Mukilteo police help family visiting from Alabama after gifts stolen

MUKILTEO — Even for seasoned officers, petty crime can be hard to stomach during the holidays.

An Alabama family on a road trip recently stopped over in Mukilteo for a few days. The family of four needed some car repairs before they could get on their way, police officer Colt Davis said.

Around 7 a.m. Dec. 16., the parents found their car had been broken into overnight outside the hotel where they were staying.

Three of the car windows were smashed. The Christmas presents for their girls, ages 2 and 5, were gone.

Officer Andy Jones told the others on his shift about what happened. They decided to take up a collection for gift cards and cash, so the gifts could be replaced and the trip home made less stressful, Davis said. Those on duty gave about $150, and another $100 came from the officers’ benevolence fund.

“It’s the holiday season and for officers, it’s a little more heartbreaking when you go someplace and you have two kids there who have no presents,” Davis said. “It was like, ‘How can we help you out as best as we possibly can?’”

The squad went back to the hotel and delivered the items as a surprise to the thankful family, Davis said.

There have been 194 reported car prowls in Mukilteo so far this year, Davis said. That’s compared to 122 last year.

“Mostly unlocked cars,” he said. “That’s the biggest thing. People leave their cars unlocked all the time.”

Meanwhile, Mukilteo officers also continue a campaign against package thefts. Thanks to alert neighbors, two arrests were made within about an hour on Wednesday

One neighbor spotted a woman taking a package from someone’s doorstep along 55th Place W., and called in a description of the vehicle. Police caught up with the alleged theft. It was a similar situation about 30 minutes later along Webster Way. The woman in that case had dozens of packages and pieces of mail from multiple neighborhoods, Davis said. Both women were arrested.

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

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