By Tim Clifford

Not so home alone
A surprise awaited one victim as he returned to his home on the 7900 block of 31 Ave. S.W. just before 4 a.m. on June 3. After entering his home from the car port, and not locking his door behind him, the victim walked upstairs for about 10 minutes and when he went back downstairs he found two burglars bagging up his property. The suspects, described as young females who were both wearing dark jackets, began giggling and laughing before they ran out the door. The suspects made off with four laptops, a wallet with $85 dollars in it and an iPod mini.

When police arrived they conducted a search of the area with a K9 unit and found the two suspects a couple of blocks away hiding under a porch. After arresting the two suspects the police brought them back for the victim to make a positive ID. The victim was able to positively identify one suspect but was not completely certain about the other one.

Both suspects were booked for burglary. One of the suspects was later found to have a juvenile warrant out for their arrest. While the laptops and cash were recovered on the suspects and returned to the victim the iPod mini remains missing.

Gone to pot
On the evening of June 3 police from the Seattle Police Narcotics Unit served warrants to a house and warehouse in West Seattle and a house on Beacon Hill for illegal marijuana grow operations. Police were tipped by neighbors to the West Seattle home, located on the 2400 block of S. Morgan St. because of an overwhelming smell of marijuana from the residence.

Under medical marijuana grow laws growers are allowed to have 45 plants at a time. At the warehouse in west Seattle police found 2200 plants and between the two homes 433 plants respectively. A total of 2663 plants and 86 pounds of marijuana were seized. It is believed that this grower was also selling through a dispensary which the suspect also owns, thus violating collective garden laws. Seattle police are claiming this to be one of the largest busts of an illegal marijuana grow operation in their history.

Police seized enough plants to put the suspect’s grow operation back in compliance with state laws, leaving 45 plants at each site and all of the equipment. No one was booked as the department claims that they were only interested in keeping the operation within the limits of state laws.

Crimes reported by block between May 29 and Jun. 5

Burglaries by block: 3700 block of 39 Ave. S.W., 7900 block of 31 Ave. S.W., 8100 block of 10 Ave. S.W., 9000 block of 20 Ave. S.W.

Car thefts by block: 2500 block of Harbor Ave. S.W., 3000 block of S.W. Bradford St., 4800 block of 45 Ave. S.W., 4800 block of 38 Ave. S.W., 6000 block of 49 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of California Ave. S.W., 7000 block of Murray Ave. S.W., 6900 block of Delridge WY S.W., 800 block of S.W. Trenton St., 9000 block of 16 Ave. S.W., 9200 block of 17 Ave. S.W., 9400 block of 27 Ave. S.W. (3 reported), 3300 block of S.W. 102 St.