Woman robbed during home invasion thanks neighbors for finding stolen items ... and suspect



EVERETT  --  An Everett woman is thanking her neighbors for their quick thinking after she says her home was broken into by an armed robber.

The victim, who has requested we not reveal her name, says she feels grateful to have such caring neighbors who aren't afraid to take action when they see something suspicious.

Her neighbor, who also asked us to protect his identity, says his good deed helped track down the hatchet-wielding robbery suspect.

On May 15, the victim says, a man armed with a hatchet broke into her home on Oaks Avenue in the early morning hours, robbing her and her husband, stealing their house keys, her purse, two cell phones, the car keys and their red Volvo.

But three hours later, her neighbor found some of her stolen items just a mile away, at the corner of Tulalip Avenue and Laurel Drive.

Just a block away from where the cards were found, the victim’s nephew located the stolen car. The nephew says a few hours after that, more neighbors identified the suspect who came back looking for the car.

“Break-ins and car break-ins are not unusual. Nobody likes that. We all like to feel safe.  Without community action and awareness we can’t be because the police can’t be everywhere,” says the victim.

The victim and her nephew say they’re grateful to have such caring neighbors, especially during such a traumatizing experience. The victim's nephew says the family knows the suspect. They're just grateful no one was hurt.