UPDATE: Crime Watch reader report, Admiral home cased

ORIGINAL REPORT FIRST, THEN SEE 9:40 PM UPDATE BELOW
This just out of the WSB inbox:

Just to let you know that I think my house just got “cased.”

While I was upstairs rocking out with my headphones on, my dogs went nuts (which would usually happen in response to the doorbell, but I didn’t hear it). I didn’t go downstairs, but I looked out the front deck from the second floor.

About ten minutes later it happened again. This time I saw a white guy climb into a cream and darker tan colored older Monte Carlo type of vehicle parked in front of my neighbor’s house. It was being driven by another white guy. I think they were both wearing bandana-style headgear.

I went downstairs and found a (pizza) flyer on my “no solicitors” porch and, more disturbingly, discovered that a large plywood board (that keeps my dogs blockaded into the back yard) had been moved and not put back in place. To get to this board, someone would have had to walk clear alongside my house–between my neighbor’s house and mine. If they DID come into the back yard they would have seen the open door to the house proper, and that might have made them skedaddle, realizing that someone likely WAS home.

In any case, be on the lookout.

This happened around 5:50 tonight, around 37th and Admiral.

A reminder that the Southwest Precinct has reiterated repeatedly, if you see or hear anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to call 911. 9:40 PM UPDATE: The original e-mailer just sent an update saying it was a definite casing – read on to see why:

Neighbors saw them. SPD has been informed. By the way, not only did they remove the blockade from the rear of the yard, but one of my dogs escaped through the opening before i noticed. Luckily she arrived back home safely. The guys also knocked over a birdbath stand and didn’t bother to pick it up. Mind you: my car was in the driveway, so the house looked occupied. These guys are ballsy.

Here’s the e-mail from my fabulous neighbors:

“We saw the suspect’s tan car parked across XXX’s driveway and unfortunately we didn’t get the license plate but if we get another opportunity we will.

“We were coming home and they almost hit us going through the intersection of Olga & Belvedere. That got our attention because they were in a big hurry. We saw them in your yard & the one guy that was driving had put a hat on & that looked very suspicious. The car has a broken front windshield. They were walking around the side of your house on Admiral Way and looking in your window and then went to your back door and looked in. One guy was looking through the window and the other was watching out. Now we know they were in your yard uninvited. One good thing is that we drove around the block because we were suspicious and then we both looked at them like what the heck are you doing. We almost asked them if we could help them so they must have felt they better take off after that.

“I am glad you are home because they were definitely up to no good. We will keep an eye out for them.

“Here is a description of the guys, both causasian. The driver of the car is a big guy (6’3” 230 lbs) with a shaved head. Looks like his hair could be lighter. Passenger is tall thin guy with dark very short hair. Both were in car without hats & when they went into your yard that had hats on. Both are in their mid 20’s.”

24 Replies to "UPDATE: Crime Watch reader report, Admiral home cased"

  • CandrewB April 29, 2008 (7:17 pm)

    Did you call the pizza place to see if they had people matching the description doorknobbing flyers?

  • Bill John April 29, 2008 (8:00 pm)

    Yea, if this was around 10ish…talk about police! They were everywhere! Just hate all that bad press about police in Seattle, WE ARE SOOO DARN LUCKY! Glad they got raises! GO COPS!

  • RobertSeattle April 29, 2008 (8:27 pm)

    We live in the vicinity and on Friday my wife was home and the same sounding guys went around putting up pizza flers for I believe Garlic Jims. If they are legit, Garlic Jim’s picks some pretty creepy guys to hand out flyers…

  • ryan April 29, 2008 (9:43 pm)

    We (Garlic Jim’s) do put out flyers on doorknobs and use two different means to have those distributed. Generally most fliers are distributed by a few non-profit groups that are trying to earn some extra cash for their organizations. At other times we use a professional service. If ever anyone suspects anything weird going on please feel free to contact me directly at the store (206) 937-5467 so that I can take care of it. Thanks!

    -Ryan
    Owner

  • Amy April 29, 2008 (9:53 pm)

    Why would people putting pizza flyers on door knobs bother to walk around the side of your house? When FedEx or UPS drops packages off at my front door, they are driving off in their trucks before I can even get the door open to get the package. There’s no need for advertisers to walk around outside of your house. I live very close to you and thank you for the heads up.

  • joglin April 29, 2008 (9:59 pm)

    On Sunday morning around 10am a group of 4 young men were walking around the 5400 block of 29th on the south end of the golf course. Two of the men (early 20’s wearing all black low rise baggy jeans and black t-shirts) stood conspicuously at the top of hill for about 10 mins at 29th and Findlay. My husband and I observed while tinkering around our car. When they past by 4 men ended up walking down the hill together 9 (all wearing the same style black top, black coat and black pants) and when they passed us they said they were looking for a computer cable for their lap top. Just a heads up for everyone to look out for your neighbors and yourselves. Robberies seem to be more frequent lately.

  • Jeffro April 29, 2008 (10:11 pm)

    One thing about those flyers that I was perturbed by was that I got about four of them over the course of two days. This was a couple of weeks ago and I maybe got two more since then. I’m guessing they’re paid by the flyer. (love the pizza, by the way)

  • Joe April 29, 2008 (10:12 pm)

    if indeed Garlic Jim’s does endorse door to door distribution, please ask your distribution sources to respect no solicitation signs.

  • LyndaB April 29, 2008 (10:26 pm)

    i’m a little bit disturbed about them using a local business in their acts of crime. any chance ryan (garlic jim’s owner) can give us looksy at what their ads officially look like? i think we got one with the doorhanger.

  • Jaime Gummer April 29, 2008 (11:00 pm)

    You can coax fingerprints off of paper pretty easily by using a mist of heated iodine. C.S.I. West Seattle!

  • WSB April 29, 2008 (11:08 pm)

    One word of caution I would like to inject here. If you read the reader report carefully, it doesn’t seem for certain that the flyer which appeared on the reader’s doorstep was definitely placed by the apparent casers – so let’s not assume anyone is “using a local business in acts of crime.” Might be, might not be. We will check with the Southwest Precinct in the morning to see what they might know about any other incidents involving folks fitting this description.

  • WS Biz Owner April 30, 2008 (6:27 am)

    Garlic Jim — please discontinue your door to door distribution — this is wasteful and as a WS homeowner (Admiral) and business owner (Junction), not wanted. I am tired of your distributors leaving them at my home and at my office door (I have gotten three there). They are also very sleezy looking people that I dont want around my business or my home. Consider Eco-Friendly means of advertizing.

  • Gina April 30, 2008 (7:41 am)

    The people hanging the Garlic Jim’s flyers were around last Friday. They were hanging flyers on front doors, back doors, gates, broadcasting them into bushes in the Admiral Junction area. They are still hanging on a few of the houses in the neighborhood that I know are unoccupied/door is never used.

    Anyone in the area get “fresh” hangings yesterday? Would have been easy for non-legit people to harvest handfuls of the discarded hangings from the piles left on front steps of apartment buildings.

  • Holly April 30, 2008 (8:21 am)

    I was in my house around this time and saw a white male matching the description putting a flyer on my door. My dog went crazy and luckily I had a friend over, so I opened the door right as he was leaving and just stood on my porch watching him (something I would never had done if I were alone). He looked as if he didn’t know what to do and did not put anymore flyers on my neighbors doors.

  • Holly April 30, 2008 (8:24 am)

    Opps…I did not read the date correctly, my guy came over Sunday.

  • Jaime Gummer April 30, 2008 (9:03 am)

    Garlic Jim’s: Please also discontinue your use of delivery drivers with super-loud mufflers that go booming up and down California and Oregon at all hours making life hellish for the folks who have to live (and sleep) in the neighborhoods where you do business. What does it say for your business when your employees routinely create a public nuisance?!

  • baba nulu April 30, 2008 (10:01 am)

    Baba says, “PREVENT CRIME!” Just leave your door open.

  • s April 30, 2008 (10:39 am)

    i have a problem with the flyers also. i have received at least 3 in the past week. it is wasteful to put out so many advertisements.

    also, if a “caser” were to put a flyer on your door, a couple of hours later they could drive back by and see if the flyer were still there. if it is, they might take that as a sign that no one had come home recently…and therefore your house instantly becomes a target.

  • Michael April 30, 2008 (1:16 pm)

    I too do not like advertising. Advertising is bad. And now it causes crime.
    .
    This is all a little simplistic, and how it degenerated into a discussion of hating door hangers (proven to be effective, BTW, in marketing circles) and even noisy delivery cars is kind of funny.

  • toomanyratsinacageakaWS April 30, 2008 (2:25 pm)

    Welcome to WS.. Keep the noise down, don’t be an a_hole, and no bs.

  • Chris April 30, 2008 (4:54 pm)

    Some people really need to get a life…….

  • Joe April 30, 2008 (5:00 pm)

    I am sorry if I started what became a “rant” on Garlic Jim’s. My intent was not to bash them, they are a business trying different ways to market themselves in this tough economy. My intend was merely to request that in your interview process for door-hangers, you adopt a standard operating procedure that no house shall be approached with a no solicitation sign on it. That way, as concerned neighbors we can more easily identify unusual behavior to the police.

    The initial thread was for us to prevent crime in the neighborhood. Those of you upset about other business practices (delivering flyers, eco friendly, loud mufflers), might consider a different forum or thread to deliver that message.

    PS..Ryan, we love your pizza. Welcome to West Seattle.

  • WSB April 30, 2008 (5:23 pm)

    FYI, as promised, we followed up with the precinct. No new leads in the original concern here and also nothing concrete tying flyer distribution to casings, although as we report in the new update:
    https://wsb.blackfin.biz/blog/?p=7211

    the “suspicious doorknock” military claim from last week and also one case of an alleged candy salesperson are both suspected casers.

  • Tara May 11, 2008 (4:47 pm)

    I was leaving my house with my toddler the other day and the Garlic Jims guy that was leaving a flyer as I was leaving my porch – scared my kid and she started to cry.

    I also have a no soliciting sign, but when an unkept person jumps past me on my own porch to put up a sign about pizza and scares my kid in the process…I prefer not to get anymore door signs from Garlic Jims. We already know they are in the neighborhood and if I want to order a pizza I can go online to get the number and or place an order. I think if you are going to do door hangers, once every quarter is enough, not every week. Thanks!

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