Crime & Safety

Police Blotter: Rings Worth Over $18,000 Stolen From Open Garage

The following information from Sept. 19 - 29 was supplied by the Mercer Island Police Department. Where arrests or charges are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Burglars lifted several pieces of jewelry overnight Sept. 21 — including several diamond rings — from inside two vehicles parked in an unsecured residential garage on the 6000 block of East Mercer Way. Unknown suspects prowled a Mini-Cooper S-series and an Infiniti G35 parked there sometime between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following morning.

Among the missing items, including a one-karat solitaire diamond ring with a gold setting, were three Judith Jack rings and three Tiffany rings with diamonds. Total losses are estimated at $18,215.

Sept. 19

Thrift Store Thief Returns, Caught 

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A 41-year-old Renton man removed a jewelry item, valued at $45, from behind a  counter at 3:30 p.m. and later presented the silver star with an amethyst setting to the cashier in a plastic bag with a $3 price tag. Employees identified the same man had returned to the store on Sept. 22 he was arrested for theft.

Sept. 22

Man Asks Police to Destroy Mystery Package

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The 36-year-old resident of a home on the 8800 block of 62nd Street returned to his residence at 3:15 p.m. and discovered a 12-inch-by-4-inch parcel from India sitting at his door. While the package had a return address, the man was not expecting a delivery and did not know anyone from India, and asked that police take custody of the package and destroy it.

Sept. 23

String of Paddleboard Thefts Continue

A resident of a home on the 7400 block of East Mercer Way reported the theft of a "Laird Hamilton" Surf Tech blue-gray paddleboard from their backyard, valued at $1,250. The theft occurred sometime between Sept. 16 - 23.

Town Center Car Prowl in Broad Daylight

A 75-year-old Renton woman reported her necklace was stolen from inside a Mitsubishi Lancer parked on the 3000 block of 78th Avenue SE. The heavy, gold "Cleopatra" necklace with large square gold links was stolen around 1:49 p.m.

Police Confiscate Handgun, Man Committed 

Police placed a suicidal man in a mental health institution after he was found with a handgun and a knife in his residence at 10:49 p.m. on the 9000 block of East Shorewood Drive. A 28-year-old woman told police the man had held the Sig Sauer pistol to his head earlier that day and threatened to kill himself.

Sept. 25

Jaywalker Hit on 78th Avenue SE

A 92-year-old man driving a Toyota Prius northbound on 78th Avenue SE struck a man jaywalking at 3:30 p.m. between the Rite Aid and Post Office parking lots, about 30 feet north of the intersection with SE 32nd Street. The 63-year-old wan was carrying a bouquet of flowers and after he was hit claimed that he suffered a lower back injury. Police cited the man for failure to yield to a motor vehicle.

Former Sahara Pizza Employee Suspected in Theft

The manager of reported an undisclosed amount of cash had been stolen by a former employee shortly before the restaurant opened that morning. The manager said he would provide more information about the 31-year-old resident and evidence to back up his claim.

Sept. 26

SUV Rear-Ends Teen VW Driver on ICW 

A 35-year-old Seattle man driving a Toytota SUV southbound on Island Crest Way collided with a Volkswagen Golf at 5:51 p.m. at a pedestrian crossing on the 3200 black, causing the car significant damage and pushing it into another SUV. No injuries were reported and the man was cited for failure to stop.

Sept. 27

Spinout on East Mercer Way Takes Down Mailboxes

A 21-year-old man driving a BMW M3 sports car spun out while driving northbound on the 4400 block of East Mercer Way, leveling several mailboxes on the side of the roadway. The vehicle suffered minor damage and the driver was cited for speeding too fast for road conditions.

MIHS, Rotary Park Hit by Graffiti Vandals

Police are investigating several incidents of graffiti at and that occurred sometime between Sept. 23 - 27. At Rotary Park,  the north and west sides of the pump building were vandalized with green spray paint. At Mercer Island High School, a storage container next to the gym was also vandalized with brown graffiti. 

Bike Stolen at Library

A yellow Specialized mountain bike was taken from the bike rack sometime between 4:30 - 5 p.m. The owner of the bike, a 56-year old resident, said he left it unlocked at the time.

Driver With No License Cited and Released

Police discovered a 31-year-old Seattle man was driving without a license when they stopped his gold Saturn on the 4000 block of Island Crest Way for traffic violations at 10:20 p.m., but issued only a citation and released him without arrest. A Clyde Hill judge had issued an arrest warrant, but the warrant was "non-extraditable" and the man was released on his own recognizance.

More Paddleboards Amiss

A 59-year-old resident of a home on the 9000 block of North Mercer Way reported two paddleboards and two paddles were stolen from his shed off his waterfront property over the past two weeks, starting Sept. 11. Total losses were estimated at $4,000.

Sept. 28

Lexus Car Keys Found

A 68-year-old woman walking through at 3 p.m. on Sept 26 discovered a Lexus key chain connected to a Lexus key fob and separate key. She turned them in to the Mercer Island Police Department at 5 p.m.

Wells Fargo Phishing Scam Nets Local Victim

A 43-year-old resident of a home on the 4700 block of 88th Avenue SE received a text message claiming to be from and requesting that she call. She called the number and released her credit card and PIN number to an automated service.

Sept. 29

Covenant Shores Staff Report Fondling Incident

Staff at Assisted Living reported witnessing an 88-year-old man standing in the doorway of his room and touching the breasts of an 89-year-old woman after the woman had grabbed the man's hand and rubbed his arm on Sept. 28. When confronted about the incident, neither the man nor woman remembered the incident.


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