As many of you know I have a “Ring” doorbell camera (plus a lot of other stuff).  As a result of having a “Ring” I get information about all kinds of illegal activities which other “Ring” owners have suffered.

The old standard reply to mail thefts used to be “Get a locking mail box”. On 9 March someone in Manorwood posted that his locking mailbox had been pried open.  A day before that a community mailbox was broken into and ruined.

Mail theft is a Federal Crime, but the police seem helpless to deal with it as it seems to be classified very low on the enforcement scale.  Because the bad guys know this it makes them bold and more likely to continue. Perhaps we as citizens need to do more to help our local law enforcement deal with these people.  Does anyone think that writing the Postmaster General directly, our Washington State Congressional representatives, and making a formal complaint to the FBI might help?  Our Local Law Enforcement people need more manpower.  Criminals need to be held once they are caught. If our jails do not have the capacity, perhaps a stockade with tents is the answer. (For those who say it is cruel to make criminals sleep in tents in all weather, consider that our military have to serve in all weather, sometimes without even tents to shelter them from the elements.)

Vehicle thefts, break-ins and catalytic converter thefts are on the rise. If you don’t want to install a security camera system, perhaps you should invest in a really good car alarm.  One that activates when glass is broken or the vehicle is lifted and jiggled to get at the catalytic converter.

On Monday, February 21,  two cars in the neighborhood were stolen out of garages. The car theft south of 122nd St E possibly occurred sometime in the morning or afternoon, a garage door was forced open and a vehicle was stolen.  Other homeowners on 136th Ave E, north of 122nd St E reported items stolen from their vehicles which were parked in their driveway or carport .  The incidents to the north of 122nd St E happened between approximately 1:30pm-2:30pm. Both stolen cars were reported to the PC Sheriff’s Office. We don’t know if the car thefts were related.  A neighborhood camera on 136th Ave E captured images and time-stamps of the potential suspect walking north on 136th Ave E and recorded the stolen vehicle when it left the neighborhood.  The victims of the car theft north of 122nd St reported a tool bag was stolen out of their car.  It was later recovered at another neighbors property across from the property where the second car was stolen. In the snapshots below you can see that the suspect is carrying both the tool bag and the backpack. The second car was taken from an open garage.  Some neighbors had encounters with the potential suspect who was wearing a backpack and carrying a large bag with tools.  He told them he was at the wrong house or asked if they needed handyman help.  He was also spotted crossing a neighbors backyard.

Potentially there are more victims of this crime spree in our neighborhood.  If you have information to share or have another incident to report please contact the PC Sheriff’s South Hill Precinct, 253-798-3278 . You may also respond to this gmail address ( STACC <sunriseterraceacc@gmail.com>   ) as we continue to compile information for the incident report.

This was very brazen and bold criminal activity pulled off in broad daylight when many people were actually home.  Keep a watchful eye out, call 911 to report suspicious activity or theft. Do not approach on your own as these people may attack you.

The images below were retrieved from our Neighborhood Camera System.  They show an individual with the tool carrier and backpack which was found across the street from where one of the cars was stolen.  We think it is a pretty good bet that the individual shown is the car thief, as we know that the tools were identified as being stolen from a vehicle on 136th Ave E. The third picture down shows the thief when he approaches one of our neighbor’s vehicles, then sees the camera looking straight at him.  He quickly left the property.

We would like to remind all neighbors that more cameras are needed to increase the visual coverage within Sun Rise Terrace Camera Project. If more of our neighbors had cameras with at least one covering the street we would have more evidence against this individual.

There are no cameras guarding access to 136^th Ave East so we cannot determine arrival and departure date/times into Sun Rise Terrace. There are many blind spots within the neighborhood that also limit our ability to assist in the identification and date/time of intrusion.