The Newcastle Police Blotter features selected crime reports. This is not a comprehensive list of incidents in Newcastle. Questions? Contact Police Chief Houck at [email protected].
A Message from Chief Houck
There were 60 tickets written between September 28 and October 13. Surprise surprise, a vast majority were for going too slow… Oh wait I mean speeding, sorry.
Our wonderful fall weather is back. Rain’s in the forecast daily, snow is on the mountaintops in the Olympics and Cascades, we’re getting some fog, the days are getting shorter — all the fun stuff. With all that comes slick roads. Please adjust your speed accordingly.
Fun Fact: The longest “straight stretch” of road in Newcastle is about two miles long, and that includes traffic lights and other traffic-control devices that you need to adjust your speed for. I think we agree that most people speed because they are in a hurry and think speeding will get them to their location quicker. Here’s some math for y’all: Going 35 mph on this road (which is the speed limit, btw), it will take you 3.26 minutes to go the two miles. If you are going 50 mph, it will take you 2.24 minutes, so you will save a whopping 1.02 minutes on that drive. Now, if you get pulled over, the “normal” traffic stop takes about 12 minutes from start to finish, so just that stop time alone it is going to take you 8.34 minutes LONGER. Then add to that the pricey ticket you got and any time you spend going to court (typically at least two hours), plus the cost of your increased insurance. Is it worth that 1.02 minutes to chance it? I think we can agree it isn’t, so please just slow down.
Selected Incidents
9/28
12pm
6800 block Coal Creek Pkwy.
Vandalism—A woman called to report that her vehicle and her girlfriend’s vehicle had been vandalized some time overnight. The victim stated that when she and her girlfriend went to the parking garage of this complex, the tires on both their cars had been slashed and the trunk on one of the vehicles was damaged. There was not damage to any of the other vehicles in the lot. The victim believes the damage was done by a jealous coworker over their relationship. There was no witness to this incident.
9/30
630pm
13300 block Commons Drive
Accidental Shooting—A man called to report that he accidently fired his gun while cleaning it. The bullet went into the neighbor’s apartment, and through another wall and book. There were no injuries. The man claimed to be very familiar with guns and told NPD he was currently in the Navy. NPD is investigating.
10/3
3pm
7000 block 122 Ave.
Vehicle prowl—A woman filed a report online with NPD and indicated that some time in the previous day, an unknown person had gotten into her vehicle and stolen her work ID, which was kept in the glovebox. It appears as if the vehicle was left unlocked as there was no reported damage to the vehicle.
10/4
330pm
6800 block 132nd Pl. SE
Theft—A man called to report that his painting equipment was stolen from this location. It had been chained to the building, but some time overnight the lock was cut, and it was stolen. The man did not wish to assist in prosecution, only wanted a case number for insurance purposes.
10/5
930am
7900 block 110th Ave. SE
Theft from Auto—A woman called to report that some time overnight her car had been prowled. She reported that her wallet, a vacuum, and jewelry were all stolen from inside the vehicle.
10/7
11am
12200 block May Creek Park Dr.
Theft from Auto—A man called to report that in the past 2-3 hours, his work truck had been prowled and several thousand dollars’ worth of gear and equipment were stolen from inside. The man explained he had been at the job site and was inside working and left the truck unlocked. When he returned to get some equipment, he noticed the vehicle had been gone through and items had been taken. NPD is investigating.
630pm
13100 block May Creek Park Dr.
Theft from Auto—A woman called to report that some time in the previous 2 hours, someone had broken into her window and stolen her purse, which she had hidden behind the passenger seat of the vehicle while she was on a hike. NPD is investigating
10/8
8pm
7700 block 110th
Vehicle theft—A man called to report that he had last seen his vehicle parked on the street at this location on 10/7 and today noticed it was missing. The vehicle was entered into a national database.
10/09
11300 block SE 86th
8am
Theft—A man reported that some time overnight, the catalytic converter from his truck was stolen.
10/11
11am
12300 block SE 73rd
Vehicle recovery—Sweet “young” lady [90 years old] living in the area called about a suspicious vehicle parked in front of her house with someone that appeared to be sleeping in it. When officers arrived, a man was walking up to the vehicle with a gas can and told officers it was his and it had run out of gas. The vehicle had the wrong plates on it, had obviously been spray painted (and not well either). As the officers began investigating the vehicle further, the man began to walk away. At this point there was no legal reason to detain him, so he was free walk away. As luck would have it, after a little further investigation, NPD was able to determine the car was stolen. Other officers in the area had seen the man walking away and went to go look for him. He was found several blocks away and admitted to being in the car but said it belonged to his friend. Officers brought the “young lady” to the where the man was stopped, and she positively identified him as the person she had witnessed inside the car. The car’s ignition was torn out and the man was found to have pliers and a screwdriver in his pockets. The man was booked into KCJ for possession of stolen property.
10/12
6pm
Lake Boren Park
Vandalism—A woman called to report that sometime in the past 45 minutes, her car, which had been parked at this location, was broken into. The woman reported the back window had been shattered, but she did not notice anything missing.