Police Blotter: Graffiti Vandals Tag Town Center Businesses, Apartments

are investigating several reports of graffiti left by vandals on Town Center apartment and office buildings sometime over the weekend between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3.

First reported in the early morning hours of Oct. 3, a security guard reported three areas of the on the 2900 block of 80th Avenue SE were "tagged" with spray paint graffiti. The vandal wrote the word "BEAT" as a tag or name as a calling card.

On the other side of the Town Center area, graffiti also appeared on a concrete wall behind the office of dentists on SE 27th Avenue.

According to police, the wall was "tagged in normal, uninteresting characters," with the word "DOASIN", according to the report.

A day later on Oct. 5, the manager of the Island Lanai Apartments on the 2800 block of 75th Place SE reported graffiti spray-painted with the tag "BEAT" on an exterior wall of the building.

Sept. 28

Caretaker's Car Keyed
An unknown vandal "keyed" a car in the driveway of a home on the first block of Maple Lane sometime between 10 a.m. to noon while the owner — a caretaker at the residence — had driven the resident of the home to Virginia Mason Hospital in Bellevue. The BMW 325i was scratched along the driver's side, read fender, back door and front fender.

Sept. 29

Bank Repo Leads to Jail for Federal Way Woman
A Chevrolet Tahoe SUV was returned to a 28-year-old Federal Way woman on Mercer Island had been repossessed by an unnamed bank. The woman had originally reported her car stolen. She later turned herself in Sept. 30 on a misdemeanor Mercer Island arrest warrant and was booked into the Issaquah Jail.
Credit Card Fraudsters Bill Hotel Room to Senior Resident
Upon reviewing her monthy statement, a 76-year-old resident of a home on the 8200 block of SE 67th Street reported four fraudulent charges were made on her credit card between Sept. 16-18. One of the charges was made through Orbitz for a room reservation at the Hotel Max in Seattle.
Sept. 30
Still More Paddleboard Thefts
Another paddleboard was reported stolen from a residential dock on the 5900 block of East Mercer Way. The owner said he had last seen the Ron House Paddleboard with red trim and a gray non-skid pad Sept. 12 but didn't report it due to a family emergency. Total losses are estimated at $1,500.
Home Alarm Tech Steals Gold Necklaces
A 93-year-old resident of a home on the 3900 block of Greenbrier Lane reported the theft of two 24-karat gold necklaces on Aug. 12 after a security alarm technician had repaired his home alarm system in his bedroom. The victim immediately called the alarm company about the missing necklace but did not want to accuse the technician of theft if he had misplaced them.

Oct. 1

Bothell Man Ignores Restraining Order
A Bothell man has reportedly violated court-issued no-contact and protection orders by trying to call a 44-year-old Mercer Island woman and her children, ages 12 and 10, on their cell phones at least 16 times since June.

Oct. 2

Truck Stolen from West Mercer Way Home
A Ford Ranger pick-up truck was reportedly stolen from outside a residence on the 8400 block of West Mercer Way sometime overnight. The man last saw the truck — which had been parked in the same spot outside his residence for about a week — at 5 p.m. the previous evening and noticed it missing when he went to work in the morning.

Oct. 3

Woman Witnesses Hit and Run in Town Center
A woman walking her dog on the 2900 block of 78th Ave. SE at around 12:30 p.m. witnessed a small beige sedan traveling southbound at a high rate of speed and collided with a blue pickup truck parked in front of . The car sped away, leaving the truck with minor damage. The suspect car could not be located.
Armed Mercer Island Youth Resists Arrest 
Police arrested 22-year-old resident Zach Parker on a misdemeanor warrant at 1 p.m. on the 3100 block of 78th Avenue SE. Parker was also cited at the scene for weapons violations and resisting arrest.
Vehicle Prowl at Luther Burbank Park
A 32-year-old Seattle woman who parked her Kia Forte in the north parking lot for less than half-an-hour reported her vehicle was broken into and her black-and-white purse containing a number of valuables was stolen. An unknown suspect broke in through the front passenger window and got away with a her driver's license, checkbook, credit cards and a make-up bag.

Oct. 4

Vehicle Prowl on SE 67th Street
A resident of a home on the 7900 block of SE 67th Street reported his Toyota FJ Cruiser was prowled overnight and a laptop computer — still inside it's case — was stolen. No signs of forced entry were reported in the theft.
Good Samaritan Turns in Wallet, Cash
A good Samaritan discovered a wallet containing ID and $29.01 in currency and credit cards was lying on the ground and turned it in to police at around 7:45 a.m. Shortly thereafter, the owner of the wallet was contacted and belongings were returned.
Vehicle Prowler Seeks Out Bubble Gum
A 35-year-old woman reported her Toyota Sienna van and Volvo XC70 were broken into sometime overnight at her home on the 6600 block of 80th Ave. SE. However, she said the only items removed from the vehicles appeared to be several pieces of Bazooka-brand chewing gum.
Hot Coffee Blamed for SE 36th Street Traffic Accident
A 32-year-old Mercer Island man driving his BWM 328 heading eastbound on the 9200 block of SE 36th Street became distracted by a hot cup of coffee and veered into oncoming traffic, causing a collision at around 3:10 p.m. The man struck the rear left side of a Toyota Camry, causing minor damage. He was cited for driver inattention.
Car Prowl at Roanoke Landing
A Bellevue man reported his Toyota Sequoia was prowled at 3 p.m. while it was parked on the street on the 1600 block of Roanoke Way, adjacent to . The victim reported a red, two-door coupe speeding away from the area. The side rear window was broken out and three t-shirts, a bowling ball bag (w/ball), bowling shoes and a jacket were stolen.

Oct. 5

High School Teacher Hit by Credit Card Fraud
A teacher reported several fraudulent charges were made to her credit card account on Sept. 29. Once notified of the suspicious charges — traced to Miami, Fla., — the victim confirmed the transactions were fraudulent and said she does not know how the card number was obtained or used. Detectives said they were unable to solve the case.
Senior Motorist Strikes Bicyclist on West Mercer Way
A 76-year-old man driving a Dodge Caravan struck a cyclist as he attempted to make a turn on the 3600 block of West Mercer Way at 4:24 p.m. He said he was trying to turn onto SE Maker Street after collecting his mail from the post boxes on the roadside. The cyclist suffered an abrasion on his left leg and hip but refused medial aid.

Oct. 6

Resident Receives Unwanted 'Distressing' Calls
A 51-year-old resident of a home on the 3900 block of 90th Avenue SE received "distressing" phone calls and was possibly being stalked by her ex-friend.
Vehicle Prowlers Damage Hyundai at Luther Burbank Park
Sometime between 6:45 - 7:15 p.m., an unknown suspect smashed out the drivers-side window of a Hyundai Elantra parked in the North Parking Lot. Nothing was taken from inside, but estimates of the damage tallied approximately $220.

Oct. 7

Renton Man a Suspect in Car Prowl
Two vehicles parked at — a Toyota Prius and a Honda Civic — were prowled, damaged and several valuables were taken from inside at 7:20 a.m. The vehicles were reportedly missing a wallet filled with over $200 in cash, credit cards and blank checks, an Apple iPod, iTouch, a laptop computer and case and a black canvas bag. A witness recorded the license plate of the truck — a black, 1997 Ford Explorer owned by a 28-year-old Renton man — that drove away at the time of the theft.
Out-of-Control Street Sweeper Sends Operator Airborne
A Seattle contractor lost control of a small street-sweeping vehicle parked in a driveway of a residence on the 4200 block of Mercerwood Drive, causing possible injuries to his hip and leg. The street sweeper careened backwards and downhill until it struck a metal pole at the end of the driveway and tipped over, throwing the man clear of the vehicle at 8:55 a.m. He was later cited for operating a vehicle without a proper license.
Car Prowl at 7800 Plaza Garage
A GMC Jimmy parked in the parking garage was broken into sometime overnight. No signs of forced entry were detected, and a blue nylon bag and a Garmin-brand GPS system were taken.
Forged Check at Banner Bank
A 41-year-old Seattle man attempted to pass a forged check at at 2:59 p.m. The suspect left the scene before police arrived.
Car Prowl on SE 37th Street
An unlocked Toyota Sienna van was broken into on the 8100 block of SE 37th Street sometime overnight or during the day before 4 pm. The owners of the vehicle report the theft of several sporting goods items used for martial arts and a GPS unit, valued at $450.

Oct. 8

Scofflaw Busted in Busted Headlight Traffic Stop
Police arrested a 47-year-old Renton man driving a Chevrolet Caprice on a revoked license after he was stopped for a broken headlight on eastbound I-90 near the East Mercer exit ramps at 1:23 a.m. He had failed to answer a court summons five times.
Traffic Stop Yields Glass Pipe, Marijuana
A 30-year-old resident stopped for expired tabs on the 4000 block of Island Crest Way was arrested for drug possession following a consent search of his Honda Accord. Police located a glass pipe and a bag of marijuana in the passenger setback pocket.

Oct. 9

Mother Names Daughter as Suspect in Jewelry Theft
A 51-year-old resident of a home on the 8600 block of 75th Place reported the theft of several items of jewelry from a jewelry box on her bedroom dresser and believed her daughter was the culprit. She noticed the set of Mother of Pearl earings and and a matching pendant on a yellow gold necklace missing Oct. 8. The woman said her 21-year-old daughter, who also lives in the residence, had stolen her jewelry in the past.