SEATTLE — A pair of suspects that could be linked to dozens of break-ins and a series of ATM smash-and-grabs in the Seattle area were charged Tuesday.
Branden Cerna and Stanley Lee face a number of charges, including first-degree theft and theft of a motor vehicle. Cerna is being held on $150,000 bail. Lee's bail was set at $125,000.
The two were arrested at a Tukwila motel on May 13.
Cerna and Lee, according to police, have used trucks and heavy equipment to break into ATMs and cash registers. They are suspected of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to businesses, according to investigators.
Detectives are piecing together exactly how many thefts the suspects may be tied to.
Smash-and-grab robberies and ATM thefts have been an issue not just in Seattle but across the region in recent months.
Not all of the break-ins referenced by police during their investigation have been referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Over the past year, police have investigated upwards of 60 break-ins in the Seattle area.
Charges against Cerna include: attempted theft in the first degree, three counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of third-degree malicious mischief, two counts of first-degree theft, and theft of a motor vehicle.
Charges against Lee include: two counts of attempted theft in the first degree, four counts of second-degree burglary, four counts of first-degree malicious mischief, two counts of first-degree theft, and three counts of theft of a motor vehicle.
Arraignments for Cerna and Lee and scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on May 26.