EVERETT — A man accused of breaking into a Volunteers of America office in the dark of night got some unexpected company and a trip to the Snohomish County Jail last week.
Everett police were ready for him after other burglaries since Aug. 4 at the building in the 6700 block of Cady Road.
They’d set a specialized alarm in the main office of the building’s pre-school. Patrol officers were immediately aware of the break-in shortly after 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Because the previous burglaries involved stolen electronics equipment, police pulled out two laptops from their own property room that had been slated to be thrown away. The hard drives and batteries had been removed and they placed the laptops at the VOA office after recording identifying information.
On Wednesday morning, the alarm was tripped and patrol officers descended on the building.
As had occurred in the previous break-ins, an intruder broke a window to get inside.
Such was the case on Wednesday. This time a hammer was used to shatter the glass.
“The suspect had been observed by arriving officers fleeing the building with electronics in hand,” according to a police report.
Police retrieved the computers as well as cable and plug-ins that the suspect dropped as he tried to flee, the report said.
He apparently had second thoughts about running when he heard all the police officers and “the barking announcement” of a police dog, the police report said.
The suspect, 26, allegedly admitted to previous break-ins at the building.
Police found “a large amount of electronics” in the trunk of the man’s car, including two phones, two desktop monitors, a computer tower and assorted cables that the suspect allegedly admitted belonged to the VOA.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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