Teenagers are reported to have been involved in two different robberies on Tuesday, March 15, according to Seattle Police Department reports.

The first robbery, which took place at 2:05 a.m. at a 24-hour store located in the 1900 block of Queen Anne Avenue North., left one victim–the store clerk–with two cuts on his head, one behind his left ear and the other over his left eye.

According to the police report, the victim said he heard someone walking toward the cash register, so he headed to the front to cash-out any customers. When he got to the front he saw the two suspects walking past the register and toward the door, each with a bottle of wine in their hands.

Positioning himself between the suspects and the door the victim yelled “hey, you can’t have those.” At this time the suspects reportedly ran toward him, one striking him on the left side of his head with one of the wine bottles, which were both left at the scene when the suspects fled.

According to the police report there may be video surveillance of the crime. One fingerprint was found and submitted to evidence. SPD officers conducted an area check at the scene, but were unable to locate the suspects. Here are the suspect descriptions taken verbatim from the police report:

Suspect #1 W/M 16 yoa, 5’00″, thin build, Asian style eyes, blond hair in a single ponytail, dark shirt, and dark jogging pants.

Suspect #2 B/M teens, 5’01″ unknown clothing, afro style hair about two inches long.

The second robbery, which took place just two and a half hours later at 4:28 a.m. at David Rodgers Park. According to the report the victim, a Queen Anne resident who lives on 2nd Ave W, went to his car, which was parked outside his family’s home, to get his cigarettes. He then reportedly walked to the park to smoke, and was sitting on the swing set smoking and looking out at the blackberry bushes when he was approached by the first suspect, who “came up behind him and in a raspy 18 year old voice demand, ‘Give me your money bitch!’”

The suspect then saw the second suspect, who came from behind him and was wearing a grey hoody. The second suspect reportedly pointed a fixed steak knife with a 6 inch blade at the suspect and demanded, “Give me your money bitch!”

The suspect, who the police report noted had recently lost his job and was staying up late at night, had been pistol whipped during a robbery in West Seattle two years earlier. Wanting to avoid getting hurt again, the victim told police he gave the suspects $160 in cash that his father had given him to get through the week. The suspects then reportedly fled in a Northwest direction down one of the park’s trails. Police searched the area but were unable to find the suspects or any evidence.

The victim told police that “he felt so anxious about the incident that he was nauseous and wanted to go lie down.” The police report did not provide any suspect descriptions.

Major crimes in the city and in the neighborhood, including robberies, are trending downward, according to 2010 numbers just released by the Seattle Police Department.

As of the end of 2010, Violent Crimes were down by 9% compared with 2009, led by a 20% decrease in robberies. Property Crimes were down by 5% across the City, with a slight increase only in vehicle thefts.

In Queen Anne the trends are pretty much the same. Here are some numbers for crime in the police precinct that most resembles the neighborhood (SPD divides Queen Anne into three beats–Q2, Q3 and D1).

Robberies: There were 36 robberies between the three beats in 2010, compared to 66 in 2009.

Burglaries: There were 352 assaults between the three beats in 2010, compared to 373 in 2009.

Car Theft: There were 227 car thefts between the three beats in 2010, compared to 203 in 2009.

Homicide: There were no homicides reported in any of the three beats in both 2010 and 2009.

Larceny: There were 1,539 larceny thefts between the three beats in 2010, compared to 2,056 in 2009.

Assault: There were 316 assaults between the three beats in 2010, compared to 373 in 2009.

To find more information about crime statistics in the neighborhood, check out SPD’s crime stats map, and general citywide crime data.

[Editor's Note: these year totals were calculated by hand based off of SPD's 2010 and 2009 crime statistics, which are divided by precinct and month.]

A woman and her friend were robbed at gunpoint in a Lower Queen Anne apartment building at approximately 9 p.m. on Friday, February 4, according to a Seattle Police Department report. From the SPD Blotter:

On February 4th, at approximately 9:00 PM, the victim and her friend were inside her apartment in the 500 Block of 1st Avenue North when they heard what they described as a “friendly knock” at the door.  The victim opened the door and saw a heavy set white female standing there.  Suddenly, a large Samoan male pushed the female out of the way, shoved a gun in the victim’s face, then he and the female forced their way into the apartment. Once inside, the suspects began rummaging through the victim’s things in search for items of value.  The suspects took several electronic items.  As the suspects were leaving the building, a witness who apparently recognized at least one of the suspects as a suspect from another robbery that had previously occurred in the building, called 911 to report it.  The witness also observed the suspects get into a car and drive away.  They were last seen heading east on Mercer Street.

SPD officers conducted an area search for the suspects’ vehicle, but were unable to locate it. The SPD Robbery Unit was notified and responded to process the scene. No one was injured in this incident.

At approximately 6:48 p.m. on Sunday, January 23 a pedestrian crossing the street mid-block in the 100 block of Denny Way was hit by a Toyota traveling eastbound on Denny Way, according to a report by the Seattle Police Department released today.

The pedestrian sustained “serious head injuries” and was transported to Harborview Medical Center by the Seattle Fire Department. From SPD:

The driver of the Toyota was evaluated at the scene for any signs of impairment, but did not exhibit any signs of any intoxication.  The driver was interviewed and released from the scene.

SPD Traffic Collision Investigation Sqaud detectives are continuing the investigation into the collision.

Michelle Thornton, 43, a lifelong Seattle resident and employee at the Upper Queen Anne Safeway, was found dead in her Belltown apartment on Thursday, January 6 by detectives from the Seattle Police Department missing persons unit. Yesterday SPD ruled the death a homicide, and is continuing the investigation to find out just what happened to her.

For years Thornton has thrown a New Year’s Eve party at her apartment, in the 100 block of Vine Street, which has a view of the fireworks at the Space Needle, according to a report by the Seattle Times. But this year friends became concerned when Thornton failed to answer her door or phone on the evening of the party, her father, Bill Thornton, told the Times.

After hearing from a number of concerned friends who had no been able to reach Michelle, Bill Thornton reported his daughter missing to police. He later learned that she had also failed to show up for work at the Upper Queen Anne Safeway on December 30.

Thornton’s last post on Facebook was at 2:55 a.m. on December 28. Friend and former neighbor Richard Bollinger told the Times that he last spoke with Michelle around midnight on December 29, adding that he called her on New Year’s Eve and left a message, and then called her back the following day, at which point her voice-mail box was full. Bill Thornton says this was the last confirmed time anyone spoke to his daughter. From the Times:

He said police went to his daughter’s apartment and did a welfare check early last week, but they could only briefly “look around” because they lacked a search warrant. Detectives later got a warrant and returned on Thursday, he said.

“She was in the closet, the back of the closet, which is why they didn’t see her” during the welfare check, Thornton said.

While Thornton said that his daughter’s personal life has been “troubled,” he also added that she had a lot of friends and was very active. Her death has been “a parent’s worst nightmare,” he told the Times.

Though the King County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released Thornton’s name officially, or cause the of death, SPD spokeswoman Renee Witt did confirm that investigators have ruled the incident a homicide.

Michelle is survived by her father, Bill, stepmother Jeanie Thornton, stepbrother John Hynd, and half brother David Scott Taylor.

Anyone who may have information about Thornton’s death is asked to call the department’s homicide unit at 206-684-5550.

Photo taken from Michelle Thornton’s Facebook page.

Queen Anne saw numerous thefts and burglaries from Thursday evening to Monday morning, according to the Seattle Police Department.

The following is a list of incidents prompting police response over the weekend:

• A vehicle was stolen from the 30xx block of 14^th Ave. W. on Jan. 6 around 5:30 p.m.
• A forced burglary occurred in the nonresidential area of the 1xx block of Queen Anne Ave. N on Jan. 7 at 7:11 a.m.
• A forced burglary occurred in the nonresidential area of the 11xx block of Westlake Ave. N. on Jan. 7 around 5 p.m.
• A car was broken into on the 2xx block of Boston St. on Jan. 7 around 7 p.m.
• A case of aggravated assault with a weapon occurred on the 20xx block of Westlake Ave. N. on Jan. 8 at 5:04 a.m.
• A case of non-aggravated assault occurred on the 5xx block of 1^st Ave. N. on Jan. 9 at 1:45 a.m.
• A shoplifter was reported in the xx block of Denny Way on Jan. 9 at 2:14 a.m.
• A theft occurred from a building in the 5xx block of Queen Anne Ave. N. on Jan. 9 around 8:30 p.m.
• A robbery from a business with a weapon occurred in the 5xx block of Mercer St. on Jan. 10 at 4:33 a.m.

Follow crime citywide and by neighborhood on the Seattle Police Department’s interactive crime map.

On Monday the Seattle City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that will allow Seattle police officers to give out $100 citations for fighting, threatening others, or making excessive or “unreasonable noise” in public areas between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. The legislation, which was sponsored by Councilmember Nick Licata and included in Mayor McGinn’s Seattle Nightlife Initiative, aims to promote “the co-existence of residents and nightlife establishments” in Seattle’s nightlife districts.

“This bill passed because groups on all sides of this issue were willing to make compromises. The new law should address most of the behavioral problems police encounter when crowds leave the bars. It provides them with a preventive alternative to address unruly bar patrons on the sidewalks,” Licata said in the public statement.

The new ordinance will affect business districts throughout Seattle, especially those with large concentrations of bars, such as downtown, Belltown and Lower Queen Anne. It will go into effect after a legally required State Department of Ecology Review is completed, a process that may take up to 90 days. As part of the ordinance, the Chief of Police and the City Attorney will also be required to report on the action’s success in reducing nighttime disturbances in 2011.

“Undesirable behavior by patrons after they leave nightlife establishments is an ongoing concern. We now have legislation that will hold disrespectful club goers accountable, which is another proactive approach of the City’s comprehensive nightlife initiative,” Mayor McGinn said in a statement.

Given that noisy crowds can often be heard roaming around Uptown and parts of Queen Anne after closing time, it’s safe to say this ordinance will likely directly impact bar goers—and nearby residents—in the neighborhood. What do you think, Queen Anne? Do you agree with the new ordinance, or disagree, and why?

Seattle Police Department has just launched a new public online reporting option.

The Community Online Reporting Program (CORP) allows the public to file police reports for certain incident types (Property Destruction, Car Prowls, Auto Accessories, Theft of Property (under $500), and Identity Theft) over the internet.

This service will allow the public to file a report at a time that is best for them without having to wait for an officer to respond or call them back. The public will be able to print a temporary copy of the report as soon as they submit it. The report will be reviewed by police personnel, and, once approved, the filing person will receive an email with a copy of the final report attached. The report will transfer directly into the Seattle Police Department records management system and receive the same investigation and statistical analysis as if the report had been filed by an officer.

This option is for low level property crimes only. It does not replace 911 or the non-emergency number. If the caller feels that they are in danger, or the crime just happened, or the suspect may still be there, 911 is still the best option. The Community Online Reporting Program is an option for people that want to report a low level theft, but do not necessarily need an officer to respond in person.

The web-based crime reporting service can be accessed by going to the Seattle Police Department’s homepage (http://www.seattle.gov/police) and clicking the “File a Report” Quick Link.

The 4th of July weekend is a time for fun, family and of course, fireworks! However it also tends to be a few days where there’s heightened risk for accidents. In an effort to keep the community safe, the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department have released this public safety announcement:

The Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department would like to remind the public that there are no legal fireworks in the City of Seattle.

The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited. Fireworks offenses are gross misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.

Fireworks pose a fire hazard to property and present a safety risk to those who use them. Every year the Seattle Fire Department responds to fireworks-related fires and injuries. Each and every one of these incidents could have been prevented.

On the 4^th of July, 911 centers become overloaded with non-emergency fireworks calls. DO NOT call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency and need immediate help from police, fire or medics. Unnecessary 911 calls block people with real emergencies from reaching 911 and getting help.

Any fireworks-related fires or injuries should be reported directly to 911. Other fireworks violations may be reported by calling the Seattle Police non-emergency number at (206) 625-5011.

The Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Department wish you a safe and enjoyable 4^th of July celebration!

Happy 4th of July Queen Anne! Have a great weekend, and if you feel like sharing some of your favorite pictures of the fireworks, send them in to tips@queenanneview.com.