Bellevue Beat Blog

Bellevue Police arrested a 42-year-old Maple Valley man on sex trafficking charges after a 15-year-old girl told them she was forced to provide sex for clients at his home and other locations. Detectives served a search warrant at Tony Eldridge’s home in the 22500 block of SE 218^th St in Maple Valley on August 3, 2023. Following a three-hour standoff, Eldridge surrendered, was taken into custody, and booked into jail. King County Prosecutors charged Eldridge with Human Trafficking, Promoting Commercial Sexual Abuse of a Minor, Rape of a Child, and three counts of Promoting Prostitution. He is being held on $500,000 bail. Detectives seized his car as it was allegedly used during the crimes.

Officers recovered the 15-year-old victim on July 1, 2023, when they responded to a disturbance in the 11000 block NE 8th St in Bellevue. During the investigation, officers learned the girl was staying with Eldridge in what prosecutors described as a brothel in his Maple Valley home. Detectives accuse Eldridge of sexually and physically abusing the child and profiting from her commercial sexual exploitation.

Detectives discovered Eldridge is a registered sex offender in Multnomah County, Oregon, having been convicted of Promoting Prostitution in 2013.

Eldridge is scheduled for arraignment on August 17, 2023.  

Bellevue and Kirkland police are investigating three overnight smash-and-grab burglaries. Bellevue officers responded to a collision report shortly after 6 am where a truck struck a building in the 900 block of 160th Ave NE. On scene, officers learned the collision was intentional, involving five suspects, four men and a woman, all in their 20s. The driver backed the truck into the business and entered the store. All the suspects had fled the scene by the time officers arrived.

The stolen green pickup truck was the same vehicle suspected in two similar burglaries in Kirkland. In one of the burglaries, a suspect fired a weapon to be able to enter the business in the 12500 block of NE 85th St. The other burglary occurred approximately 10 minutes later at 1:44 am in the 400 block of Central Way.

Detectives say the suspects are considered armed and dangerous. You are asked to call the police non-emergency number at 425-577-5656 if you have any information about these burglaries.

UPDATE: Officers arrested the suspect last night as he was observed pulling on door handles to businesses downtown. During an interview with detectives, he confessed to all six robberies. We still urge business owners to take precautions to protect their businesses.

Investigators are urging businesses to lock up cash and post signs stating there’s no cash on the premises following six burglaries at downtown businesses from July 19-24. Detectives believe a single suspect is responsible for the break-ins. In each case, the suspect wore all-black clothing, a facemask, and a cross-body bag. He smashed in the front doors and stole cash. The suspect approached the small independent businesses along Main Street and Bellevue Way on foot between 2-3 a.m. Detectives believe he may have staged a car to flee the area.

“We urge businesses to lock up all cash, deposit it or remove it from the premises,” said Investigations Captain Joe Nault. “It’s also a good idea to prominently post that there is no cash in the business. If possible, invest in a security alarm and camera system. You don’t want to be an easy victim.”

If you have any information about these burglaries or the suspect, please call the police non-emergency number 425-577-5656 or email BPDTips@belleveuwa.gov.

Officers conducted a welfare check at an apartment in the 11100 block of NE 11th St. on Friday afternoon. When they entered the residence, they discovered three adults, two women and a man, dead of an apparent drug overdose.

“This tragic loss of life is a reminder that most drugs on the market contain deadly fentanyl,” warned Major Mark Tarantino. “Fentanyl is extremely dangerous, and a tiny amount can be deadly.”

The investigation is ongoing.

Detectives recovered four ghost-guns and discovered a 3D printer when they arrested a 24-year-old man suspected of firing shots out the window of a car in the 11600 Block NE 8^th St. on May 27, 2023. The King County Prosecutor has charged Romeo Plummer with Drive-by Shooting in connection with the incident. Luckily, no one was injured.

Investigators say Plummer was in a car with several others when there was a verbal altercation with a man at the gas station. As the car left the gas station, witnesses say Plummer fired multiple times out the window. It is unclear who or what the target was.

Bellevue detectives quickly identified the driver of the car, which led them to the suspect. While serving a search warrant at Plummer’s Seattle residence, detectives located the four ghost guns, the 3D printer, ammunition and other evidence linking Plummer to the shooting.

“Ghost guns are unregulated and untraceable. That means more and more are on the streets that nobody knows about,” stated Capt. Shelby Shearer. “That is extremely dangerous and problematic for law enforcement.”

Officers also arrested the 21-year-old driver and charges are pending against her.  

Bellevue Police and Bellevue Fire responded to three separate fires over the Fourth of July and into the weekend; at least two appear to be fireworks related. On July 5, someone used fireworks to cause extensive damage to the bathrooms at Surrey Downs Park in the 11100 Block of SE 4th St.

On July 8, someone set a fire on the roof at the Puesta Del Sol Elementary School. It’s unknown what caused that fire, but fireworks debris was located at the scene.

The third fire occurred on July 9 on the Phantom Lake Elementary School playground. The blaze destroyed the playground equipment.

“We are asking anyone who saw anything or has any information about these fires to please give us a call,” said Captain Rob Spingler. “Not only did we see tens of thousands of dollars in damage with these fires, but it’s also incredibly dangerous, and we’re lucky no one was injured.”

The region is tinder dry following a hot and dry weather stretch, which can cause fire to spread rapidly. Embers from a fire can float through the air and spark new fires far from the original incident. “We urge people to use extreme caution with any recreational fires,” cautioned Deputy Fire Chief Andy Adolfson. “We highly encourage those close to forested areas and wildlands to take preventative measures by removing brush and other combustibles from around homes and other structures.”

Anyone with any information about the three recent fires is urged to call the police non-emergency number at 425-452-6917 with any information.

Officers responded to a burglary at a business in the 15200 block of NE 20th early Wednesday morning, June 28, 2023, where a suspect had broken into a business through a pried door. He allegedly wrapped a chain around the safe and dragged it out of the business behind the stolen white truck he was driving.

Officers located the abandoned stolen truck near a dead end at 140th Ave and Main St. and recovered the safe. The suspect was not with the vehicle.

A short time later, and about five blocks away, there was a report of a stolen vehicle. A Bellevue Police K9 tracked the suspect’s travel from the recovered stolen truck to the stolen vehicle call location. Newcastle police spotted that stolen vehicle, and Bellevue officers arrived and arrested the suspect. As officers were transporting the truck to the station for a search warrant, they could see stacks of likely stolen mail.

At the same time, another officer was working on a mail theft report from Newport Hills. Some of the mail in the truck matched the address of one of those victims. The 36-year-old suspect was booked into jail on investigation of various charges, including Burglary 2, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and Theft of a Motor Vehicle. This investigation is ongoing.

Case # 23-35226

A 16-year-old male has been arrested in connection with multiple armed robberies, assault, motor vehicle theft, and possession of a stolen firearm. He was 15 years old when the crime was committed. Charges have also been referred for his 15-year-old female accomplice.

The pair is accused of robbing a 71-year-old female at gunpoint in the Bellevue Square parking garage on May 10, 2023. The investigation showed they fled to Mercer Island and allegedly robbed an 82-year-old at gunpoint two hours later. In both cases, the suspects took a wallet or purse and the victim’s cellphones. Detectives later connected the suspects to another armed robbery on Main St. in downtown Bellevue on May 20. Street cameras captured the Main St. robbery.

In addition, detectives say they stole a car and the gun used during these crimes. The male turned 16 before he was arrested.

“These two prey on unsuspecting vulnerable people, stealing their purses, wallets and cellphones, all while threatening them with a gun,” said Captain Shelby Shearer. “I’m thankful for the excellent detective work that identified these two juvenile suspects and led to their arrest. In fact, the investigation has tied these two to several other cases in the region.”

Officers recovered a stolen loaded 9mm Glock when the male suspect was arrested. He is charged with four felonies, including Robbery 1st degree and Possession of a stolen firearm.

During the investigation, Bellevue detectives uncovered evidence that the male was also the suspect in two Pierce County coffee stands armed robberies on May 9. Pierce County detectives have referred charges in those cases.

Case # 23-25410

An extensive multiple-agency investigation has led to the arrest of three suspects in an organized burglary ring. The group is suspected of dozens of regional burglaries from Bellingham to Kent, including three in the Lakemont neighborhood in Bellevue. The suspects, ages 24, 30 and 31, were arrested without incident in Seattle on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Bellevue detectives interviewed the suspects and are examining evidence as part of the investigation. 

In February 2023, Bellevue police increased patrols in the Lakemont area following a series of similar burglaries. The suspects were using the trail system to enter the neighborhood and had a get-away car waiting for them. They mainly targeted homes with Asian or South Asian residents, where no one was home, and stole jewelry, cash, purses and safes. 

This burglary crew is believed to be part of an organized crime group from South America and has been intermittently active in the Puget Sound area for several years. Detectives estimate the group may be responsible for as many as 25 to 30 additional burglaries in Bellevue they are investigating. 

Last year, detectives in King, Whatcom and Snohomish counties began collaborating and sharing information. Their extensive investigation, along with Homeland Security Investigations, led to the arrests. This group is thought to travel nationally, and detectives suspect other crews are still operating in our area. The investigation is active and ongoing. 

Crime Prevention Tips

Bellevue police urge homeowners to be vigilant and call 911 if they see any suspicious behavior in their neighborhood. Make sure to turn on your alarm system, lock your doors and windows and secure your valuables. Turn on exterior lights and consider motion flood lights.

If you plan to be away, put indoor lights on timers to make it look like you are at home. If you have ladders or other materials for climbing, please bring them inside or lock them up so a burglar doesn’t have easy access to second-story windows.

Two Bellevue teenagers are in the hospital following a suspected fentanyl overdose early Tuesday. Bellevue police officers responded to the 15200 block of NE 16^th Place to assist the Bellevue Fire Department. Medics were able to revive a 17-and-18-year-old, though one sustained life threatening injuries.

Bellevue police captain Joe Nault cautions parents and teens, “Fentanyl is a national and regional threat to public safety and Bellevue is not immune from the danger it presents.   We’re seeing fentanyl appear in more and more instances where people are either knowingly participating in already high-risk behavior, such as drug use, or unwittingly, such as the consumption of other substances laced with fentanyl.”

It only takes one hit to overdose and possibly end your life, and there’s no way to tell which pills or drugs contain lethal doses of fentanyl. Bellevue Police encourage parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of fentanyl, and other high-risk activities involving taking substances or using drug paraphernalia from unknown sources.