Ballard Crime Update October 14: Bike thief apprehended and catering van goes missing

With crime on the increase in the neighborhood, the My Ballard team will be posting a weekly crime update with information from the previous week’s SPD reports. Together, we can help to keep our neighborhood safe.

Van stolen from Ballard catering company

SPD officers reported to the scene of a burglary incident in the 4200 block of 6th Ave NW just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7.

The company owner reported that sometime between 5 p.m. on Monday and 5:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning burglars broke into the catering company premises.

The owner believes that the suspect(s) climbed through the south side chain link fence near the dumpster area and entered the property and proceeded through a middle door leading to the kitchen area. Although that door is locked, there is a small coded key box with a key inside outside which was discovered missing from the property. It is believed that the suspect(s) likely used this key and entered the premises.

The suspect(s) then stole the keys to a company van from a hook inside the kitchen, took a laptop and power cord and subsequently stole the van from the parking lot out front.

There is no camera or alarm on this business, but the owner said she was going to install a security system immediately. There is no suspect information available at this time.

Bike thief apprehended near Ballard apartment complex

SPD officers were called to the scene of a bicycle theft just after 6:30 a.m. on Monday, October 6, in a secured apartment complex in the 300 block of NW 41st St.

A resident from the apartment complex called 911 to report two suspicious males who were inside the building pushing bicycles. The witness reported that the men were taking the elevator down to the parking garage where she believed that they were planning on stealing the bicycles. She called as there had been a recent rash of bicycle thefts in the building.

SPD officers arrived on the scene just before 7 a.m. where they were given access to the parking garage. Upon their arrival the witness reported that the suspects were heading down the hallway about to exit the building. SPD officers then started running down the hallway behind the witness and upon visualising the suspects yelled “Stop, police!” repeatedly.

One of the suspects then pushed a mountain bike into the witness knocking her out of his way, started running and jumped on the bike. The SPD officer attempted to grab him and barely missed. The suspect then rode off westbound on NW 41st St towards Leary Way NW.

The second suspect dropped both bikes that he was holding and his backpack and ran from the scene. Shortly afterwards he was apprehended after a SPD officer tackled him to the ground. The suspect denied that the backpack was his, however, it contained five pieced of ID linked to him. The bag also contained two credits cards that did not belong to him, as well as tools for cutting locks. The suspects had used the tools to cut the locks of the four bikes that they had stolen.

The female complainant and the apprehended suspect were then taken to Swedish Hospital for their injuries. The suspect was later booked at King County Jail. The other suspect that fled the scene on the stolen bicycle remains at large but officers did recover fingerprints from the scene, as well as a serial number for the bicycle. The three bicycles recovered were returned to their owners.

Non-profit break in on 15th Ave NW

SPD officers were dispatched to a burglary at a non-profit organization located on the 6500 block of 15th Ave NW on October 9. The organization is located on the mail level of an apartment complex.

When the owner of the organization arrived at work he noticed pry marks on the door and subsequently discovered that one Apple computer monitor and hard drive were missing. The owner was unsure why the other cameras, lenses and computers in the office were not taken.

SPD officers dusted the area for finger prints and are currently investigating more leads.

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