Car Break-In Thief Arrested With UW Student Housing Resident's Stolen Items

The Laurelhurst Blog received this email:

On December 23rd and January 8-9, my car was physically broken into and items stolen, for the second time in a month in the UW Family Housing complex at Laurel Village on the intersection of NE 45th Street and Mary Gates Memorial Drive.  

I know of two other people in Laurel Village who have been robbed recently, as well as a car break-in in December.  And some people have had property stolen from porches. 

Yesterday morning, a man was arrested on the UW campus, who also happens to have a felony warrant out for his arrest and my items were found in this persons possession.  My items were positively identified as being on his person within hours of them going missing, and were indisputably linked to my car and the theft that morning. 

The UW police and Officer Shade were very professional and asked for my cooperation in prosecuting this thief who may have a connection with car prowls in the Laurelhurst neighborhood. They also swiped his fingerprints in my car. Officer Shade found one thumb print that we both strongly believe to be the thief's, which is currently in the forensics lab being analyzed.   

The police believe this is at least one of the thieves that has been operating in the area, if not THE thief. 

I am filling out some paperwork for Officer Shade, but he is sure this is enough evidence to entice a prosecutor to move forward.  Either way, this is already a suspect headed for trial. 

Here is the UW police log, which lists a few more car prowls in the area. The log shows my report at my address (15-000058).  And the report immediately before that (15-000057) is actually the suspect being apprehended for an existing warrant in the N15 parking lot of the UW.  This is when they found my stuff in his backpack.  

Crime incidents at Laurel Village, the Center for Urban Horticulture, etc.  are handled by the UW police department. And it seems that there has been a definite uptick in crime on the east side of the UW in Laurelhurst.

Hopefully this is the end of this thieving business in the neighborhood. Many thanks to the neighborhood blog for covering this problem.