Police arrested a thief who filled his pockets with jewelry and electronics on Jan. 12 at a residence in the 6600 block of East Mercer Way. An 80-year-old man called police to report that a suspicious stranger was at the home of his neighbor, a disabled woman who did not know the stranger. Police found the thief, a 48-year-old Seattle man, inside. He claimed to be working for the woman. He had an outstanding warrant with the Auburn Police Department and was arrested at 6:20 p.m. for attempted theft. Items in his pockets included a telephone, camera and jewelry.
Jan. 9
Out of control: A driver lost control of his vehicle at 25 mph after the engine died at 3:32 a.m., Jan. 9, on Mercerwood Drive. The driver, a 37-year-old Seatac man, was unable to brake or steer the vehicle, a Lincoln, and attempted turning onto 95th Avenue S.E. in the 4200 block. The vehicle slowed to a stop after running over a large boulder and shrubs. The driver and passenger were unharmed, and the vehicle was towed from the scene with a damaged front bumper and undercarriage.
Jan. 11
Abandoned vehicle: A Chrysler automobile was abandoned during the snow storm in the 3600 block of Island Crest Way between 9:24 p.m. and 10:18 p.m. The vehicle, registered to a California man, blocked traffic in a lane of travel and was impounded.
Jan. 12
Arrest: A Seattle man, 54, was arrested for driving with a suspended license at 3:48 p.m. in the 8400 block of North Mercer Way. He was cited and released from the MIPD.
Car prowl: A purse containing $1,400 worth of items was stolen out of an unlocked car between 4:20 and 6:20 p.m. at a residence in the 4200 block of Shoreclub Drive. Items included a digital camera and credit cards. The vehicle, a Volvo cross country, was parked in an open garage. Latent fingerprints could not be recovered from the car door handle.
Jan. 13
Burglary: $1,820 worth of power tools was stolen from a construction site in the 2900 block of 72nd Avenue S.E. An unknown suspect stole the tools after entering a 32-year-old man’s work trailer and site during the previous evening or overnight.
Suspicious circumstance: A Mercer Island woman, 69, reported that a man who claimed to be a utility worker with the water company was admitted into her residence at 1 p.m. on 60th Avenue S.E. He instructed her to run water from all her faucets and was inside for approximately 10 minutes. The woman then found that a chest of drawers in her bedroom had been rummaged through, and the mattress was out of alignment with the box spring. She suspected the man was looking for money between the mattress and box spring.
Arrest: Police arrested a man who ran a stop sign in the 7500 block of westbound I-90. The Sammamish resident, 32, who was driving with a suspended license and report of sale violation with five Failure To Appears on record, was arrested at 4:14 p.m. He was taken into Bellevue police custody on an outstanding warrant after being processed at the MIPD.
Accident: A Jeep backed into a parked, unoccupied vehicle at 8:11 p.m. in the 3200 block of West Concord Way. A witness who heard the collision described it as a “loud pop.” The Jeep had two occupants, and the driver returned later at 8:20 p.m.
Jan. 14
Car prowl: After smashing out a window of a Land Rover parked at the Roanoke Inn at 1825 72nd Ave. S.E, an unknown suspect stole an iPhone from the vehicle. The incident occurred sometime during the night, and the loss was $750.
Disturbance: A Mercer Island couple turned over four guns to the MIPD for safekeeping after officers responded to a call at 6:33 p.m. from the woman, 50, who was having thoughts of suicide. The woman had been drinking and was likely under the influence of prescription medication.
Jan. 15
Arrest: Washington State Patrol turned a Seatac man, 36, into Mercer Island police custody at 9:30 a.m. for a $250 outstanding traffic warrant. The man was taken to the Issaquah Jail.
Bicycle theft: A Raleigh bike was stolen from the North Mercer Park and Ride sometime between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12. It had been chained and locked to the bike rack. The theft was reported at 3:16 p.m.
Arrest: A Mercer Island girl, 16, was arrested for assault at 11:05 p.m. She had been fighting with her father, and was booked into the King County Juvenile Detention Center.
Jan. 17
DUI: A vehicle crossed over the center line into the opposite lane and parked on a sidewalk, half in the street, at 1:49 a.m. in the 2000 block of West Mercer Way. The driver, a 40-year-old Portland woman who was noticeably intoxicated with slurred speech and slow fine motor skills, refused standard field tests and was arrested for DUI. She was released from the MIPD to a sober adult.
Assault: A Mercer Island girl, 15, was arrested at 6:50 p.m. for hitting her sister with a shower rod during an argument. Photographs were taken of the victim’s injuries.
Arrest: A Seattle man, 33, was arrested at 10 p.m. in the 7700 block of Sunset Highway on a King County Sheriff’s Office warrant, after police stopped him for a report of sale violation. His driver’s license was expired and he was booked into the King County Jail. His vehicle was picked up by the registered owner.
Jan. 18
Accident: Police stopped an erratic driver at 5:39 a.m. in the 5200 block of East Mercer Way. The driver, an older man, swerved onto the soft shoulder of the road twice, struck a decorative wall and hit a street sign. The police officer found the driver shaken but uninjured, and the driver claimed that headlights had blinded him, though the officer had not observed any other vehicles in the area. The driver, who was not cited, also claimed he was distracted by the officer’s emergency lights before the collision. The vehicle’s rear fender area was damaged.
Arrest: A Mercer Island woman, 47, was arrested for violating a court order at 6:30 p.m. in the 2200 block of 72nd Avenue S.E. Police contacted her while she was walking within 500 feet of a residence that she had been ordered to stay from. She was booked into the Issaquah Jail.
