Bellevue Police Arrest Two After String of Crimes

Bellevue Police arrested two suspects in an early morning crime spree that occurred early Friday. This morning at 4:52 a.m., police received a report of a hit and run crash in the 4000 block of 181st Place SE in Issaquah. The homeowner called to report that a suspicious vehicle that had been parked in the driveway and struck their garage door, causing damage. The vehicle fled the area before the police arrived, however the homeowner was able to provide the license plate number of the vehicle. Police learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Snohomish.

Later that morning, at 6:12 a.m., Bellevue Police received another 911 call of a vehicle on fire at an office park in the 3300 block of 161st Avenue SE. A security guard called to report that he saw two individuals walking away from a vehicle on fire. When the guard confronted the men, one of them pulled out a hammer and threatened the guard. The two suspects ran away from the scene on foot.

Then, at 6:55 a.m., Bellevue Police received a call of a burglary in progress from the 3300 block of 161st Court SE. The homeowner called to report that a male had forced his way into her condo unit and was demanding the victim’s car keys. The victim was able to escape to a neighbor’s unit and call 911. Police arrived and determined that the suspect had jumped off of a rear balcony and left the scene on foot.

At 8:21 a.m., police located the first suspect, a 30-year-old Tukwila resident, near the intersection of SE Eastgate Way and SE 35th Place after construction workers in the area reported the suspect acting strangely. Then, at 9:35 a.m., an Officer located and arrested the second suspect, a 25-year-old Seattle resident, in the 1800 block of West Lake Sammamish Parkway SE, over a mile from the location of the arson.

Police were assisted by at least three residents calling 911 to report the suspects in their yards or running in the area, after police provided an alert to the neighborhood via the website nextdoor.com.

Bellevue Detectives responded to conduct follow up investigation at the crime scenes.