By Tim Clifford

Frightening attack on woman in West Seattle
On Aug. 2 West Seattle police officers were dispatched to interview a victim at a Shoreline hotel about an attack that had occurred the night before in West Seattle. The victim was unsure of the exact location of where she was attacked but remembers seeing street signs that suggest she was on the 8100 block of 12 Ave. S.W.

The night before the victim had been celebrating her birthday at a club in downtown and was drinking very heavily. Drinking mostly Hennessey and coke the victim eventually passed out, though she is not sure where or when exactly that occurred.

When the victim awoke she was in a bathtub, naked and there was a man (the suspect) standing over her attempting to strangle her. The victim fought with the suspect and was eventually dragged from the tub and into a living room where the suspect began whipping her all over with his belt. Another suspect was also in the room watching and threw a dress at the victim for her to put on while she was on floor. The dress did not belong to the victim, but as soon as she put it on she ran for the door and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.

As this neighbor was sitting with the victim they saw both suspects come out of the house and begin searching for her. The victim ran through yards and tried to stay off the street to avoid being seen by the suspects.

Once the victim lost the suspects she got a passerby to lend her their phone and called the hotel she was staying at in Shoreline to tell them not to let anyone into her room (the suspects still had her wallet and keys). A police officer was in the lobby of this hotel and heard the conversation and attempted to dispatch officers to her location, however the cellphone reception cut out. The victim contacted officers once she was back at her hotel.

The victim described the suspect as a black male in his late 30’s who was driving a silver Mercedes sedan with temporary license plates. The victim also remembers the house as being blue. Though the victim does not believe she was sexually assaulted she did later find what appeared to be residue from duct tape on her body. The victim declined medical attention. The suspects remain at large.

Lawnmower man and woman
On the 1700 block of S.W. Trenton St. on July 29 a woman called police to report that her lawnmower had been stolen. The incident occurred around noon while the victim was at work.

A neighbor told police that he noticed a white jeep with a notably loud exhaust pull into the alleyway between the houses. The driver was described as a white woman with dirty blonde hair. When the suspect stopped the Jeep a black male with a thin build in his 20’s got out of the vehicle and walked into the victim’s yard and then began loading up the lawnmower and a gas can.

The neighbor didn’t think much of the proceedings until he noticed that the male suspect was carrying a set of bolt cutters. The victim locks her yard with a bicycle lock and used a chain on her mower as well. Both locks were missing from the scene.

The suspects remain mowing lawns at large.

Crimes reported between July 31 and Aug. 7

Burglaries by block: 7100 block of 1 Ave. S., 8100 block of 11 Ave. S.W., 8400 block of Delridge WY S.W., 8600 block of 46 Ave. S.W., 9000 block of 35 Ave. S.W., 700 block of S. Cloverdale St., 500 block of S. Donovan St.

Car prowls by block: 4200 block of California Ave. S.W., 3000 block of S.W. Avalon WY, 5300 block of Beach Dr. S.W., 6500 block of 35 Ave. S.W., 7700 block of 11 Ave. S.W., 8400 block of 10 Ave. S.W.

Car thefts by block: 2300 block of Harbor Ave. S.W., 2600 block of S.W. Andover St., 5000 block of Beach Dr. S.W., 5200 block of California Ave. S.W., 5600 block of 44 Ave. S.W., 5900 block of 41 Ave. S.W., 3100 block of S. Kenyon St., 7800 block of Detroit Ave. S.W., 600 block of S.W. Kenyon St., 8600 block of 10 Ave. S.W., 9400 block of 25 Ave. S.W., 9700 block of 34 Ave. S.W.