Officers arrested three suspects and recovered thousands of dollars in merchandise, disrupting an organized retail theft ring. The three suspects, 18, 22, and 27 years old, were arrested outside Bellevue Square on Saturday, May 20th, after security witnessed them stealing from stores inside the mall. When officers arrived and contacted the suspects, two attempted to flee but were quickly apprehended.
The trio has been identified as part of an organized retail theft ring out of Bogota, Colombia, allegedly committing crimes along the I-5 corridor from California to Washington.
“Sergeant Tony Romero has spent the past few months investigating this group and working with asset protection officers with Kemper Development, Lululemon, American Eagle, Macy’s, Hollister and regional law enforcement partners to track their movement,” said Major Dave Sanabria. “That legwork and cooperation enabled us to quickly identify the suspects, build a strong case, and refer charges to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.” Sgt. Romero is assigned to the Downtown Unit, which primarily focuses on cutting crime in the downtown corridor.
Detectives learned that these suspects are part of an organized retail theft group that operates out of Los Angeles, CA, and originated in Bogota, Columbia. Two of the suspects were using forged Columbian IDs.
The group is suspected of multiple thefts in the Bellevue area since March, resulting in over 76 thousand dollars in lost merchandise. When they were arrested, officers also located multiple foil-lined shopping bags that are used to conceal merchandise and neutralize the anti-theft sensors.
All three suspects were arrested and booked into jail. The King County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing the charges. The suspects were later released from jail.
Case # 23-27509
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