An attempted robbery didn’t work out last Tuesday when two suspects approached a man headed for his parked car behind his house. One of the robbers ran up to the victim with his hand in his waistband and said, “I have a gun, let me see your phone, what kind of phone is it?” The victim gave up his phone. Just then, the victim’s friends emerged from the house and startled the robbers, who turned and fled. The robber who threatened with the gun dropped the phone and lost his Seattle Mariners baseball cap in the process, ending up with less that he started out with. Officers searched for the suspects but did not locate them. The Mariners cap was placed in evidence.

A shoplifting scheme involving Wrangler jeans and a white Hyundai getaway car fell short at Target on SW Barton Tuesday. Officers responded to a call for a shoplifting in progress, and were told by loss prevention employees, who had the suspect in their office, that a getaway car was likely still parked out front. When they arrived, officers saw the Hyundai parked by a nearby bank with three people inside. In questioning the three occupants (one male and two females), it was revealed that their friend inside (the one in handcuffs) said he wanted to stop in for some clothes and drinks, but they had no idea he intended to shoplift. None of the three had a valid driver’s license, so officers had them park and lock the vehicle and call a licensed driver to come pick it up. Meanwhile, inside, the shoplifter walked in and grabbed a target bag, headed to men’s clothing and put two pair of Wrangler jeans in the bag. He then attempted to simply walk out of the store, but was stopped by loss prevention officers and transported to King County Jail for investigation of robbery.

Two people walking on Airport Way S early last week saw a break in the bushes and went through the opening to find a transient camp. Shortly after, the camp’s tenant approached from behind with a leashed pit bull at his side. The tenant demanded to know what they were up to and they responded that they were just curious and would leave. The camp tenant blocked the exit and ordered his dog to, “get them.” The dog attacked and both of the victims were bitten on their arms before they could run to safety. Officers, paramedics and animal control arrived and after interviewing the bite victims, officers approached the transient camp with weapons drawn. They called for the suspect to come out with his dog on his leash and informed him that they had weapons drawn. The suspect eventually came out and “the dog was very aggressive pulling on its leash, rearing up on its hind legs, barking, growling and lunging at officers.” The officers apprehended the suspect and booked him in King County Jail for investigation of assault. The animal control officer was able to lasso the dog and get it to the truck for transport.

A purse snatch in the South Precinct had a lady walking home from her local grocery store was she was attacked by two juvenile males. They attempted to rip the purse from her grip but she held tight, so they knocked her to the ground and finally wrestled it from her. The victim immediately got up and chased the thieves through school grounds and into a park. Her perseverance paid off when a bystander saw what was happening and stopped the two males, scaring them into dropping the purse and fleeing. The suspects were not apprehended, but the victim got her $7, a loaf of bread and her new shoes back.

Burglaries/break-ins/car prowls by block: 4000 45th SW, 3700 SW Charlestown, 4100 39th SW, 4100/3700 SW Alaska, 2800 SW Nevada, 4000 SW Dakota, 4400 52nd SW, 5600 44th SW, 5600 16th SW, 6000/7700 37th SW, 6300 34th SW, 7000 Lincoln Park Way SW, 900 SW Austin, 7900 20th SW, 8400 12th SW, 8800 9th SW, 8100 35th SW, 8800 34th SW, 9600 California SW

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