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 8th 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 16th 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.
As the summer driving season gets underway, so is the 100 Safe Days of Summer campaign. Friday and Saturday nights, June 9-10, law enforcement across King County will conduct high-visibility emphasis patrols to help keep drivers safe. For the second year in a row, Bellevue will host the Washington State Patrol Mobile Impaired Driving Unit so officers can process suspected DUI drivers on scene. During last year’s two-night campaign launch, 40 agencies participated, making 28 DUI arrests in just 16 hours.
Summer is typically one of the most dangerous times of the year on the roadways. It is especially dangerous for young adults as more are out and about and are easily distracted.
“We had a record number of DUI arrests in Bellevue in 2022 with 267, a third of those occurring during in summer,” said Sergeant Leo Ramos, who supervises Bellevue’s DUI enforcement and collision investigators. “Our goal with the emphasis patrols is to reach a DUI driver before a collision happens.”
Last year, Washington state reached a 20-year traffic fatality high with 750 fatal collisions; over 50% involved an alcohol or drug-impaired driver. “DUI collisions are 100% preventable,” Ramos added. “All anyone has to do is plan for a safe ride home or hire a ride-share. It is that simple.”
Bellevue police routinely conduct additional high-visibility patrols throughout the year. The efforts support the city’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious-injury collisions on city streets by 2030.
Bellevue and Kent police officers arrested four armed robbery suspects around 1:00 a.m. Tuesday in Kent. The four are accused of robbing a marijuana dispensary at gunpoint in the 3000 block of 156th Ave SE in Bellevue.
Officers responded to an alarm shortly before 11:00 p.m. Monday at the business. The employees reported that four suspects armed with handguns entered the store and stole cash registers and product. They fled the scene in multiple vehicles with trackers attached to the money.
Officers tracked the suspects to an apartment complex in the 23400 block of 91st Ave S. in Kent. Investigators identified one of the suspects’ cars and saw loose cash and product around the vehicle. With assistance from Kent police, officers surrounded the building where the trackers were located. Two suspects ran out of the back of the complex and were arrested by waiting officers. The other suspects surrendered at the front door.
“This is outstanding work by both our officers and Kent PD to work quickly to arrest these armed and dangerous suspects,” said Major Dave Sanabria. “The technology also played a significant role in allowing us to follow the suspects safely and ultimately get them into custody.”
Two adults, an 18 and 22-year-old male, were booked into the King County Jail. Two other juvenile suspects, both 17-year-old males, were booked into the King County Youth Detention Center.
Detectives have taken over the case and are serving search warrants at the apartment and the vehicles.
We appreciate the assistance from Kent Police.
Case # 23-30740
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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