NORTH BEND, Wash. — Police in North Bend are investigating two burglaries of occupied homes in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Snoqualmie-North Bend Police Department said officers were first called to a burglary at a home on Bandara Avenue Southeast in the Tannerwood neighborhood of North Bend on Monday morning. "The resident woke up to find that the first floor of his home had been ransacked while he was asleep upstairs," police said in a release.
Shortly after, officers were called to another burglary report at a home less than a mile away on 463rd Avenue Southeast. A resident there said his garage door opened at about 1 a.m., according to a security app. The home's garage was "rummaged through while the homeowners were asleep," police said.
Police added that five separate car prowl reports were taken in the area near the burglaries, with garage door openers and a handgun being stolen. One neighbor's security camera footage appears to show the suspects were using a Dodge Ram full-size pickup truck, police said. The suspects or their vehicle's license plate could not be identified from the surveillance video, police said.
Melinda Black, the public information officer for the department, said the home and car break-ins were crimes of opportunity. She’d like community members to take the necessary steps to make sure they aren’t easy targets.
“Leaving your valuables outside of your vehicle. I do recommend taking in your garage door openers out of your vehicle and just be vigilant. If you see something, say something. Police will come check it out.”
Robert Hammer is the HOA president for Cascade Canyon, where one of the burglaries took place. He shared this message with his neighbors, echoing advice from police.
“Making sure your cars are locked at night. Making sure all your valuables are out of your car. Making sure your homes are locked even your exterior doors into your garage, side doors. You got to fortify your house before you go to bed at night,” Hammer said.
Anyone with security footage between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. the morning of Sept. 23 in these neighborhoods is asked to call the Snoqualmie Police Department at 425-888-3333.