 |
Daily news for Seattle's Ballard neighborhood |
allisonw
offlineMember
We ran someone off at about midnight tonight. The person was inside my fence line and had unscrewed the motion sensor lights. Cops came and took a statement. Many know I live fairly close to the car wash on 85th. Keep your windows and doors locked, people.
And yes, it scared the shit outta me. Still am.
lakreitz
offlineMember
Glad you are safe. That's a scary situation.
allisonw
offlineMember
Thanks. When I say "inside my fenceline" I mean that the person was 1' outside of my bedroom window. He would have had to walk by the lit living room windows and squeezed around the corner to get behind the bedroom window. I live in an apartment, so it's not like I have a huge yard.
Maybe by the non-response, I worry too much? does this happen all the time? Never happened to me, and I've slept nary a wink since. Seemed like a lot of closeness, and right on the verge of a breakin with two people home.
I don't think you worry too much! That is really scary, especially with the detail of unscrewing the lights. Without that I suppose it is barely possible the person was disoriented or something, but with the lights there's really no doubt that he planned to break into your house. Good thing you noticed!
No, this doesn't happen all the time. I worry about it, living adjacent to a public stairway I feel like we are particularly vulnerable to this sort of thing, but so far no intruders here.
h2o_girl
offlineMember
Glad you are safe Allison. I used to live very near you, I moved further west last fall. What with the shootings at the car wash and now your story, that corner seems scarier and scarier! Glad you don't live alone any more.
pennygirl
offlineMember
That's terrifying Alli. I'm glad you're alright and thanks for the neighborhood heads up.
BuffaloHawk
offlineMember
h2o-girl +1
I was thinking the same thing and 85th in general is pretty damn sketchy. We may have to move the boundary further South for hillbilly land ;)
Allison glad you are safe
BallardTrees
offlineMember
AW, so glad you are not physically hurt, or worse. May your sleeplessness fade with time. (Someone should make a new, reality-based movie about being sleepless in Seattle.)
I was reminded by your story how important it is to have a plan for the worst scenarios, such as home invasion, car jacking, and attacks in public places. The guy who threw stools at the gunman in the Racer Cafe had a plan and he carried it out, which may have saved lives, including his own.
It's unpleasant to think like that, but I believe it could ultimately pay-off to be prepared with a plan of action to use in one's own defense--a plan that suits your perspective on the world and also your personal perspective about owning weapons.
Planlessness = Sleeplessness
BallardTrees
offlineMember
AW, so glad you are not physically hurt, or worse. May your sleeplessness fade with time.
I was reminded by your story how important it is to have a plan for the worst scenarios, such as home invasion, car jacking, and attacks in public places. The guy who threw stools at the gunman in the Racer Cafe had a plan and he carried it out, which may have saved lives, including his own.
It's unpleasant to think like that, but I believe it could ultimately pay-off to be prepared with a plan of action to use in one's own defense--a plan that suits your perspective on the world and also your personal perspective about owning weapons.
Having a plan in place can improve sleep!
Mondoman
offlineMember
Scary to read about this, but thanks for posting! Sort of makes the TV ad's "rescue panther" sound like a viable idea!
SmartsyArtsy
offlineMember
I'm glad you are OK. Your post alludes to the "perp"as being froth MB community butno one else seems to have caught on to this, very uncomfortable.
Mondoman
offlineMember
SA, I interpreted that as just a general geographic reference, not a suggestion of someone here being involved.
Ballardbuzz
offlineMember
I wish she had just said that, then. Had me spooked.
teigyr
offlineMember
I didn't get that it was someone from MB, just that it was somebody from the area.
onederfullone
offlineMember
If someone from here is responsible, AW would've said so, right?
If she suspected someone from here was responsible, AW would've said so, right?
Then again, somebody from here may have been doing a welfare check, because AW aint been around lately?
Anyway, glad AW is okay.
allisonw
offlineMember
Wasn't meaning to suggest it was someone from mb, just that it happened.
teigyr
offlineMember
Alli, I am sorry. I was talking it over at home earlier and it's just so freaky scary. I take it they haven't caught the person? At least because the person obviously learned it was more than one person, and more than a single woman, that made it not so attractive. Congrats on that, btw :)
Corvus
offlineMember
You know that game where you whisper some funny story in someone's ear and then they repeat it to the person next to them until you have gone around the room, and then the last person gets to say out loud what they 'heard'? Well, sometimes the forum is just like that.
Glad you are OK Allison. Keep that bear spray handy!
HeatherHeather
offlineMember
OT but holy crap BEAUTIFUL icon Allison!!!
allisonw
offlineMember
Thanks!It's Upper Ice Lake and Spectacle Butte in the Entiat drainage if you're a hiker. Gorgeous place.
pennygirl
offlineMember
Did the cops ever catch up with the intruder Alli?
Allison,
Have you thought at all about an apt sized alarm system? Covering doors and windows? Might give you some piece of mind without casting a bundle. The alarm sound by itself is likely deterrent enough, though if you want it monitored that is certainly available. There would be a monthly fee for monitoring of course. Many systems offer a small key fob you can carry for arming and disarming the system, and those should also include a panic button that will set it off without the sensors being tripped.
Either that or keeping one of those tiny air horns on you, they make them in very small sizes, or a small mace spray? Seems silly to have that in your house, but not given what you just described.
Like everyone else....very very glad you are OK!!
D
ballardmike
offlineMember
If someone wants in bad enough they will find a way. =(
Glad you were able to scare them off. It's been suggested that having on air-horn handy may be a good "alarm" and deterrent for the casual a-holes that pull this sort of thing.
We are close to that area also - will keep eyes/ears peeled!!
allisonw
offlineMember
Did they catch the guy? Are you kidding? They didn't even bother to take any info down or file a report, therefore I have not even seen a single cop car on patrol since then. These particular cops couldn't have given two shits about what happened. Meanwhile we have this guy at large as well as a rapist. As I may have mentioned upthread, quite possibly the same person.
BuffaloHawk
offlineMember
I have to take 3rd past 85th and have been getting leary and observant when driving through recently. I have never fired a hand gun in my life before but recently talked to a friend about going to a range to learn how to shoot want. I never thought I would need a gun but it is survival of the fittest and people don't play fair anymore.
Ernie
offlineMember
Seriously? Driving past 85th makes you want to pack heat? Wow, you've been reading too much MyBallard.
BuffaloHawk
offlineMember
No.. Not past 85th as a whole.. Just all the brake ins in North Seattle.. it is getting a little scary and better to be over prepared than under.
I read the Phinney board sometimes and a lot off crap seems to be happening on 85th regardless of the cross street lately.
I was thinking earlier today if I lived around there I would put a sign on the house " Already been robbed nothing left until the insurance check comes in "
Mondoman
offlineMember
wow, allison, that IS scary. You might try calling some of the city council members; enough citizen feedback and they might consider re-funding the plan to add more new police officers every year.
SmartsyArtsy
offlineMember
I'm very glad to hear that I misinterpreted your post. It's good to be cautious, but I doubt he will come back. Now that he knows you are alert. Do you leave a radio or tv on when you are not there?
I remember that you had been looking for a dress form/mannequin a while back. If you got one, SHE can help you too. Last year when I was out of town for a while, I positioned mine in sight of the window. The night I got home, It was after 1am and I was quite tired. When I opened the door I got so frightened----there she was!
Be safe.
Norge
offlineMember
Allisonw - In March of this year I attended a NPAC (No. Precinct Advisory Council) meeting. At that meeting the sergeant of the robbery division spoke to the group. They were extremely concerned about break-ins all throughout No. Seattle when residents were at home at the time. I think three people were arrested but they have still been warning people to stay on high alert about these types of break ins and are extremely concerned about it. If you don't feel you had adequate response from the officers that came to your home, contact the No. Precinct and ask for the sergeant of the robbery division. (I'm sorry but I don't remember his name.) The other person you can contact is Officer Scott McGlashan - 233-3733. He is specifically assigned to our neighborhood from the No. Precinct. He is really a nice guy and genuinely concerned about the crime in Ballard/Crown Hill neighborhoods.
allisonw
offlineMember
Norge--great info, and thanks, I will use that.
In the meantime, it looks like our neighborhood creep may have been caught today.
What I didn't say in my original post is that a week before my house prowl, my neighbor saw a man on and off my front porch a few times. It was about midnight, and I was already in bed at the time of the incident. My neighbor got a good look at the guy, and when Phinneywood posted the drawing of the suspected rapist, she called it in. My neighbor is very nearby, and saw the man on my porch very clearly.
When my house prowl happened, the perp had unscrewed the motion sensor lights on my porch before moving to the back of the house. It could be said that he might have had prior knowledge of the ins and outs of my property. If you draw a rough line between the two incident, which happened days apart, guy #2 is also guy #1.
That said, I'm sleeping safe and sound. There's a can of bear spray close by if he's lucky, and a .357 I borrowed right behind it. I am a pretty good shot, so all should end well. I'll leave it to the cops to ID whatever's left of the guy.
gracie
offlineMember
allison - so glad the jerk has been caught. How scary. Once I got home late, it was summer time & my bedroom window was open (ground level)..different house than where I am now. I crawled into bed, reading & my dog started growling & lunged toward the window. There was a man's hand reaching in (headboard right there). I ran to the living room to phone, as didn't have one at that time in bedroom, and he came up to the living room windows (dog had parted the curtains barking/growling at him) and he watched me the whole time I was on phone with police. When the first police car showed up he ran & K-9 lost his scent in alley behind. Didn't feel safe for a long time.
lifeisamazing
offlineMember
Wow, this is some scary stuff. Yet again a sad reminder to lock up, check your bushes while walking to your door and call 911 if someone flashes a badge to check to see if there really is a cop at your door etc etc.
A month or so ago I couldn't get in my front door. I was going to go around to the back door then I thought "Weird, felt like someone was pushing back when I tried to open it." so as illogical as it seemed and as silly as I felt I called 911 instead of checking it out myself. 4 cops came right away, took it very seriously, swarmed around the house and found out that my folding screen that closed off the living room had fallen in front of the door (cats) I couldn't see this without going to a much more vulnerable area of my yard. I apologized but they said that they would prefer people err on the side of safety because sadly they see the results when people err on the other side and it turns out to be a mistake.
gracie
offlineMember
life...better safe than sorry. Same place where had that creep show up, few months before burglarized. Working & going to night school at same time. Came home from school & front door ajar. I thought dope, you didn't close the door. Found dogs in the livingroom (had been in another room) Like an idiot I went inside but thankfully burglar gone. (turned out to be 10 yr old kid next door - took candy & small change). The policeman said to always call 911 and never go in. Learned my lesson.
teigyr
offlineMember
Also lock your door if you're going outside for any length of time. There have been cases where people have been working on their yards and a thief goes in the back door or front door, wherever you aren't.
You must log in to post.
