Crime & Safety

Kirkland K9 Unit Assists RPD in Arrests on Group Health Property

Five individuals said they were filming a documentary for a class project when they were arrested at the former hospital site in the Overlake area.

Update, 3 p.m.: Bellevue College spokesman David Sandler said in a statement that just two of the suspects are current Bellevue College students. One of the other suspects was enrolled during winter quarter but has not re-enrolled for spring, Sandler said.

"Contrary to the statements in the police report, we have determined that the actions in question were not connected in any way with any assignment for a Bellevue College class. As its policy, the college does not encourage, nor does it require, breaking the law to fulfill any course requirement," Sandler's statement continued.

---

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Original story:

Five individuals were arrested just after midnight Sunday on suspicion of trespassing at the former Group Health hospital site in the Overlake area of Redmond.

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The suspects, all between the ages of 20 and 22, told police they are students at Bellevue College and were filming a documentary as part of a class project, according to  spokesman Jim Bove.

Officers were called to the scene by a private alarm company, Bove said. Bellevue Police assisted in the arrests, and the Kirkland Police Department K9 team helped track a suspect who was hiding inside the building.

Police are investigating whether the incident is connected to a burglary that took place at the same location at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday, Bove said. In that case, surveillance cameras captured four individuals inside the hospital building, but no one was located inside.

The property, located in the 2700 block of 152nd Ave. NE, contains a vacant Group Health hospital that closed in 2008. The Redmond City Council recently approved a , and a group of residents that includes former Mayor Rosemarie Ives and members of Sustainable Redmond has since  in King County Superior Court.

Bove said there was no indication that this weekend's break-ins were tied to the site's redevelopment plans. It is not uncommon for police to find young people or transients trespassing at the site, he said, adding two high-school students were arrested there approximately two months ago.

The building is locked, but Bove said the suspects that were arrested Sunday somehow managed to "manipulate the doors" and gain entry.

“It’s just like an abandoned house," Bove said. "It attracts attention (and) mischief.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Kirkland