Published March 11 2015
Bellevue and Mercer Island Police detectives on Tuesday, March 10, arrested a man they say is responsible for multiple car prowls and identity theft cases in Bellevue, Mercer Island and at SeaTac Airport.
Officers were able to locate surveillance video of the suspect, a 31-year-old Seattle man, using victims' stolen credit cards. The suspect has multiple felony and misdemeanor warrants for his arrest, as well as a probation violation.
Detectives with the Bellevue Special Enforcement Team (SET) began looking for the suspect last week, and after three days of surveillance found him in south Seattle. As officers converged on him, he ran to a nearby stolen vehicle and drove away, barely missing several officers as he fled.
On Tuesday, March 10, Bellevue and Mercer Island detectives found the suspect in south Seattle, and arrested him after a brief struggle in a store. Multiple theft and identity theft charges are expected to be filed against the suspect.
Bellevue Police's SET addresses specific types of repeat crimes with an innovative, proactive approach. The team targets prolific, active criminals in an effort to lower the overall rate of reported crime. The team conducts plain-clothes surveillance of targeted areas and surveillance of known active criminals, then coordinates with the King County Prosecutor's Office to ensure that arrested suspects remain in custody. Additionally, SET works frequently with the investigative units of other agencies to help address multijurisdictional offenders.