A late-night break-in at a Sultan public utility substation on June 14 ended with two people in handcuffs after deputies say they caught the pair in the act and chased them across the Sultan River. The suspects took off on foot, triggering a multi-unit search that pulled in drone units, a K-9 team, and patrol deputies hustling upstream to cut off escape routes. One suspect eventually surrendered, while the other was tracked down in dense brush. Both were arrested and booked into the Snohomish County Jail on burglary charges.
Substation break-in sparked river-area search
As reported by KING5, Snohomish County deputies said they saw two people burglarizing a Sultan Public Utility District substation, setting off a search after the suspects bolted. The pair ran across the Sultan River, so drone teams were launched to scan the river area from above while East Precinct patrol deputies shifted positions to contain any escape routes. Sheriff's investigators are processing evidence recovered at the substation and are continuing to follow up on leads in the case.
K-9 Knox led a prolonged track
KING5 quoted the Sheriff’s Office saying, "K9 Knox located one suspect after tracking through dense vegetation for more than 90 minutes." According to the report, the second suspect was bitten by the dog during capture, and coordinated repositioning by deputies prompted the other person to give up. Deputies credited the combined drone and K-9 response with bringing the search to a quick end once the suspects were located.
County deputies cover Sultan under contract
The City of Sultan contracts with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office for police services, which is why county patrol and specialty units responded to the substation call, the city notes. The City of Sultan explains that East Precinct deputies provide law enforcement in the Sky Valley area. That setup allows county K-9 teams and drone units to be deployed on local calls when needed.
Investigation remains active
The Sheriff’s Office says detectives are still working to determine whether the two people arrested are connected to any other thefts or vandalism in the area and has asked anyone with information to contact its tip line. Media releases and public updates from the office are posted on its website and archive pages. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office will provide further updates as investigators develop the case.
