BELLEVUE, Wash. — Bellevue Police Department officers arrested a suspect Wednesday who’s accused of using a man’s garage door remote to gain access to his home and steal valuables while he was on vacation.
The victim, a 64-year-old man, parked his black BMW at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport before his overseas trip. The car was allegedly stolen from the airport.
On Tuesday at 8:44 p.m. the man’s home was broken into in the 3600 block of Lake Washington Boulevard SE, and the thieves took a safe with paperwork inside, jewelry and a Yeti cooler, according to police.
On Wednesday, Bellevue police responded to a burglary at the same home around 2:50 p.m. Two suspects, a 43-year-old man and another middle aged man, were allegedly stealing merchandise from the home, including a safe with $100,000 inside.
The middle aged man was driving a black BMW and fled when police arrived, the department said. He allegedly crashed into a patrol vehicle, causing minor damage.
The 43-year-old man, who was driving a black Chevy Avalanche that was previously reported stolen, also tried to flee. The car got stuck between a tree and a patrol vehicle. The suspect ran southbound on Lake Washington Boulevard. Witnesses told police the man drove from the area in a box truck without license plates.
The suspect was arrested on an Interstate 90 on-ramp.
There was no forced entry into the home with the alarm system engaged, and all doors were locked. Police believe the suspects used the victim’s garage door remote to open the garage door and get into the home.
The 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.
Police are still searching for the second suspect.
Bellevue police offered the following tips to avoid being victim to a similar crime:
- Don’t leave your remote in your vehicle
- Purchase a key chain opener/remote
- Secure the emergency release on the door
- Lock the door from your garage – preferably deadbolt
- Never leave your garage door open
