FOLLOWUP: $10,000 bail set for burglary suspect arrested at Hiawatha

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(WSB photo, Sunday night)

5:37 PM: New information today about how police tracked down the 29-year-old burglary suspect arrested at Hiawatha Playfield last night (WSB coverage here). He remains in jail, bail set at $10,000 during a hearing this afternoon. And probable-cause documents say an alert neighbor is to thank for helping track him down.

We reported last night that the burglary was in the Alki area; it actually happened near Me-Kwa-Mooks Park. The residents told police they were only away for about 20 minutes when someone broke in around 3 pm, stealing jewelry and two rifles. A neighbor gave police a description of the car, including its Oregon license plate, which was quickly traced to a rental company. Just after 5 pm, the neighbor called 911 to say the car was back at the house. While headed there, police saw it at Admiral and California, then in the Starbucks parking lot, where the driver jumped out and ran south.

As we reported last night, a wide-ranging containment/search operation ensued. Then around quarter past six, a resident called 911 to report someone was hiding in his yard. An officer spotted the suspect walking east on SW Lander shortly afterward; a foot chase ensued, and then the suspect “got into the prone position near the playfields,” at which time he was taken into custody.

His last known address was in Federal Way, according to the police report, but the narrative says he took police to “where he stored the stolen guns” – three guns were recovered at an address near 2nd SW and SW 122nd in North Burien. The suspect is due back in court Wednesday, by which time charges could be filed.

1:53 AM: The suspect is out of jail after posting bond.

5 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: $10,000 bail set for burglary suspect arrested at Hiawatha"

  • Marlene November 14, 2016 (9:00 pm)

    Good work by SPD and WS residents!

  • New Thinking Needed November 14, 2016 (9:28 pm)

    Hooray for alert neighbors!! willing to call 911 to make a report. And very good to hear 3 guns were recovered from the hands of a thief.

  • sam-c November 15, 2016 (9:21 am)

    Wow, good job neighbors, SPD, and 911 operators! (no wonder there was such a big response to this burglary, there were rifles involved!)

  • steve November 15, 2016 (9:52 am)

    Good job SPD! But,,,

    Bail should have been higher  in my opinion. Stealing guns?! So this POS only needed $1000 to get out of jail.  He’s probably already back at work. 

  • SaraB November 15, 2016 (11:00 am)

    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE lock up your guns inside your house.  Perhaps the victim was responsible and had them locked in a cabinet and the burglars broke into the gun safe; that is not clear to me from this post.  But if not, I hope it’s now been brought home to you that as a responsible gun owner, it is critical that you take extra precautions.  Hide the gun safe in a coat closet or behind a cabinet door.   Everyone must do everything possible to keep guns out of the black market.  

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