The following are selected reports from the Seattle Police Department’s West Precinct. They represent the officers’ accounts of the events described.
Office Thief
Just after 4 p.m. on March 29, police responded to an office building in the 500 block of Queen Anne Avenue North after employees called 911 to report a burglary.
One of the office’s managers told police the suspect was seen in the building lobby with a black laptop at about 8 a.m. About 20 minutes later while in a meeting on the fourth floor she heard some noise coming from the office kitchen. She saw the suspect taking items from the kitchen and bagging them up.
When confronted, the suspect first stated he worked for a homeless organization and was collecting things for the homeless. He then claimed he was an intern for the company. The manager told him to leave, and took the bag and laptop. The suspect insisted the laptop was his, but left the bag when he left.
As police were leaving that office, another 911 call came in one block east on Queen Anne Avenue North reporting the same suspect stole a thermos from the office before being confronted by employees.
While speaking with employees from that office, an employee from an office on the second floor of the same building approached police and reported the suspect had come into their office and stolen a black laptop and a pair of headphones from an employee’s desk. Employees from all three offices provided police with pictures of the suspect.
A few hours later an employee from one of the offices called 911 to report seeing the suspect standing at a bus stop on Queen Anne Avenue North. Officers responded and checked the area. They found the suspect sitting at a table in a nearby coffee shop with the stolen headphones on and using the stolen laptop.
He was arrested and charged with burglary and possession of stolen property. He also had an outstanding warrant. The headphones and laptop were returned to the employee they were stolen from.
Mass Destruction
Just before 8:30 a.m. on March 28, a man living in the 2400 block of West Lynn Street called 911 to report his house was broken into.
He stated he’d returned home at 1:30 p.m. the previous afternoon and noticed his glass dining room table was shattered. Upon further inspection, he noticed some glass shelves were shattered, and saw more damaged furniture throughout the house.
He told police the back door was open, but it didn’t appear to be forced. He stated he didn’t believe he had any enemies who would want to destroy his furniture.
Road Rage
Just after 8 a.m. on March 28, police responded to a road rage incident that occurred in the 200 block of Denny Way.
The victim told police he’d been driving to work at about 6:30 a.m. that morning; he was waiting to make a right turn onto Second Avenue from Denny Way when a BMW pulled up behind him.
He recognized the BMW from an incident two or three months prior when the car drove up close behind him and began aggressively honking at him. The victim stated that today the driver did the same thing and then pulled up on his driver's side at Second Avenue and Broad Street and pulled a box cutter out, making a slashing motion towards the victim.
Lost Then Found
At 4:30 p.m. on March 30, police responded to a 911 call from a man who stated his tent was recently stolen from his house in the 1900 block of 12th Avenue West and he’d just spotted it set up under a bridge on Elliot Avenue West.
The victim said the tent was stolen from his laundry room sometime between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. the day before. Along with the tent, his floor jack, red Coleman grill and drill were taken. The victim stated that the laundry room door had been left unlocked, and the victim had just walked in and taken the items. He’d been driving through the area when he saw his tent sent up on Elliot Avenue West, he told officers he was sure it was his tent and he just wanted it back.
Police approached the tent and found nobody inside. Inside the tent was a red Coleman grill and a few miscellaneous items. The victim said the grill was also his. Police stood by while the victim collected his tent and grill.
Storage Unit Burglary
Just before midnight on March 29, police responded to a burglary at an apartment building in the 100 block of Dexter Avenue North.
The victim met with police and reported her storage unit had been broken into for the second time in as many months. She said the burglary took place sometime between March 26 and 29.The padlock on the victim’s storage locker, which is located in the building’s parking garage, was cut off.
She reported a suitcase and its contents stolen. The contents of the suitcase were about $300 worth of clothing and cosmetics. She also reported a men’s leather trench coat and a pair of men’s shoes were stolen.
The victim informed police that sometime over the weekend the garage’s automatic rolling door was out of commission, and was stuck open.