Around 6:30 Tuesday night, a woman became concerned when a man who had been driving aggressively and erratically followed her up the hill at Highland Park Way and deliberately hit her car with his several times. She pulled to the side of the road, thinking he wanted to exchange insurance information. Instead, he walked toward her vehicle, screaming. She was able to dial 911 on her cell phone, but before she could speak to the operator, the man grabbed the phone and hit her in the jaw. Though stunned, the victim followed him until she could get his license plate. Officers went to the man's home and encountered a dangerous situation when he refused their repeated commands to come outside. Through a window they could see that he was agitated and pacing. But when he went to the rear of the home they were concerned he was arming himself and decided to make entry to end the escalating situation. When the man was in custody, officers found a loaded black semi-automatic handgun on the kitchen counter in the rear of the home. The 40-year-old was booked into King County Jail for investigation of robbery.

Officers arrived to check on a 79-year-old woman who said someone was breaking into her home. They found no one but were quite concerned for the woman and her three dogs and four cats. (She also had a pigeon with a broken wing in a small cage.) A pot on the stove contained the remains of a meal and was covered in black mold. Officers found no edible food in the home, which reeked of cat feces. There was no bed in the bedroom, which was being used for storage of "junk." One emaciated cat had a horrible ear infection. Medics were called to examine a large sore on the woman's hand. She said she received it while breaking up a fight between her dogs. The officers urged that she be evaluated by mental health and elder-care professionals, and that her family be consulted as to her future living arrangements.

A man came home from a doctor's appointment and found that his house had been ransacked. Missing were a 12-gauge shotgun and a .22-caliber rifle.

In the 6700 block of 18th SW, a woman found mail scattered on her front lawn. She then saw a teen open a neighbor's mailbox. He ran off when he saw he was being watched. Other mail thefts were reported in the 5900 block of 44th and 5600 SW Teig.

On Monday the 12th, a robber passed a note to a teller at a bank in the 2300 block of California Ave. The suspect fled after being handed money containing dye packs, which exploded a short time later. Citizens found the money, covered in red dye, and returned it to the bank. The suspect remains at large. The goateed suspect is a black male, 35-40, about 5'8." He wore a blue baseball cap and a blue coat.

A local man called police for assistance after his wife disappeared with their two children, possibly having fled to Mexico. He has been able to contact her only once, and at that time she said she wanted to "hurt herself" and that she didn't want to care for the children any longer. She refused, however, to tell him their location.

Outboard motors were stolen from two boats parked in residential areas.

Burglaries by block: 7500 24th, 100 S. Donovan, 4400 50th, 5600 Delridge, 3300 49th, 3700 SW Oregon, 9000 21st, 2300 SW Myrtle, 6700 Murray Ave., 8800 Delridge, 4800 21st.

Nineteen car prowls and eleven domestic violence incidents were reported in greater West Seattle last week.