MIPD makes two burglary arrests
Published 10:49 am Thursday, February 19, 2015
In the past week, the Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) made two arrests of burglars suspected of committing five separate burglaries on the Island and one in Seattle. Both cases are still under investigation for possible links to other recent Island burglaries.
On Feb. 12, MIPD arrested a 31-year-old male (a long-time resident from the mid-Island area) for burglary. He confessed to two home burglaries and led detectives to the location of some of the stolen items, including jewelry and a computer. Contrary to some speculation on social media, the suspect did not use a white van in committing these crimes.
Two days later, at the 8200 block of East Mercer Way, officers responded to a reported burglary in which a rear sliding door had been shattered while the owners were not home. Collaborating with Seattle Police Department and using the King County Sheriff’s helicopter, MIPD tracked the 24-year-old suspect to West Seattle, where he was arrested.
The same suspect is believed to have committed two other burglaries the same night, one of them on the 7200 block of West Ridge Lane. In total, the property taken during these crimes – including laptops, iPads, jewelry, rare coins and a handgun – appears to worth $80,000 to 100,000 dollars. MIPD Detectives have determined that the two crime sprees are unrelated.
The victims of all burglaries will be contacted, advised of the investigation, and asked to identify property.
MIPD has been running extra patrols from Feb. 14 to 22, focusing on neighborhoods that have recently experienced burglaries and car prowls. The department sent out a burglary notice on Feb. 4 addressing the community attention and concern about residential burglaries. Mercer Island experienced 73 burglaries in 2014.
MIPD encourages all residents to be aware of their surroundings, use alarms if equipped, and if they see suspicious activity to report it immediately.
Learn more about burglary prevention and crime watch programs at http://www.mercergov.org/Page.asp?NavID=2255.
