By Cassandra Baker

6:58 p.m., April 7. 70th block of 23rd Ave NW

A woman called police after her home was burglarized while she was out of town. She told the responding officer that she returned to the house to find that the back door had been forced open. Her neighbors believed the burglary had occurred around midnight because many neighborhood dogs had begun barking at that time.

The burglar stole about $300 worth of rare silver coins from the early 1900s, over $200 in cash, about $50 worth of loose change, and two laptops. The officer found three fingerprints on the change jar.

Neighbors reported seeing a suspicious-looking male in the area earlier in the week. The male was described as white, 6’0” with a prominent stomach, and transient-looking.

7:58 a.m., April 6. 28th block of NW 68th St

A burglar left police several clues after stepping in dog poop and then tracking it through a Ballard residence. The suspect pried open the back door, then went upstairs and ransacked the bedroom, stealing jewelry, electronics, and cash. Items taken included: a wedding ring, a tablet, an iTouch, a camera, and a jewelry box with jewelry. The burglar also stole Thomas the Tank Engine pillowcases, apparently to store his haul. In exchange, the burglar left behind several foul footprints throughout the house.

12:57 a.m., April 5. 53rd block of 24th Ave NW

A Ballard shipyard was burglarized in the middle of the night on April 5. The complainant believed that the unknown suspect had known the key code to access the shipyard in the past because it took several tries for him to get the correct code. Once the burglar gained entry to the shipyard, he broke a window in the office building and stole the candy dispenser.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect entering the property. The suspect was wearing a light green and blue jacket with three white stripes on the sleeves, dark pants, and white tennis shoes. He was also caught smoking on camera. The candy dispenser was later found, with three quarters inside, in an old parking lot near the shipyard.

8:44 p.m., April 2. 87th block of Greenwood Ave N

A belligerent shoplifter stole more than $200 worth of alcohol from the Greenwood Safeway on April 2. While headed to the store, police received word that the suspect was at the 100 block of NW 85th St. Police arrived at that location, and the victim, a Safeway employee, indicated the suspect and said that he had stolen several bottles of liquor from Safeway. Officers arrested and handcuffed the suspect.

The male suspect was identified, and he appeared entirely incoherent. He did tell police that the bottles of alcohol were in his backpack, but when he was read his rights, he said that he did not understand them.

The victim said that the suspect entered the store at around 8:35 p.m., went to the liquor aisle, and put several bottles into his backpack. He then left the store without paying. The victim said that he confronted the suspect about his shoplifting, and the suspect began yelling, “I own this store! I’ll kill all you guys!” The victim said that the suspect continued yelling threats, then pushed the victim out of the way to exit the store.

The victim said that he followed the suspect and told him to return the alcohol. At that point the suspect put his hand under his jacket near his waistline and said, “If you come near me, I’ll kill you.” The victim feared that the suspect had a gun, so he followed the suspect at a distance and called 911.

Police searched the suspect’s backpack and found 14 bottles of liquor, with a combined value of $208.07. The suspect was booked into King County Jail on robbery charges. The incident was caught on surveillance video.

2:10 a.m., April 2. 70th block of Greenwood Ave N

An alarm company called police in the middle of the night on April 2 to report that there was someone inside a construction site in Greenwood. Surveillance footage showed a male subject wearing a dark hoodie, white T-shirt, shorts, and a backpack. Officers responded to the scene and saw a man matching that description jump over the fence and begin walking toward Greenwood Ave. The responding officers identified themselves to the man, at which point he muttered something and ran away.

Officers chased after the suspect but lost sight of him at the 5th block of N 72nd St. A K9 unit responded and located the suspect’s backpack in a backyard in the area. Several individuals also called during the search to report that a man matching the suspect’s description was running through their yards. The K9 unit lost the suspect’s scent at N 78th St.

Police found a medical form in the backpack and were able to use it to identify the suspect. The suspect was already in the system and has two misdemeanor warrants and an anti-harassment order. The suspect’s backpack also contained numerous anti-government flyers.

The owner of the construction site responded to the scene and said that it was unclear whether anything had been taken. He said that his construction sites had been sabotaged by environmentalist groups in the past.

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