EVERETT — A witness saw “multiple suspects” damaging almost a dozen vehicles in a downtown Everett parking garage and driving away early Tuesday, Everett police said Wednesday.
Police now say they detained four potential suspects Tuesday morning, then released them, but now have probable cause to arrest all four.
Around 5 a.m., officers responded to the rooftop of the Everpark Garage at 2815 Hoyt Ave. to find 11 cars “prowled and damaged” with windows smashed in, Everett officer Ora Hamel said. Police believe the suspects broke into the parking lot through a metal garage door, which was found damaged.
Estimated damage to the vehicles exceeded $5,000. Police did not confirm if anything was stolen from the cars.
A witness reported seeing four people breaking into the garage, then driving away in a vehicle, Hamel said. Police stopped a vehicle with four people in it that matched the description provided by the witness. Witnesses confirmed the people in the car were the same ones who vandalized the garage.
Massive vandalism at Everpark garage.
by u/TheRealTtamage in everett
However, police were unable to contact a “responsible party” for the city-owned parking garage, “therefore they were not able to gain access in an attempt identify the vehicles, assess damage and contact the vehicle owners,” Hamel wrote in an email.
The four people were released “pending additional investigation,” Hamel said. Police say they now have developed probable cause to charge the four with malicious mischief in the first degree, burglary in the second degree, and vehicle prowl in the second degree. One of those suspects was a minor.
It remained an active investigation Wednesday.
Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.
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