview.

Keep your eyes open and don’t hesitate to call 911 if you see something suspicious.

Update: a number of additional burglary calls today on the scanner, reported by BHNW: 18th & Lucile, 3700 block of Holly Park Drive, 5100 block of 20th Ave S, and the “6500 block” of 19th Ave S (I suspect that’s a typo).

Update: Corrected some dates. It’s not Wednesday yet.

Tags: break-in, burglary, captain liggins, nbhc meeting, south precinct

In the Forum: Fireworks and more

In the Beacon Hill Blog forum right now is a question from reader alirjd:

“So this will be my first 4th of July on Beacon Hill. I know fireworks are limited this year in Seattle since Ivar’s cancelled their show, but I wondered if any of the longtime residents knew of a good spot to go sit somewhere up here and see if you can catch some of the shows around town.”

Other topics currently in the Forum include an announcement about Bible and Chinese Camp at the Beacon Lutheran Church, questions on the current status of the car wash at 15th and Beacon, discussion about a recent brazen burglary in broad daylight, and an introduction from Colin, a (relatively) new neighbor!

Do you have something to say, an announcement to post, or a question to ask? Join us in the Forum.

Tags: beacon lutheran church, burglary, fireworks, fourth of july, welcome

On the BHB Forum: Burglary on Beacon Avenue

If you haven’t browsed the Beacon Hill Blog site much, you might have missed the link to the Forum. The Forum is an area where readers of this blog can post questions, ask for recommendations, and participate in discussions.

Recently, a neighbor reported the following crime in the Open Line Time section of the Forum:

“I live at 3026 Beacon Ave. S. #101, on Beacon Ave. between Stevens and Hanford. Between 2:30 PM and 3:15 PM on Sunday, June 21st, in broad daylight, my apartment was broken into and numerous items were taken. A civilian’s camera in the back parking lot showed no activity during those times. Since one of the items taken was a large, heavy television, the burglars must have had a vehicle parked in front of the building on Beacon Ave. Did anyone see/hear anything suspicious or unusual in this area during those times?”

Please post in the Forum discussion if you can help.

Tags: burglary

Two juveniles in custody after SWAT standoff on South Beacon Hill

Certain kids could have found a better way of spending their spring break on South Beacon Hill this morning. Two juveniles suspected of burglarizing a house in the 8400 block of 37th Avenue South ran from police, broke into a nearby home, and then refused to come out. The SWAT team came out and surrounded the house, and eventually the youths were taken into custody around 10:30 am. KIRO has a picture of the standoff, and the P-I has a brief story as well.

View Larger Map

Tags: burglary, south beacon

Beacon Bits: guns, loot, and beer

• Somewhat controversial local gun group Seattle Citizens for the Second Amendment now have a website — Blogging Georgetown
• The other viaduct is set to undergo numerous revisions and enhancements. The City of Seattle details the plans for the upcoming-and-ongoing Spokane Street viaduct revamp — also Blogging Georgetown
• Recognize any of your stolen stuff from the BB gun burglars mentioned earlier? Photos of some of the recovered items are up for your perusal — West Seattle Blog
• Neighborhood professional beer drinker writer Geoff Kaiser sits down with some friends to blind taste-test some “craft” macro-brews from the likes of Anheuser-Busch — Seattle P-I

Tags: beer, burglary, guns, loot, sc2a, spokane street, stolen property, viaduct

BB Gun burglaries in West Seattle may be related to Beacon Hill crimes

The West Seattle Blog reports that several suspects have been arrested for a series of “BB gun burglaries” in West Seattle — but the suspects have been tied to crimes in the Beacon Hill neighborhood as well. More details at the WSB.

Tags: burglary, west seattle, west seattle blog