Picture from resident's security camera
of robber carrying alleged assault rifle
A man with what appears to be an assault rifle broke into a home in the 5100 block of 46th Avenue NE around 8:20pm on Halloween, October 31. The family said that their home break-in, as well as several others were "very clustered" with several homes on their street broken into as well as a few on nearby NE 54th Street, a cross street at the end the block.
The family captured a picture of the man with the weapon on their home security camera. His upper body and face don't show as the family had the camera pointed at the ground to try and see if raccoons were getting into their garbage.
The family spoke exclusively with the Laurelhurst Blog staff about the incident:
Unfortunately, our house was broken into on Halloween. The robber kicked in the back door, which was locked, and forced his way into the house.
Unfortunately, we didn't get a shot of his face, but, you'll see that he is armed and police suspect the assault rifle is real. Thankfully, we weren't home and the loss is stuff versus people.
SPD arrived about 10 minutes after our 911 call and was very responsive for us that evening. However, I know the same is not true for our neighbor who waited nearly 1.5 hours for a response following their call. The patrol officers that responded to our house were thorough, respectful, and assured us they were doing extra patrols for the next several nights given the weapon seen in the video of which they believed was true but couldn't fully confirm that evening.
We followed up with the general SPD hotline yesterday to hand over the video and although the officer was sympathetic, it was clear they are overwhelmed and burdened and do not have the resources to investigate these particular crimes. We'll be following up with the responding patrol officer today to see if he can help us escalate.
With regards to stopping these crimes, I'd like to see neighborhood meetings and specific tips for securing our homes.
One of our neighbors in already in touch with Seattle City Light to request more lighting in our area which is towards the end of 46th Avenue NE, where it's very dark and where the concentration of the five break-ins occurred. Better street lighting could potentially have helped prevent the five break-ins.
I love seeing our community coming together to help and protect each other and to create awareness that although we live in an amazing and typically sleepy neighborhood in Seattle, we still live in a major metropolitan city and crime can happen anywhere and we should all be aware and vigilant.
We want to ensure our neighbors are aware and alert this is happening right here on our street just two blocks from our school, and that we are all extra aware and diligent.
We want our community to protect themselves and their families. I feel strongly we need awareness about these crimes and the intensity of them. Neighbors need to know this happened just two blocks from our community elementary school and same for families with children at Villa. It's too close to our babies.
Thanks to the Laurelhurst Blog for your help in spreading the word to the neighborhood. I know several friends in the neighborhood have been shocked to hear what happened and to see the image of the robber and that it could happen to us right here in Laurelhurst.
Q13 and KIRO 7 each did stories on the burglaries.
KIRO posted this article on their website: Assault-rifle-toting burglar caught on Laurelhurst camera
Neighbors in North Seattle’s Laurelhurst neighborhood are intensifying watch groups and their own security systems after surveillance video captured a burglar entering a home with an assault rifle.
The homeowner who provided the video to KIRO 7, had the camera aimed low to find out if raccoons were opening his trash bins. The video, which shows the burglar from the shoulders down, also shows an assault rifle in his left hand, as he kicks the back door in.
The homeowner told KIRO 7 the burglar stole electronics, jewelry and cash.
"I can't even describe the words,” said neighbor to the homeowner, Marsha Crivello, whose home was one of seven burglarized within a few blocks on Halloween night. “I just felt sickened by it. I thought what if I had walked in at 10 o'clock and he was here? He was walking through my house, went into my bedroom, opened drawers, opened closets and things were just strewn in the house."
Another neighbor Brad Dykes couldn’t believe the nerve of the burglar—or the timing. “That's phenomenal that somebody would try that, especially on Halloween when they know people will be more active. have video cameras, security cameras and things like that. I haven't set them up yet, but this definitely will kick that into gear," he said.
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