Burglary On East Laurelhurst Drive

 The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

We were unfortunately the victim of a burglary at our residence on East Laurelhurst Drive NE the night of May 8th.  Thieves broke in by gaining access to the lock-box on our front door (concerning given the number of workers in and out of the home that may have either not properly closed or, more concerning, provided access).    

Our personal items were rummaged through and we feel very violated.  One of our contractors had several thousands of dollars worth of tools stolen.

We have established stronger security measures but ask neighbors to be on the look-out for those coming and going outside of hours that normal work-crews would operate.  As best we can tell this was very very early morning between 5-9am.

Neighborhood Businesses Burglarized

The Laurelhurst Center complex (3700 block of NE 45th Street), which includes Ravenna Homeopathic, the Wax Bar, the Frame Shop and Jaks, were reportedly burglarized in the early morning of August 6th.

The property manager reported that the burglaries happened between 2am and 3:30am. All businesses were reportedly re-keyed after the burglary. 

Ravenna Homeopathic told the Laurelhurst Blog:

The burglary took place in the middle of the night. Security cameras showed a man breaking into one of the businesses.  He had a baseball cap pulled low on his face, gloves and pulled up a mask as he went by the camera. We have no information to identify them.

The Frame Shop told the Laurelhurst Blog that they had minimal loss and no damage. And added "It was more of an annoyance."

And another of the business owners told the Laurelhurst Blog staff, "I hope these guys are caught soon. We are so tired of this madness."

Trespasser In Yards Of Homes Near Children's Hospital

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

 I would like to share a general note to be vigilant. 

We live on NE 45th Street near Children's Hospital and on the night of March 13, people trespassed through at least 3 yards, with some outdoor property in fully fenced, partially locked yards stolen and other items obviously moved - as in, the trespasser wanted to let us know they had been there. 

One vacant home was also broken into. I do not have any details about the break-in. 

Police reports were filed

A police report shows that on the March 14 at 1:14pm in the 4000 block of NE 45th Street there was a burglary.  

Burglar Steals Purse While Resident Sleeping In House Near Villa

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

I live on the 4500 block of 51st Avenue NE on a dead end street next to Villa Academy. I had my purse stolen sometime in the middle of the night on Thursday morning, July 6th.

The  grey backpack style purse  was stolen from my dining table while I was asleep upstairs. Very disturbing as I was home alone. A dining room window was pried open.  

The victim's neighbor wrote:

Our neighbor was robbed recently. The burglars opened a side window and stole her fancy back pack which she used as a purse and she would like to get it back if anyone finds the bag.    

The police came and said it was very common especially at this time of year’  her car keys weren’t taken and they were next to the bag. Our neighbors heard noises around 2am.

Please contact laurelhurstblogger@gmail.com if you have information.

Home Broken Into On Boulevard

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

On May 19, my mom's house was broken in to on the 3300 block of 43rd Avenue NE.   

They broke in by breaking a window however my mom didn't have an alarm they took every heirloom and anything of value.   

Police didn't have much to say and obviously now she is protected with cameras and alarm but doesn't seem to stop some of the thieves around these days.

Bold And Brazen Thieves Hit Several Times On 46th Avenue Near School

A few weeks ago, burglars broke into the Seattle Community Church, on the corner of 46th Avenue NE and NE 45th,  and stole thousands of dollars of electronics and musical equipment.

The thieves had special equipment to open the windows without causing any damage and then close them when they got into the church. The thieves took items out and stored them in a nearby shed, then a white van pulled up and loaded all the items and took off. 

The security cameras showed at least one face of a Caucasian male between 20-30 years old. 

The Church has installed even more cameras and more security in all areas of the church.

A car belonging to a neighbor living near the church was also broken into the same night. 

And a resident returning home from his birthday dinner, just a block north of the same Church, discovered his house had been broken into.

Here is his account of what happened:

Our house on the 4700 block of 46^th Ave was robbed last Wednesday the 16^th  around 9:30pm.

It appears that they first tried to get in through the back basement entrance by attempting to pry the lock with a screwdriver.  The bulbs to the backyard motion lights were unscrewed so they were able to do this work in the dark.  They also tried to get in through the back patio doors with a screwdriver, but failed there too.   

The front door was kicked in and they pushed the sectional sofa against it to give them a head-start in case I came home.  What I found interesting is that they also delicately propped a dining room chair on top of the couch so that it would fall and make noise when I shoved open the door.  The next day I found a set of my keys in the backyard by the entrance to the garage.  None of the keys from that set work at our house, so they just dropped them there. 

The burglars only had enough time to go through a few rooms, but did end up stealing two laptops. 

I’m fairly certain the burglars were in the home when we pulled up because our speaker system was partially dismantled but then left there, and the back door was wide open but our indoor cats were still inside. 

The police officers showed up about 20 minutes after my call, and were surprised by how bold the thieves were by kicking in the front door to the house.  The front entrance is in plain view from the street and there aren’t any obstructions (fence, bushes, etc.).   

Anybody walking by or looking at my house from the street or sidewalk would have clearly seen them trying to break in.  

I did not have an alarm system, although I was in the process of researching the best system and service!  That will be installed shortly.

The Laurelhurst Blog alerted the Laurelhurst Community Club Crime Prevention Board Member who said, " We’ve alerted the officers to focus on the area of 45^th and around the school." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assault Rifle Used in Halloween Home Burglaries On 46th Avenue NE and Nearby Homes Near School

Picture from resident's security camera

of robber carrying alleged assault rifle

A man with what appears to be an assault rifle broke into a home in the 5100 block of 46th Avenue NE around 8:20pm on Halloween, October 31. The family said that their home break-in, as well as several others were "very clustered" with several homes on their street broken into as well as a few on nearby NE 54th Street, a cross street at the end the block.
 
The family captured a picture of the man with the weapon on their home security camera. His upper body and face don't show as the family had the camera pointed at the ground to try and see if raccoons were getting into their garbage.
 
The family spoke exclusively with the Laurelhurst Blog staff about the incident:

Unfortunately, our house was broken into on Halloween.  The robber kicked in the back door, which was locked, and forced his way into the house.  

Unfortunately, we didn't get a shot of his face, but, you'll see that he is armed and police suspect the assault rifle is real. Thankfully, we weren't home and the loss is stuff versus people.   

SPD arrived about 10 minutes after our 911 call and was very responsive for us that evening. However, I know the same is not true for our neighbor who waited nearly 1.5 hours for a response following their call. The patrol officers that responded to our house were thorough, respectful, and assured us they were doing extra patrols for the next several nights given the weapon seen in the video of which they believed was true but couldn't fully confirm that evening. 

We followed up with the general SPD hotline yesterday to hand over the video and although the officer was sympathetic, it was clear they are overwhelmed and burdened and do not have the resources to investigate these particular crimes. We'll be following up with the responding patrol officer today to see if he can help us escalate.  

With regards to stopping these crimes, I'd like to see neighborhood meetings and specific tips for securing our homes.  

One of our neighbors in already in touch with Seattle City Light to request more lighting in our area which is towards the end of 46th Avenue NE, where it's very dark and where the concentration of the five break-ins occurred. Better street lighting could potentially have helped prevent the five break-ins.  

I love seeing our community coming together to help and protect each other and to create awareness that although we live in an amazing and typically sleepy neighborhood in Seattle, we still live in a major metropolitan city and crime can happen anywhere and we should all be aware and vigilant.   

We want to ensure our neighbors are aware and alert this is happening right here on our street just two blocks from our school, and that we are all extra aware and diligent.   

We want our community to protect themselves and their families.  I feel strongly we need awareness about these crimes and the intensity of them. Neighbors need to know this happened just two blocks from our community elementary school and same for families with children at Villa. It's too close to our babies. 

Thanks to the Laurelhurst Blog for your help in spreading the word to the neighborhood. I know several friends in the neighborhood have been shocked to hear what happened and to see the image of the robber and that it could happen to us right here in Laurelhurst.  

 

 
Q13 and KIRO 7 each did stories on the burglaries.

KIRO posted this article on their website: Assault-rifle-toting burglar caught on Laurelhurst camera

Neighbors in North Seattle’s Laurelhurst neighborhood are intensifying watch groups and their own security systems after surveillance video captured a burglar entering a home with an assault rifle.

The homeowner who provided the video to KIRO 7, had the camera aimed low to find out if raccoons were opening his trash bins. The video, which shows the burglar from the shoulders down, also shows an assault rifle in his left hand, as he kicks the back door in. 

The homeowner told KIRO 7 the burglar stole electronics, jewelry and cash. 

"I can't even describe the words,” said neighbor to the homeowner, Marsha Crivello, whose home was one of seven burglarized within a few blocks on Halloween night. “I just felt sickened by it. I thought what if I had walked in at 10 o'clock and he was here? He was walking through my house, went into my bedroom, opened drawers, opened closets and things were just strewn in the house." 

Another neighbor Brad Dykes couldn’t believe the nerve of the burglar—or the timing.  “That's phenomenal that somebody would try that, especially on Halloween when they know people will be more active.   have video cameras, security cameras and things like that. I haven't set them up yet, but this definitely will kick that into gear," he said.

House Break-in On Surber Last Week

We received this information:
 

A house was broken into last Wednesday, August 27, on about the 3900 block of NE Surber Drive.  Valuables, including guns, were stolen.

This burglary was similar in nature to the other one last week on 42nd Avenue NE. Both houses are on the lake and in both cases the residents were not gone very long. 

Attempted House Burglary On Tuesday

We received this email:

On Tuesday, May 27th, around 11pm, someone attempted to break into our house on 48th Avenue NE between NE 50th Street and NE 54th Street while we were home and asleep.   

We were awakened by a noise in the guest bedroom at the back of the house.  We got up to investigate and saw several flashes of light coming from the back deck and the always locked bedroom window was standing wide open.  

A dresser that had been directly in front of the window had been pushed out into the room about 2 feet. The window had been pried open.  

Thankfully the burglar never actually came into the house probably because he heard our voices.  It appears that the burglar had walked down the long driveway on the side of our house, unscrewed the garage light that is always left on, moved the trash can that was in front of the gate, and then climbed over the 5 foot locked gate. 

We called the police who came and took a look around outside but didn't find anything except smudges on the window frame which they said indicated the burglar was wearing gloves.

Recent Attempted Burglary On Boulevard

We received this email from a resident on the Boulevard, 43rd Avenue NE:

On March 7th at noon, an attempted burglary was thwarted on the north end of 43rd Avenue NE, thanks to our 18 month old black labrador, Scout. Her incessant barking and growling alerted me to go downstairs, only to find two hooded young men peering in the back glass door and adjacent side window.

The back door was unlocked. I startled them when I walked into the kitchen, and they turned and ran, "high jumping" our 3' wire doggy fence, and heading north up the alley. 

The police have a report, and are encouraging everyone to be careful and vigilant.

Attempted Burglary on 4400 Block of 50th Avenue NE

We received this email:

We live on the 4400 block of 50th Avenue NE had an attempted burglary on Saturday afternoon, February 8th,  while we were out of town, that our alarm system thankfully thwarted.

The criminals destroyed a basement door in the process. They did not gain access inside our home.

So far, none of our neighbors heard or saw anything unusual.

Several Houses Burglarized Near Laurelhurst Elementary On February 1

We received this email:

On Saturday, February 1st between 6-10pm, several houses on 47th Avenue NE between NE 47th Street and NE 50th Street were robbed. One was through an unlocked double-hung window slightly open at the top and accessed through a backyard patio. The other was a forced entry through a basement door. The homes were not ransacked.

Around 9:15pm that same day, we saw a suspicious-looking guy in a hoodie start up our drive and then cross the street and go up another driveway when he saw someone looking out the window.

We called 911 and they said they would do an area check. I know at least two reports were filed. The police told one of our neighbors that they had four calls on the block.

Another burglary was also reported in the 5100 block of 48th Avenue NE on the same day.

House Break-In With Many Items Stolen Near Boulevard Last Week

We received this email:

Last Friday, sometime during 9:45 am and 1:15 pm, our house was broken into on NE 41st Street, near the Boulevard. 

I normally work at home, but was out running errands, and when I came back, I noticed the disarray and called police.

The thieves broke a small window in our basement storeroom, ransacked our master bedroom and guest bedroom, and stole jewelry, watches and our e-readers, using my husband's large silver backpack to haul everything out of the house.

We do not have an alarm system - but we'll be getting one now. Living right on NE 41st and a busy alleyway, we'd wrongly assumed that with so much traffic, we wouldn't get hit. But then we did. Right in broad daylight.

If anyone noticed anything around that time, please call Seattle Police referring to incident number 13-438118.

The police officer who came to our house said that they get two "false alarms" every day in Laurelhurst and that some of those might be attempted break-ins.

Several NE 45th Street Businesses Burglarized

We received this email from Crystal, the owner, of Violet Sweet Shoppe (3614 NE 45th Street):

Monday night, my bakery Violet Sweet Shoppe,was burglarized as well as an office in the building across the street. On Sunday, two other businesses on my block were also burglarized with major damage and substantial loss.

While the police officers were taking my report this morning, they mentioned that they would increase patrol of the area. I'm asking the community to report any suspicious behavior immediately. Also, much of what is being stolen is paperwork, invoices, licenses, and files. I imagine crooks are just looking for credit card numbers and tossing whatever they'd out want. 

If anyone finds any piles of candy catalogs and invoices for flour and chocolate, I would love to have them back.

Recent House Break-Ins on 42nd And 43 Avenues NE

A neighbor sent us this information about two recent house break-ins:

Last Saturday morning, July 27th, around 4am, three young white males tried to break into the lower level of my house, on the 4100 block of 42nd Avenue NE, through an open window in sight of my sleeping guest. As they took out the screen my guest started yelling at them and they ran toward the alley. The police came and suggested a motion sensing outdoor light. The previous night, the screen had been knocked out by the cat.  

This may have been the same group who were successful on 43rd Ave NE and NE 45th Street.   The residents were burglarized during the night while sleeping in their home. The burglars came in through the garage, into the house and computers, wallets, liquor and more were taken. The said that a device which opened the garage was used.

Please be aware and lock all doors, windows and cars at night.

Another Burglary In The Neighborhood Just East Of The Park

A Blog reader sent email about a recent burglary on 48th Avenue NE, between NE 42nd Street and NE 42rd Street, just east of the Park. He writes:

I was out walking my dog on Friday, June 21st, along the park when I saw two police cars at a lovely home on 48^th. A family with two young boys outside talking to two police officers.

I had to ask if it was a robbery. They were robbed this morning. Went through window and out the back door. 

When we were chatting with the police officer they said they thought the robberies were dying down but now they are having almost 3 break-ins a day, not just Laurelhurst, but also Windermere, Sand Point, Inverness, etc.

So a reminder to us all, turn your alarm on, it seems to help. Also, keep your eyes open for anything that looks unusual or suspicious. If anyone can shed more light on the situation, please pass it along and contact laurelhurstblogger@gmail.com.  

The more we know, the sooner we can maybe put an end to this.  The police did reinforce turning alarms on.

Car Prowlers Stealing Car Registration Then Burglarizing Home

A Laurelhurst resident would like to warn the neighborhood about car prowlers, that break into cars in parking lots and steal the car registration papers, thereby getting the owner's address.


With the car parked  away from the place of residence, the car prowlers then go to the address on the registration they have just stolen and burglarize the house.
 

The resident, told us that a friend of hers was burglarized in this way recentl, breaking into her home after stealing the car registration from her vehicle.

 

The policeman, who responded, told her friend that cars parked at Children's Hospital, Swedish and downtown Nordstroms had all been targeted.
 

The police offer these suggestions for protection against this type of burglary are:

• put the car registration paperwork in less obvious places (e.g., next to the car jack, in the trunk, a back seat pocket). If you are stopped and and the police ask for it, it's fine to tell them that the registration is in the special hiding place and you'll go get it or they can get it themselves.
• if leaving the car registration in the car, black out the home address

For questions and more crime prevention tips contact Terry Johnson, Seattle Police North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator.

 

Day Time Home Break-In On Saturday

A reader sent us email about a burglary on the 3700 block of 48th Avenue NE this past Saturday about 4:30pm. 

The email says:

The homeowners had only gone out for less than a couple hours and when they returned home the intruders were still in their basement. 

They stole jewelry and credit cards. 

The homeowners would like everyone to know that this happened and to be vigilant about not leaving doors or windows unlocked both during the day and at night.

The homeowers actually had their alarm on but the burglars knew which rooms to go into so as not to set the alarm off. 

Forced Break-In On 4500 Of West Laurel Drive NE

A readers sent us email that their house on West Laurel was broken into Friday, June 15th, sometime between 2-5pm.

She writes:

They broke through a glass door in our back yard. Our dog was inside, but that didn’t deter them.  

One of our neighbors saw a white Audi driving erratically on West Laurel at about 2:35pm Friday afternoon. It pulled out into the street in front of our neighbor almost causing an accident.  

She passed this same car twice, the second time approximately five minutes later exiting our alley with the back seat full of stuff, some of which matched the description of a few of our missing items.  

Please be aware if you see anything suspicious. 

 If anyone saw this car or the occupants, please let us know at laurelhurstblogger@gmail.com.

House Robbed During Husky Game As Well As Portables Broken Into At Laurelhurst School

We received this email from a reader:

Our house was robbed Saturday night (the 5th) sometime between 4pm and midnight.

We live in the 5100 block o 48th Avenue NE. They took jewelry and all computers, money.

This is so awful, I hope people are on the look out.  Husky games seem like a good time for robbers.

We also learned that two portables at Laurelhurst Elementary School were broken into that evening as well.