TAMBARK TRAILS- Burglary, Second Time Around

A homeowner, whose house was broken into on August 6, was broken into again in the last two or three days. The burglar was “extremely messy” dumping the contents of drawers and cabinets onto the floor. The victim had not yet replaced any valuables that had been taken in the first burglary.


Entry this time was through a window in the kitchen.

Note: Victims often wonder why burglars are so messy and seem to vandalize a home by throwing stuff on the floor. Often they are looking for your hiding places where you keep your cash, drugs, prescriptions, guns, etc. They don’t want to take too much time so they will just dump the contents until they have gone through the whole house or they think they had better get out.

Also, it is not uncommon for burglars or their buddies to return a few weeks after burglarizing a home to pick up the items that have been replaced from the first burglary. If you have been burglarized take a survey of your house for weak points. You can use this checklist to help you- http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Homesecurity.pdf. The most obvious is where the burglar was able to enter your house. But look for other weak places also. This handout gives some good pointers- http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Residential%20Burglary.pdf.

And when you receive your replacement items, after your insurance settlement, this might be a good opportunity to participate in “Operation ID” (http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Operation%20ID.pdf) by marking your valuables and photographing them and noting any serial numbers on a computer disk. Place the disk in a safe place, such as your safe deposit box at your bank.

AUTUMN MEADOWS- Suspicious Person

Friday, August 20 around 5:30 p.m. at 44th Dr and 122nd Dr SE, a middle aged white male approached a homeowner's door. He was claiming to be with a home security company called “Northstar.’ He was very pushy and kept asking specific questions about the home alarm system. Asking questions like, is your alarm actively hooked up, how many sensors do you have. The homeowner had to tell him at least 5-7 times to please leave, and actually had to end up slamming the door on him. The homeowner called 911 and a deputy showed up and talked with the "salesman."

MILL CREEK- Robbery

On Thursday morning, August 19, 2010, a man robbed a store in the Thomas Lake Shopping Center in the vicinity of 35^th Ave SE and 132^nd St SE. He showed a knife and demanded cash.

The robber was in his late teens or early 20’s. He wore a mask, a black baseball cap, black sweatshirt and jeans. He was about 6ft tall and around 200 pounds.

Mill Creek PD urges all shoppers and businesses to watch out for suspicious activity. Suspects who are casing a business will often spend a long time watching businesses, walking or driving past the business and/or hanging out outside of the business.

If you see this type or other suspicious activity around a business, call 911.

Mill Creek PD points out that this is the ninth robbery in Mill Creek in about the last three months.

The Herald:

http://bit.ly/aDy9QA

LYNNWOOD- Robbery Suspect Update

Lynnwood PD believes that they have apprehended a suspect that robbed an elderly couple of a purse at Alderwood Mall on Wednesday afternoon. According to The Herald, a 25 year old Everett man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery on Friday in connection to this incident.

The Herald:

http://bit.ly/aDy9QA

LYNNWOOD- PD Seeks Robbery Suspect

Lynnwood PD is seeking a man who robbed an elderly couple of a purse at Alderwood Mall in the late afternoon of Wednesday.

The man is described as white, in his mid-20's, with brown hair and was wearing a dark work coat, red shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about this man please call detective Ross Adams of the Lynnwood PD at (425) 670-5614.

The Herald:
http://bit.ly/cUDNtn

HAWTHORNE STATION- Burglary, Question

Shrouded Lock

Question from Diana:

Your suggestion of locking the gates to the backyard sound good, but one question comes to mind. How then would the meter reader get back there to read the meter?

I checked with the Snohomish County PUD.

You can provide the PUD with a lock or combination to your gate to the back yard. Meter readers also have the capability to read meters remotely. This requires a special meter for a $150 fee.

If you want to use a lock I would recommend a shrouded lock. A shrouded lock prevents a burglar from cutting the shackle. See attached for picture of an example.

Contact the PUD at 425-783-1000 for more information.

Their website also has a statement concerning this situation:
Meter Reading FAQs:
http://www.snopud.com/home/homefaqs/faqmtrread.ashx?p=1285

The PUD is the major electricity provider in Snohomish County. Other utilities, such as for gas (Puget Sound Energy) may have different policies so contact them if you have their meters on your property.

SILVER LAKE TERRACE- Suspicious Activity

On August 11, 2010, between 5:00 and 5:30pm, a young man, 19 to 20 years old, approached the front door of a house in the vicinity of 121st St SE and 121st Pl SE. He asked the homeowner if he could get some gas for his maroon van. He said that he and his dad had run out. The homeowner did not see anyone in the van. The windows were practically covered with blankets and junk. The homeowner agreed to put some gas in the van, however, faked putting gas into the gas tank. After that, the young man started the van.


During the course of this incident, the young man asked who owned the Honda that was parked in the driveway.

The homeowner got the feeling that the young man was casing the neighborhood.

The description of the man is 5’10” to 5’11” in height, slender build with blondish hair.

THE FALLS- Attempted Car Prowl and Burglary

On August 10th I reported on suspicious activity in the area of 138th Pl SE and 64th Dr SE. Also, during that time at 11:30pm, a young male was seen trying the doors of a vehicle parked in the driveway of a house near this intersection. After trying the doors, he attempted to enter the back yard of the house through a side gate. This gate was locked. The male then got into a dark colored truck which was parked near the house and flashed its lights. An orange/red colored Eclipse drove to the location and parked. One or more males got out and got into the truck which drove away. Later around 2:00am, a vehicle returned to the Eclipse where several youth got out and walked down the street. Rumor has it that several underage youth were stopped at a nearby house for having alcohol.

WINDSOR ESTATES- Suspicious Activity

A white Toyota pick-up truck has been observed roaming the neighborhood in the past month or so. While this may not be odd in and of itself, the peculiar aspect is that the truck has been seen driving in and out of driveways during the very early morning hours. Just this week, the truck was recorded driving into the neighborhood as early as 4:45 a.m. One neighbor shared the following:

"We live in Windsor Estates and this morning at 05:15 am there was a white Toyota pickup truck with a blue cooler in the back, license WA A04372U, in our driveway. This truck is similar to the previous truck that was used for a previous burglary in our neighborhood."

This neighbor leaves for work very early. She happened to glance out her house window and noticed the pick-up loitering on her [long] driveway. When her husband tried to approach the truck it drove out of the community, and was recorded leaving at 5:18 a.m.

They contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the truck but were told that the plates belonged to a RED truck. Therefore, we believe the plates may have been switched. Nonetheless, the description of it being a White Toyota Pick-up coming up to driveways very early in the morning has been mentioned by several neighbors. A similarly described truck has also been seen loitering at other times of the day as well.

Note: Be sure to secure your house and vehicles. Also, call 911 if you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood. For guidance on what you can do to protect yourself from burglaries and car prowls go to:

Burglary Prevention:
http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/MayJun05.pdf

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/MarApr06.pdf

Car Prowl/Car Theft Prevention:
http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/JanFeb04.pdf

CHESTNUT TRAILS- Vandalism

On Monday, August 9, 2010, a rock was thrown at a house and windowpane was broken. No one was injured and the police department was notified.

HAWTHORNE STATION- Burglary

On Wednesday, August 11, 2010 a home was broken into in Hawthorne Station on 214th Pl SE and 36th Dr SE. An Asian man parked his car one block from the home that he broke into. He rang the doorbell and looked inside the front window. Once he realized no one was home he proceeded to the back of the home through a gate and accessed the house through a lower kitchen window. A neighbor saw the suspicious activity and called 911 and then proceeded to follow the burglar to his car. The burglar said he was visiting a friend and then drove off. The homeowners noticed some money and a purse missing. The Sheriff dusted a hand print on the window. The Sheriff also found the car in a parking lot in Canyon Park and impounded it. The subject was an Asian male, small build with short brown hair. The Sheriff said they were looking for the same man in the morning because he broke into a different home in a different part of Bothell earlier in the day.

Note: People like fences for privacy. Many crime prevention officers do not like them. They can give privacy for a burglar. If you have a solid fence around your back yard, be sure that your gate has a good lock that can only be opened from the inside of your yard.

THE FALLS- Suspicious Activity

During the past two or three weeks, homeowners in the vicinity of 64th Dr SE and 138th Pl SE have seen various vehicles parked late at night at this intersection. Sometimes the vehicles flash their headlights a few times and then wait. Then another car, or sometimes people on foot, will come by and stop also. At times, they’re only there for a short while. One of the vehicles is an older, white Dodge Durango with black tail light covers and a loud engine. This activity usually occurs around 11:00 to 12:00pm. The latest occurrence of this activity was last night (August 9/10) when the vehicle was parked until 2:00am or so.

The neighbors don’t know what this activity is. Some think it could be drug deals. Others think that someone’s daughter has been forbidden to see a particular boy. This could be their effort to see each other behind the backs of the girl’s parents.

If you see activity like this, don’t hesitate to call 911 and ask for a deputy to check it out.

THE FALLS- Car Prowl

At 5:50am this morning, a homeowner witnessed suspicious activity around her neighbor’s Acura in the vicinity of 140th St SE and 64th Dr SE. Two Hispanic males in their early 20’s were checking the car out, one peering through a window, the other looking under the car.

This vehicle was broken into. The doors were locked. The car prowlers broke a window and took a purse.

The witness saw one of the suspects head south on 64th Dr SE toward Totem Falls Elementary school while the other headed north on 64th Dr SE toward 138th Pl SE. A black sedan with heavily tinted windows, possibly a Honda, was associated with this activity. The car had a spoiler on the back and the wheels had just the lug nuts showing with no fancy rims. The license plate number is:

857 YYC


The Sheriff’s Office is extremely interested in this vehicle and anyone associated with it. If you see the car, call 911 immediately.

TAMBARK TRAILS- Burglary

Sometime during the day of Friday, August 6, 2010, a house was broken into in the vicinity of 186th Place SE and 25th Ave SE. The homeowner came home to find that her front door had been pushed open. The burglar(s) took a laptop and some blank checks.

Subsequently, a neighbor talked to a few of his neighbors who said that they saw a person “looking for a dog” in the backyards of some homes in the vicinity of 25th Ave SE and 189th Pl SE. The individual is described as a male Caucasian, 5’8” tall, about 150 lbs with a shaved head and dark features (eyes and brows). At least one neighbor questioned this individual. Also, a different person was driving around the neighborhood in a silver Chrysler PT Cruiser yelling for a dog.

Note: People often look for lost pets. But, if someone is looking for a pet in your neighbor’s back yard it might pay to talk to them and to call 911 to report them as suspicious. Even if they are legitimate, having a deputy talk to them is not a bad idea.

THE FALLS- Stolen Car

Overnight on Tuesday/Wednesday, August 3-4, 2010, a 1996 White Honda Prelude was stolen from the 6600 block of Cascade Dr SE. The theft was discovered around 6:30am on Wednesday and reported to the Sheriff’s Office.

The previous owner had installed a Lojack device. The car was recovered by law enforcement at about 1:00am on Thursday morning at a downtown Everett hotel. Three people were arrested in connection with this car theft.

The car thieves stripped the car of its speakers and the CD front plate. There was also a sawed off key jammed in the ignition. No other damage was apparent.


Comment: No one wants to be a victim of a car theft. But, by this description, the car was probably taken in the late evening of Tuesday or early morning of Wednesday, and recovered at 1:00am on Thursday. That’s pretty fast! Victim gets their car back. In this case, the bad guys were caught and hopefully have learned a lesson (OK, I know, I’m naïve).

For those who have not heard of LoJack, it is a device that sends a signal to receivers that are installed in police cars when a car is reported stolen. Since its introduction to the Puget Sound market, several years ago, it has helped to reduce car thefts in our area. For more information about LoJack, go to their website at http://www.lojack.com/.

For more information about protecting your car from theft, go to http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/JanFeb04.pdf.