BOTHELL — Detectives believe there are ties between a break-in at a Bothell auto dealership early Friday morning and a string of cars stolen from two Edmonds lots late last month.
Police in Bothell arrested eight teens and a younger child shortly after 1 a.m. at Brooks Biddle Automotive. Officers arrived within minutes of being alerted by an alarm, Bothell Sgt. Ken Seuberlich said.
The teens were running out of the showroom when they were caught, he said. They allegedly were found with dozens of sets of car keys. It didn’t appear that any cars were missing.
“All of the stars aligned,” Seuberlich said, referring to the quick arrests.
The teens apparently took a bus to Bothell before the break-in, Seuberlich said.
Bothell police have been in contact with other law enforcement agencies, including Edmonds.
“It is believed to be the same group,” Edmonds Sgt. Mark Marsh said.
Seattle police arrested three suspects in November after spotting them driving around Lake City in a car stolen from a dealership in Edmonds. They were turned over to auto theft detectives. After interviewing the teens, police recovered seven other cars stolen from the same lot.
They also might be connected to break-ins and car thefts at a Lake City dealership.
The suspects are believed to live in north Seattle.
Marsh said Friday that he believes two of the cars stolen out of Edmonds remain missing.
On Friday, all of the suspects were being booked into the King County juvenile detention center.
At this point, the investigations include police from Edmonds, Bothell, King County, Shoreline and Seattle.
“This is going to be a work in progress,” Marsh said.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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