Reader report from someone trying to trace a relatively distinctive vehicle:
I wanted to see if anyone in the Gatewood/Fauntleroy area has camera footage they can share of someone who appeared to be casing our home after stealing my wallet (which contained my address) Tuesday evening.
At approximately 5:20 pm my wallet (with driver’s license and current address) was stolen from my car at Rainier Golf & Country Club by a man in a white Mercedes Benz SUV with a missing bumper and missing front left panel, tinted windows, and temporary plates. The car looks new other than those features.
The same car (with one driver, same description) was then seen around 5:50 PM at our home in Gatewood (SW Rose St between Fauntleroy and California). They stopped in our driveway, backed up and hit our yard waste bin, and seemed to be looking for our house cameras. They did not get out of the car. The man was wearing a white tank top and was described as a “bad driver.” They did not move even when our nanny entered the driveway. Once our nanny and kids were back inside, they drove away.
Two neighbors saw them, as did our nanny who was walking the dog when they took this picture. The car in question is the one blocking our driveway, parallel to the road. Our second car (also white) is blocked in by this car. We have an open report with SPD, and are looking for additional footage anyone might have of the driver or car from their own cameras between 5:15 PM and 6:45 PM Tuesday. Based on credit card activity, they drove to Denny/SLU area next, and were there by 6:52.
We pieced this together in reverse order. Nanny texted about weird car; then credit fraud; then witness report about parking lot theft at Rainier which matched the same description provided by our nanny hours earlier. At this point we called the police.