LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Police said they arrested two suspects Wednesday linked to at least a dozen burglaries in south Snohomish County, Lynnwood and Mukilteo.
The Lynnwood Police Department said in a release the 34-year-old suspects were arrested at a home Wednesday in the 6500 block of McKinley Avenue in Tacoma after a two-year investigation.
Police said the investigation revealed the suspects were targeting Asian and East Indian homeowners because they believed they were keeping large sums of cash stored in their homes. Investigators believe the two men were finding victims through locally owned small businesses and open-source databases by running a name query.
The suspects were linked to a dozen burglaries since November, police said in a release.
One of the suspects was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of 11 counts of burglary and six counts of theft. The second suspect was booked on suspicion of 12 counts of burglary and seven counts of theft. Police said the men are expected to make their first court appearance on Thursday afternoon.
Police said the arrest marks the 10th believed to be part of an organized crime group from South America responsible for over 300 burglaries in King and Snohomish counties since 2021. The burglaries have resulted in losses exceeding $5 million in cash and jewelry.
Detectives added six counts of burglary and three counts of theft for a 24-year-old man held in the Snohomish County Jail on charges related to the investigation.