Last Monday around 6 a.m. a Southwest Precinct officer was routinely patrolling the 2900 block of s.w. Avalon Way when he saw two males carrying bundles of copper pipe near a storage business. He doubled back and one of the suspects took off on foot. The other man stayed put and when questioned, told the officer he was waiting for someone to help him move (although he couldn’t provide the name of the person coming to help). Another officer arrived on the scene and they found several more bundles of copper piping, bound with royal blue electrical tape, and a grocery cart with a bag containing gloves and a hacksaw. A third officer searched for the suspect who fled and found him a few blocks away near Harbor Ave and Spokane St. “sweating and out of breath as though he had been running.” Officers recognized the sweating suspect as someone who has been arrested for copper theft in the past. Both men were placed under arrest and taken to the precinct. While collecting property from the suspects, police found the same royal blue electrical tape used to bundle the pipes. Police believe the copper was stolen from a nearby construction business.

During breakfast at a psychiatric hospital in West Seattle last Tuesday an employee serving patients food and recording whether they had eaten or not was punched in the left eye by a patient who wanted more food than was allowed. The suspect became agitated when he was denied additional helpings, swung around without warning and punched the male victim. The suspect was placed in seclusion and told hospital staff he was tired of the victim, “following him to his house and standing over him watching him sleep.” The victim was diagnosed with a serious concussion along with a strained back and abrasions to his eye and told to take ten days off of work. The hospital signed Authorization to Release Protected Health Information forms for the release of treatment information for the suspect and assault charges are pending.

Around 4:30 p.m. last Thursday officers were dispatched to a strong arm robbery at a bus stop on the 9400 block of 16th Ave s.w. The victim was waiting for a bus on the west side of the street when he was approached by a black male wearing a red and white hat and dark clothing. The suspect told the victim to give up his iPod, wallet and cell phone. He refused to give up his belongings so the suspect reached into his front pocket, nabbed his iPod and fled northbound on 16th. A witness told police a second male dressed in a red jacket also approached the victim and acted as a lookout during the robbery. Police were unable to find the suspects.

Burglaries/break-ins by block: 6300 California Ave SW, 2900 SW Avalon Way, 7100 32nd Ave SW, 4400 37th Ave SW, 9200 Olson Pl. SW, 6300 39th Ave SW, 4800 California Ave SW, 3000 SW Spokane St, 10200 39th Ave SW, 7300 28th Ave SW, 9200 2nd Ave SW, 4500 44th Ave SW, 5400 21st Ave SW, 10000 SW Myrtle St, 2300 California Ave SW

Car prowls by block: 3800 Delridge Way SW, 10200 30th Ave SW, 2500 SW Trenton St, 7300 32nd Ave SW, 3500 SW Holden St, 1700 Arch Ave SW, 2600 SW Andover St

The success of this column is largely based on feedback, tips and suggestions from you, the reader, so if you have a tip, or concern about crime in West Seattle please contact Ty Swenson anytime at policeblotter@robinsonnews.com.