By Tim Clifford

A criminal who just “pops in”
On July 12 police received multiple reports of a suspect just walking into their homes and attempting to take their property. The first incident occurred on the 8400 block of 42 Ave. S.W. just after 3 p.m. when the victim of this incident was in her kitchen and had left the French doors in her basement open due to the heat. As she was working in the kitchen she saw the suspect, a white male in his late 20’s or early 30’s with scruffy facial hair, walking up the stairs with her husband’s toiletry bag. After yelling at the suspect the victim opened her front door and ordered him to leave.

The next incident with the suspect occurred just before 4 p.m. on the 8200 block of Northrop Pl. S.W. when the suspect was spotted by the victim attempting to walk out of the front door with coats and a first aid kit. The suspect dropped the items when he realized he had been spotted by the victim and ran.

Officers canvassing the neighborhood eventually spotted the suspect on the 4300 block of S.W.

Southern St. walking with a black women’s designer bag with a laptop sticking out. When officers detained the suspect he attempted to give them a fake name. Eventually the suspect was identified by matching his description to mug shots from the King County Jail and was also positively identified by both victims on the scene as the burglar they had caught in their homes.

Other items found on the suspect that are believed to have been stolen were: a laptop, assorted mail cards with a third victim’s address on them, a six pack of coca cola, a Gatorade, and the women’s designer bag. The suspect was booked into the King County Jail for burglary and initially rejected for a skin infection. He was booked again later that day successfully.

Purse snatching
On the 9200 block of 16 Ave. S.W. just after 6 p.m. police received reports from multiple witnesses of a man (the victim) running down the street with a group of Latinos (the suspects) chasing after him. The victim was wearing a bikini top, hot pants and 4 inch heels. The victim is well known to police in the area.

A witness reported that once the victim tripped and fell in the middle of the street the suspects ran up and began attempting to steal the victim’s purse. Cars had to swerve to avoid hitting the suspects and victim as they were wrestling in the middle of a busy street.

Eventually the suspects got the purse and ran northbound into an alley between 16 Ave. S.W. and 17 Ave. S.W. One of the suspects was seen throwing the purse into an abandoned lot.
When police made contact with the victim they could see that the victim had a bloody lip. The victim refused to cooperate with authorities only saying before leaving “You know who I am. This will get taken care of”.

Crimes reported by block between July 10 and July 17

Burglaries by block: 5500 block of S.W. Andover St., 1900 block of S.W. Genesee St., 4836 1/ 2 California Ave. S.W., 5000 block of Delridge WY S.W., 1900 block of S.W. Myrtle St., 7300 block of 34 Ave. S.W., 8400 block of 42 Ave. S.W., 8400 block of 32 Ave. S.W.,

Car thefts by block: 45 Ave. S.W./ Glenn WY S.W., 4500 block of 38 Ave. S.W., 9200 block of 15 Ave. S.W., 8000 block of 10 Ave. S., 800 block of S. Southern St., 1400 block of S. Trenton St.

Bike thefts by block: 3200 block of S.W. Avalon WY, 4700 block of S.W. Findlay St., 900 block of S.W. Holden St., 3700 block of S.W. The fi99 St.