Police arrested a burglar and his getaway driver today after an alert homeowner watched them flee in a very easy-to-spot car.
Officers responded to a report of burglary just after 3 a.m. this morning in the 7000 block of Palatine Avenue North.
The victim told officers she heard the suspect break her basement window and enter her home. The suspect didn’t get far. He was foiled by the homeowner’s heroic dog (believed to be a miniature pinscher), who promptly chased him out of the house.
The burglar and his accomplice got into a gold Jeep Grand Cherokee and drove away. The gold SUV had two bicycles strapped to the roof, making the vehicle’s profile both distinct and visible from a distance. The victim immediately called 911 and relayed this information to police dispatchers.
The suspects made it three miles before officers caught up with them in the 500 block of NE Northgate Way. Police arrested both men on suspicion of burglary. Police impounded the gold Jeep Grand Cherokee for additional processing. Both suspects are adult men and were booked into King County Jail.
Major Crimes Task Force detectives responded to the victim’s home, collected forensic evidence, and took a statement from the victim.
Detectives believe both suspects may be connected to additional burglaries that occurred over the holidays, and that these suspects were intentionally targeting unoccupied homes. These details remain under investigation.
This information is preliminary and may change as the investigation proceeds.