Car Prowls Around Elementary school

Several neighbors living around Laurelhurst Elementary School reported car prowls last week.

One happened on Thursday, January 21, on the west side of the school around 4am.  The car was locked and there was no attempt at breaking in to the car. 

Another neighbor reported one on Tuesday, January 26 at 3:45am in the same general area. The neighbor said: 

I just want to give our neighbors heads up that our car was either unlocked by someone or we left it unlocked (again). We have cameras so we have the individual on camera and can see his face. We only have kids things in the car so I don't think he actually took anything. Lock your doors!. Oh I wasn’t aware of the blog - thanks for sending. We live across from the elementary school.

Other reported car prowls:

• week of 1/18: 2 cars on NE 42nd Street,
• 1/24 4700 block of 46th Avenue NE
• 1/25 auto theft 4700 block of 46th Avenue NE

The SPD website says about car thefts:

You are more likely to be a victim of a vehicle crime than any other crime reported to the Seattle Police Department. An experienced Car Prowler or Thief can gain access to your car in virtually seconds. 

In less than 30 seconds, someone could break into a parked car. Most car prowls themselves take less than two minutes. The damage done to locks and windows can be very expensive to repair and cause great inconvenience.  a car prowl can take less than a minute and can cause thousands of dollars in damage.

Here are SPD's car prowl prevention tips:  

• Don't leave any items in plain view in your vehicle. Even in a secure garage.
• Take all valuables with you when you park.
• Remove or hide anything that a car prowler might mistake as something worth stealing.
• If valuables must be left behind, hide them out of sight several blocks away before parking.
• Disable internal trunk releases per your owner's instruction manual.
• Audible alarms or other theft deterrent devices can be effective.
• When you exit or enter your parked vehicle, stop and take a look around the area.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• Make a habit of locking your garage door and car doors.
• If possible, store your car in a closed and locked garage.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park on the street, choose a well-lit, open space even if it means adding additional street/yard lighting & trimming back trees/bushes that block your view of your vehicle.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Consider replacing the light fixture closest to your car with a motion detector unit. Motion detectors are a good psychological deterrents since the normal assumption of a person seeing a light come on is that someone has seen them. Additionally, the light makes the prowler or thief more visible.

SPD says that if your car is broken into file a report by calling the non-emergency number at 206-625-5011, or file one online.

Another Car Break-In On Surber Drive

The Laurelhurst Blog re

On Saturday, May 25th, around 2am, our car alarm woke us. I went outside to find the driver's side windows smashed and the trunk opened. There was nothing valuable in the car so nothing was taken, but the thief didn't know that before breaking the windows.  

Our car was parked at the intersection of Belvoir and Surber when this happened. No way to know if the perpetrator is the same person as the intruder from May 22nd, but I'm suspicious.

It was also reported that another neighbor on the 3800 block of 44tth Avenue NE had two car windows broken on Memorial Day evening.

Recent Car Prowls

A neighbor reported an attempted car prowl this morning about 5am. 

The neighbor told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff that their Ring Motion Light caught the man in the above photo checking the doors of their car which was parked on 46th Avenue NE at NE 39th Street. The car was locked so nothing was taken. Here is the Ring video.

Another car just a block away was reportedly broken into, as well today. The car was parked in a locked and detached garage. Several miscellaneous items were taken, including some cash.

Here are SPD's car prowl prevention tips:  

• Don't leave any items in plain view in your vehicle. Even in a secure garage.
• Take all valuables with you when you park.
• Remove or hide anything that a car prowler might mistake as something worth stealing.
• If valuables must be left behind, hide them out of sight several blocks away before parking.
• Disable internal trunk releases per your owner's instruction manual.
• Audible alarms or other theft deterrent devices can be effective.
• When you exit or enter your parked vehicle, stop and take a look around the area.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• Make a habit of locking your garage door and car doors.
• If possible, store your car in a closed and locked garage.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park on the street, choose a well-lit, open space even if it means adding additional street/yard lighting & trimming back trees/bushes that block your view of your vehicle.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Consider replacing the light fixture closest to your car with a motion detector unit. Motion detectors are a good psychological deterrents since the normal assumption of a person seeing a light come on is that someone has seen them. Additionally, the light makes the prowler or thief more visible.

SPD says that if your car is broken into, file a report by calling the non-emergency number at 206-625-5011or online.

More Car Prowls Reported And SPD Prevention Tips

More car prowls have been reported.  

A car prowl was reported the week of April 4th on 38th Avenue NE, right off of NE Surber Drive.  A neighbor said it was the fifth time her car was broken into and some sort of special took was used to get into the car.  The prowlers trashed the inside of the car but didn't find anything of value.

Another car prowl was reported in the same area. The prowler sat inside the car for about five minutes and rifled around inside and left a door open, without taking anything.

On the week-end of April 28th, a locked car was broken into, by smashing the front passenger window  at the Laurelhurst Community Center, during the day. Nothing was stolen. 

Seattle Police offers these simple ways to lower the chance of having your car broken into:

• Remove all your valuables.
• Put your gym bag in the trunk. A bad guy just sees a bag to steal.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Finally, if you find yourself the victim of a car prowl either call police or report it online.   Without a report we can't track crime and direct patrols into the area to stop emerging crime trends.

If your car is broken into:

• File a report by calling the non-emergency number at 206-625-5011, or file one online at: www.seattle.gov/police/report/default.htm
• When filing a report on-line or over the phone you do not need to remain at the scene.  If you choose to call the non-emergency line, simply ask to report a crime and, if it meets the criteria, the call-taker will forward you to an officer who will take your report over the phone.  The officer will still provide you with a case number.
• If the crime is still in progress or it is an emergency situation, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Go here for more information.

Car Prowl On 3800 Block OF 46th Avenue NE

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

One of our cars parked outside our home on the 3800 block of 46th Ave NE was rifled through at some point from the night of Friday March 9th (after 5:50pm) to Sunday March 11th (at 1:30pm).  

The prowler(s) took coins (quarters to the value of about $5.00) and 2 fruit bars. The contents of our dashboard, glove compartment, console (between the driver and front passenger seats), and compartments on both the front car doors were left strewn across the front seats of the car.  

No windows were broken and there is no evidence of forced entry or of an attempt to steal the car itself.  The car was locked at the time of the prowl. After the prowl, the car was left unlocked.

Car Prowls West Of Park

Several cars prowls were reported in the neighborhood early Monday morning, in the 4400 block of NE 41st Street near Laurelhurst Park and another in the vicinity of West Laurelhurst Drive. 

A neighbor told the Laurelhurst Blog:

Both of our cars were rifled through prior to 5:30am on Monday on NE 41st Street. They didn’t get much - pocket knives, hat, spare change, sunglasses.  

They did take my neighbors car and it was all the same night of the Ravenna/Bryant jacking which ended up in a death.

It has been reported that the stolen car was recovered downtown.

Car Break-In Last Night

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information

I just had my car broken into near NE 45th Street, on the corner of 48th Avenue NE and NE 41st Street.  It happened last night between 10pm and 4:45am this morning.  

Absolutely nothing was visible and nothing valuable was in sight, which is so frustrating.  They were just opportunistic robbers. Some checks, a bit of cash and some miscellaneous items were taken from the car.

It is unsettling.  Glad no one was hurt. Please remind residents to lock their cars.

.

Car Break-In Near Surber And Owner Searching For Missing Black Backpack

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

Our car was broken into on June 25.  It was parked in our driveway on the 3700 block of 41st Avenue NE near Surber Drive.  

A prescription was taken. Someone was nice enough to put the prescription bottle on our front porch.

What we are looking for now is a black backpack with a navy blue casual jacket in it.  

Other items were found along Surber, Drive, west of 41 Avenue NE

Please contactlaurelhurstblogger@gmail.com if you have information.  

Car Break In South Of Park

A neighbor reported that a car on the 3800 block of 46th Avenue NE was broken into while parked off-street in the resident's driveway on late Sunday evening, February 26th. 

Taken from the car was a bag of invaluable items. 

The incident was reported to the Laurelhurst Private Security patrol but no response was received.  Neighbors remind everyone to be aware and be safe.

The Laurelhurst Community Club said that the off-duty police officers don’t respond to emails from neighbors other than to follow up when an out-of-town request is sought.  They do respond to any 911 call they hear on their police radios and report anything suspicious when they do their house checks. Neighbors should crimeprevention@laurelhurstcc.com.

Seattle Police Department Car Prowl Tips

The Laurelhurst Blog regularly received reports of car break-ins and car prowls and reports them on the Blog.

Seattle Police Department reported that to date there have been almost 3000 car prowls in Seattle this year, which is up by more than 500 from last year.   

Seattle Police offers these simple ways to lower the chance of having your car broken into:

• Remove all your valuables.
• Put your gym bag in the trunk. A bad guy just sees a bag to steal.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Finally, if you find yourself the victim of a car prowl either call police or report it online.   Without a report we can't track crime and direct patrols into the area to stop emerging crime trends.
  

Videos Of Car Prowlers In Separate Incidents

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information of two separate incidents in the neighborhood:

Here is a recent video of a car prowler on the 4800 block of NE 43rd Street.  The man enters into the video twice at the beginning and is in our car about 7 minutes before getting out at the nine minute mark on the video.   He then used the cars garage door opener to open the garage door, which set off the house alarm, scaring him off. He ends up fleeing as our garage door opened and startled him, apparently.  It is really hard to clearly get a good picture of the individual.  Make sure to watch it till the end where he runs away.  

Here is a video of a car break in front of my house  on the 4100 block of Surber Drive this summer. Perhaps someone will recognize this young person.  All the items taken from the car were tossed into a neighbor’s yard and recovered.  He did not enter the garage since the house alarm was sounding.  He knew my camera was on and thought he was out of range when he walks over to the car.  Be patient as it takes a minute for the prowler to appear on screen.  The car was unlocked. Thankfully the alarm horn was directly above the car and sent him running when it went off.

Many Car Prowls Reported Last Week

The Laurelhurst Blog received information of multiple car prowls on October 15 and 17, many in the same area of the neighborhood.

Here is information from neighbors:

On 10/15, a car on NE 44th Street was broken into. The prowlers smashed the driver's side window and grabbed many items. It seems this area is a frequent location for ProRobics gym members to park.

On 10/15 around 6:30am, we awoke to our car alarm going off in the 4300 block of 54th Avenue NE.  The prowlers smashed the back passenger-side window but didn't get anything though. An SUV drove off quickly  northbound when we looked out. We called the Police who  took a report. Security patrol did not respond. Obviously storing stuff in cars is not ideal. And alarmed and locked cars aren't enough security. We are installing security cameras at our home and facing the street.  If anyone has security camera pics of an SUV driving north of our house on 54th Ave NE at 6:40am, please  notify  North Precinct Patrol, Officer Jason Anderson (8329), 206-684-0850, Incident# 16-373406.

On 10/15 on the 4700 block of 48th Avenue NE about 5 cars were prowled on my block and around the corner were broken into at night. The door of my car was open when I went out in the morning.  Everything had been rifled through. The thieves may have been startled as they left a Bluetooth speaker behind and many iPhone/iPod cords. I have reported this information to the police.  I'm assuming I forgot to lock my car since it doesn't appear to have been broken into.  Seems any time I forget to lock my car it gets rifled through. It has happened at least 5 times since we moved here 6 years ago. 

Our car was broken into on 10/15 on the 4700 block of 48th Avenue NE, and all the contents were all over the car. They left behind a cigarette lighter, as someone also commented was left in their car.  

On 10/17, my car was prowled on NE 42nd Street near Laurelhurst Park.  The glove box, center console and all compartments were rifled through and they took my sunglasses.  We intentionally leave nothing of significant value in the car.  I may have forgotten to lock our car . Lock your doors daily and don't leave valuables in your car. 

My car was rifled on 10/17 on NE 43rd just east of Laurelhurst Park. Nothing was taken, but left a mess in the car.  We don't leave anything of value, especially garage openers, as we have been hit before.   

My car was prowled last night, 10/17 . I always lock the door and never leave valuables. They didn't take anything.  

We live on NE 54th and 48th Avenue NE and on 10/17 someone also went through our glove compartment and left our things all over our seats. It doesn't appear as if anything was taken.  

Our car was broken into sometime during the night of October 17th on the 4200 block of 50th Avenue NE. The doors were absolutely locked and it was parked under a street light in front of our house.  We did not hear any alarm.  There was nothing of any value in our car and I don’t think anything was taken although all the compartments were rifled through. We reported the incident to the police.

Have You Seen A Tennis Racquet Bag Stolen From A Car?

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

My car, parked on the 3000 block of East Laurelhurst Drive near Webster Point, was rifled through on Tuesday night.   

My blue, green and white thin-striped tennis bag, shaped like a tennis racquet, with two tennis racquets in it and a knee brace was stolen.  

I think it’s likely they just dumped the bag somewhere after looking through it. It’ll cost me about $450 to replace both racquets.

I also learned that a friend's tennis bag on the 4300 block of NE 33rd Street,  was also stolen from in front of her house as well on Tuesday night.  Her left  knee brace, which was in her bag, was not taken.   

Yesterday, a neighbor found my friend's tennis bag and her racquet yesterday in front of her garage, along with a black backpack that was left, which contains a sunglass case and checks.  

Also yesterday evening, when I got home, my elbow brace was sitting on top of our front wall.  Perhaps the thieves rifled through my tennis bag and then brought it back.  

It seems we definitely have a local thief here — maybe some teens in the neighborhood?

  

Multiple Car Break-Ins On/Near Boulevard (43rd Avenue NE), Resident Gets License Plate Number, Also SPD Tips

The Laurelhurst Blog has received numerous reports of car break-ins and car prowls recently, especially in the vicinity of the Boulevard, 43rd Avenue NE.

Last night, a resident on the Boulevard, caught two males in the act of breaking into a car and reported this information to the Laurelhurst Blog, which includes a license plate number:

I live on NE 44th Street and 43rd Avenue NE.  Last night, after midnight, I was getting back from work and as I was getting out of my car I saw 2 Caucasian males in their late teens/early 20s smoking cigarettes and walking down my street.  They turned and walked down an alley.   

About 15 minutes later, about 12:30am, I saw one of them shining his IPhone up to car windows on my street and he opened the door to one of them and rummaged through the glove compartment.   

I walked out into my front yard and shouted "what are you doing??"  The guy ignored me and continued to walk to the end of my street which is a dead end.  His car was parked there.   

He got in a silver Toyota 4 door sedan--license plate was AXS1889 or AXS1887...WA state plates.   

I called the police as he drove right past me.  About 2 minutes later, the second person emerged from the alley as the silver Toyota came back to pick him up.  

He was wearing a backpack (probably to put all of the stolen items in). The car then sped off.   

I had called the police and they were here within 10-15 minutes.  They noticed another vehicle had also been broken into on 43rd Avenue NE.  

If anyone sees this silver Toyota around the neighborhood please alert the police.  If you see people walking around our neighborhood at weird hours of the night they may not have the best of intentions. Stay on the lookout.

 

A nearby neighbor to the person who reported the above incident, said that also last night around 1am, he was woken up by the Seattle Police.

He said:

The Police were called by a neighbor who saw 2 guys checking cars on the Boulevard and  NE 42nd Street for unlocked doors with cell phone flash light. He confronted one guy and they sped off.  

The police noticed one of our car doors open and knocked on our door. We stupidly left a car unlocked again. Glove box contents, center console and so forth chucked all over the place, but otherwise no damage.

 

The Laurelhurst Blog reported this car break-in last week on April 22nd, at 43rd Avenue NE and NE 43rd Street.  

The following day another resident reported a car break-in saying: 

After reading the entry on the car prowl in the Laurelhurst Blog, I double checked my wife's car, parked on NE 44th Street.  

It was also rifled through. The glove box and a storage compartment had been emptied onto the seat, though I didn't find anything missing. Even a small bag of change and GPS unit were not removed.

I also noticed a blue glove left on the floor, presumably used so that prints would not be left. 

Anyways, it's somewhat disconcerting, and clearly the thief tried cars on several streets.

And again on April 22nd, a resident in the same area, reported another car-prowl to the Laurelhurst Blog:

We live on the 3800 block of 44th Avenue NE and my husband's locked car was broken into and change was taken.  I also heard of other car break ins last Wednesday night/Thursday morning.   

I'm curious about the neighborhood Security Patrol that we pay for and how it plans to help curtain what seems to be an increasing incidence of these events.

The SPD website says:

You are more likely to be a victim of a vehicle crime than any other crime reported to the Seattle Police Department. An experienced Car Prowler or Thief can gain access to your car in virtually seconds. 

In less than 30 seconds, someone could break into a parked car. Most car prowls themselves take less than two minutes. The damage done to locks and windows can be very expensive to repair and cause great inconvenience.  a car prowl can take less than a minute and can cause thousands of dollars in damage.

Here are SPD's car prowl prevention tips:  

• Don't leave any items in plain view in your vehicle. Even in a secure garage.
• Take all valuables with you when you park.
• Remove or hide anything that a car prowler might mistake as something worth stealing.
• If valuables must be left behind, hide them out of sight several blocks away before parking.
• Disable internal trunk releases per your owner's instruction manual.
• Audible alarms or other theft deterrent devices can be effective.
• When you exit or enter your parked vehicle, stop and take a look around the area.
• Before leaving your parked car, always remove the keys, roll up the windows and lock the car.
• Make a habit of locking your garage door and car doors.
• If possible, store your car in a closed and locked garage.
• If your car is stored in a carport or parked near your house, leave your exterior lights on throughout the night.
• If you park on the street, choose a well-lit, open space even if it means adding additional street/yard lighting & trimming back trees/bushes that block your view of your vehicle.
• If you park your car in a dark or isolated area, consider the City Light Area Lighting Program, which permits additional light fixtures to be placed on existing poles. The cost is less than $5 per month per light. Call (206) 684-3000 for more information.
• Consider replacing the light fixture closest to your car with a motion detector unit. Motion detectors are a good psychological deterrents since the normal assumption of a person seeing a light come on is that someone has seen them. Additionally, the light makes the prowler or thief more visible.

SPD says that if your car is broken into file a report by calling the non-emergency number at 206-625-5011, or file one online.
 

 

Truck Cover Ripped Off Of Old Truck During Night Near Laurelhurst Elementary School

The Laurelhurst Blog Staff received this information:

We live on the 4700 block of 46th Avenue NE near Laurelhurst Elementary School.  

Sometime late on the night/early morning of April 8th, the truck cover of our El Camino was ripped off and taken. The cover was literally ripped off all the snaps. At first I thought it had been cut off, but closer inspection revealed it had been ripped. We have not found the cover. 

We suspect "they" thought they would find  something in the truck bed, but it was empty. Fortunately no other damage happened.  

We filed a police report.

 

Multiple Car Break ins On Same Evening

The Laurelhurst Blog received these emails about 2 car break-ins both on December 17th:
 

Thursday evening, December 17, my locked car was broken into on the 3500 block of West Laurelhurst Drive.  Nothing was stolen and there wasn’t anything inside worth stealing.

 
 

On the evening of December 17th, two cars were broken into across from my house on the 3500 block of 46th Avenue NE.  Both cars had front passenger windows smashed. One car had a gift taken and the other car had batteries taken. The glove boxes and center panel boxes were rifled through.

Vehicle Window Smased On NE 38th Street

The Laurelhurst Blog Staff received this email about a recent car prowl:

I live on the 4300 block of NE 38th Street and on Tuesday night, December 15, my Toyota Tacoma had the window smashed while parked outside our house.   

Nothing of value was missing.  It's just a big mess. I wanted to report this car prowl so that others on our block can be forewarned

 

Car Break-In On 55th Avenue NE

The Laurelhurst Blog Staff received this email:

On Tuesday, December 1st, my car was broken into on the 4400 block of 55th Avenue NE.

Unfortunately, for us, the car was left unlocked in literally the only time we have not locked it. My husband had unloaded Costco groceries for me, and he thought he'd seen me locking up.  So neither of us locked up.  

Eerie as it leads me to believe people are sweeping nightly for unlocked doors. Couldn't just be dumb luck.  

A new pair of $150 sunglasses, old lip glosses and chap stick were taken. Luckily they missed the nice pair of skis and boots that were in the back.   

I reported the incident to the Laurelhurst Private Security Patrol, as we subscribe to that and pay our dues.  I did not file a police report as minimal was taken. 

Car Broken Into Off Of Surber Drive

The Laurelhurst Blog received this email:

We live on NE 38th Street right off of NE Surber Drive. We returned home on Tuesday of this week, after being gone several days, to find that someone had broken into my husband's car using what looks like a screwdriver. They took my husbands medications and nothing else.

 

Car Prowl On 5000 Block Of 47th Avenue NE

The Laurelhurst Blog received this email:

Someone broke into my car recently on the 5000 block of 47th Avenue NE.  

Things were thrown all over from my glove box and middle console.