• Park pot buyer beaten: A man beaten by a group Monday night near Cal Anderson Park told police he was jumped for the $300 he intended to use to buy marijuana. Police rounded up a group of possible suspects in the minutes following the beating and robbery but a witness said she could not definitively say officers had the right group of three black males and two black females seen assaulting the man around 11:30 Monday night near 10th and E Denny Way. The witness was, however, positive that the dog found with the group was the same animal she had seen during the beating, according to the SPD report on the incident. 

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Police released the detained individuals and, presumably, the dog. The victim was transported to the hospital after police found him unconscious with head and facial injuries at the scene. While the state has voted to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, an underground market for the drug continues even as the mechanisms for regulating and managing its sale are being planned and put in place. There is an I-502 public forum at Seattle City Hall later this week.

• First Hill car thieves nailed: Police have made two arrests in this Friday car theft on First Hill in which suspects allegedly jumped a 67-year-old woman and stole her car near Minor and Seneca:

On Friday, the 18th, at about 2:15 pm,  a 67-year-old was getting ready to enter her parked car in the 1200 Block of Seneca.  The victim had placed her walker, purse, and keys inside the car and was still standing just outside the driver’s side door.  She was pushed from behind and fell to the ground.  She screamed for help.  The suspect entered the car, pulled out from the parking spot and drove off.  The victim later told officers that had she not rolled out of the way, she would have been run over.  The victim sustained pain to her left side, but did not require medical treatment.  Several witnesses saw what happened and came to her aid.  Witnesses described seeing two people inside the victim’s car as it drove off.  The primary suspect was described as a white male in his 20′s and balding.  The victim’s vehicle, a silver 2000 Toyota Camry, was not located.

The next day, Saturday, shortly after noon, a Bonney Lake Police Department officer observed the victim’s car parked on a street in Bonney Lake.  There was an 18-year-old male standing next to the car.  The officer had seen that man driving the vehicle earlier.  A check of the license plate revealed that the car was stolen from Seattle.  The Bonney Lake officer arrested the suspect without incident and impounded the Camry.  Detectives from SPD’s Robbery Unit responded to Bonney Lake PD to interview the suspect.  During the interview, the suspect implicated another male (white male, 20′s, balding) as being with him during the robbery on Friday afternoon.   Following the interview, the 18-year-old was booked into the Pierce County Jail for Investigation of Possession of Stolen Property.  He was interviewed and released on the Seattle robbery case pending further investigation.

Police captured the second suspect Monday at the Bellevue Wilburton Park and Ride.

• More on the Eastlake burglary SWAT raid: We noted a SWAT operation along Boylston Ave at E Newton last Thursday morning — here’s what led SPD to the residence:

At around 1:20 am Saturday, two officers were dispatched to a residence in the 1400 Block of 35th Avenue for a burglary call.  The burglary occurred sometime between Friday night and 1:00 am Saturday morning.  Over four thousand dollars worth of items were stolen.  One of the stolen items was an Apple Mac Book computer with a tracking application.  With the victim’s assistance, the officers were able to track the stolen computer to a Best Western hotel downtown.

Officers responded to that location and attempted to contact the occupants.  Officers knocked on the door but received no response.  The officers could hear noises inside the room and the light was on.  The officers then contained the room while one officer obtained a search warrant. 

Two suspects came out of the room peacefully and were taken into custody.  Officers located the stolen computer inside, along with an electronic read book and a stolen jacket with the security tag still attached.  One of the suspects was also in possession of close to $2,000.  All of the items were recovered and placed into evidence.

One of the officers was able to locate the owner of the e-book.  The owner did not realize that it had been taken from his apartment, so that theft was documented on a separate police report.

The two suspects, a 21-year-old man and a 33-year-old female were arrested and booked into the King County Jail.

• E Pike bias crime investigation: Police are investigating an early January assault and possible bias crime involving a dispute that started outside an E Pike club and carried on through the night before culminating in the severe beating of a man on the street that left the victim with what he told police was a broken nose, contusions and a possible concussion. In the incident reported to police last week, the victim said he and “his boss” had a run-in with the suspect around midnight on the 5th of January. The victim said he again encountered the suspect again around 2:30 AM as he left the club and walked with a group up E Pike. The victim told police the suspect made comments about being Mexican and continued to harass him as he attempted to walk away and diffuse the situation. When the group reached the 1200 block of E Pike, according to the SPD report on the incident, members of the group walking with the suspect jumped the victim’s group:

The victim told police nobody called 911 at the time and that he sought medical treatment after the incident. The victim provided photos of his injuries and a description of the suspect in the open investigation but only general details of the other people involved including one man he said works at a hot dog stand in the neighborhood. The suspect description was not included in the SPD report. We’ll check for more information and follow-up if warranted.