Sammamish Police Blotter: Neighbor Feud Forces One Family to Move, Ends with Obscene Gesture

Two feuding neighbors on the 3400 block of E Lake Sammamish Shore Lane NE may have had their final police involved encounter, when the 50-year-old woman living at one of the homes called police to report that her neighbor had threatened her by “flipping the bird” at her and giving her a menacing look while driving by her home in a truck trailer.

Police arrived at the scene explained to her that the finger gesture in itself doesn’t constitute a threat, but she maintained that she felt threatened and that she feels her family has been vilified in the press and their side has not been documented. The officer explained to her that when he had asked her husband for statements, he has not provided them.

The families have called police in recent months with reports of vandalism and threats, apparently stemming at first from a much earlier fight between their respective sons. When police talked with the next door neighbor, a 51-year-old man, he replied that he blamed the neighbors for him feeling like they had to sell their house and move, and so yes, on his last day in the home, he may have “waved” at her in a parting shot. The husband of the neighbor who felt threatened told police, “If he threatens my kids or my wife, I’m going to take care of him." One of the men (not clear which in the redacted report) said that his wife had to wear a bulletproof vest several times a week.

Saturday, July 28

Graffiti at Pine Lake Park: Police received a report of graffiti on a shed door at Pine Lake Park sometime overnight on July 28, which said, “BNCD are Fags.” The graffiti was photographed and cleaned up. No suspects are known at this time.

Monday, July 30

Burglary: A home at 21600 NE 20th Way was burglarized, and only prescription drugs; oxycodone and Percocet, were stolen. Since the home was for sale, the officer asked whether the theft could have occurred during an open house, but apparently the burglar entered through a sliding door which was inadvertently left unlocked after a showing of the home.

Tuesday, July 31

Teen locks siblings in a bedroom during rowdy party: Police were called to the scene of a very large juvenile party, on the SE 2700 Block of 232nd Ave SE in Sammamish. Police broke up the party, at which a fist-fight had also broken out, and neighbors expressed concern for younger siblings who were at the house, saying the 18-year-old Sammamish girl who lives at the residence would not let them in to check on the 10- and 14-year-olds. Apparently, the older girl, who seemed intoxicated, yelled at police to leave and that her siblings were fine. She apparently had locked them in her parents’ room during the party. When the father of the girl called police, he said he had gotten an entirely different story from his daughter, who had told him the party was at a different residence down the street. Police referred the case to CPS, relating to poor supervision of the younger children.

Nine year old shots 4-year old in the eye with a BB: Police were called to an accident at the 21000 block of SE 35th Place, where a 4-year old boy had been accidentally shot with a BB gun by the 9-year-old son of a close family friend. The 9-year-old said the little boy walked outside right as he was shooting the BB and it hit him, and he was very distressed. His family transported the little boy to Children’s Hospital, in case the BB was lodged in his eye socket.

Home burglary after car prowl: A Sammamish woman reported to police that her home had been ransacked, and about $5,200 in items stolen, including gold jewelry, silverware, and an older laptop computer. She had spent several hours at Beaver Lake Preserve in the morning, and believed her car, a 2007 Prius, was secured while she was hiking. Upon closer inspection, it appears that the vehicle registration card and insurance card were stolen out of the home. The burglar entered the home through an unlocked rear window.

Suicide: Police were called to a home on the 4300 block of 212th Ave. NE, to respond to reports of an injured 59-year-old man.  His wife had found him, dead from what apparently was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Police found a .22-caliber rifle at the scene. Eastside Fire responded as well.

Wednesday, Aug. 1

Burglary averted by alarm: Residents of the 29000 block of 224th Pl SE called police to report that their neighbor’s burglar alarm was going off. Police arrived to find a window had been smashed with a rock and access gained to the home. Nothing appeared to have been taken, and a witness said he saw, a few minutes before police arrived, a middle-aged heavyset, blond white man leaving the driveway in a green passenger car, possibly a Chevrolet, but he did not get the license plate number.

Thefts at Sammamish Highlands Shopping Center: reported to Sammamish police that someone had removed the locks toe the rear gate and storage sheds behind the store and stolen two pressure washers used as rentals, worth about $1000, but for some reason had not taken the high pressure hoses that go along with them. No evidence or fingerprints were found.

The same night, someone also broke into the storage shed behind , at the same shopping center and stole construction equipment (15 fourmi’s used to move items around during a remodel) worth $1500.

Thursday, Aug. 2

DUI: A 20-year old Sammamish man was arrested for DUI and driving with a suspended license after police saw his vehicle in the area, and knowing he already had a violation for DWLS. When he was stopped, he appeared intoxicated to the police officer, who found a small torn baggie like those commonly used for illegal drugs. He refused to submit to a blood toxicology test, and was booked into Issaquah jail.

Car Prowl: A man living on the 15000 block of 220th Place NE reported to police that a briefcase with an iPad was stolen out of his SUV, which he believes he inadvertently left unlocked after retrieving some items out of it late in the evening. The briefcase also included tax documents and his sons’ passports. Police were able to lift three fingerprints from the car, and are awaiting possible matches.