News of Madison Valley

There were 53 incidents in Madison Valley reported to the police during November, about the same as October's total. The number of reported burglaries jumped to 15 however, and was only one fewer than the number of car prowls. That is noteworthy because during most months car prowl theft substantially outnumbers any other kind of crime in Madison Valley that is reported to the police. In contrast, there were no robberies or aggravated assaults reported during November.

Police have posted descriptions of nine of the fifteen burglaries.

1. On Nov. 2 at 7:30 PM police were called to a townhouse on 22nd near Madison to investigate a forced-entry burglary that occurred earlier that day. When they arrived, the resident told them that someone had entered through a bottom floor window and had proceeded to rummage through the home, stealing video gaming equipment, two gold rings and a credit card. The resident also reported that the credit card had just been used to make purchases at a nearby gas station. Police found no fingerprints at the scene. 

2. During the night of Nov. 4-5, a burglar broke into a specialty store on Madison near 29th, but no description is available.

3. On Nov. 4 there was a forced-entry burglary at a residence on 24th near Denny but no description is available.

4. On Nov. 5 a burglar broke into a home on 26th near John but no description is available.

5. On Nov. 7 sometime between 10:30 AM and 2 PM someone broke into a house on 24th near Olive by smashing a dining room window. After dumping the contents of several drawers, the burglar took cash, jewelry, camera equipment and other items worth approximately $10,000. Police found fingerprints on objects that had been moved during the burglary.

6. Sometime during the day on Nov. 11th, a burglar entered a home on 23rd near Howell through an unlocked basement window and after ransacking the home stole computer equipment worth $1900. Police found no fingerprints at the scene.

7. On Nov. 12 Police were called to a residence on 26th Ave. E near Thomas to investigate a non-forced entry burglary that occurred earlier in the day. The burglar took a safe that was kept in a closet and a pile of credit cards, but ignored jewelry, electronics and other valuable items.

8. In the afternoon or early evening of Nov. 14 there was a forced-entry burglary at a home on 30th near Denny. The burglar was apparently looking for cash because expensive items in the home were not taken. A little over $1000 was taken and there was $260 in damage to the home. The police submitted items that may bear fingerprints to the crime lab.

9. Sometime during the weekend of Nov. 14 -15 someone broke into a building site on 19th near John and stole just-installed wiring worth $500. Police found no fingerprints at the scene.

10. On Nov. 16 police were called to a residence on 25th near Howell to investigate an attempted burglary that had occurred around 3 PM. When they arrived a resident told them that a webcam in the home had recorded someone looking into a side window as if to break in, but that a barking dog had apparently thwarted the would be burglar. Police talked to a witness who had viewed the video and identified the suspect as having entered a white Ford van which subsequently drove south on 25th. The witness gave the license number of the van to the police, who found that it was registered to an address in Everett. 

11. At 4:30 PM on Nov. 16 police were called to a residence on 19th near John to investigate a burglary in progress. Upon arriving home, a resident observed that lights were on, and upon entering heard someone run out the back door. The resident then ran to the side of the home and while the burglar passed by him, made a video recording. When the burglar got to the front of the house, he dropped a backpack in the driveway, jogged across 19th, and headed south to E. Thomas St. The victim found that the backpack contained an iPad and a jar of coins that had been taken from his residence. When the police arrived they found that the burglar had entered the residence by throwing a rock through a sliding glass door near the kitchen and had ransacked the bedrooms in the house. In a subsequent search of the neighborhood that was assisted by a K-9 unit, the police were unable to find anyone matching the description of the suspect, but the victim provided the video of the burglar that he had made when the burglar passed him.

12. On Nov. 16 there was an attempted forced-entry burglary on 27th near Pine but no description is available.

13. On Nov. 18 there was a forced-entry burglary at a residence in a condo complex on Madison near 29th. The burglar(s) apparently was able to enter the complex without using force, but had to use a prying tool to enter the victim's unit. Once in, the burglar stole jewelry worth approximately $2500 but neglected other items. A video of a possible suspect taken when he was in lobby of the complex has been given to the police.

14. On Nov. 26 there was a unforced-entry burglary at a residence on 22nd near Aloha but no description is available.

15. On Nov. 29 at around 3PM there was a forced-entry burglary at a residence on 25th near Highland but no description is available.

[Editor's note: The author has inquired about the recent lack of incident descriptions but has not received a reply.]

Lowell Hargens is a Madison Valley resident and former University of Washington professor of sociology specializing in the statistical analysis of data.