This morning's Everett Herald has a good summary of yesterday's reporting on the Craigslist home invasion robberies, http://bit.ly/acgIdA. It also reported the following prevention recommendations from the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office:
Tips for staying safe when doing business online
Meeting people via Craigslist, the Internet or any other cyber-venue is inherently risky. They are hunting grounds for fraudsters and worse, police said. Here are some basic tips for staying safe:
Trust your instincts. If you get a bad feeling, trust it. No deal is worth the safety of a loved one.
Demand to meet in a busy public place. If the person asks you to come alone or tries to change locations , call it off. If they try to change locations last minute, that's also a warning sign.
Tell a family member or friend if you plan a meeting with a buyer or seller. Bring a cell phone and stay in contact with friends to share details about who arrives, including vehicle information.
Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early and watch who shows up. Criminals will do this to you.
Don't go alone. There's safety in numbers.
Never give out personal information including your home or work address. Don't meet buyers or sellers at home.
Source: Snohomish County Sheriff's Office
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
PIERCE AND SNOHOMISH COUNTIES- Craigslist Home Invasion Robberies
Today, the major media in the Puget Sound region has been reporting on two serious incidents, one in Edgewood, Pierce County and the other in Lake Stevens, Snohomish County. Last night, the press reported on the Edgewood incident in which a father was killed and a 14 year old boy injured by three men and a women who were responding to an ad on Craigslist for an expensive ring. Once inside the house, they assaulted the family and left with several items from the house.
This morning, the Lake Stevens Police Department issue a press release concerning a similar incident that happened on Sunday night. In that incident, two male suspects showed up at a Lake Stevens house in response to a Craigslist ad selling a flatscreen TV. Once inside the house the suspects brandished firearms, tied up the family and allowed other parties to enter the house. In less than 10 minutes the robbers stole electronics, jewelry, and a large amount of Iraqi currency in $5,000 denominations.
As part of their press release, the Lake Stevens Police Department distributed two suspect sketches. One suspect is described as an African American male, 18-24 years old, 5’6”, 160 lbs, thin build, goatee. The other is a mixed race male (Asian/African American) 18-24 years, 5’10”, 170 lbs, thin build, tattoo on neck.
If you have any information about the identity of the suspects please contact Det. Dennis Irwin, Lake Stevens Police Department at 425-334-9537 (office) or dirwin@ci.lake-stevens.wa.us.
Comment: One would not think that personal safety would be a concern when trying to sell items on Craigslist, Ebay or even the good old fashioned classifieds. In some news reports, neighbors were reported as pulling their ads from Craigslist. The Seattle Times reports that Craigslist recommends the following safety measures when selling on their site:
When meeting someone for the first time, please remember to:
• Insist on a public meeting place like a cafe.
• Tell a friend or family member where you're going.
• Take your cellphone along if you have one.
• Consider having a friend accompany you.
• Trust your instincts.
For more information about these incidents go to:
http://www.q13fox.com/media/acrobat/2010-04/53541695.pdf
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011735142_homeinvasion30m.html
http://heraldnet.com/article/20100429/NEWS01/100429819&news01ad=1#Lake.Stevens.home-invasion.robbery.may.be.tied.to.fatal.Pierce.County.shooting
THE FALLS- BB through Window
This morning, April 29, 2010, around 6:40am and 7:00am a BB was fired that struck the front window of a house in the 14500 block of Cascade Dr SE. The BB lodged itself in the window. The timing of the incident was coincident with the time that Junior High School students wait for the bus near the house.
If you know who fired the BB please call 911 or contact the Sheriff’s Tip Line: at (425) 388-3845.
If you know who fired the BB please call 911 or contact the Sheriff’s Tip Line: at (425) 388-3845.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
PIONEER TRAILS- Burglary
Over the weekend of April 17/18, a house in Pioneer Trails, in the vicinity of 35th Ave SE and 125th Pl SE was burglarized. The burglars kicked in 2 doors that had deadbolts. Items that the burglars stole included tools, computers, furniture, and passports. They even stole the car in the garage. It was reported that they cut the phone lines, too. The family apparently was away on a trip during the weekend.
Comment: Information about this incident is sketchy. However, some reminders might be in order for when you take a vacation:
• Be sure to have a trusted neighbor or friend watch your house when you are gone. They can pick up your mail, newspaper and handouts left at your door so that your house does not look empty. They can also change your lights in your house to make it look like you are still there. If you are going on an extended trip ask your friend/neighbor to mow at least the front lawn.
• Put away any valuables such as laptops and documents with account information such as bankcard statement where they are not easily visible. A safe or locked file cabinet might be a good place to put some of your items that could reveal your identity.
• Don’t forget to lock your doors. And if you have an alarm system, use it.
Comment: Information about this incident is sketchy. However, some reminders might be in order for when you take a vacation:
• Be sure to have a trusted neighbor or friend watch your house when you are gone. They can pick up your mail, newspaper and handouts left at your door so that your house does not look empty. They can also change your lights in your house to make it look like you are still there. If you are going on an extended trip ask your friend/neighbor to mow at least the front lawn.
• Put away any valuables such as laptops and documents with account information such as bankcard statement where they are not easily visible. A safe or locked file cabinet might be a good place to put some of your items that could reveal your identity.
• Don’t forget to lock your doors. And if you have an alarm system, use it.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
EVERETT- Sheriff’s Office Looking for Abduction Suspect
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a suspect in the abduction of a 13 year old girl in the vicinity of 4th Ave W and 105th St SW.
The girl was contacted twice by the suspect, the first time on March 28th as she was walking near her home. The suspect drove up to her and asked if she wanted sex. The girl then ran off.
The second contact was on April 1 while the girl was taking out the trash. The suspect drove up to her, dragged her into his car and molested her a short distance away.
The suspect is described as black, tall, with a slender build. He was reportedly wearing a red T-shirt and jeans. The suspect was driving a four-door sedan with a loud muffler.
If you have any information about this abduction please call the Sheriff’ Office Tip Line 425-388-3845
See the following Herald article for more detail:
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100407/NEWS01/704079824#Detectives.investigate.Everett.girls.reported.abduction
Sunday, April 4, 2010
GOLD CREEK- Burglar Seen by Two Different Homeowners
A burglar was seen in the back yards of two homeowners in Gold Creek in the vicinity of 67th Dr SE and 154th Pl SE:
At 2:20 pm Saturday, April 3, 2010 a suspicious man appeared in one homeowner’s fenced-in back yard and when the wife asked what he was doing, he said that he was selling outdoor furniture. When told the homeowners were not interested he immediately headed out towards the fence gate. He was walking toward his car parked on the street (a black sedan) in front of a neighbor’s home when the husband called to him and asked what he wanted. He looked back once and hurried to his car, backed up, turned around and took off in the other direction toward Snohomish Cascade Drive. He turned right and sped off. For some reason he was in a big hurry to get out of the area. The homeowners have placed a lock on their gate.
911 was called in this incident.
In the second incident, another couple returned home from shopping when the wife saw a man in their back yard and asked what he was doing. He said he was selling yard furniture and left quickly when they told him that they were not interested. The husband tried to talk with him as he was walking away from the house on the sidewalk but he quickly walked to his car and sped away.
The homeowner found deep crowbar marks on the backdoor where the man apparently tried to force open the dead bolt lock. He must have been interrupted when the homeowners came home. He did not enter the house and nothing was missing on the outside.
The man was white, 5' 10", medium build, with brown hair and wore a dark baseball cap, dark windbreaker, and dark pants. He looked to be in his forties and spoke in a halting manner. He was clean shaven with fair complexion, and had flat puffy facial features.
At 2:20 pm Saturday, April 3, 2010 a suspicious man appeared in one homeowner’s fenced-in back yard and when the wife asked what he was doing, he said that he was selling outdoor furniture. When told the homeowners were not interested he immediately headed out towards the fence gate. He was walking toward his car parked on the street (a black sedan) in front of a neighbor’s home when the husband called to him and asked what he wanted. He looked back once and hurried to his car, backed up, turned around and took off in the other direction toward Snohomish Cascade Drive. He turned right and sped off. For some reason he was in a big hurry to get out of the area. The homeowners have placed a lock on their gate.
911 was called in this incident.
In the second incident, another couple returned home from shopping when the wife saw a man in their back yard and asked what he was doing. He said he was selling yard furniture and left quickly when they told him that they were not interested. The husband tried to talk with him as he was walking away from the house on the sidewalk but he quickly walked to his car and sped away.
The homeowner found deep crowbar marks on the backdoor where the man apparently tried to force open the dead bolt lock. He must have been interrupted when the homeowners came home. He did not enter the house and nothing was missing on the outside.
The man was white, 5' 10", medium build, with brown hair and wore a dark baseball cap, dark windbreaker, and dark pants. He looked to be in his forties and spoke in a halting manner. He was clean shaven with fair complexion, and had flat puffy facial features.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
KIRKLAND- Shredding Event
The Totem Lake Windermere office will be sponsoring its 4th annual shredding day at its Kirkland office on April 24th. This is your opportunity to get rid of those sensitive documents such as bank statements, bankcard statements and other documents that have your account numbers, Social Security numbers and other sensitive information that may have piled up in your house. Dan Willner from the office points out that this is a free event. They will also take your old PC for recycling this year.
When: Saturday April 24, 10am to 2pm
Where: Windermere Northeast, Parking Lot
11411 NE 124th St, Suite 110
Kirkland, WA 98034
Serving: Complimentary hot dogs, chips, and drinks
A shredder will be on site provided by American Data Guard.
Contact: Dan Willner, danw@windermere.com
When: Saturday April 24, 10am to 2pm
Where: Windermere Northeast, Parking Lot
11411 NE 124th St, Suite 110
Kirkland, WA 98034
Serving: Complimentary hot dogs, chips, and drinks
A shredder will be on site provided by American Data Guard.
Contact: Dan Willner, danw@windermere.com
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