(Image: Kia)

See something others should know about? Email CHS or call/txt/Signal (206) 399-5959. You can view recent CHS 911 coverage here. Hear sirens and wondering what’s going on? Check out Twitter reports from @jseattle.

• Kia thefts: SPD says an incident in which it busted a group of teens in a stolen Kia trying to steal another Kia on Capitol Hill before crashing and being hauled in by police has revealed a ploy targeting the South Korean auto maker’s vehicles. In its “Warning to KIA Drivers,” SPD says one teen busted on Capitol Hill learned of techniques “using a USB drive or cable and other tools, in place of a key” to steal the vehicles from “a series of videos on TikTok” —
  

  Earlier this month, police arrested two teens after receiving a report that several suspects driving a Kia—which police later discovered was stolen—had pulled up on a residential street in northwest Capitol Hill and tried to steal a second Kia. Officers quickly arrived at the scene and spotted the suspects, who sped away and crashed into a fence in the 900 block of East Newton Street. The three occupants of the Kia fled on foot, but officers caught up to two of them—a 17-year-old boy, who was carrying a loaded ghost gun, assembled from a firearm kit sold online—and a16-year-old boy. Officers arrested the two teens for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle.

  In another incident, SPD says officers recovered a stolen Kia in South Seattle and “found evidence linking the theft to the same 16-year-old from the Capitol Hill incident.” Police learned the teenhad reportedly learned to steal Kias from the TikTok videos. Police say the incidents appear to be part of a spike in Kia rip-offs with some 36 incidents reported in July compared to only five a year earlier. SPD says the vehicles stolen in July — Kia models Optima, Soul, Sorrento, Forte, and Sportage — were manufactured between 2014 and 2021. SPD is recommending Kia owners “take care to park in well-lit or secure areas when possible” and says steering wheel locks and ignition kill-switch systems can also be effective deterrents.

• Safeway parking lot fire: A car fire Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of the Capitol Hill Safeway destroyed the vehicle and sent a plume of black smoke into the sky but fortunately caused no injuries. Seattle Fire was called to the reported car fire around 2 PM and was able to extinguish the blaze without further damage to the property or other vehicles. There were no reported injuries in the response.
• Preschool lockdown: Police were called to E Olive Way’s International Montessori Academy Friday to reports of a man suffering an apparent mental crisis who had entered the preschool causing staff and students to hide in a locked room. According to East Precinct radio updates, the incident began just before 10 AM Friday and ended quickly as the man fled the area as police arrived. There were no reported injuries. The academy opened in a former E Olive Way nightclub and restaurant space in 2018.
• E Olive Way gunfire: Police investigated a Sunday night shots fired incident behind the Uncle Ike’s E Olive Way location:
  

  On 08-14-2022 at 2200 hours, officers responded to a report of 7 shots fired in the alley behind 1411 E Olive Way behind Uncle Ike’s. Officers conducted an area check and one subject ran from the area, but officers did not have legal reason to detain him at the time. Officers conducted an area check and located evidence of a shooting on the ground in the alley. Officers detained 3 subjects in the alley. The firearm was loaded with a single .22 caliber round. Officers did not locate anyone injured, damage or any further evidence of a shooting. Officers’ investigation was unable to determine who fired a gun. The subjects were released, and the incident was documented.

• Parking garage intruder: SPD reports it arrested a burglary suspect Monday after an incident at an area building’s parking garage —
  

  On 08-15-2022 at 1634 hours, a female victim was driving her vehicle with her 4-year on in the back seat. She pulled into the secured parking garage at her residence and noticed a male walk in behind her. The victim told the suspect to leave the garage, but he approached her instead. The suspect demanded that the victim exit her vehicle. The victim feared the suspect intended to steal her car and was in fear for her child. She told the suspect she was calling the police and the suspect fled. He was located by responding officers and arrested. The suspect was booked for investigation of robbery and investigation of burglary.

• MLK shooting: Police say a man walked into a First Hill emergency room with a gunshot wound to his foot last Wednesday morning:
  

  On 08-10-2022 at 0512 hours, a victim walked into Virginia Mason with a gunshot wound to his foot. He said that on 08-07-2022 he was walking near MLK/Rainer when a 70s-80s classic style blue sedan pulled up next to him with 2 males in the front seat. The passenger produced a firearm and shot 7 to 8 rounds at him, one of which hit him in the foot. He said he did not seek medical treatment right away because it did not hurt. Screened with a Homicide detective.

• First Hill road rage shooting arrest: SPD has arrested a First Hill man for a July road rage shooting in Westlake:
  

  In that incident, on July 15th, a woman reported the male passenger in a vehicle had brandished a gun and fired a shot at her in the 2000 block of Westlake Avenue North. No one was injured. Three days later, on July 18th, officers were called to a First Hill address to investigate a dispute involving a man with a firearm. Police arrested the man and seized his gun.

  Police say testing showed the gun seized in the dispute was the same firearm used in the Westlake road rage shooting. SPD says the suspect was taken into custody last week.

• UPDATE: Central District assault: Police are looking for help identifying the suspect caught on video in this May attack in the lobby of a Central District apartment building —
  

  At 9:48 p.m. on May 30th, 2022 a man entered the lobby of the apartment building and attacked the woman inside an elevator. The victim sustained significant injuries in the assault, including broken bones in her face, and a concussion. Detectives have been unable to identify the suspect and are hoping someone recognizes him. The suspect is described as a white male approximately 5’6” to 5’10”, with a short light-colored buzz cut. He was wearing a camouflage patterned shirt or jacket over a white t-shirt. The man also appears to walk with a hunched posture. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Seattle PD Violent Crimes Tip Line (206) 233-5000 or email [email protected].

PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.