A woman knew her neighbor wasn't home on Thursday evening, so when she saw a stranger exiting his house in the 6000 block of 26th SW, she asked what he was doing. He claimed to be visiting a friend, but was carrying a full bag (which turned out to be a sofa cushion stuffed with goodies) under his arm. He ran off, as did an accomplice, as the neighbor called 911. Officers arrived and immediately smelled the strong odor of marijuana in the home. The victim, a renter, admitted that he had a small “grow operation” in the basement. So in addition to what the burglars stole, the victim was out 26 marijuana plants, ballasts, and grow lights. He was interviewed and released from the precinct. The burglars remain at large. They are described as black males of East African descent in their late teens. One wore a distinctive pair of dark blue pants that were covered in multicolored pockets.

After responding to a sweepstakes offer, a local family appears to have been targeted by scammers. They have been “swamped” with mails and phone calls—some of them threatening—demanding that money be sent to Jamaica so that the family can claim their “prizes.”

Early Tuesday, a man with admitted alcohol problems went to his girlfriend's apartment on SW Bonair, caused a loud disturbance, fought with a neighbor who asked him to calm down, and then drove off at a high rate of speed. He was found later following a DUI accident in the 3700 block of SW Hanford.

Ironic: Surveillance video shows a young man wearing a light brown camouflage coat stealing security cameras from an apartment in the 5600 block of California Ave. SW.

On Wednesday, a resident of 36th SW looked out her window and saw a black and white landscaping truck hit her parked vehicle. The suspect drove off without leaving any information. Estimated damages: $4,000.

When a man yelled at some people to get off some riding mowers parked in a fenced area at West Seattle Stadium, he ended up being punched and kicked to the ground by another man who was upset that his kids were being yelled at. (The victim didn't know that the people on the mowers were children.) The suspect is a white male, aged 30-49, who drove off in a white BMW. Officers went to the home associated with the vehicle but neither it nor the suspect were there.

Responding to a call about suspected car prowls in the Morgan Thriftway parking lot Thursday afternoon, officers ended up arresting a 38-year-old who was carrying marijuana packaged for sale and 7.6 grams of rock cocaine with a street value of $700. He was also carrying three fixed blade knives.

Her husband demanded money for marijuana; the wife refused. He shoved her to the bed and strangled her with one hand. She was able to escape and run barefoot to their pastor's house. Officers noted the red marks around her neck and found the husband at their residence. His new temporary residence is the King County Jail, where he was booked for investigation of aggravated domestic violence assault.

Burglaries/break-ins/car prowls by block: 6000 26th SW, 6500 35th SW, 3500 SW Kenyon, 4700 Fauntleroy Way SW, 5000 California Ave. SW, 4700 38th SW, SW Andover @ Avalon, 1400 S. Donovan, 8600 14th S, 8400 16th SW, 7900 12th SW, 14th S. @ S. Cloverdale, 7700 13th SW, 8600 25th SW, 7700 12th SW