The following are selected reports from the Seattle Police Department’s West Precinct. They represent the officers’ accounts of the events described.
Compromised Window
Just before 4 p.m. on April 18, police responded to a burglary at an apartment in the 1200 block of Fifth Avenue North.
The victim reported his apartment was broken into sometime between 5 and 10:30 p.m. on April 14. He said he thought the suspect came in through the dining room window because the window screen was damaged.
A Bose speaker, a pair of sunglasses and a laptop computer was taken during the burglary.
Burglarized Rental Home
Just before 3 p.m. on April 17, the property manager of a rental house in the 2300 block of Viewmont Way West called 911 to report a burglary that occurred sometime between 11 a.m. on April 15 and 3 p.m. that day.
The property manager said she suspected former renters committing the burglary. The back door dead bolt was removed and a cast iron bathtub, and towel rack were taken from the bathroom.
Three boxes of partially eaten pizza were left on the counter, and a bag of syringes was also found in the house.
Unlocked Back Door
Just after 8 p.m. on April 15, police responded to a burglary at an apartment in the 2500 block of 14th Avenue West.
The victim told police he and his girlfriend left the apartment at about 4 p.m. When they returned home about three hours later, they found his work laptop and his backpack containing his passport were missing.
There were no signs of forced entry, but the victim said the rear sliding door doesn’t lock and it opens onto a patio. They thought maybe the suspect came in through the neighboring apartment and crawled over to their balcony. The neighboring apartment is vacant and sometimes left unlocked due to renovations during the day.
Restaurant Burglary
Just before 10:30 a.m. on April 17, police responded to a restaurant in the 3200 block of 15th Avenue West for a burglary investigation.
The business owner stated the restaurant was broken into sometime between 8 p.m. on April 15 and 9:30 a.m. that morning. A back window was broken and an interior door was pried, however the owner stated he didn’t think anything was stolen.
Caught In The Act
At approximately 7:45 p.m. on April 16, a woman called 911 from her apartment in the 3800 block of 14th Avenue West.
She said she and her boyfriend had come home to find a burglar inside their apartment. Her boyfriend was currently inside confronting the burglar. Police responded and entered the unit, where they found the caller’s boyfriend and a friend standing over the suspect, who was sitting on the couch. The suspect was detained and handcuffed, and a knife was recovered from his front pocket. He admitted he didn’t live in the apartment, but stated a friend had told him to go into the apartment and get a laptop for him.
The victims reported they’d returned home to find the suspect standing in their apartment holding their laptop. The male victim stayed inside while the female went outside to call 911. The suspect admitted he’d taken gift cards that had been sitting on the coffee table. He handed over about $800 worth of gift cards to the victim. The victim said he’d searched the suspect’s backpack and didn’t see any more of his belongings in there. The friend told police he’d come up to the apartment after driving by the building and seeing the female victim standing outside. He spoke with her then went up to the apartment.
The suspect was searched upon arrest and, along with the knife, police found narcotics and in his backpack, a $25 gift card, a 1946 West Point college ring and approximately $125 cash. Burglary tools were found in the suspect’s backpack, as well as three more pocketknives.
The suspect was booked into King County Jail for burglary, narcotics possession and a felony warrant.
Mail Theft
Just before 6 p.m. on April 17, police responded to an apartment complex in the 100 block of Republican Street to investigate a mail theft.
The building’s security video showed two men entering the mail room at 3:50 a.m. and stealing multiple boxes. The men appeared to have a key for the door, as they went straight to the door and opened it, and there was no damage to the door.
They opened several packages that were sitting on a table, and put the contents into their backpacks.
Stolen Car
Just after 10:30 a.m. on April 22, a woman called 911 to report her car was stolen from in front of her apartment overnight.
Police responded to the apartment, which is located in the 100 block of First Avenue North. She said she parked her car at about 11 p.m. and went inside and went to bed. Sometime around midnight her dog started barking, and ran out of her bedroom and continued barking. She ignored the commotion and continued to sleep.
The next morning when she woke up she realized her car keys were missing and so was her car. She said her apartment’s front door wasn’t very secure, and could be easily pried.