UPDATE: An observant citizen recognized Pederson and Thompson from news reports while at a restaurant in Everett last night. The citizen contacted authorities, and the suspects were arrested by Snohomish County Sheriff deputies. The stolen Dodge Neon was also recovered. Pederson and Thompson were both booked into the King County Jail for felony organized retail theft.
Original post: The Bellevue Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance with locating a duo suspected in a series of thefts of expensive vitamins. Since November 2017, 39 year-old Justin Pederson 37 year-old Anita Thompson are suspected of stealing over $20,000 worth of vitamins in a crime spree spanning the entire region.
The two are suspected of targeting stores across the area, to include Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, Seattle, Mercer Island, Mountlake Terrace, Tacoma, and Vancouver. Their strategy is to enter a grocery store and then place a large amount of expensive vitamins in a reusable bag and then walk out the front door.
“These types of organized retail thefts raise prices for everyone else, so we need to get these prolific thieves located and in custody”, said Officer Seth Tyler with the Bellevue Police Department.
Pederson and Thompson may be driving a stolen Dodge Neon with Washington License #ASC2943. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Pederson or Thompson may submit an anonymous tip to CrimeStoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS or by submitting a tip online. Submitting a tip to Crime Stoppers is anonymous and you’ll get a cash reward of up to $1,000 if your information leads to an arrest.
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