Two men suspected of burglarizing a house in the Bridle Trails area were caught in the act Wednesday morning by Kirkland Police after an alert passerby reported spotting the pair jumping a fence into a yard.
“Somebody saw some activity and called us, and we caught the suspects,” said Sgt. Rob Saloum, Kirkland Police Department spokesman. “He (the passerby) didn’t wait and think about it, like often happens.”
The passerby, who Saloum declined to identify or talk about, called police after seeing two men with backpacks hop the fence just after 10 a.m. in the 6000 block of 120th Avenue NE, near Bridle Trails State Park.
Police arrived on the scene quickly, according to a KPD press release, and saw the two men moving items out of the residence. One fled on foot but was caught by an officer after a short chase. The other suspect was tracked down by the Kirkland Police K9 team, Officer Jeff Trombley and the German shepherd Max.
Both men, described by Saloum as young adults from south King County, are in custody and facing residential burglary charges.
Residential burglary is an ongoing problem in Kirkland, with multiple reports most weeks and a spike in cases over the holidays. Saloum said the passerby did the right thing by calling police promptly.
“The best thing for people do do is, if things don’t seem right, just call us, even if it turns out not to be a crime,” he said.
Do not slap them on the wrist! Enough burglary, make them an example!