LYNNWOOD – A thin, balding man strolled out of an elevator in a Lynnwood office building two weeks ago wearing jeans, a tan shirt and a backpack. He looked like the technology services guy at countless offices, carrying a blue plastic garbage can with a printer-sized piece of equipment inside.
But this man was a thief, and he was stealing thousands of dollars worth of computers and video gear from CRS Financial Center in the 20000 block of 44th Avenue W.
| To report information about thefts at CRS Financial Center in the 20000 block of 44th Avenue W. in Lynnwood, call Lynnwood police detective Josh Kelsey at 425-744-6918. |
Fearing the thief’s boldness – and that he might strike again – the building’s owner is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest.
“We’re just looking for somebody who knows him, who’s willing to submit a name and help police catch him,” said Tina Gonsalves, director of marketing for MILA, a wholesale mortgage lender in the CRS building that was hit Sept. 14.
“He’s obviously not going to stop until we catch him.”
The man has stolen from the building twice. The first time, in July, he used a crowbar to pry open a back door. He stole equipment from MILA, Guardian Insurance and Dave Scheuller, a building contracting firm.
This month, the thief only stole from MILA.
Gonsalves estimates the man has stolen about $15,000 worth of equipment from the building and caused about $2,000 in damage to the building during his thefts.
Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said the man is not a suspect in any other burglaries. That kind of crime isn’t unusual, she said.
“It’s unusual that a business offers a reward,” Sessions said. “A lot of times this is helpful, sometimes it’s not. But it doesn’t hurt.”
The mystery man is white and about 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He was caught on security cameras casually walking through the building during both of his strikes.
Gonsalves said pictures of the man have been posted all over the building, but nobody has come forward with information about him.
“There are several hundred people who work in that building, and he looks like he belongs there,” Gonsalves said.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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