4:30 am Monday, Nov. 9 automotive items left at curb

Neighbor reports when awoken by sirens at 4:30 am Monday, Nov. 9, looked out front door and saw things sitting by their vehicle parked in front of their home on Fremont Ave. N between N. 83rd and N 84th. Lined-up on the curb was a full container of anti-freeze, a can of transmission fluid, a black funnel and a large car jack in plain view in a well-lit area. Neighbor thought it quite bizarre, moved it all into basement and reported it to the arson hotline, just in case.

Another neighbor adds that the auto items had been seen there sometime late Sunday evening, along with a green bible left under a neighbor's car. Police found the bible, checked with nearby neighbors to see if it might have belonged to them and when it was determined it did not, police took it away.

Another neighbor adds that the auto items may have come from a maroon van (described in earlier posts), that was parked on Fremont between 83rd and 84th on Sunday afternoon and had been moved by early morning on Monday.

7 pm Tuesday, Nov. 10 Community Meeting about arsons

LOCATION CHANGE: Arson Meeting

The Fire Department apologizes for the last minute notice but due to the amount of interest and accessibility issues, the venue for tonight’s community meeting was moved from Upper Crust Catering to Phinney RidgeLutheran Church, 7500 Greenwood Ave N. The meeting is sponsored by the Seattle Fire Department and the Seattle Police Department to talk about the recent arsons in the Greenwood neighborhood and what you can do to help prevent arson. The meeting will start at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 10 at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, Fellowship Hall, 7500 Greenwood Avenue North.

To report information about these arsons, call the Arson Tipline at 1-800-55-ARSON.

overnight Sunday-Monday, Nov. 8-9 ARSON

Three arson fires were reported overnight in the neighborhood.

11 pm Sunday behind a commercial building near Greenwood and N. 78th

4 am Monday behind Olive You restaurant on Greenwood just north of N. 85th

7:40 am Monday behind the Greenwood Quick Stop on Greenwood at N. 81st.

This from The Seattle Times this morning:

The Seattle Police Department is investigating three more fires Sunday night and early today in Greenwood.
The third was reported at 7:40 a.m., when materials leaning against a building at 8102 Greenwood Ave. N. caught fire.
Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Dana Vander Houwen said the first fire was discovered about 11 p.m. Sunday behind a commercial building near Greenwood Avenue North and North 78th Street, next to a condominium complex.
The fire was quickly extinguished and caused about $1,000 damage, said Vander Houwen.
The second blaze, reported at 4 a.m. today, was behind the Olive You restaurant, on Greenwood Avenue North just north of North 85th Street. The fire burned a back wall and electrical panels on the restaurant, said Vander Houwen, and caused about $20,000 in damage.
She said the second fire was spotted by the arson patrol in the neighborhood, which smelled smoke and saw the fire.
The fires are the latest in a string of fires — the previous deemed to be arsons — that have plagued Greenwood businesses. Last week two fires were reported at a CPA office and a guitar shop. And Oct. 23, fire was set in the Green Bean Coffee House and spread to three other restaurants, Szechuan Bistro, C.C. Teriyaki and Pho Tic Tac. The Taproot Theatre and a business complex with second-floor apartments nearby also were damaged, mainly by water and smoke. It caused $2 million in damage.

7:10 pm Sunday, Nov. 8 Neighbor felt threatened

Neighbor on Linden between N. 84th and N. 85th reports that at about 7:10 Sunday evening, Nov. 8, he looked out his window to see a man walking across the street in a diagonal line toward his home and waving at him through the window. Neighbor thought it odd as he didn't think he knew the man and immediately felt uncomfortable about it. Neighbor saw another neighbor pull up and witness the interaction from across the street, that person also thought the way the man was approaching the house seemed odd and noticed that the man carried something in each hand. One of the items turned out to be part of a lamp. The man went to neighbor's door and was standing on front mat when neighbor opened his door. Man asked if he remembered him, neighbor did not but man said that neighbor had "called-in his car" for parking in front of another neighbor's house the other day. Although the man did not say anything threatening, neighbor did feel threatened and asked man to get off his porch and man did, but left behind the lamp piece. Man left walking west on 84th.

Neighbor believes the man was the same one who parked in front of 8411 Linden Friday about 2 pm (reported here earlier), a van with WA lic # 483-UAV. However, this neighbor did not notifiy authorities about the parking incident.

Neighbor called police and said that he felt threatened by this man. Police arrived about an hour later and took a statement from neighbor.

4:00 pm Saturday, Nov. 7 Suspicious activity

Neighbor reports on Saturday, Nov. 7, about 4 pm, a chrome-colored newish Toyota or Honda with tinted back windows pulled up in the 700 block of N. 84th St. The car had a temporary WA lic # 455295 and did not appear to be connected with any of the homes on the street. A Hispanic man, about 18-25, about 5 foot-8 and wearing a baseball cap, was in the car and over about a 10 minute period would crawl inside the car between the front and back seats and about three times opened the street-side door and looked up & down the street. When a neighbor walked up to the car and took a photo, the man got into the front seat and drove off.

Neighbors were especially suspicious because over the previous two days a green Ford Escort with no license plates and a dented hood had been parked in the area (and neighbors reported the car to authorities) and they began to take notice of cars that did not seem to belong with houses on the street.

2:45 pm Saturday, Nov. 7 suspicious activity

Neighbor reports on Saturday, Nov. 7, about 2:45 pm, seeing a car parked in the 900 block of N. 81st (between Linden and Aurora) with its headlights on but parked and with occupants seated inside. When it became apparent to neighbor that the car wasn't moving, neighbor realized that there was also a car parked directly behind it, also occupied and it appeared to neighbor that the two cars appeared to be waiting together for something.

Neighbor gave drivers of both cars long and deliberate looks while passing slowly and feels that they were spooked as both cars then left immediately after neighbor passed.

Both cars are described as older models and each appeared to have two Hispanic men seated inside, maybe in their 20's or 30's. One car was white (it may have been a small station wagon) and the other was a light blue compact. The license plate of the white car may have started with VUS

2 pm Friday, Nov. 6 Suspect van parked illegally

Neighbor reports on Friday, Nov. 6, about 2 pm a red Chevy mid-1980's van WA lic # 483-UAV parked illegally in front of the apartment buildings at 8411 Linden Ave. N., blocking a large portion of the driveway. The driver got out of the van and walked west (toward Greenwood) on 85th. Neighbor went up to 85th to see if there was anyone waiting for the driver, but there was not. Driver was gone about 15-20 minutes before returning to his van. Neighbor pointed out to driver that the van was parked illegally. Driver made condescending comment to neighbor, along the lines of "big guy" or "tough guy" and drove off. Neighbor says driver may not have been doing anything wrong other than a bad parking job, but the brief confrontation left the neighbor feeling uncomfortable and suspicious.

Driver is described as 6-0, caramel-ish skin tone and gray eyes. Photos of the van and a close up of the license plate are attached.

The Municipal Court of Seattle web site (http://web1.seattle.gov/courts/cpi/) reports 483-UAV as a 1988 Chevy maroon van, registered to Randall Terrence Enlow, DOB 7/21/1957. The vehicle and Mr. Enlow have numerous violations noted on that website from 1987 to as recently as May 2009 (for a violation of a civil anti-harassment protection order). He has also been cited, among other violations, for driving without motor vehicle insurance and expired plates.

2 pm Friday, Nov. 6, Suspected drug deal

A little south of our immediate reporting area, but some good info and photo of suspected drug dealing at the SW corner of N. 73rd and Dayton Ave. N.

A neighbor reports spooking a very suspicious looking man Friday, Nov. 6, about 2 pm at the SW corner of N. 73rd and Dayton Ave. N. Neighbor had thwarted a suspected drug deal at the same spot over Labor Day weekend, also in broad daylight (though that person looked more like he was getting a fix, was jaundiced-looking and couldn't walk very fast). Neighbors have also seen at least two suspected drug deals on N. 74th and Dayton Ave. N.

The suspected dealer Friday afternoon was clean-cut and didn't immediately appear as looking like what would be expected of a typical drug dealer, but as neighbor drove by he noticed the guy was acting nervously. Per suggestions from narcotics police the neighbor has spoken with, he asked the suspect for directions to a nearby elementary school and suspect said he didn't know how to get there. Neighbor then asked what he was doing and suspect said waiting for a friend. Neighbor said to the suspect that that was weird, knew he didn't live around there and was on a corner where there have been several drug deals. Suspect got a little jumpy and took off toward Greenwood Ave. Neighbor followed and took the attached photo of the suspect and called 911 as suspect unlocked his bike (newish, royal blue) from the Greenwood Ave. N. street sign in front of the fire station. He then headed south on Greenwood toward 65th while dialing his cell phone. Unlike previous suspected drug dealers, he did not curse at the neighbor but clearly not pleased to have his office hours interrupted.

Suspect is white, probably late 30's, maybe 5-8 or 5-9, not fit but not fat (described as having "kind of a big butt," but wearing rain pants), brown hair. He wore a baseball cap, an oversized puffy blue winter jacket, black sneakers and distinctive lime-green socks. He carried a small dark backpack.

3:30 am Thursday, Nov. 5, Arson

Two arson fires in our neighborhood overnight.

3:30 am firefighters responded to a small fire at the CPA Seattle office at 338 NW 85th St.

About 30 minutes later a second call came for a fire at Rosewood Guitars at 8402 Greenwood Ave.

This from the Ballard News Tribune:

Two new arsons in Greenwood

By Michael Harthorne

November 5, 2009

Fire damaged two more Greenwood businesses in the early morning of Nov. 5. Investigators have determined that both fires were set intentionally and most likely by the same person, Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen said.

One fire, started at approximately 3:43 a.m., damaged the back porch of an accounting office, resulting in $5,000 of damage, Vander Houwen said.

About 27 minutes later, a fire was started a few blocks away on the exterior of Rosewood Guitars, located at 8402 Greenwood Ave. N., causing $20,000 of damage, she said.

The Fire Department has not said if they believe the fires are related to the arson that destroyed four Greenwood Avenue businesses and caused $2 million in damages in the early morning of Oct. 23.

Hue Nguyen Johnson, a nearby business owner, said the fires are making her nervous, especially because she is self-employed, She said she may start bringing her more expensive equipment home with her.

John Huddleston works across the street from Rosewood Guitars and around the corner from the Oct. 23 fire. He said he is feeling more disturbed by the arson than nervous.

"I don't know what statement the arsonist is trying to make targeting small, independent businesses in a neighborhood," he said.

3:30 pm Friday, Oct. 31, Suspected drug deal

Neighbor reports suspected drug deal Friday, Oct. 31 (Halloween) at 3:30 pm.

A car dropped off a suspected user on the corner of Fremont and 84th. The car did NOT have a license plate on the back--either in the plate holder or on the back window. Neighbors have seen this woman in the past shooting-up in her parked car in that same area, leaving her paraphernalia in a bag (including pee in a water bottle) in a neighbor's yard. She is described as white, late 30's or early 40's, blonde, 150-180 pounds, 5-5 to 5-8 tall.

The woman then got into her maroon (the left rear fender of the car is painted black) 4-door Saturn WA lic # 757 YUR, parked on Fremont just south of 84th. There were two men in the car, both white, average height and slightly overweight. Neighbor saw them shooting-up inside the car and went over and took their photo (seen here).

Sunday, Nov. 1, 12:30 am, suspected drug dealing

Neighbor reports early Sunday morning (Halloween evening), suspected drug dealing on Linden Ave. N between 83rd and 84th streets. A blue or black 1990's Chevy Caprice Classic (looks like a police car) WA lic 640 UCY with two men in their late 20's and one woman were parked with the engine running.

The car had pulled onto Linden at 85th, then turned left on 84th, then drove back up 83rd, then pulled a U-turn before parking on Linden. Neighbor said wouldn't have paid attention, but it became strange when the car was circling.

Neighbor called police but the 911 operator was not able to take any information because of a city-wide police emergency (a Seattle police officer was shot and killed while on-duty in the Central District earlier that evening).