Bellevue porch thieves caught after using rideshare cars in multiple crimes



BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Bellevue police say 32-year-old Austin Crane was captured in multiple surveillance videos using Lime rideshare cars to steal from front porches and leave his victims sour.

“Everything from credit cards, to checks, to passports, to packages," said Major John McCracken. "So, everything you can imagine being left on a porch was being stolen.”

Detectives say Crane's girlfriend also helped in the crime spree and was seen in surveillance videos arriving at homes in a Lime rideshare vehicle as well.

Bellevue Police say the couple victimized as many as 50 people. Crane's girlfriend has now been arrested and is also facing multiple charges.

“It’s been happening so frequently I was wondering when it would happen to me," said Laurie Adams who lives in the same Bellevue neighborhood that was frequently targeted near 100th Avenue and NE 18th Street.

Cell phone video from Bellevue Police shows Austin Crane being arrested last week at his Bellevue home. Two Lime cars with items stuffed inside were parked outside.

Detectives say since Crane and his girlfriend used Lime rideshare vehicles, it made them harder to be tracked down.

“It’s not always as easy as it sounds," said Major McCracken. "Sometimes they are using fake identification or stolen identification to rent the vehicles.”

Police say the suspects lived in the same neighborhood they targeted and tracked their own crime spree online after victims would post surveillance videos on neighborhood watch groups.

Laurie Adams says she also heard about the lime car thefts from posts online.

“On top of someone taking a car recently and other break-ins it’s feeling like this neighborhood is becoming less and less secure and it’s definitely a worry," Adams explained.

But now that these alleged Lime car thieves are behind bars neighbors hope things will return back to normal in their community.

“I don’t know if that ends the problem altogether," said Adams. "But it’s good to know they found that guy.”

Crane is now being charged with identity theft and possession of stolen mail.