Timely reporting and the use of technology assisted with locating a stolen car and arresting the suspects yesterday morning.
On Monday, January 2nd, just before 11:00 am, an officer responded to the 12000 Block of 15th Avenue NE to take a stolen car report. The owner of the vehicle admitted that he left his 2006 Chrysler 300 unlocked with the keys in the ignition as he ran into a building to drop off a package. The owner stated that when he returned he discovered that his car had been stolen and immediately called the police.
The owner informed Officer Stevenson that along with other packages in the car there were also two iPhones. Officer Stevenson stated that he was aware of the Find My iPhone application and the officer logged onto the program. The victim allowed the officer to attempt to track his phone. The officer logged into the program and with the victim’s permission, entered his personal information. Almost immediately the location of the cell phone popped up on the onscreen map. The officer broadcast the location of the cell phone/vehicle to other officers in North Seattle. The map eventually showed that the cell phone/vehicle was headed southbound on I-5. Officer Stevenson coordinated with officers in the East Precinct as the map showed the vehicle travelling southbound on Harvard. Patrol officers located the stolen Chrysler at Harvard Avenue and Pine Street. The two occupants in the car, a 19-year-old male and a 20-year-old female, were arrested at the scene.
A detective from the Major Crimes Task Force responded to interview both suspects. They were later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Auto Theft.
The victim was able to recover his car and his belongings at the scene. The entire incident, from the initial call to the arrest, was less than thirty minutes.