Bellevue Police were able to arrest two burglary suspects less than 12 hours after the crime, thanks to teamwork and coordination by a number of Officers. This Monday at 2:44 a.m., Bellevue Police responded to a report of a burglary in the 10500 block of Cliff Place. The victim told police that she had left the windows of the residence open due to the hot weather. The suspects entered the home and stole electronics, a wallet, and then stole the victim’s vehicle, which was parked in the driveway outside. The victim provided surveillance video of the suspects to the investigating Officer.
The Officer distributed the surveillance video images to the Police Department in hopes that the suspects could be identified, and another Officer recognized one of the suspects as a juvenile that lived in Bellevue. Officers, with the assistance of the School Resource Officer at Bellevue High School, took the 15-year-old suspect into custody later that day. Other Officers conducting a check of the suspect’s residence located the victim’s vehicle, along with the second 15-year-old juvenile suspect, who ran away from the scene but was later arrested. Stolen property from two additional burglaries was located in the possession of one of the suspects.
The suspects were interviewed by Detectives and one admitted to entering the residence through the open window and taking the items and vehicle. One of the suspects admitted to 8 additional burglaries, 5 auto thefts, and approximately 40 motor vehicle prowls. Both suspects were booked into the King County Youth Center and have been charged with burglary, possession of stolen property, and auto theft.
Bellevue Police would like to take this opportunity to remind residents that open windows are an attractive target for burglars. Police recommend that you only leave windows open that are not accessible from the ground floor. The presence of surveillance video was extremely helpful in this case.