Kent police officers, with help from parishioners and firefighters, arrested a burglary suspect Sunday after he tried to hide on the roof of a local business.
The incident began when a church employee on Kent’s East Hill reported a burglary early Sunday morning. Surveillance footage showed a man breaking into the church’s Conex trailer around 2:30 a.m. by cutting off its handle and an iron security gate. Two pressure washers and several smaller items were stolen.
Later that day, parishioners from the church spotted the suspect at the Kent Home Depot parking lot, where he was attempting to sell the stolen pressure washers. When confronted, the man dropped one of the washers and fled on foot. Witnesses said he then climbed onto the roof of the nearby Asian Pacific Market in an attempt to hide.
One parishioner climbed into a tree to track the suspect’s movements, relaying updates to responding officers. Multiple Kent police units arrived, surrounding the building. With no internal access to the roof, Puget Sound Fire was called in with a ladder truck to help officers reach the man.
The suspect, a 58-year-old Kent resident, was cornered on the rooftop and eventually surrendered without further incident. He was frisked for weapons on the roof and taken into custody once safely back on the ground.
Police credited the teamwork of parishioners and firefighters for helping secure the arrest.
“You can run, you can hide, you can even climb, but we’re not shy about asking for an assist when needed to catch a suspect,” Kent Police said in a statement.
The stolen property was recovered, and the suspect now faces burglary and theft charges.
News Source – Facebook (Kent police department)