Crime Notes: Inviting open windows, empty suitcases, and purported paperboys

Paperboy -- but not the one going door to door near Horton Street. Screenshot by gamerscoreblog.
Paperboy -- but not the one going door to door near Horton Street. Screenshot by gamerscoreblog.
Several suspicious items of interest have been reported on the mailing list recently.

On Saturday, Shea near 16th and Stevens wrote:

Due to the hot weather, we opened a small window on our first floor to get some extra ventilation. In the ten years I have lived in our house I have only opened this window one other time. We left this window open for several days but yesterday we noticed someone had tried to crawl in this window. It looks like two people were involved and one hoisted either a child or female (the long thin handprints left on the window sill).

Thankfully they were not able to get far and didn’t actually make it into our house. We think this happened either while we were asleep or between 2:30 and 3:30 pm [Friday] (the only time we were gone).

Near the north end of Jefferson Park, Hazel noted:

On Wed night at about midnight we heard breaking glass on Spokane, John went to take a look, saw three people (2 females, one male) carrying something. He called after them, they ran east on Spokane tossing something into the bushes. John found 3 suitcases, empty. We called the police, they took the suitcases. One had an address in West Seattle. All were lovely old-fashioned style suitcases.

Today, Whitney near 22nd and Horton wrote:

Last week, a young-ish man came up to our porch, put down a small box, and knocked on the door. When I opened it, he said, “Is the lady of the house around?” I asked if I could help him. He looked at the newspaper that was still on our porch and said, “I was just wondering if you still wanted that delivered there or in the street?” I said something about the current arrangement being fine, and he said, “We just want our customers to be happy,” picked up his box, and left. Then I saw him head to the next house down to knock on the door, and I know that neighbor does not subscribe to a newspaper.
Should I be suspicious? Does anyone know what this is about, or did anyone else get a similar visit last week?

Kelly, a few blocks away at 18th and Horton, responded:

We got the same visit and we don’t subscribe to the paper. I was not home at the time but the guys remodeling our kitchen described the exact same scenario as you. They said the young man did not look into the house but given all the recent break ins it is certainly worth mentioning to the group.

3 thoughts on “Crime Notes: Inviting open windows, empty suitcases, and purported paperboys”

  1. The same thing happened to my son and I as we were getting into my car (in my driveway) last Thursday afternoon – 3 thirty-ish yr old men were walking around 13th Avenue South between Walker and Hill. One asked me if I was pleased with my newspaper service – I said yes – he walked away and then just sortof stopped and looked around, and got on his cell phone. I noticed the other two walking nearby – both on their cellphones, and both just looking around. This was Thursday August 20th.

  2. A young man in his twenties came to our door last week and asked if I was ‘The man of the house’. He said he was offering the Seattle Times for ‘free’ for 8 weeks, and all they asked was that we tip the delivery boy/girl $2 on Sundays. He said they were doing it party ‘for the kids’, and also because they expected about 20% of the folks who started would sign up for the paper after the trial period. He had a small pad of paper, but nothing very official looking – though I don’t know what that would be. I had just opened up all the windows of the house upon getting home, to cool it down. When I told him we were moving and not interested, he looked in the house and noted that I have a lot of glasses that could use some newspaper around them when we pack. It took several attempts to persuade him that I wasn’t interested. This was around 22nd & McClellan.

  3. I’m not sure of the date, but it was about the same time – a week or so ago. I’m on 13th and McClellan. Someone came to my door and asked about my subscription to the Seattle Times. I told him I already subscribed, he looked at a piece of paper, and then asked “Daily and Sunday?” to which I said yes (even though I only get Sunday). He obviously didn’t know that, which made me wonder. Only now hearing this do I realize how very weird that was.

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