At dawn this morning a woman watched a man climb up her balcony to the apartment above – and called Seattle police.
Officers arrived around 5 a.m. to find a man climbing back down from the third floor of the building, in the 1900 block of Northeast 85th Street (just across Lake City Way from Maple Leaf proper).
From a police release:
Officers could see that the man was wearing a backpack. The suspect jumped to the ground from the second story and began running. Officers gave chase, and the suspect refused the officers’ orders to stop.
Other officers arrived in the area and set up containment. The suspect was spotted running through several yards and was eventually taken into custody several blocks away.
Further investigation by the officers determined that the suspect had indeed entered an occupied apartment on the third floor through an unlocked sliding glass door. Despite a lengthy search by officers, the suspect’s backpack was not located….
The 55-year-old suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Burglary.
Tent is gone as of 5 PM today. I gather the police asked the individual to leave more emphatically than before.
The mess left behind, I will go pick up and dispose of.
The volunteer effort to clean up the north side of NE 106th just east of 8th is moving ahead, with progress being made.
He squats still, fifth call to the authorities. SPU and Parks have been notified. Will advise when camp is broken up.
Maybe I could put an RV there?
http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Police-sweep-forest-for-drug-and-homeless-camps-258392431.html
These people are not living in tents for having made good life choices.
Still there as of yesterday, fourth call to police.
Posted NO CAMPING.
Trash accumulating, and toilet facilities are your local stream. Nice.
Expect a tent at Maple Leaf Park soon.
Could somebody put geocache coordinates at this location? Maybe increased foot traffic will get him to move on. As it is, I can’t use my own park for fear of running into a person with possible mental health, drug and/or sex offender issues.
Just because his squat is secluded, it should not earn him a pass as far as the NO CAMPING rules in public parks.
I was referring to both the police and Parks Dept. for not responding. By the way, if we approve the Parks District, they will get to raise our taxes in the future without putting a levy before us. That sounds like a really awful idea.
Why not blame the voters? They’re the ones that cut the funding for city employees, forcing one person to do multiple jobs and leave others vacant.
Ah yes, blame all city employees for the lack of response from the police. Why not just blame the police Thomas? They are the ones not doing their job.
Imagine if City employees had to actually WORK to keep their jobs! That would be really awesome.
We have had a squatter living in a tent in Thornton Creek Park Six, the Beaver Dam Natural Area, about 100 yards north of the 9th Avenue NE street end at NE 106th, about 100 yards west of Roosevelt Way.
Three calls to police: Nada
Exchanging Emails with Parks: Zip
I will be setting up a tent in Maple Leaf Reservoir Park just to test the response time for eviction from that highly visible location. If this man’s experience is consistent, I can stay for at least a month without worry.
Perhaps the arrested offender is the fellow from our local park and his squat is now abandoned. One can only hope in the face of ZERO action by the people who should be dealing with the problem. Local mail thefts from the condo on 8th NE and NE 105th are concurrent with this squatter’s presence in the park. Coincidence?
The park is closed at dusk, through dawn, and they are allowing a squatter to reside there for weeks. I call BS.
The Thornton Creek Watershed Report states: “Fecal coliform bacteria concentrations in Thornton Creek and at Matthews Beach (Lake Washington) exceed the state water quality standard and pose a potential threat to public health.”
Do you suppose an illegal, long term encampment within feet of the creek might contribute to this problem?
Meth is a heck of a drug. Just another victimless drug ruining our neighborhoods.