Bellevue man arrested for stealing $100,000 worth of items

Bellevue police have arrested a burglar after he stole more than $100,000 worth of items using a garage door opener, a common tactic among criminals, according to King County Sergeant Eric White.

A 64-year-old man was parked his black BMW at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) shortly before an international trip when thieves allegedly stole the BMW. The two burglary suspects then used the victim’s garage door remote, which was found in the BMW, to open the garage door of his home in the Newport Shores neighborhood and loot the property.

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“Now if you have a garage door opener, you are allowing other people easy access to your home,” White told KIRO Newsradio.

When police arrived at the home, the two burglars were in the process of ransacking the house. According to KIRO Newsradio, they were allegedly looking for a safe with more than $100,000 in it.

The suspects allegedly stayed in the house for one day and returned the next day to steal more.

When police arrived, the two suspects fled in separate cars. One originally took the stolen BMW from the airport, while the other fled in a stolen black Chevy Avalanche. When the Chevy became stuck during the pursuit, the suspect fled on foot onto Lake Washington Boulevard.

According to KOMO News, nearby witnesses helped pursuing officers by pointing them in the right direction. The bystanders saw the suspect leave the area in a van with no license plates. Officers eventually found him shortly after on Interstate 90.

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He was arrested for burglary, car theft and hit and run. Police are still looking for the other suspect involved. According to KOMO News, the second suspect collided with a police officer’s vehicle while fleeing, causing minor damage.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and email him here.