SL Police: Bell burglar nabbed

On Monday, December 28, we published a story about the theft of church hand bells from the Prince of Peace Church. Here's the inside scoop from the Shoreline Police Department.

Bell burglar nabbed
by Sgt. Katie Larson, Shoreline Police

On November 18, 2009, MPO (Master Patrol Officer) McCutchen responded to the Prince of Peace Church to investigate a report of a burglary.   
Unknown suspect(s) had broken out a window to gain entry and then took two cases of brass bells for a loss of $3,800.00. These bells are used throughout the year but primarily during the Christmas holidays.

MPO McCutchen did recover a large piece of broken glass under the window with a shoeprint on it.

This case was assigned to Det. Inn for follow-up. With little to go on Detective Inn put together a bulletin which he sent out to neighboring law enforcement agencies describing the bells.

On November 25, 2009, Det. Inn received a phone call from the Bothell Police. Two of their officers contacted a male and female in front of Country Village on Nov. 18, 2009, attempting to sell some bells. The male had “cuts all over his hands and the wounds were still bleeding.” At that point, the officers were unable to determine if the bells had been stolen and after identifying the two let them go.

Det. Inn got the two names from Bothell and went to work. Both the male and the female have criminal histories. Det. Inn learned that both suspects are clients of the Therapeutic Health Services in Shoreline.

On 12/02/2009 Detectives Inn and Coblantz were alerted by MPO McCutchen that he had located the suspect’s vehicle parked near the Therapeutic Health Services building.

Detectives set up on the car and several hours later arrested both the male and female. Both the male and female admitted to knowing about the bells but denied committing the burglary. The male said he “got the bells from black male who gave them to him in return for a ride."

The bells had since changed hands yet again. Det. Inn continued to persevere and ultimately recovered all of the bells which were returned to the church in time for the holidays.

Det. Inn matched the shoeprints from the glass collected by MPO McCutchen to the shoes of the suspect and it was a match. The male suspect who is a resident of Shoreline was subsequently charged with Investigation of Burglary, Theft and Trafficking Stolen Property.