LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Another arrest has been made in connection with a burglary ring whose victims have been mostly Indian-Americans.
The Lynnwood Police Department, working with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, arrested a 23-year-old man for several counts of residential burglary and theft. Law enforcement believes he and others connected to him are involved in numerous residential burglaries from Snohomish to Thurston County.
According to LPD, the 23-year-old's arrest is the eighth one in the past six months that have been connected to an organized crime ring, stealing cash and jewelry. Evidence detectives have uncovered suggest the victims are being targeted at local Asian and Indian businesses. The burglars find their mark at those establishments, figure out where they live, and break in when the victims aren't home.
"People are really scared because many houses have been burgled," Guru Venkataraman, a Veda Temple Board Member, said. “I haven’t heard about anybody being injured yet, but people are very, very scared.”
Venkatraman said burglars targeting homes to steal gold and silver jewelry are taking things money can't replace.
"There's intrinsic value," he said. "The fact you lost your mother’s ring or your father’s necklace, that kind of stuff, it hurts people more than what it’s really worth.”
People at several Hindu Temples told KING 5 the burglaries had frightened them, changing how they go about their daily lives. Many have installed security systems to make it harder to break into their homes.
Venkatraman said even the jewelry you may see someone wearing to come to the temple, or the stones on their statues in the temple, are fake. It's another way, he said, people are trying to keep themselves safe.