(Image: Madison Park Jewelers)
Thieves nearly ruined Valentine’s Day as they smashed a flower-filled U-Haul truck into Madison Park Jewelers but had to leave the store’s massive safe behind in a messy getaway from police early Tuesday morning.
Seattle Police says a security alarm system and video showing the box truck and its flowery cargo repeatedly smash into the building brought officers to the scene just before 6 AM. Arriving officers reported the storefront destroyed and a group of suspects and the truck still at the scene.
As police moved into position, the suspects fled in the U-Haul, dragging a large chain behind it in a cascade of sparks as it sped west on E Madison. At the burglary scene, police also found the area strewn with Valentine’s flowers.
Police attempted to stop the truck on E Madison, SPD reports, but the driver continued westbound at a high rate of speed and police lost sight. According to East Precinct radio updates, officers were not authorized to pursue the vehicle because the incident was a property crime.
Madison Park Jewelers suffered significant damage in the unsuccessful heist attempt to remove the “very large” safe, SPD reports.
It turns out the thieves already had something valuable — though more difficult to profit from — on their hands before trying to boost the safe. According to East Precinct radio updates, the U-Haul had been reported stolen overnight from a Georgetown business and was full of a reported $10,000 in flowers.
Valentine’s Day wasn’t completely ruined for the flower business. East Precinct officers reported that a large amount of flowers matching the ones at the burglary scene had been recovered and someone was headed to pick them up just in time for the holiday.
It is not clear if the U-Haul truck was ever found. There were no reported injuries and no arrests.
Crash and grab burglaries have become common targeting pot shops, ATMs, and safes. In August, CHS reported on a successful safe heist at the Madison Park Starbucks a few blocks from Tuesday morning’s attempt.
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Geebeezus.. Dr. Suess could hardly write this stuff better. The grinch is now attempting to steal Valentines day..
Everybody’s in such a hurry. It’s time to stop and steal the roses.
Smashing into a store with the intent to steal, hence causing hundreds to thousands of dollars damage seems worthy of police pursuit. These perps deserve jail time!
Absolutely wild that police were on the scene with the suspects STILL THERE and no arrests are made. Almost equally as stupid that they couldn’t pursue because it was deemed a “property crime”. Are we just waiting for people to turn themselves in? Jesus Christ.
You’ll have an opportunity to vote on the intelligence of the new law stopping police pursuits when it’s up for repeal via ballot initiative in the fall.
Exactly! There is a new law in place (passed by the State Legislature) that limits police pursuits. But we the people will have a chance to overturn this law next fall, because of a successful initiative drive a few months ago.
Zach out here volunteering to be pall bearer for civvies killed in pursuit over baubles that weren’t even gotten. How sweet of Zach.
yes, crazy that they can’t pursue anyore…
I understand that for a lot of people this is a counter-intuitive law. But put yourself in the shoes of a typical, likely half-distracted, maybe elderly driver (or pedestrian) who is suddenly caught in the middle of a high-speed chase, has no idea what’s going on, panics, tries desperately to get out of harm’s way, makes the wrong split-second decision and dies in a collision with the cop car while the perp gets away anyway. Generally speaking, high-speed chases aren’t worth the risk just for property, with no lives at stake. Maybe the rules could be looser on a freeway, which is designed for higher speeds and where there is a clear shoulder to pull over to and no foot traffic at all. But repealing this law entirely would be foolish.
This elderly driver/pedestrian will be voting to repeal the restrictions on police chases.
The legalize crime people have lost. This law is toast. We will once again catch criminals.
Are there any statistics on how many (if any) civilians have been injured or killed due to a police chase in Seattle? One is too many, of course, but I suspect the number is zero.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/seattle-police-body-camera-video.html#:~:text=Last%20week%2C%20the%20Seattle%20Police,23.
SPD killed someone a couple months ago in an insane high speed chase – and then laughed about it on camera…
This is just incorrect… It was not a chase at all much less “an insane high speed chase”… it was simply an officer responding to a call. The woman who was hit ran out in front of a police car that was displaying lights with the driver sounding his horn… She was probably wearing noise cancelling earbuds (some were found at the scene) and somehow didn’t take notice of flashing police lights at night… At some point people need to take at least some small amount of responsibility for themselves. What she did was insanely stupid and she paid the ultimate price.
He was going 70mph in a 25mph. That is insane.
And there was definitely laughing about it on camera and talking about how her life had “limited value”. Absolutely disgusting behavior.
He was rushing to aid someone who was ODing… And the officer involved was not joking about it, it was an uninvolved one. Whether or not you find that behavior to be vulgar doesn’t change the fact that she ran out in front of a police car on it’s way to an emergency call, a car that was running it’s lights and chirping the horn…
Watch the video – she steps out and it appears she doesn’t even look both ways, when she does notice the cop car she doesn’t stop, even though she’s not even out of the parking lane yet – she bolts out right in front of him…
Thing is, this was before 6am in the morning, and a U-Haul truck for chrissakes, not a souped up fast and furious Shelby GT or something. And the next ‘property crime’ by these thieves might not involve just property. Anything this brazen has to be shut down, as they will try again, and somebody innocent could get hurt, police presence or not. The police just need to use common sense during a pursuit, and know when it’s time to let it go for their and other’s safety sake, but to have to just sit there and not even be allowed to try is more progressive craziness (and I consider myself a left of center liberal).
Enjoyed this article & all comments. I loved the Seattle area of 70’s to 90’s. Last there in 2015. At 77, I might have to bring my very close “friend” when I return!!
Then please don’t return. You’ll only add to the problem.