Bellevue police arrested a suspect Wednesday night after breaking into several homes in the Newport Shores neighborhood in the past 24 hours.
Police say that the homeowners were traveling abroad when the problems happened.
Around 2:50 p.m., police were called to the 3600 block of Lake Washington Boulevard Southeast to help with a crime that was still going on.
When the police arrived, they saw two suspects trying to steal things from the house, including a safe that had more than $100,000 in it.
The second suspect, a black BMW driver, quickly drove off, damaging an officer’s car only slightly.
The first suspect, who was driving a black Chevy Avalanche, also tried to get away but his car got stuck between a tree and the police car.
After that, he ran away, going south on Lake Washington Boulevard Southeast.
People who saw the suspect leave said he or she was driving a box truck without license plates. Later, police nabbed him on an onramp to Interstate 90.
The person who was arrested is being charged with burglary of a dwelling, theft of a motor vehicle, and hit and run while an unattended car.
His Chevy Avalanche had been reported stolen before.
An investigation linked what happened on Wednesday to a break-in that happened at the same house on Tuesday night.
So, people who fit Wednesday’s descriptions stole a safe that had papers, gold, and a Yeti cooler in it.
Even though the home’s alarm system was set off and all the doors were locked, police said there was no forced entry in either case.
They got in by using the victim’s black BMW garage door key, which was in the victim’s car.
As the victim was getting ready for his trip, the car was stolen from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The Bellevue Police Department is still looking for the second suspect, who has not been caught yet.
