Kent officers bust men, woman for prowling vehicles

A witness report of suspicious subjects looking into cars and checking door handles led the Kent Police to arrest two men and one woman for investigation of attempted vehicle prowl and possession of vehicle prowl tools.

Officers responded to a call at about 5:12 a.m. Sept. 23 at the Cascade Apartments, 20402 106th Ave. S.E., about people trying vehicle door handles and looking into cars, according to the police report.

Officers arrived at the complex and eventually tracked down three people walking near the parking lot. One man told police his friend wanted to take a car stereo but claimed they didn’t take anything.

Police searched backpacks that a man and a woman were carrying and discovered gloves, screwdrivers, pliers, shaved keys and other items often used to break into cars. The items also included what’s known as “Ninja rocks,” which are ceramic pieces of spark plugs used to break vehicle windows.

One of the arrested men had a vehicle at the parking lot. Officers searched the vehicle and found many items that belonged to other people including insurance cards, identification cards and even a school annual.

The owners of those items were contacted by police and each had a vehicle stolen or broken into recently in Renton, Auburn, Federal Way, Seattle and other cities. All owned a Honda Civic or Honda Accord, two of the most common vehicles targeted by thieves.

Drugs

Police arrested a man for investigation of possession of marijuana after a patrol officer saw a suspicious vehicle parked at about 8:50 p.m. Sept. 23 at Turnkey Park, 23312 100th Ave. S.E.

An officer saw two cars in the lot at the park even though the park had closed at dark, according to the police report. The report described the park as an area known for drug use.

Officers could smell marijuana when approaching the vehicles. Two men and two women were connected with the cars. Police released the two women and one of the men.

But the officers allegedly found three plastic baggies of marijuana on the arrested man. The contents of the baggies tested positive for 3.0 grams of marijuana.

The man said the marijuana was in separate baggies for his personal use and denied trying to sell the drug.

Malicious mischief

Officers arrested a man for investigation of third-degree malicious mischief and fourth-degree assault after he reportedly punched another man and threw a cinder block against the windshield of the man’s car.

The incident happened at about 9:40 p.m. Sept. 24 in the 600 block of Third Avenue South, according to the police report.

The man who reportedly was attacked rents a room from the mother of the man arrested by officers. The dispute started over a phone charger borrowed by one of the men.

The man who threw two punches claimed the other man had disrespected his sister, so he punched him and threw a cinder block against the car’s windshield, causing it to crack.

Assault

Police arrested a man for investigation of fourth-degree assault after he allegedly slapped his mother during a dispute at about 8:19 p.m. Sept. 24 at a home in the 23500 block of 112th Avenue Southeast.

An argument started between the man and his father after the son refused to turn a light off in the family room, according to the police report.

The son claimed that his mother punched him so he slapped her. Both parents told police they were afraid of their son and wanted him out of the home.

When an officer tried to talk to the son for more details about what happened, he told the officer he wanted a lawyer and the conversation stopped.