Kent Police Department patrol officers apprehended two teenage burglars this past week after a resident called 911 to report suspicious activity at a construction site.
The incident occurred at around 10:35 p.m. on SE 259th Street in the East Hill neighborhood. A resident observed two teens trespassing on the property and stealing construction materials.
The 911 caller gave a blow-by-blow description to dispatch on how the teens had jumped a fence and were walking around the site with flashlights. He continued to give updates on the suspects’ movements as they were bringing items out and placing them either inside or on top of the van.
An Officer was nearby, and as he was entering the neighborhood, he saw the van attempting to flee. The witness told dispatch that he could see the Officer stop the suspect vehicle, leaving zero doubt that the Officer had the correct vehicle and suspects. Two Officers arrived just behind the first and helped to take the juveniles into custody without incident.
The caller also provided surveillance footage of the crime, which aided the investigation. Both suspects, a 16-year-old from Kent and a 17-year-old from Ravensdale, were arrested. Stolen property was recovered, and there is probable cause for both suspects for Burglary 2 and Theft 3. They were transported to King County Juvenile for booking. The case is currently referred to our Detectives for filing in Juvenile Court.
“Thank you to the best witness ever,” police said. “Calm, descriptive, and observant. We say it all the time, we can’t do it without you!”
The police department also commended the officers involved, as well as supervisors of the nightshift crews, for their swift response and successful apprehension.
