A 43-year-old man was arrested in Bellevue this week, implicated in a burglary involving over $100,000 stolen goods. Bellevue Police apprehended the suspect late Wednesday after a reported burglary in progress in the affluent Newport Shores neighborhood. Two individuals were observed moving a safe containing a sizable sum from a residence on the 3600 block of Lake Washington Blvd. S.E. when police arrived, according to FOX13 Seattle.
Details surrounding the incident reveal a calculated series of events. The home's owners, currently overseas, had their black BMW stolen from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport shortly before their trip. Within that BMW was a garage door opener, which the burglars subsequently used to infiltrate the residence. Investigators connected this incident to a similar burglary at the same house the night prior, as reported by KIRO7. The initial suspect, unable to flee in an already stolen Chevy Avalanche, was apprehended after witnesses reported seeing him drive off in a box truck. The second suspect, driving the stolen BMW, remains at large.
Police found that there was no forced entry into the home due to the use of the garage remote, leaving no clue to the unwanted visitors until it was too late. “Officers when they were checking out the residence they noticed that there was no forced skull entry into the residence and it kind of tipped us off that there was more to the story," Drew Anderson, PIO for Bellevue PD, told KOMO News. The reporting also suggests that the burglars made away with a safe containing paperwork, jewelry, and a Yeti cooler the evening prior to being caught.
In the wake of these incidents, protective measures are being advised to the community. Bellevue Police are recommending that residents not leave garage remotes in vehicles and suggest the use of remote openers that can attach to key chains. Securing garage doors' emergency releases and ensuring doors leading from the garage to the house are securely locked, with deadbolts recommended for added security, are among the suggested precautions. The arrested suspect is facing charges including residential burglary, motor vehicle theft, and hit-and-run unattended vehicle, while the search for the second suspect is still underway, as per FOX13 Seattle coverage.
