Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 8, Issue 6, June 2004

Copyright 2004 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.

Cops 'N Robbers

By LEAH WEATHERSBY

Highway to Hell:

On Saturday, May 1, a woman in her early 20s came in to the North Precinct police station to report a case of identity theft with a twist. This suspect wasn't ruining her credit, but her driving record.

The woman said that in February, she got two traffic citations via mail. Then, in late April, she received a third. She stated that she couldn't have been at the locations where the infractions occurred, and added that she believed the actual driver was her former best friend, a woman of approximately the same age. The woman suspected that her friend was using her identity because her friend had already been suspended from driving. The officer who spoke with the woman confirmed that this was true. The woman also noted that the vehicle she was supposedly driving during one of the recent incidents actually belonged to her friend's boyfriend. She added that she heard through reports that the couple might be headed out of town on a road trip that weekend.

Sunlight is the bomb:

On Friday, May 14, at 4:50 p.m., a man was standing near a parking lot at NE 45th Street and 8th Avenue NE in the University District, when he heard a "click" sound. A second later, the rear window of a Ford Explorer belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps shattered with what sounded like an explosion. The witness didn't see anyone standing near the suburban utility vehicle at the time, although it was parked only 50 feet from busy NE 45th Street. The responding officer stated in his report that "it appears likely that the first noise was a projectile of some kind striking and damaging the windshield, and the internal pressure from the heat inside the vehicle (which was parked in bright sunlight) caused the glass to shatter outward." However, neither the officer nor the Marine Corps sergeant who responded to the scene found any sort of projectile inside.

Boys still being boys:

Despite recent efforts by the Seattle Police Department to crack down on out-of-control partying in the U-District, it appears that boys will still be boys. On Thursday, May 13, at 12:40 a.m., two Seattle police officers were at an intersection near the University of Washington's Greek Row, talking to a U.W. police officer. While they conversed, they could hear loud, derogatory comments being made by male voices coming from one of the fraternities. About 10 minutes later, an unopened beer can was thrown from the house's porch and landed 15-20 feet from one of the Seattle police officers. They decided to investigate.

The police radioed for more SPD units, and once they arrived, knocked on the frat house door. After some delay, during which the police could hear talking inside, the door opened and the president of the fraternity came forward to discuss the situation. The officers told him to get all of the building's occupants down to the main floor. Of those who arrived, some had obviously been sleeping. Some had obviously been drinking. (Especially an underage girl who threw up on herself while the investigation was going on.)

Once everyone was assembled, the officers explained their presence at the house. It soon became obvious that the beer can thrower was not going to identify himself and confess his wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the officers did not leave empty handed they took the president as well as another, uncooperative young man to the station. The president told the officers that he would do everything he could to produce the beer can thrower; however, he was not optimistic that a suspect would be found. He also assured the police that the fraternity had not been hosting a party, although he acknowledged that the house did need to be cleaned.

Change maker turns taker:

On Thursday, May 13 at 9:05 p.m., a man who appeared to be about 30 years old entered a Lake City convenience store and requested change for a buck. But when the clerk opened the register, the man told her he was there to rob the place and to hand over all the cash.

The clerk asked him if he was kidding, but the man replied that he was not, lifting his shirt to reveal a handgun. The clerk complied with the suspect's demands, and he fled into the night with all of the store's money and his original $1 bill.

Stealing the charity:

On Tuesday, May 11, a woman was leaving her Crown Hill neighborhood home at 8:50 a.m. when she saw a middle-aged man in a white van going around to houses and taking "cerebral palsy" bags that had been left out. Something about the man struck the woman as suspicious, so she copied down his license plate number and later called the organization's office. The office confirmed that no one matching the man's description was associated with their group. She was advised to call 911 immediately if it ever happened again.

Pilfering through puberty:

Just after 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 13, a security guard at the Northgate-area Target store spotted two teenage girls grabbing numerous items from the music, apparel, and hygiene departments and stuffing them their bags. Since it was clear that the girls were trying to conceal the merchandise, the guard detained them right away. Upon searching their bags, police found more than $500 worth of products that help teens through those awkward years, including CD players, CDs, clothes, and Oxy acne pads.