SEATTLE (TIP): A group of burglars appears to be targeting Indian Americans with a string of daytime burglaries in Bothell, Washington, a part of the Seattle metropolitan area, situated near the northeast end of Lake Washington.
According to local media reports, burglaries have been happening during the daytime in Bothell along 35th Avenue Southeast between 180th Street Southeast and 228th Street Southeast.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office has sought people’s help in identifying three people it believes are connected to several burglaries in Bothell, a local TV station in Seattle reported.
A Facebook post from the sheriff’s office said its Robbery and Burglary Unit detectives had seen an increase in home burglaries over the past two weeks. The victims in the cases have primarily been Indian Americans.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe more than 50% of the residents [in the area of the burglaries] are from the Indian heritage,” Rohit Patil, the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center president, was quoted as saying.
His community has been sharing this unsettling news with their friends and family. “People have been taking care of their homes, locking their doors,” he said. Patil thinks people are after valuables like jewelry and “other precious metals.” Patil said he and others are shocked because their religion is one of peace. They don’t want to bother anyone. They hope public attention to the case will lead to arrests and stop the burglaries.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office asked residents to be sure all their valuables are in a secure place in their homes and all their windows and doors are locked, according to the report.
The sheriff’s office believes the suspects are part of a larger, organized group that operates throughout the region. According to the SCSO, the suspects may be riding around in a black Mercedes sedan from the early 2000s and a newer silver Mercedes SUV with unknown plates.
SCSO asked residents to contact it if they have surveillance video or pictures that could help solve the case.