Rash of car prowls in the area

We’ve received several emails over the past week about car smash-and-grabs in various places throughout Ballard. The most recent news came this morning from Nubbee in the My Ballard forum:

“When my husband went out to work this morning he noticed some cars had been broken into last night, including one with a smashed back window. :( Luckily, ours were not a target this time. We live in the 5700 block of 17th Ave near the post office.”

Evan wrote us to say his girlfriend’s car was broken into over the weekend on 24th Ave at 75th. He says he saw the 18-20 year-old suspect running away with a green PCC bag taken from the car, “waving the bag and saying something like ‘yeah, what!’ as if he was trying to taunt me.” And Katie sent us an email about car break-ins in the underground parking garage at an apartment building behind the Wendy’s on 54th. She says three 16-20 year-olds broke in and stole laptops and other valuables from residents’ cars. “I’m pretty new to Ballard and Seattle, but the woman who manages our building has lived here her whole life and said she’s never seen the kind of crime that’s going on now,” Katie writes. So just a reminder, try to park in well-lit, high-traffic areas and make sure your valuables are locked up (or not in the car at all).

Also: Ballard resident looking for personal journal stolen from car