Thieves targeting foreclosed homes

When the bank foreclosed on an old red house along Roseburg Avenue South, neighbors say crime shot up as people hauled copper pipe and wire out of the home. "The cops can show up here and the guys just say, "The owners gave me permission." Paul Takashima said, "So there's nothing they could do." Takashima says it was a crime-free zone before a series of foreclosures started bringing people intent on breaking into the homes and carting off valuable metal. "They cracked the window and they could reach their hand around and unlock the door," Takashima said. That window is now boarded up. The crime spree has spread beyond the foreclosed home, neighbors said. Another home that was broken into was being remodeled.

Thieves made away with a commercial compressor, an airless paint sprayer, and a big tool chest. As for the home on Roseburg, the mortgage company has secured the home for now and put new padlocks on the doors. The King County Sheriff's Office says scrap thefts are often used to buy drugs and that this neighborhood is not alone.

Copper pipe stolen from Burien restaurant

Thieves made off with copper pipes from Flap Jacks Restaurant in the 13800 block of 1st Ave. S. An employee at the restaurant realized the problem when he opened the restaurant last Friday morning, Feb. 4th. Someone had broken in through a small air vent, went into the basement and ripped off about 120 feet of copper pipes. Replacing the pipes will cost about $14,000. But that doesn't include the business lost while the pipes are being replaced.

1 injured, 1 arrested, 1 officer hit in Tukwila manhunt

Tukwila police responded to an armed residential burglary in progress around 11:20 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 10. Two suspects tried to flee in a car, and the driver drove at and hit one of the responding officers. The officer was not seriously injured and got back into his patrol car to continue the pursuit in the area of 12000 block E. Marginal Way. Officers fired shots through the windshield of the vehicle, hitting the driver. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center for surgery, where he is in critical condition. The passenger fled, leading officers on an extensive manhunt. He was taken into custody three hours after he fled the car. Police dogs found the suspect hiding in an air conditioner chilling unit in the nearby industrial area.

Alleged polite robber identified

King County Sheriff's have identified Gregory Paul Hess as the suspect in an armed robbery at a White Center Shell station at 2805 S. Roxbury St. The robber told the owner a sob story about being out of work and needing cash for rent and food. He was nicknamed the "Polite Robber" because he profusely thanked and apologized to his victim. Eight years ago he was arrested for a string of bank robberies using the same sob story. Hess was identified by former co-workers in 2003. He plead guilty to 6 armed robberies and spent nearly 5 years in federal prison. In the most recent robbery, he allegedly armed himself with a pellet gun, which he purchased at a Ballard sporting good store, and walked away with $300. Hess is on federal probation for the earlier bank robberies and is being held on $250,000 bail.

Car break-ins, vandalism, prowlers and thefts

2900 S. 146th St., 1200 blk S. 136th, 15400 blk Des Moines Memorial Dr., 100 blk S.W. 154th St., 14900 blk Ambaum Blvd S., 800 blk S.W. 142nd Pl., 11800 blk 25th Ave. S., 120 blk S.W. 124th St., 15700 blk Ambaum Blvd S., 13100 blk 2nd Ave S.W., 12400 blk 23rd Ave. S., 13500 blk 8th Ave. S.W., 140 S. 140th St., 11800 blk Roseburg Ave. S.