The Seattle Police Department’s auto theft and North Precinct burglary detectives are working to track down suspects they believe have stolen at least seven vehicles in series of burglaries in the Roosevelt and Greenlake neighborhoods.
Since January, a burglar or group of burglars have entered victims’ homes through unlocked doors during the late evening and early morning hours and stolen purses, laptops, ski equipment, and car keys before fleeing in the victims’ vehicles.
Most of the victims were unaware they had been burglarized until they awoke the morning after the break-ins.
Because of the increasing frequency of the burglaries, with four incidents just this week, and the unusual nature of the break-ins—burglars don’t typically break in to occupied homes—the North Precinct are concentrating patrols in the hardest hit areas while detectives work to identify suspects. Patrol officers are also using patrol cars equipped with license plate readers to try to locate the stolen vehicles.
Although detectives haven’t made any arrests, they have identified a person of interest previously convicted for a series of similar burglaries in the last two years.
North Precinct detectives are also working with officers in other precincts citywide to tie the suspects in the north Seattle burglaries to other break-ins, and are investigating a possible link to a least one other case in the Southwest Precinct.
Detectives say protecting yourself from burglars can be as simple as locking up your home and securing your keys in a safe place at night.
“Make sure all your doors and windows are locked,” cautions North Precinct burglary unit Sgt. Jeff Durden. “It takes all of two minutes to steal a car.”