You never know what you’ll find when you walk into a public restroom. Just yesterday, Seattle police found a 35-year-old burglar passed out on the floor of a grocery store’s lavatory, hours after he threatened a family during a break-in at their Green Lake home.
Just after 4:00 yesterday, a homeowner and her children arrived at their home in the 5000 block of Woodlawn Avenue North. As they entered the house, they heard noises coming from inside and noticed that the window on the back door of their home had been shattered. The family fled the house and ran out into their yard, where they were confronted by a man who was carrying the victim’s backpack and wearing her husband’s leather jacket.
When the man brandished a metal pipe and ordered the victim to open the yard gate., the victim yelled at the suspect and grabbed for the pipe. As the victim struggled with the suspect, a neighbor heard the woman’s screams and called 911. The suspect threatened the neighbor, swore that he would come back, and then climbed over the victim’s fence and fled down the street.
Officers arrived and searched the area, but did not locate the suspect. However, when they returned to the victim’s home to search for evidence, they found an ID card which appeared to belong to the suspect. Officers then circulated information about the suspect throughout the North Precinct and continued searching for the man.
Shortly after 11:00 pm Tuesday night, officers were called to the Wallingford QFC after an intoxicated man cracked open a bottle of whisky and a package of cheese inside the store, and then refused to leave the store’s bathroom.
When officers arrived at the store, they found the Green Lake burglary suspect had passed out on the bathroom floor. They woke him up and, discovered he was still carrying around property stolen in the Green Lake break-in, and arrested him for burglary and robbery.
Officers booked the suspect into the King County Jail and referred the case to detectives for investigation.