Crime Update: Burglary at Greenfire Campus and a break in on 17th Ave NW

Over the past week a number of burglary and break-in incidents have occurred in the neighborhood, both in secured buildings and at family homes.

A My Ballard reader, who wishes to remain anonymous, emailed in to report a burglary that took place in the residential area of the highly secured Greenfire Campus (2041 NW 57th St) on Wednesday, October 22, at about 2 p.m.

According to the reader, burglars gained access to the building and robbed her neighbor in the Penthouse on the fifth floor. This area of the building is reportedly very secure and can only be accessed by special elevator fob that is not given to everyone in the building.

“The burglars dragged his safe out of the building and stole his car from the garage, which is also only reachable by elevator. We are very shaken and surprised by this incident,” the My Ballard reader reported.

Security camera footage has determined that the burglars entered through the front door and somehow bypassed the special code needed to reach the Penthouse floor before escaping with their loot. “We haven’t been given a description of the burglars from the security cameras which are all over the building, at the entrance, in the entry hall, in front of the elevator, on every floor and in the garage,” says the reader.

The building’s management has confirmed that the are re-keying the outside doors and are currently working with the fob company and police to see if the keyfob security that allowed burglars to access the Penthouse can be re-secured.

“We are both pretty freaked out because the building only has 18 units and there’s only one elevator. The burglars must have passed within several feet of us yesterday and it’s doubtful that they were unarmed. It seems like a way more professional burglary than just breaking somebody’s windows and taking whatever is laying around,” says the reader.

The incident has been reported to the police and SPD officers are currently conducting an investigation.

The next day, on Thursday October 23, at about 1 p.m. a burglar was discovered attempting to break into a vacant home on the corner of NW 62nd St and 17th Ave NW. My Ballard reader Nicole contacted us to report the incident.

“We heard hammering for five minutes and just assumed it was construction so we paid no attention to it at first. My fiancée then went into the backyard to get something and saw what appeared to be a homeless man hammering down the back door of the home next door,” says Nicole.

Nicole’s fiancée quickly came inside, locked the door and called the police. The man reportedly did gain access to the vacant home before walking down the side of the house, past Nicole’s windows, and escaping by bike down NW 62nd St towards 20th Ave NW. By the time police arrived on the scene a few minutes later the man was gone.

“I can’t believe this happened in the middle of the day. With all the construction going on it wasn’t obvious what was going on to us or to our neighbors,” says Nicole.

Locals are encouraged to be on the lookout for suspicious activity in the neighborhood and report it immediately to the SPD. If you have any information about either of the above incidents contact SPD North Precinct at (206) 684-0850.

Have you experienced a crime in Ballard recently? Email your story to tips@myballard.com and together we can all help to keep our neighbors and neighborhood safe.