Persistence paid off for North Precinct officers, who arrested a burglar after tracking him around Ballard early Friday morning.
Police responded to a report of a burglar inside a detached garage at a house under construction in the 800 block of NW 67th Street just before 5:00 am Friday. The homeowner, who was several blocks away, was watching the suspect on a surveillance camera inside the structure. Officers arrived and observed suspect fleeing the area on foot. The suspect managed to elude officers by running in between houses, over a fence, and into a pond. Officers later spotted an occupied suspicious vehicle parked nearby and kept it under observation, believing that it may have been an accomplice acting as a lookout. Officers contacted the occupant in the driver’s seat and identified him after he denied any involvement. Officers left, but kept an eye on the vehicle.
A short time later the suspect returned to the area and got into the vehicle.
Officers eventually made a stop on the vehicle driving away near 11th Avenue NW and NW 70th Street. Officers located the suspected burglar hiding in the back of the vehicle underneath some blankets. Officers were able to compare the physical description of the suspect with the video images provided by the homeowner. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested for the burglary and was later booked into the King County Jail. The driver of the vehicle was identified and released.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Task Force will handle the follow up investigation.