By Ty Swenson
After nearly ten years as the woman behind the West Seattle Herald Police Blotter, Megan Sheppard has moved on. Luckily, she left the new guy with some pointers on how to do the column justice, and I hope to do just that. My name is Ty Swenson and I recently left the potato-paved streets of Idaho with a print journalism degree in hand and a plan to forge a life in the Puget Sound area. The future success of this column is largely based on feedback, tips and suggestions from you, the reader, so please never hesitate to contact me at policeblotter@robinsonnews.com. I look forward to hearing from you and serving the wonderful community of West Seattle.

Late Wednesday night a man barged into a home on 12th Ave s.w. in White Center and stole a pile of cash from a group of people playing dice (the actual amount stolen was not reported). When officers arrived at the home, which has a history of drug activity, the suspect had already fled via an old blue station wagon. Most of the victims of the burglary had left as well. One of the witnesses stuck around and said the suspect entered the home, grabbed the money and reached behind his back as if he had a gun. Officers found a cell phone in the front yard which witnesses believed the suspect dropped on his way to the getaway wagon. The cell phone was placed in evidence.

An Alki Ave business was the victim of a mid-day burglary on Wednesday. The back door of the establishment was propped open, prompting the suspect to head in and help himself to three envelopes destined for the bank. The employee walked into the back, saw the man, and yelled that he was not supposed to be there. The suspect responded, “Do you have a job for me?” then quickly left when no employment opportunities arose. Upon opening the three envelopes, the suspect was likely pleased with the one containing an estimated $300 to $400 in cash, but disappointed in the other two – one had checks written to the business and the other contained absolutely nothing. At the time of the report, the suspect was at large but surveillance tapes were being checked for more information.

A burglar helped him or herself to jewelry, a laptop, a camera and $20 in cash from a home on 40th Ave s.w. on Tuesday, entering through an open window meant for come-and-go cat traffic. After looting the place, the burglar ran into an issue with the backyard gate, breaking a vertical board in an attempt to push a door that required a pull. No suspect information was given.

The theft of a “very old, cruddy bike” was reported Monday morning from a garage on 41 Ave s.w. The thief entered the garage (which had no lock … or door) the night before and stole the bike. The victim questioned the alleged thief’s decision making skills, stating that there was a much nicer bike sitting next to the cruddy one. No suspect information was given.

Burglaries/break-ins/car prowls by block: 1300/2700/2900 Alki SW, 2200 47th SW, 3300/4500 California SW, 4400 48th SW, 5400 Delridge SW, 5200 40th SW, 7000 Lincoln Park Way SW, 4200 SW Myrtle, 9300/8300 46th SW