REPORT ALL SUSPICIOUS OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY TO 911

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

BELMONT CROSSING- Burglaries

On March 29th, 5 burglaries occurred in Belmont Crossing in the vicinity of the 21900 block of 43rd St SE and the 4400 block of 219th Pl SE. The burglars forcibly entered the houses.

What was taken or descriptions of suspects was not reported.

KING COUNTY- Unregistered Sex Offender Arrested

According to KCPQ's Washington Most Wanted, the Lynnwood Police Department, acting on a tip, arrested Mario Nicdao in an apartment in Lynnwood. Nicdao was wanted as an unregistered sex offender.

See our March 26 posting.

Friday, March 26, 2010

KING COUNTY- Authorities Looking for Unregistered Sex Offender

According to KCPQ-13’s Washington Most Wanted, police and Department of Corrections (DOC) authorities are looking for Mario Nicdao (also know as Mario Gray). Nicdao is a convicted sex offender who has refused treatment and failed to register as a sex offender. He was convicted of raping a 3 year old boy at age 13.

He also is known to use drugs and alcohol.

DOC officials say that he uses the internet to meet teenage boys. Nicdao is a level 2 sex offender (likely to re-offend) who is currently unregistered. This means that the DOC and other police agencies are unable to track his whereabouts or activities.

Nikdao is believed to hang out in the Capital Hill area of Seattle, Bothell or Everett.

Nicdao’s physical description is:
Age: 22
Ht: 5'5"
Wt: 150 lbs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black or dyed

For a picture, go to

http://bit.ly/aAML4t

If you see this person or know where he is please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

FIR RIDGE- Homeowner Interrupts Burglary in Progress

On Saturday night, March 20th, around 9pm, a homeowner in Fir Ridge (vicinity of 10th Pl SW and 198th Pl SW), who was walking home, noticed a moving light in his house through the window. All of the lights were off in the house and no one was home. The homeowner walked around the front of his house and then around his fence to the side door that enters the garage. That’s where he apparently confronted the burglar. The burglar had entered the house from the unlocked side garage door.

The burglar had a very bright head light on so the homeowner could not see his face. The burglar started yelling obscenities at him and then the burglar shot the homeowner in the leg. Fortunately the bullet hit a Zippo lighter in the front pants pocket and lodged in the lighter’s metal case. The burglar yelled to the homeowner to “back off or he would get more of the same.”

When the homeowner realized he was not wounded, he kept shouting at the burglar, at which point the burglar took off running north on 10th PL to 198th PL SW. There appeared to be just one burglar.

The burglar had taken the flat screen TV off the wall. It appears that nothing else was taken or disturbed.

The neighbor next door heard the gun shot and the yelling, saw the burglar running north on 10th PL, and called 911.

A canine unit came out to the scene. It is not known if the burglar was caught.

Later that evening around 10:15pm a nearby homeowner came home and noticed that the sliding door was ajar, the deadbolt-type pin was popped out, and some computer equipment was misplaced. Also the sliding door in their bedroom was left wide open. Sheriff’s Deputies thought that they came home soon after the burglar entered, because nothing was stolen. They also suspect it was the same person who broke into the first home. Tracking dogs followed his trail for a while and ended on the street, where they think he drove away in a car.

Note: While this is the exception to the rule of thumb that in residential areas burglaries occur during the day and car prowls occur at night, there may be some indicators of why these burglaries occurred when they did. Remember, burglars, car prowlers and car thieves are opportunists, and they don’t like having people around when they do their deeds.

In the first house, no one was home and the lights were out, giving an indication that no one was home. Entry into the home was made easier with the side garage door unlocked.

When you are away from your home, leave a couple of lights on inside to give the impression that someone could be at home. Some people put some of their lights on timers to give the illusion that they are home. Turn on your front porch lights. Motion sensor lights above your garage doors can startle a car prowler or burglar. Use a “Charlie Bar” to prevent strangers from opening your sliding glass doors from the outside. And lock all of your doors, even if you are just going down the street!

Implementing these simple measures should help you from becoming a victim to any burglar, day or night.

Monday, March 22, 2010

HIGHLAND COURT- Suspicious Activity

In Highland Court, along Filbert Road, on Friday night, March 19, between 7-8pm, a light grey late 80's early 90's Toyota pickup, with a small extended cab (with a little skinny second window), drove slowly by the park and a nearby house. 10 minutes later the truck slowly drove by the house again from the other direction. Some boys were all playing together, but scattered when they saw the truck. One boy was in the park hiding behind the trees when the truck’s occupants spotted him and stopped. They yelled out telling him they had candy. He continued to hide from them. When he didn't respond, they drove slowly away. Another boy was walking in a little alley nearby when the people in the truck hollered at him asking if he wanted candy. He just kept walking and they left him alone.

The boys believe there were two women/girls in the truck. A homeowner’s security camera did capture video of the truck which was turned over to the Sheriff’s Office. Responding deputies thought because it was two girls, it was hopefully just a prank.

Comment: I have said this many times before and will probably say it again. While the prospect of a stranger abducting your child is scary for a parent, only about 3 or 4 % of child sexual assault is conducted by strangers. Over 90% of child sexual assaults are conducted by someone the child knows.

We usually hear about the strangers who act suspiciously around children, often by the press, but we do not hear about the quiet assault by someone who the child knows. Most sexual predators will not grab a child off the street. They will want to “groom” the child and the parents so that they are lulled into complacency so that the predator can eventually lure the child to accept being assaulted.

There are simple techniques that you can teach your child without him or her having to try to determine friends from strangers. Go to the following link on the Sheriff’s Office web site for information on how to train your child:

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/marapr05.pdf

Also, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has good guidance for parents:

http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=713

Even though a stranger assault on children may be statistically small, that threat will always be a concern for parents. When we see someone acting strangely, especially around children, we will report it to the police and to our neighbors. Let’s just be aware that there is more to the sexual assault threat to your children than strangers.

Friday, March 19, 2010

SILVER FIRS II- Strange Man Update

According to the Sheriff’s Office, no report has been made to them concerning an adult driving a newer, red pickup and approaching children in the Silver Firs area. If you have witnessed this activity, please call 911 and report it to a deputy.

Comment: Apparently, emails about this alleged truck and man have been circulating for a few weeks in the Silver Firs area. However, with no report filed, the Sheriff’s Office has not been able to investigate. Also, it does not have any burglary or luring suspects matching the description. This situation emphasizes the importance of calling 911 when you have witnessed suspicious activity. The suspicious activity may turn out to be related to criminal activity, or it may not. But without the information the Sheriff’s Office cannot investigate. As it stands now, there appears to be no criminal activity surrounding this truck.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

SILVER FIRS II- Strange Man Again?

The neighborhood watch coordinator for Autumn Meadows reports that a homeowner in Silver Firs II sent out the following alert Tuesday, March 16: “Suspicious activity concerning an adult male driving a newer red pickup truck with a Dallas Cowboy sticker on the back of it. This person has allegedly approached some children at a surrounding area neighborhood and asked some questions that led the parent to believe the driver of the truck was either casing the house or potentially a child predator.”

On March 3rd, South SnoCo Crime Watch reported a similar incident in Silver Firs (see post http://bit.ly/bIvSHv) with the same truck description. It is uncertain if this is old information or this individual is stalking the neighborhood. If anyone can provide some light in this situation please email South SnoCo Crime Watch at: snohomishcrimewatch@verizon.net.

In any case, before you send that email, if you see this vehicle call 911 and ask for contact with a deputy.

AUTUMN MEADOWS- Vandalism

Early on the morning of March 16, 2010, between 4:00am and 6:00am, a family, in the vicinity of 126th and 45th Ave SE, woke up only to find their backyard sliding glass door broken and shattered. The family heard a few bangs, but didn't think much of it. Their side yard door was opened. Someone came thru the side door, possibly with a baseball bat, and hit the glass door (the fixed panel) a couple of times. It left a large round hole and shattered the whole panel. Piece by piece, the whole glass came down. They did not report anything missing in their email.

Note: Normally car prowls occur in residential areas overnight or in the early morning hours. If this was a burglary, possibly the perpetrator thought the house was empty since one of the family members left for work at 4:00am.

This incident highlights the importance of keeping side gates or doors to the back yard closed and locked whenever possible to deny thieves access to the back of your house.

Friday, March 12, 2010

TAMBARK TRAILS- Daylight Activity

On Wednesday morning, March 10, 2010, about 9:30am a resident of Tambark Trails (Bothell Everett Hiway and 192nd SE) caught a young man red handed taking things out of her husband's boat that was parked on their propprty. She scared him away with a stern "WHAT IS GOING ON OUT HERE"! The description of the suspect is male, young 20’s, slight build, wearing dark cloths and a stocking cap.

Please remember to close your garage door, and bring in valuables from your cars.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

REINSTEDT FARMS- Car Prowl

A homeowner in Reinstedt Farms (vicinity 185th Pl SE and 35th Ave SE) reported that his work truck, parked on his driveway overnight, was broken into some time between the evening of Wednesday March 3rd and the morning of Thursday March 4th. Digital cameras, a small caliber pistol and other work related items were taken. The vehicle was entered by forcing the door handle.

CHESTNUT HIGHLANDS- Suspicious Vehicle

A suspicious white Econoline van with a white male inside, license number 310 ULI (or possibly UVI) drove up and down several streets in Chestnut Highlands (vicinity 212th St SE and 31st Ave SE) and on March 4th or 5th . It was seen slowly driving through the streets and cul-de-sacs and slowed down to look in an open garage. This occurred around 3pm.

AUTUMN MEADOWS- Motorhome Broken Into

Between 11:30 pm Sunday February 28, and 5:30 am Monday morning, March 1, someone broke into a motorhome at 43rd & 121st Place SE. The window lock was lifted and window slid open. Nothing was broken or stolen.

Note: RV’s including motorhomes, 5th wheels and travel trailers are sometimes targets of burglars. No matter where you store your RV, in a secured storage yard or at your home it can be broken into. To minimize loss, do not keep weapons, alcohol or drugs (even prescription drugs) in your RV. High end electronics, such as flatscreen TV’s, can also be desired targets of burglars. If you have a flatscreen TV in your RV, be sure it is well hidden, or if possible, store it in a secure place such as your home.

US CENSUS 2010- Census Beginning

The 2010 Census is beginning this month. Below is an explanation of the Census and how to tell if a Census taker is legitimate or a fake from the Sheriff’s Office’s crime prevention newsletter “Partners in Crime Prevention”:


The US Census will begin soon. In March, each residence in the US and Puerto Rico will receive a questionnaire with 10 questions. You will be asked to answer the questions then mail it in the postage paid envelope. If you don't mail it you may receive a visit from a census taker. Census takers must follow up in person at every address that does not return the questionnaire.

You will be contacted by letter from the Census Bureau Director that you will receive a form in the mail, a phone call from the Census Bureau, or a visit from a Census Bureau representative. All correspondence will be marked as from the U.S. Census Bureau and as OFFICIAL BUSINESS of the United States. You will NOT be contacted via email.

Questions that the questionnaire asks includes name, gender, age, race, ethnicity, relationship, and if you own or rent the home. Your answers are safeguarded, and are not shared with anyone.

From April to July, census takers will visit every household that did not return the questionnaire. If someone knocks on your door claiming to be from the Census look for:

- A government ID badge with just the census taker’s name.

- You may ask for a picture ID from another source to confirm identity.

- Some census workers might carry a bag that has the words “U.S. Census Bureau” on it.

If you are still uncertain that the individual is a census taker, call the Seattle Regional Census Center at (425)-908-3000.

Census Takers will not ask:

- About your taxes or income.

- For your Social Security number, bank account number, or credit card number.

- For a donation.

Remember, scammers always are looking for your personal information like your Social Security number and account numbers. Also, they use email with links to lure you to websites that take your personal information and download malware software onto your computer.

For more information about the Census go to:
www.2010.census.gov

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

SILVER FIRS- Strange Man

On Sunday February 28, 2010, around 4:45pm, a “strange man” approached a boy in front of his house.

According to the boy’s mother, her son was outside shooting hoops. His brother was inside the house. The mother left the house for a short errand, but decided to return to the house. She was gone about 3 minutes.

When she pulled up to the house her son told her that a strange man driving a red truck drove down to the cul de sac and drove slowly to their house. He pulled up to her son and told him he was to work on their van. He told her son that his dad told him to work on it. The son felt something was not right about the man. He said the guy was smoking and then put his car into park. He asked the son where his parents were and the son told him that they were inside. He asked the son to go in and get them. The son went into the house, grabbed his cell phone and went back out and told the guy his dad was taking a nap. The man asked where his mom was and the son said that she was on her way home. The man looked around the garage and then took off.

The man was driving a red truck (newer) with a Dallas Cowboys sticker on the back. The man had a smaller frame with a goatee and wore a black cap.
The mother points out that this all happened within the 3 minutes that she was gone!!! She was completely shocked when her son told her this happened.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

PHISHING- Be Careful of Email Supposedly from Chase

An email purporting to be from Chase Bank, the Online Department claims that your account has had suspicious activity and that Chase has opened an investigation. It wants you to click on a link and verify your information. If you do not respond within 48 hours it threatens to close your online account.

This is a typical ploy by an ID thief to get your personal information such as your Social Security Number and bank account number. Never click on links or respond to unsolicited emails asking or demanding your personal information. Legitimate major banks, financial institutions, or businesses do not solicit your personal information over the internet. If you receive a phishing email, do not click any links that it provides. To report it call the institution or go to its website, using the phone number or web address on your statement, or institution ATM/bankcard, or Google its website.

Below is the text of the phishing email:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chase Bank Online® Department Notice

You have received this email because you or someone had used your account from different locations.
For security purpose, we are required to open an investigation into this matter.

In order to safeguard your account, we require that you confirm your banking details.
To help speed up this process, please access the following link so we can complete the verification of
your Chase Online® Banking Account registration information :
To get started, please click the link below:
(link provided by email authors)


Please Note:
If we do no receive the appropriate account verification within 48 hours, then we will assume this Chase Bank account is fraudulent and will be suspended. The purpose of this verification is to ensure that your bank account has not been fraudulently used and to combat the fraud from our community.

Regards,
Chase Bank - Chase Online® Banking Department
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: The email claims to be protecting you while it steals your personal information.


This link is from Chase with its guidance regarding phishing:

https://www.chase.com/ccp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/privacy_security/fraud/page/phishing

JORDYN PARK- Car Prowl/Burglary

Over night on February 28/March 1, a homeowner's vans were broken into in Jordyn Park, in the vicinity of 191st St SE and Grannis Rd. Several items were stolen including a car stereo, sunglasses, loose change, CD’s and garage door openers.

The thieves used the door openers to open the garage door, entered the garage, and stole a large tool box (too heavy for one person to carry) and a shop vac. The incident probably took place between 10:30pm and the morning of March 1 when the occupants left for work. Some of the tools were dropped at the corner of 189th St and 191st St. There were many items overlooked in the garage which leads the owners to believe that the burglars were scared off by something.

Note: Most thieves are opportunists. The best way for us as individuals to prevent crime is to remove opportunity for thieves. When thieves find a garage door opener in a vehicle outside of a house they frequently will see what they can take inside. Your best strategy is to not leave anything in your car, including garage door openers, if you park it in your driveway.