Here is information about the recent break ins in the Magnolia area from Terrie Johnston at the Seattle Police Department. She says that extra patrols have been sent to the Magnolia area in hopes of finding these thieves.
There were two residential burglaries recently in Magnolia that are worth sharing with you and your neighbors. Both of the burglaries occurred through open and unlocked doors. The burglary on 29 Ave. W. occurred early in the day through the side door that had been left unlocked for the nanny. The house was ransacked and the suspects used a stolen gym bag and white garbage bags to carry away the stolen items which included a dozen Christmas gifts. A neighbor driving by saw the suspects carrying the sacks and gym bag, but did not call 911 to report anything suspicious.
The other burglary occurred on 32 Ave. W. during late night/early morning hours while the residents most likely were sleeping. The suspect(s) entered through an unlocked side door and took wallets, keys, phone, and Christmas gifts.
A review of the reported December residential burglaries showed nine in Magnolia. All but three of the burglaries occurred during daytime hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) About half of the burglaries were forced entries and the other half were through open or unlocked doors, and no force was used. In several of the burglaries, the home had been ransacked by the intruders. Side windows and basement windows were the most common points of entry, many smashed with a rock.
In a handful of the crimes, neighbors saw suspicious people or vehicles in neighbors’ driveways; back yards or alleyways nearby, but failed to call 9-1-1 to report suspicious activity. Please feel free to make a 9-1-1 call to report something suspicious. It is okay if you are wrong, simply trust your gut instincts. One of the purposes of Block Watch and knowing your neighbors is to gain a sense of what is normal for your street so you can be alerted when something out of the ordinary occurs.
The police department recommends that if your house is going to be empty during the day, keep your curtains or blinds closed in rooms where electronics or other valuables can be seen from the street. Many burglars report targeting homes where they’ve seen what they wanted from the street beforehand. You can contact Johnston to schedule a Block Watch meeting, or to schedule a free home security survey. Her office number at the West Precinct is 684-4741.
