Men linked to over 300 burglaries targeting Asians in Washington state arrested
14 days ago
Two men were arrested in Tacoma, Washington, in connection with a two-year investigation into a series of burglaries targeting East Indian and Asian American families in King and Snohomish Counties.
Key points:
- The men, both 34 years old, were arrested on Wednesday, marking the 10th arrest of suspects believed to be part of an organized crime group from South America.
- The group is believed to be responsible for over 300 burglaries in King and Snohomish Counties since 2021, resulting in losses exceeding $5 million.
The details:
- The arrests were made as part of a joint effort involving Sheriff’s Office Robbery and Burglary detectives, Lynnwood Police detectives and Homeland Security.
- One of the men received 11 counts of burglary and six counts of theft, while the other was booked with 12 counts of burglary and 7 counts of theft. Additionally, a 24-year-old man, who was already being held on charges related to the investigation, was also booked on six counts of burglary and three counts of theft.
- All of the men are being held at the Snohomish County Jail, with bail set at $500,000 for each.
- According to investigators, the two 34-year-old men were linked to 12 burglaries in Snohomish County, including in Lynnwood and Mukilteo, since November 2023.
- Investigators believe that the suspects targeted Asian and East Indian homeowners under the assumption that they stored significant amounts of cash and jewelry at home. Police suspect that they located victims through small local businesses and open-source databases by conducting name queries.
What’s next:
- The investigation into the organized South American crime group remains ongoing.
- “We do suspect that we’ll have some arrests in the future. Unfortunately, detectives do believe that this might be an ongoing problem for the foreseeable future,” said Maren McKay, Lynnwood Police Department’s communications manager, according to Fox 13.
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