BELLEVUE, Wash. — Bellevue police have arrested three teenagers suspected of breaking into nearly 20 cars in Bellevue last month, and police say the teenagers could also be tied to a string of crimes across King County.
The teens were allegedly seen on surveillance footage using hammers to break into at least 18 cars in Bellevue’s Lake Hills neighborhood near 153rd Avenue Southeast overnight on Jan. 25.
A Bellevue police detective on the case learned of other crimes in the region involving teens matching the descriptions of the Bellevue car break-in suspects. The incidents included an armed robbery in Federal Way on Jan. 28 and other incidents in Auburn, Seattle and Tacoma.
Investigators identified three girls from Federal Way – between the ages of 13 and 16 – following an investigation across five police jurisdictions, police said.
KING 5 does not typically name juvenile offenders unless they are charged as adults.
All three of the girls were arrested on Feb. 2 for suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, malicious mischief and motor vehicle prowling, police said. Their charges will be forwarded to the King County Juvenile Prosecutor.
Two of the girls were previously in custody at the King County Youth Detention Facility for unrelated crimes, according to police.
During the investigation, Bellevue police said two of the girls were possibly involved in similar crimes after the Jan. 28 robbery.
Shortly after 2 p.m. on Jan. 28, several teenage suspects attempted to steal a woman’s purse outside of a Safeway grocery store. While the suspects initially fled in a stolen Kia, according to the Federal Way Police Department, the suspects were eventually caught and taken into the King County Juvenile Detention Facility for first-degree robbery.