By Tim Clifford

Suspect threatens victim while being arrested
At 11:43 p.m. on Dec. 28 police responded to a burglary-in-progress call from a residence on the 6000 block of 26 Ave. S.W. The victim informed dispatchers that she had heard glass shattering in the kitchen downstairs and was currently hiding in her daughter’s bedroom. She could also hear the suspects at that time going through her belongings in her bedroom.

As the officers arrived on the scene they spotted two of the suspects running away through the front gate and detained a third suspect as he was coming out of the front door. The first two suspects were apprehended one block away. A zip lock bag of marijuana, a small jar of marijuana and a ring were found on the suspects. The bag was bloodstained since one of the suspects had cut their hand while breaking the kitchen window.

One of the suspects was very hostile and vocal to the arresting officers. When he spotted one of the victims (the daughter) as he was being loaded into the patrol car he yelled “next time it will be you who is begging for your life”. When the victim asked if that was a threat the suspect replied “it’s a promise”. The victim expressed concern to the officers that the suspect would follow through on his threats once he is free.

The ring was returned to one of the victims while the weed was identified as also belonging to the victims. The cannabis was taken into evidence for fingerprinting and to be used as evidence for later prosecution of the suspects. All three suspects were booked into the King County Jail.

Man set on fire Christmas night
Shortly before 10 p.m. on Christmas night police received reports of a man covered in blood and screaming “fire!” at the intersection of W. Marginal WY S and S Holden St. The fire department was the first to arrive at the scene and began treating the victim for his burns and a two inch gash above his left eye.

After interviewing the victim officers learned that he is a transient who lives in a transient camping area nearby. That night the victim and the suspect, another transient, had gotten into a heated argument over the suspect using the victim’s tools without his permission. While they were arguing other transient campers began encouraging them to fight, even encouraging the suspect to light the victim on fire.

As the victim was tending to a fire he had made to keep warm near his tent he claimed to have felt gasoline splashed on his back which then caught fire. As he was getting up he was struck in the head and ran away.

When police interviewed the suspect he claimed that the victim had threatened to burn his tent down with a Molotov cocktail. Presumably the victim caught fire while they were wrestling over the cocktail. When officers asked the suspect where the pipe had used was he informed them that another transient had taken it and was hiding it.

The suspect was read his Miranda Rights and taken into booking at the southwest precinct. The victim was later taken to Harbor View for treatment.

Crimes reported between Dec.25 and Jan.2

Burglaries by block: 3800 block of 52 Ave. S.W., 5400 block of S.W. Dakota St., 3100 block of S.W. Avalon WY, 4500 block of 26 Ave. S.W., 4700 block of 26 Ave. S.W., 6000 block of 26 Ave. S.W., 7500 block of 46 Ave. S.W., 8300 block of 8 Ave. S., 1400 block of S.W. Henderson St., 10000 block of 33 Ave. S.W.

Car prowls by block: 3200 block of 45 Ave. S.W., 3200 block of 40 Ave. S.W., 4700 block of Delridge WY S.W., 6300 block of 31 Ave. S.W. (2 reported), 6500 block of 42 Ave. S.W., 1200 block of S.W. Orchard St., 7900 block of Delridge WY S.W., 8800 block of 8 Ave. S.W., 9400 block of 13 Ave. S.W.

Car thefts by block: 3200 block of 44 Ave. S.W., 5900 block of Delridge WY S.W., 2400 block of S.W. Holden St., 9400 block of S.W. Holden St., 3700 block of S.W. Sullivan St., 8100 block of Delridge WY S.W., 8400 block of 20 Ave. S.W., 8800 block of 18 Ave. S.W., 8800 block of 9 Ave. S.W., 9000 block of 17 Ave. S.W., 2200 block of S.W. Barton St.