Cameras don’t lie
The owner of a restaurant on the 4700 block of California Ave. S.W. was dealing with a longstanding pattern of money disappearing from his crew’s collective tip jar and purses, so he decided to set up a surveillance camera to find his culprit. The victim told police thefts started 12 months ago and several employees complained about personal or tip money disappearing. Recently, he realized someone was also stealing “till money” and decided to purchase two small safes as a safeguard. The money kept disappearing. The secret camera was installed and on Oct. 23 and it worked, catching their alleged suspect in the act. The camera captured one of his employees entering the business five hours before opening with a backpack. The suspect proceeded to steal cash from the tip jar and cram the backpack full of items from the kitchen before leaving. The victim put the damning footage on a zip drive and gave it to police. The police report ends with the statement: “There is probable cause to arrest (redacted name) for Commercial Burglary.”
Counselor hit by client
During an Oct. 27 session for people dealing with alcohol dependency at a clinic on the 4700 block of 42nd Ave. S.W., the counselor noticed one of his clients kept leaving the room to use the restroom. The counselor put class on hold and caught up with his client in the hallway to ask if everything was OK. He immediately smelled alcohol on the client’s breath and informed him he could not continue the class or drive because he had been drinking. The client left and started walking towards his Chevy Tahoe SUV. The counselor called police to report a drunk driver and ran outside to confront the suspect and ask if he had stolen paperwork that would fraudulently state he completed the course. The suspect responded, “(Expletive) off,” and got into the vehicle. The situation escalated as the counselor situated himself behind the vehicle to write down the license number. While doing so, he said the suspect put the SUV in reverse and ran into him, knocking him several feet to the side. As he tried to recover he realized the suspect was aiming the SUV directly at him. He accelerated quickly and the victim said he was able to roll out of the harm’s way. He believes if he had been unable to move he would have been run over. Police were attempting to contact the suspect at the time of the report.
Burgled by a prostitute
A West Seattle man called police on Oct. 22 to report his home had been burglarized by a prostitute. The victim said he had been seeing the female suspect (he told police she was a sex worker) on and off for a while and that she had spent the night on Oct. 21. He believed she stole a spare house key, left, and came back after he vacated the home for several hours. The victim said he met the suspect in August after she called “out of the blue” and asked if he wanted a date. He believes she got his number from another “girl” he was seeing at the time.
Crimes reported from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3
Burglaries by block: 8300 39th Ave. S.W., 9400 15th Ave. S.W., 9400 27th Ave. S.W. (two on Oct. 28), 1900 S.W. Brandon St., 8700 16th Ave. S.W., 3400 S.W. Graham St., 10000 California Ave. S.W., 9000 35th Ave. S.W., 3500 S.W. 100th St., 3200 S.W. Avalon Way, 5000 35th Ave. S.W., 6400 29th Ave. S.W., 9700 41st Ave. S.W., 8600 13th Ave. S.W., 4200 Beach Dr. S.W., 5900 Delridge Way S.W., 5400 California Ave. S.W., 3200 S.W. Avalon Way, 9200 Olson Pl. S.W.
Car prowls by block: 2300 Hobart Ave. S.W., 8000 Fauntleroy Way S.W.
Vehicle thefts by block: 5300 42nd Ave. S.W., 2300 37th Ave. S.W., 4400 S.W. Alaska St., 6000 Lanham Pl. S.W., 2800 S.W. Raymond St., corner of S.W. Holly St. and Delridge Way S.W., 4200 S.W. Dawson St.
