Five burglars targeting Indian Americans in Seattle suburb arrested

Police in Kirkland, a suburb east of Seattle in Washington, have arrested five persons suspected of orchestrating at least 17 burglaries targeting Indian American and other South Asian community members in Kirkland and surrounding areas.

The five were apprehended after a raid on a residential rental in Redmond, Washington, in the early hours of Sunday, March 24, according to a media release.

READ: Burglars targeting Indian Americans in Bothell, Washington (December 25, 2023)

Police were able to recover several suspected stolen items including over $17,000 in cash and multiple high-end bags. The suspects were subsequently booked into the King County Jail on various counts of Residential Burglary.

The investigation started in February when members of the Eastside Indian American / South Asian community expressed worries to regional law enforcement about an increase in residential burglaries impacting individuals of Indian and South Asian descent in the community, according to the release.

Initial review of burglary data by Kirkland Crime Analysts indicated that there was perhaps an uptick of burglaries against Indian American and other Asian American victims.

In late February, surveillance cameras and an eyewitness captured images of three suspects and the license plate of a rental vehicle associated with a residential burglary in the North Rose Hill neighborhood.

READ: Colombian burglary ring targeting Indian Americans busted (October 14, 2022)

One of the suspects, identified as a man from Palmdale, California, had a lengthy criminal history as a convicted felon. Investigators discovered that the suspect traveled frequently between California and Washington, utilizing short-term rental properties to change locations.

The suspects also rented cars and swapped out vehicle license plates with stolen ones. This information gathered over a two-month investigation, led to the development of probable cause and the acquisition of a search warrant for a short-term residential rental in Redmond, Washington.

READ: Indian American store owner in Ohio targeted by thieves (January 12, 2024)

In the early hours of Sunday, March 24, a multi-agency team served the search warrant at the Redmond address. Kirkland Detectives and ProAct members apprehended five adult men from Southern California, charging them with numerous burglaries committed in Kirkland, King, and Snohomish Counties.

Evidence of the burglaries and technical equipment believed to be used for countersurveillance and defeating residential security features were found inside the rental, the release stated.

READ: Six Indian American families targeted by a gang of burglars in Wisconsin (June 24, 2016)

“This is an impactful and successful outcome for our community,” said Kirkland Police Chief Cherie Harris. “Thank you to our community members for trusting law enforcement with your story and for all our community members’ assistance along the way. And I also want to send a big thank you to the Lynnwood, Bothell, and Bellevue Police Departments for their critical assistance and collaboration in this multi-jurisdictional investigation.”

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