A 21-year-old man was arrested after Auburn Police used a drone to support the operation on September 30. Detectives say the man was booked into the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent on suspicion of third-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, and that he was taken into custody safely and without incident, according to police.
Auburn Police spokesperson Kolby Crossley told the Auburn Reporter in an October 5 email that detectives developed probable cause for the arrest stemming from a September 28 incident. Once investigators identified a suspect vehicle, Auburn's tactical patrol unit located it and coordinated with drone surveillance to plan a safe apprehension.
How the Drone Fit Into the Arrest
The operation relied on Auburn's Drone as First Responder pilot program, which launches Skydio X10 aircraft to assist officers responding to calls. According to manufacturer specifications reported by Army Recognition, the X10's Dock can be launch-ready within 20 seconds, while Remote Ops can get a drone airborne in under 20 seconds. The report also describes 5G connectivity and real-time data transmission. Skydio, the drone's manufacturer, is headquartered in San Mateo, California, and holds contracts with multiple police agencies across Western Washington.
By September 21, Auburn drones had completed more than 50 flights, arriving on scene before ground officers in 47.1% of responses and delivering useful intelligence in 88.2% of calls, per the Snoqualmie Valley Record. Those figures provide context for the pilot program as detectives coordinated drone surveillance during the arrest operation.
New FAA Waiver Expanded Remote Flights
Auburn's ability to fly drones beyond the operator's direct line of sight is a recent addition. The department expanded its drone operations beyond visual line of sight after receiving an FAA waiver and completing operator training on September 10 and 11, Seattle Weekly reported, a change that lets officers fly drones remotely from headquarters rather than requiring someone on scene to pilot the aircraft. That regulatory shift mirrors a national trend: the FAA granted more beyond-visual-line-of-sight waivers between April 2025 and February 2026 than in the previous seven years combined, as Hoodline has reported.
The pilot program includes several built-in restrictions. The Snoqualmie Valley Record notes that every flight must originate from a 911 call, cameras must stay level with the horizon to avoid recording private property, and geofencing near Auburn Municipal Airport is used to prevent airspace conflicts.
Not the First Time a Drone Helped Make an Arrest
This was not the department's first use of the technology. A Skydio drone assisted during a September 18 commercial burglary call, arriving ahead of patrol units and holding a suspect in place after he surrendered upon spotting the aircraft. Hoodline also reported on a drone tracking a road-rage suspect who allegedly pulled a gun, during the same testing window.
Auburn's drone program fits into a broader regional buildout. Snohomish County's sheriff launched a similar Drone as First Responder effort in September, Bellevue Police have planned a fall pilot, Redmond Police introduced drones in 2024, and Kent Police are targeting adoption for 2027, according to the Snoqualmie Valley Record. Auburn's own pilot trial is scheduled to run through October 9.
Charges and Potential Penalties
Under Washington law, third-degree rape of a child is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, applying when a victim is 14 or 15 years old and the perpetrator is at least 48 months older, per the Washington State Legislature's statutory language. The communication-with-a-minor allegation was also part of the investigation.
Detectives and Auburn's tactical patrol unit coordinated with drone surveillance as they planned a safe apprehension after locating the suspect's vehicle.
