A year of increasingly violent street robberies ended with another as a woman was beat for her phone and tote bag near 14th and Pine just after midnight on Wednesday December 30, according to a Seattle Police Department report.
The woman told police she was walking up the hill on Pine around 12:30 AM and talking on her phone when she was attacked:
The three female suspects followed the victim up the hill and struck her in the head with socks filled with an unknown hard object.
The victim was struck twice in the back of the head and then thrown to the ground by the third suspect. The third suspect then held the victim on the ground, while the other two continued to strike her with the socks, still containing the hard objects. One of the suspects yelled, “Bitch give me that phone.” XXXX managed to cover her head and secure her cell phone inside her coat to prevent the suspects from getting her phone. The suspects grabbed white tote bag and ran off northbound on 14 Av. was injured and had a lump on the backside of her head. She complained of minor pain, but declined medical treatment at the scene. XXXX stated she did not lose consciousness.
The woman was able to hold on to her phone but the attackers made off with her bag containing an iPod and personal items.
The report describes the attackers as “Latina” females, in their late teens to early 20s, each about 5’5″ tall, 115 to 125 lbs, and wearing dark puffy jackets and blue jeans. Officers conducted an area check for the suspects, but were unable to locate anyone matching the description.
The increased threat of street robbery on parts of Capitol Hill has both statistical and anecdotal evidence. The last incident we covered happened in late November when a man was robbed of his iPhone at gunpoint near 14th Ave and E. Union. A week prior to that, a man survived being shot in the chest in what he said was an attempt to steal his wristwatch near Boylston and Union. That area of the East Precinct saw a 40% increase in robberies vs. 2008 according to the latest data we’ve analyzed. While robberies across the whole of Capitol Hill were lower through the first nine months of 2009, this kind of crime isn’t restricted to arbitrary borders of measurement — all it takes is a stroll up the hill for the trend to move a few blocks.
Some tips to stay safe based on street robbery reports we’ve seen recently:
- Get home earlier in the night when more people are still on the streets or call a cab or car company to give you a ride.
- Try to walk with a friend late at night. It’s rare to find a street robbery report involving two victims.
- Keep your electronics packed away. You can Tweet later.
- Don’t let anybody borrow your phone.
- If threatened, hand your stuff over. We’d rather report on robberies than the alternatives, thanks.
UPDATE 1:00 PM:
Sounds like 14th and Pine has been a late-night problem lately. Here’s JJ’s tale from the comments:
Bad Corner
I’ll tell you, it’s that corner! Well, not really, but I was mugged in front of the Online Coffee Company (14th and Pine) on the morning of December 24th at 12:30 am – about the same time the other victim was assaulted.Although I know it was a bad idea to be walking around alone at night, but having done that walk a million times, I figured I’d be fine. In my case, it was a man who attacked me from behind, dragged me on the ground, roughing me up a bit, before making off with my purse. Unlucky for him, my wallet was in my pocket so he didn’t get away with much. I did try to fight him off because I he dragged me around so much. I didn’t realize he just wanted my bag, which i would of gladly handed over if he just asked!
I just goes to show you that you have to be careful, take a cab, or walk with other people. Maybe the key is not to have a purse? Not to talk on the phone? Keep a can of mace locked and loaded in case anyone comes near you?
Whatever the answer, please be careful out there. Getting mugged sucked, and I wouldn’t want that too happen to anyone.
Meanwhile, we also found this report of an iPhone robbery on the other end of E. Pine the night of December 30th. The suspect in this case was a juvenile.
We also found this report of a robbery in the 1600 block of Yale Ave where the victim lost more than $1,800 worth of items from a stolen bag. That crime went down just before midnight on December 22.
in terms of successfully fighting off a sexual assault, it is not a bad idea to take a self defense course such as Home Alive, or carry in hand a powerful brand of spray containing UV dye for future suspect ID. Although untrained its very difficult to fight off more than one attacker, the most sensible thing to do in most circumstances is to surrender what the attacker wants, phone, money etc. A wounded animal is much more likely to be more vicious, and this is equally or more true with a small gang of women.
I hate reading this kind of thing but I also feel better knowing about the bad stuff. Thanks CHS. Will keep my phone in my pocket.
on the spray and keeping it handy. better idea to not blab on the phone while walking by yourself–doubly distracting. Fighting back during a mugging is probably a bad idea, coming to the rescue or calling the cops when you witness one is a better idea. This is obviously a non-neighborhood group of young women–appears to be an initiative tactic that could be stopped with a solid beat-down of the perps.
Not to espouse violence here but stopping it in its tracks is a very good way to ensure it does not continue to happen. It seems this sort of crime is increasing in and around CH, these elements know that a lot of the crowd up here has $ and will stop at little to get some of it.
CHS recommendation: Don’t take advice from commenters that use turn of phrase ‘not to espouse _____ ‘ and then espouse that very ______ .
Bad idea
I’ll tell you, it’s that corner! Well, not really, but I was mugged in front of the Online Coffee Company (14th and Pine) on the morning of December 24th at 12:30 am – about the same time the other victim was assaulted.
Although I know it was a bad idea to be walking around alone at night, but having done that walk a million times, I figured I’d be fine. In my case, it was a man who attacked me from behind, dragged me on the ground, roughing me up a bit, before making off with my purse. Unlucky for him, my wallet was in my pocket so he didn’t get away with much. I did try to fight him off because I he dragged me around so much. I didn’t realize he just wanted my bag, which i would of gladly handed over if he just asked!
I just goes to show you that you have to be careful, take a cab, or walk with other people. Maybe the key is not to have a purse? Not to talk on the phone? Keep a can of mace locked and loaded in case anyone comes near you?
Whatever the answer, please be careful out there. Getting mugged sucked, and I wouldn’t want that too happen to anyone.
Not saying this person or anyone “deserves” to be mugged/robbed/etc. But we still need to be defensive and use common sense. Walking alone in the wee hours of the morning while talking on your cell all say “Pick Me! Pick Me!”: you have a valuable out in the open and you’re distracted. Even worse if you’re listening to an iPod with earphones on. It’s practically an invitation and a bad combo — in some places more than others.
Stay safe!
Hiller
I suppose that as long as CH proves to be a fertile ground–one of the best in Seattle really–for street crime this sort of thing will continue. Keep your pepper spray locked and loaded, keep an eye out when you are having a good time.
Its really turned into an almost easy area to make a score as most of the criminals have learned. I see it often near 43/49 stops, near on the last runs of the evening when i come home from Ballard. Shocking how many people act like its Portland.
There are, apparently, more fertile areas in the city. Here are street robberies in central Seattle October through mid-December according to SPD reports.
Courtesy SeattleCrime.com
there was a car prowl at 13th and E Mercer Sunday night. The passenger side windows were smashed out. I don’t know for sure what was stolen, but I think a GPS and looks like the rest of the car was gone through. No other car was touched.
A good reminder to keep absolutely NOTHING in your car.
any info on where to purchase a powerful brand of spray containing uv dye? (or even a name of one…) it’s a good idea.
Anybody else stopped locking their car doors? Just don’t leave paperwork or radio face plate. If you don’t have face plate, you probably don’t have to worry about it. I also laugh when I see people using the club in their shitty car on Capitol Hill. It’s not your car they want.
Some of use the club on our shitty cars because the shitty cars are the easiest to steal for joyriding. We know they don’t want to steal our shitty cars for resale value.
There’s only one building on the 1600 block of Yale and that’s my apartment building. I’m coming/going late at night all the time. It’s really upsetting to hear about a violent mugging so close to home. I way mugged myself a few years back at 19th and Madison and I’m still very angry about it. This my be foolish, but I’m angry enough to fight back as hard as I can if it happens again, especially on my own fucking block.
The description of the women and the method of approach sounds strikingly similar.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/413970_robbers07.html
Fighting back is a very personal decision and there is no right or wrong way to deal with things when you go in to fight or flight. However you are wired as a human, is how you are going to react. If you have been attacked, or robbed, or had your space invaded once, it’s a pretty good bet to say that if there is next time you are going to fight back. I pity the fool that ever tries to get me if it happens again, the cops are of no help when the crime is actually happening, and it seems more often than not that this site and others report that the suspects run away and never get apprehended, so good idea does have a point.