By Eric Stevick Herald Writer
EVERETT — A string of burglaries earlier this week was becoming increasingly dangerous, officials said Friday.
Three break-ins between Monday and Wednesday resulted in encounters between intruders and either people living in the homes, or their neighbors.
Two of the burglaries occurred in Everett.
Police believe a Renton man, 19, was involved in all three break-ins. He was arrested for investigation of four burglaries, attempting to elude police and possession of stolen firearms.
“I guess the term reckless comes to mind,” Everett police Lt. Robert Goetz said. “Reckless to the point where they really could have hurt somebody or they could have been really hurt.”
Around 8:30 a.m. Monday, a neighbor noticed an intruder at an Everett home in the 9000 block of 10th Dr. W.
The neighbor pointed a gun at two men who ran from the property, according to court records.
Shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday, a Lynnwood man told police he returned to his home to find a burglar inside armed with a handgun. A back window of the home had been shattered with a large rock.
The suspect ran from the home in the 3900 block of 180th Pl. SW and got into a white SUV that was waiting for him. The victim was able to get a license plate number that he reported to police.
That afternoon, Everett police investigated a report of a break-in in the 900 block of 110th Pl. SE.
A man living there told police he was home with his family when there was a knock on his door.
When he went to answer it, he heard a loud crash from the laundry room where he found a man climbing through the window.
The homeowner tried to grab him but the man slipped out of the window. Two men ran from the property. A car matching the description of the Lynnwood burglary raced by and picked up the men as the victim tried to chase them down.
A judge Friday set bail at $150,000 for the Renton man who’s also under investigation for break-ins in King County. A Bothell woman, 19, also was arrested for investigation of first-degree burglary. Police believe she drove the get-away car in the Lynnwood burglary. The third suspect had not been arrested as of Friday.
The man and woman were arrested Thursday after a brief foot chase in Everett.
They were spotted in a Volvo that was believed used in one of the burglaries. The car pulled into a parking lot, and an Everett patrol officer followed it. The vehicle then sped down Seventh Avenue SE. Police soon ended the pursuit for safety reasons.
Minutes later, someone called 911 to report seeing the Volvo being driven erratically near the intersection of 75th Street SE and Broadway.
As police converged on the area, they spotted the suspects running away, Goetz said.
The suspect previously had been contacted by an Everett police sergeant in north Everett. He dropped a backpack and ran, according to court records. Two firearms were found inside the bag. He later admitted he stole the weapons during a burglary in Seattle.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
