Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 1, January 2003

Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

COPS N' ROBBERS

By LEAH WEATHERSBY

Phantom carjacker:

On Saturday, Dec. 7, at 5:33 a.m., police arrived in the University District to investigate a reported carjacking. The officer contacted a woman in her 20s who said the car had been stolen while her boyfriend (whose last name she didn't know) was taking it to get gas.

The boyfriend then joined the discussion. He said only moments earlier he had been at a nearby gas station when three large men approached him. They said nothing, but pulled out a gun and struck him in the forehead. Then, according to the man's statement, they dragged him out of the car and drove off.

The officer did see a small mark on the man's forehead, but didn't think it was consistent with having been hit by a gun. However, the officer did notice the man had alcohol on his breath. After some questioning and a sobriety test, the man said he had consumed about two-thirds of a 24-ounce beer.

The officer and the man then went to the gas station to check out the scene of the crime. Upon their arrival, it was obvious to the officer the station was closed and anyone driving up to it would have realized that. While at the gas station, the policeman learned from a fellow officer that the man's license was suspended. When questioned about this, the man only looked at the ground and said, "I think I'm going to be sick."

The car in question was later found by another officer who was investigating a nearby accident scene. The driver's side door was jammed shut. Apparently, the driver had escaped via the partly open passenger-side window. A witness had seen a male suspect exit the vehicle.

Shop 'til you drop:

On Monday, Dec. 9, just after midnight, a custodian at a Northgate Mall department store was checking the women's restrooms when he noticed one of the stall doors was locked. The store had been closed for several hours.

Upon further investigation, the man found a woman in her 40s asleep in the stall. He stayed with the suspect until the police arrived.

The suspect told the officers she had moved to Washington from Georgia a few months earlier and had been staying with a friend. However, it had become clear that the living situation was not working out. The woman said she went to the mall after work to think about her circumstances, but was very tired. She'd gone to the restroom just to "take a nap," and accidentally slept past closing time.

It's just a burglar...:

On Sunday, Dec. 8, at 4:30 a.m., a man and a woman, both in their 20s, were asleep in their Wallingford duplex. The man awoke when he heard someone at the bedroom door. He saw a man with a beard and dark jacket peeking in. He heard the man move things around in the living room and then exit out the back door. At the time, the man assumed the visitor was a friend of his companion's who left because he saw they were in bed.

Later that morning, when the couple discovered a debit card, credit card and digital camera were missing, they realized the visitor had been no friend of their's.

The couple later told police that friends sometimes stop by late at night or early in the mornings. They also leave the doors unlocked sometimes although on this occasion they were pretty sure the back door had been locked.

Flunked the test:

On Sunday, Dec. 8 at 1:02 a.m., police responded to a noise complaint at a University District house. Upon arrival, the officer not only found loud music, but many people who appeared to be underage, surrounded by numerous empty alcohol containers.

Because so many people were present, it wasn't possible to arrest everyone. The officer told the two men who lived at the house (both age 20) that they would have to shut off the stereo and end the party. However, one of the men began to argue that his guests shouldn't have to leave. According to the officer, the man had alcohol on his breath, his speech as slurred, and he could not stand up by himself.

Despite the officer's attempt to reason with the man, he wouldn't stop arguing. Finally. the officer placed him in custody and took him to the North Precinct Station. The suspect was still protesting even after arriving at the Precinct.

"I'm not wasted...I'll even take a test," the man said.

Upon administering the Breathilizer, the officer found that the man's blood alcohol level was about two and a half times the legal limit. The man was charged for being a minor who possessed/consumed alcohol and was released into his sister's custody.

Grinch strikes in Seattle:

At about 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, woman arrived at work in North Seattle and noticed that the neighboring business, an optician's office, was in disarray. She called the police who checked the store for intruders (none were found) and then proceeded to investigate. The suspect or suspects had opened all the cabinets and thrown the contents on the floor.

When the receptionist arrived, she told police that $200 was missing along with several pairs of glasses and contacts. A number of wrapped toys were also stolen from the lobby.

Road rage in Greenwood:

On Saturday, Dec. 7, at about 5:20 p.m., a teenage boy was stopped at a red light at Greenwood Avenue and N. 85th Street when he heard a honk. He looked up to see that the light had turned green. He looked back a the honker, a man driving a gold Acura, who appeared to be in his 30s, and made a gesture with his arms as if to say, "what?" He then went on his way.

Apparently wishing to continue the exchange, the suspect then sped up, putting both cars side by side. The teenager saw the man fumble in his glove compartment and pull out what appeared to be a semi-automatic pistol with a silencer. The suspect held the pistol upwards but did not actually point it at the boy.

Seeing the gun, the teenager slammed on his breaks and got into the suspect's lane, several cars behind him. The suspect appeared to slow down, as if looking for the other car, so the teenager took the next right and waited for the police several blocks away. Police checked the area but couldn't locate the suspect.