4:00 p.m. on January 1st. 52nd block of Ballard Ave NW

A man was attacked on New Year’s Day while picking up trash in Ballard. The victim was collecting garbage on Ballard Ave NW when a transient male came up to him, swore at him, and threatened him. The suspect then kicked a bucket to which the victim had tied his dogs’ leashes, causing the two terriers to yelp in pain. The suspect grabbed the victim’s collar and shoved him, but the victim shoved him away. The suspect then grabbed the victim by the throat and attempted to force him into the street, but the victim slapped the suspect on the face and the suspect ran away.

The suspect is described as a transient who smelled of alcohol, about 5’10’’ tall and 40 years old with scruffy facial hair. He was wearing a black leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and a dark hat. The victim said that he had seen the suspect once before, about two weeks ago, when the suspect had also sworn at him and threatened him. The responding officer recognized the suspect from his description, but did not find the suspect in an area check.

1:52 p.m. on January 1st. 15th Ave NW and NW Market St

A woman called police after she was robbed on the afternoon of January 1st. The victim said that she was sitting in her car in a parking lot waiting for her husband when the suspect made eye contact with her, opened the door, and reached in to grab her wallet. The victim screamed and fought with the suspect to keep him from taking the wallet. She finally pushed him out of the car and closed the door. The suspect was not able to take the wallet. The suspect swore at the victim and tried to open the door again, but the victim locked it. He became angry and threw a rock at the car window, but it did not appear to do any damage. The suspect then walked away.

The victim’s husband returned, and the two of them followed the suspect and pointed him out to the responding officers, who detained him along NW 54th St. The suspect was read his rights and arrested. He had a stolen wallet in his possession.

The description of the suspect in the robbery matched the description of the suspect in a nearby property damage incident.

8:29 p.m. on December 29th. 22nd block of NW 58th St

A woman returned home on the evening of December 29th to find that her apartment had been burglarized. She said that her lights were off when she got home, but she had left them on when she left the house around 4:00 p.m. A necklace and two pieces of mail had been stolen.

The apartment complex is a secure building and the front door, the only way to enter the victim’s apartment, did not appear to have been tampered with. The victim said that she had locked the deadbolt when she left the apartment. No fingerprints were found at the scene.