Lynnwood day care is repeated target of security camera thief, police say



LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- Police are looking to identify a man caught on video ripping surveillance cameras off the walls outside of a Snohomish County day care center.

Cops believe the same suspect has been repeatedly targeting the center near 68th Avenue West and 196th Street SW.

Managers at the center aren’t sure if the suspect is selling the cameras as scrap or if he’s trying to disable their security system.

“I think he’s just really stupid,” said manager Becky Harris.

Harris said she can’t help but wonder what the man has done with the two surveillance cameras police said he has stolen over the past month.

“It is really irritating that we have to replace equipment that we should not,” she said.

“You know, a guy who picks on a day care is already somebody we don’t like,” said Detective William Koonce with the Lynnwood Police Department. “If he’s stealing cameras from the day care, he’s probably stealing other things from other businesses.”

Harris wonders if the crook could be looking to do more than make a quick buck selling the electronics.

“Could be disabling them to do something greater or he could be using them to turn into quick cash for an addiction,” Harris said.

The thefts have happened before sunrise, only a couple of hours before the day care’s doors open to kids.

“It needs to be safe for all the other kids,” said mom NaJiba Jamali.

She hopes police catch the crook before he runs into parents while they drop their kids off each morning.

“My daughter will be here for another couple months and then she will start kindergarten,” she said. “They have to do something about it.”

So far police say the man hasn’t tried to get inside the day care center.

Detectives hope someone can identify the suspect and put the day care center’s staff and customers at ease with an arrest.

“I would like to find this guy and get the cameras back to the day care center,” Koonce said.

Lynnwood police are investigating this crime – they also have a copy of the surveillance video and are looking into leads.

Anyone with tips in the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.