A suspect driving an apparently stolen vehicle was arrested early Wednesday morning after a 911 caller alerted police to man trying to break into a garage in the 500 block of Belmont Ave E. Here’s the report from SPD on the arrest. It’s the second alleged burglar taken into custody on the Hill this week. On Monday, a woman was arrested for allegedly stealing a laptop from a home near Volunteer Park. 

On May 18th, at approximately 3:00 AM, East Precinct officers responded to a complaint of someone attempting to break into a garage at a residence in the 500 Block of Belmont Avenue East.   The caller also stated that there was an unknown vehicle parked in the driveway of the residence. When officers arrived, they contacted a male sitting inside that car.  He had been using a garage door opener from the car to attempt entry into the garage.  The man does not reside at that address, nor was the car he was in registered to him.  Officers were unable to contact the registered owner of the car and, because the car might be an unreported stolen vehicle and the fact that is was blocking the driveway, it was impounded.

The suspect, a 32 year old male, later told officers that he had found the parked there unlocked, and had only been looking for a warm place to sleep.  The suspect had been using a “shaved” key to operate the vehicle.  The suspect was arrested and later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Attempted Burglary, with a request for vehicle prowling charges as well.