Car prowlers hit Bothell park-and-ride
BOTHELL, Wash. -- Bothell Police are hoping someone knows these two women or the bald man. The three suspects allegedly used credit cards from a purse stolen from the victim's car at a Park and Ride lot located at 15530 Juanita-Woodinville Way NE on January 28.
"Our victim had parked her car in the Park ‘n Ride lot in Bothell near 160th Street. She then went away to work. Between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. the car was broken into. Individuals forced entry into the driver door and then stole a purse from her car. It was also about 5 p.m. that our three subjects are seen on video camera utilizing her stolen credit card at the Macy’s store," said Sgt. Elmer Brown with Bothell Police.
Detectives say they made multiple fraudulent purchases with the stolen cards at the Alderwood Mall Macy’s store. They also fear the criminals won’t end there.
"The other part of this is when the suspects entered the car they also took the garage door opener along with the victim’s vehicle registration. I think what people need to understand that if they have the remote controls in their car, it’s best to either secure them when you’ve parked the car or take them with them when they leave the car to prevent something like that from being stolen" said Sgt. Brown.
Regular Park N Ride users say that’s why they are extra careful about leaving their personal items out of sight.
“It’s pretty unnerving because I park here, but I don’t typically keep valuables in my car so I’m not worried about it, but it’s frustrating to hear about that,” said Hollie Zaretze.
If you can identify the suspects, Crime Stoppers will pay you a cash reward of up to $1,000. Just call the hotline at 1-800-222-TIPS or go to www.crimestoppers.com to submit the information online or to learn how to text your tip anonymously.
Just a few prevention tips to guard against car break-ins
Lock your doors.
Keep it tidy – almost any item inside your car that can be seen from outside, even an empty bag, could be seen as valuable.
Conceal all the evidence – Don’t leave any bait out for thieves. Better yet, take it with you.
Stash before you park, not after you park – Get in the habit of storing your items in the trunk before you park rather than after you park. Thieves sometimes linger in busy parking lots looking for valuables being moved out of sight.
Get a car alarm
Park for visibility – Park in a busy, well-lit area and avoid concealment from larger vehicles, fences or foliage.