Police: K9 helped track gun thief to parking garage

SEATTLE -- A police K9 team helped track down a 19-year-old car prowl suspect after he allegedly broke into a vehicle to steal a pistol.

According to the Seattle Police Department, the owner of a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of 3rd Avenue North Monday morning called police to say that he watched a man break into his car and apparently steal the gun. The victim allegedly heard the gun being racked as the suspect left.

Police called to the scene dispatched a K9 officer and his partner, Ziva, to search for the suspect, police said.

The dog Ziva managed to track down the suspect's scent to an open garage near 2nd Avenue North and Aloha Street, and the suspect was found beside a parked car.

He was arrested without incident.

The victim's gun was recovered, police said, as a well as a second loaded handgun and two vehicle titles that belonged to others.

The suspect was wanted on a Department of Corrections warrant. He was booked into King County Jail on the warrant and a weapons violations.