Police Blotter: Juvenile Targeting Cars with Pellet Gun Arrested

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in possession of a pellet gun last weekend on drug-related and endangerment offenses at the .

Officers responded to reports last Saturday, April 30 that a juvenile wearing a blue Seahawks hat was shooting parked cars on the street with a rifle from a nearby apartment balcony on the 7900 block of SE 34th Street. A teenage girl driving a silver Volkswagen Jetta arrived shortly afterwards and the suspect left with her at around 3:26 p.m. 

Based on a description of the shooter and the car, police quickly located the vehicle and pulled it over into the QFC parking lot. 

Under questioning, police say the suspect, 16, admitted he shot at several vehicles with a rifle replica "airsoft" pellet gun.

"When you get toward the end of the school year, things like this — 'TP'-ing, egging, BB guns — tend to happen more often," said Mercer Island Police spokesperson Cmdr. Leslie Burns.

The victim's truck was later found to be undamaged.

A search of the teen yielded the pellet gun and a small quantity of marijuana in his backpack. The juvenile was arrested and processed at the and then later released.

Thursday, April 28

(Found Property) A two-person red Huffy tandem bicycle was discovered in the backyard of a residence on the 4700 block of 88th Street SE. Police took possession of the lost property for safe-keeping.

(Burglary) Unknown suspects reportedly burglarized a home on the 5200 block West Mercer Place sometime between 8 p.m. the prior evening up until 1:15 p.m., when the resident — a 48-year-old man — returned to the home. Police believe one or more suspects entered the home through and unsecured garage and removed several items, including a set of Nikon binoculars, a jar of coins and a black iPod attached to a speaker system.

(Marine) A radio operator contacted police concerning an unoccupied rowboat was adrift in the East Channel of Lake Washington at 4:12 p.m. near the 4400 block of East Mercer Way. Police located the vessel, an eight-foot Walker Bay rowboat, and towed it to shore.

Friday, April 29

(Malicious Mischief) Staff at reported at 8:53 a.m. that unknown suspects had allegedly vandalized their sign with spray paint sometime overnight.

(Vehicle Collision) An 85-year-old resident of the 9800 block of SE 42nd Street was driving down his driveway in a Buick Le Sabre at 3:15 p.m. when he mistakenly hit the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. The car careened off an embankment and damaged some landscaping of a nearby home, and the man suffered an injury to his back.

(Vehicle Collision) A school bus was stopped on 76th Avenue SE at North Mercer Way and began to enter the intersection heading southbound when he collided with the rear tire of a cyclist crossing in front of him at around 3:56 p.m. The cyclist, a Bellevue man, suffered minor injuries and said he thought the bus had stopped for him to cross. No fault was determined in the incident.

(Malicious Mischief) A "For-Sale" home sign belonging to and a concrete wall on the 9000 block of SE 79th Street belonging to the Summerwood Glen Homeowners Association were reported vandalized at 4:41 p.m. with spray paint graffiti. The word "TEEHEE" was painted on the wall and a depiction of an eye was painted on the sale sign.

Sunday, May 1

(DUI) A 26-year-old Auburn woman stopped for speeding and improper lane usage on SE 28th Street was arrested on suspicion of DUI after she failed several field-sobriety tests. A breathalyzer test later showed she was over the legal limit, and her vehicle — a Lexus IS 250 was towed. She was later released.

(Vehicle Collision) A 35-year-old woman driving a Chevy Blazer collided head-on with a Honda Civic at around noon on the 3000 block of 81st Place SE after the Chevy allegedly "cut the corner of the turn" as she headed northbound onto 81st Place. The drivers and two passengers in the Honda were uninjured in the crash.

Monday, May 2

(Burglary) A 54-year-old resident of a home on the 6400 block of East Mercer Way reported at 10:11 a.m. that unknown suspects took a silver-colored Trek Pilot mountain bike from her garage sometime between April 28 and May 2.

(Vehicle Collision) Police say rain-slicked roads were likely a factor in a car accident involving a Porsche Cayenne SUV and a Toyota Camry on Island Crest Way at SE 40th Street. The 58-year-old woman driving the Porsche stopped at a traffic light when the Toyota rear-ended her. The Toyota driver, a Renton woman, was later cited by police for following another vehicle too closely.

(Found Property) A resident turned in a state drivers license and credit cards he said appeared on the seat of his car while he was hiking Sunday on the Coal Creek Trail in Bellevue. The man reportedly tried to reach the owner of the property but the listed number was disconnected.

(Fireworks) Staff at the Mercer Island Thrift Store discovered a cache of fireworks along with several other items at 9 a.m., donated to the store in a plastic bag. The store manager turned the fireworks over to police for destruction.

(Theft) An unknown female suspect walked out of the with a red antique-style Persian rug without paying for it at around 1:45 p.m. The value of the rug was estimated at $175.

(Theft) A sent home with an illness April 28 later realized he had left his K2 Sidewinder mountain bicycle parked there and determined it was missing April 30. The family reported the bike stolen after school administrators told them Monday morning they didn't have the bike in safekeeping.