By Tim Clifford

School house burglary
Sometime in during the early morning hours of Nov.8 a school house building on the 9100 block of California Ave. S.W. was broken into. The burglary was not reported until staff members arrived for work shortly after 9 a.m.
The suspect gained entry to the facility by smashing a window to a classroom. Quickly finding the three lockers in the building that are reserved for staff members the suspect rifled through them searching for keys. The suspect was apparently unsuccessful and ended up smashing another window to gain access to the main office where cash and blank checks are kept. Though an exact cash amount was not listed in the police report the damages and stolen property were tallied at over a $1,000 dollars.
Staff and police both believe the suspect must have been a person who had worked at the school previously. The three lockers look exactly as all of the student lockers and only the file cabinets with checks and cash were broken into. The suspect remains at large.

Thieves and ladders
In the early morning hours of Nov. 7 police responded to a report of a burglary and a suspicious person loitering at a residence on the 9000 block of 30 Ave. S.W. After stepping outside to talk for 30 minutes the victims, a young couple, returned to their bedroom on the second story of the house and found the screen to the window propped against the wall and a ladder leaned against the side of the house.
One of the victim’s had left their cell phone and wallet on a table near the window and found that they were both missing. The other victim attempted to call the phone numerous times only to have it answered and then quickly disconnected.
While the victims were calling the police they noticed a man they had never seen before stumbling around on the curb. A bald white male with a black coat and his pants hanging around his knees was fumbling in front of the house trying to pull his pants up. Responding officers initially detained this man believing him to be their suspect. After assessing that the man was only very intoxicated he was let go and allowed to walk off.
The suspect remains looking for windows and ladders at large.

Crimes reported between Nov. 8 and Nov. 15

Burglaries by block: 2400 block of 55 Ave. S.W., 2700 block of 47 Ave. S.W., 3900 block of S.W. Charleston Ave. St., 4500 block of 51 Pl. S.W., 4700 block of 42 Ave. S.W., 5000 block of S.W. Hudson St., 4700 block of 26 Ave. S.W., 4000 block of S.W. Juneau St., 3900 block of S.W. Othello St., 7100 block of Shinkle Pl. S.W., 3700 block of S.W. Thistle St., 9000 block of 18 Ave. S.W., 1400 block of S.W. Barton St., 9200 block of 30 Ave. S.W.

Car prowls by block: 6400 block of S.W. Hinds St., 3400 block of 62 Ave. S.W., 5400 block of 37 Ave. S.W., 5600 block of 36 Ave. S.W., 4700 block of S.W. Eddy St., 6300 block of 34 Ave. S.W., 1000 block of S. Henderson St., 9500 block of Meyers WY S.

Car thefts by block: 3000 block of 47 Ave. S.W., S.W. Oregon St. / 44 Ave. S.W., 5000 block of 37 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of 35 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of 34 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of 31 Ave. S.W., 7300 block of 4 Ave. S., 9200 block of Delridge WY S.W., 9400 block of 27 Ave. S.W., 10200 block of 32 Ave. S.W.