Everett man accused of stealing from Mukilteo storage units

Published 7:14 pm Monday, March 7, 2016

MUKILTEO — A 44-year-old Everett man is accused of renting a Mukilteo storage unit, then using his access to that building to pilfer neighboring units.

When Mukilteo police first talked to him, he allegedly was wearing a U.S. Army jacket that had been stolen from another storage unit.

The thefts were reported in February at the Pack Rat Mini Storage along the Mukilteo Speedway. At least seven units were hit.

Police were called Feb. 14, after one of the tenants visited and found his unit unlocked, according to an arrest affidavit. That tenant and the maintenance man were trying to secure his unit when they noticed another unit’s door ajar.

When they peeked inside, the tenant recognized items he was missing, including cans of ammunition, records show. The unit where the items were found was registered to the 44-year-old Everett man. He had been on site earlier that day. While the police were still at the scene, he reportedly returned, saying he had forgotten to close his unit.

When told about the recent burglaries, and the ammunition cans in his unit, the man said he “had no idea how they got there,” detectives wrote in their report.

The suspect volunteered to open his storage unit so the other tenant could see everything inside. The other tenant said he spotted a suitcase, camping chairs and deer antlers that belonged to him.

That’s when the suspect changed his tune.

He reportedly told police he found the missing items strewn about that morning and assumed they were intended to go into the garbage, so he grabbed them. He told detectives “he knew that he shouldn’t have done that.”

The man said the rest of the stuff in his unit was his. At that point, his unit was locked and he was denied further access until police obtained a judge’s permission to conduct a search.

One officer who had talked to the suspect thought it odd that he was wearing a U.S. Army jacket that was too large for his frame.

It was later determined that another tenant at the facility — a man who is 6-foot-5 — was missing his Army jacket.

When detectives arrived to search the suspect’s unit, it was so packed they had trouble opening the door. They asked others tenants to identify missing items.

The Army veteran found about $220 worth of his stuff, including camping gear and knives. Other items identified as stolen included Christmas ornaments, sleeping bags, a trunk, a bicycle rack and an antique doll.

Police developed probable cause to make the arrest within a couple of days. They caught up with the suspect last week, officer Colt Davis said.

Additional items were found that are believed to be stolen, but the owners have not been identified. Computer gear, video game consoles, credit cards, bicycles and tools were found in the suspect’s unit, among other items.

Anyone who may have been targeted at that location is asked to contact detectives at 425-263-8100.

The suspect was booked last week into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of seven counts of burglary. He also is accused of theft and possessing stolen property. He remained behind bars Monday on $5,000 bail.

Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.