A burglar was found hiding in the closet of a vacant Victory Heights home early this morning after he advertised his presence to police by leaving the lights on.
Officer Shane Burditt was driving past the home in the 11300 block of 25th Avenue Northeast around 1:30 AM and saw a light on inside the house. Burditt, aware that the home had previously been burglarized despite the fact that it’s being currently vacant and being renovated, contacted the owners, who confirmed they were not inside the house.
Police approached the home, heard noises inside, knocked on the door and used a patrol car PA system to hail the suspect, but receive no response. Officers then entered the home and found a 48-year-old man hiding in the closet and took him into custody. Officers found a knife and small amount of methamphetamine in the man’s pockets and booked him into the King County Jail for burglary and drug possession.