Lynnwood volunteers alert police to burglary

LYNNWOOD — Two Lynnwood Police Department volunteers helped catch a man who was burglarizing an unoccupied home on Friday, police said.

Volunteers Robert Anderson and his wife, Bette, were checking on the home when they saw a door on the side of the garage open, Lynnwood police spokeswoman Trudy Dana said.

"I went closer and heard noises in the attic — it sounded like someone shuffling around up there," Robert Anderson said. "I backed off to the car, and we called for officers."

As police arrived, they saw a man run from the yard. Police arrested the man and discovered he was gathering items to carry away when the Andersons discovered him, Dana said.

Robert Anderson, a retired engineer, and Bette Anderson, an interior decorator, are senior volunteers with the department’s Volunteers in Public Safety group. They were checking the home daily while the owner was on vacation.

The volunteers did exactly what they were trained to do, police said. They backed off, reported the burglary and watched the house until officers arrived. Police credited their work with helping catch the burglar before he got into the main part of the house.

Lynnwood Deputy Police Chief John Szalda said, "Our volunteers act as extra eyes and ears to keep our community safer."

Vacation home checks are a free service for Lynnwood residents. For more information, call Lynnwood police at 425-744-6900 or visit the department at 19321 44th Ave. W.