An alert neighbor helped Seattle police rescue a robot butler from the clutches of a group of Madison Park package thieves on Monday.
Around 12 PM, a resident of the 200 block of 42nd Avenue East spotted a group of men in a maroon Toyota grab a package of the porch of a nearby home and speed away.
The man jumped in his own car and called 911 as he followed after the suspects.
During their drive through the neighborhood, the thieves ripped open their stolen package, containing a robotic vacuum cleaner, and tossed the box out of their car window. Officers caught up to the thieves a short time later and pulled them over.
Officers arrested the 41-year-old driver for possession of stolen property and theft. The 23-year-old passenger was arrested for theft and possession of burglary and prowling tools after officers found he was carrying several suspicious items, including a modified key typically used by car thieves, and a piece of ceramic, often used to break vehicle windows.
Police recovered the robot vacuum from the suspects’ vehicle and also found ID cards and other items taken in car prowls in Shoreline and Seattle. Officers also discovered the suspects had apparently started their Toyota’s ignition using a screwdriver and duct tape, rather than keys, so police seized the vehicle pending further investigation.