Sammamish, Klahanie neighborhoods report more than 20 car prowls from Aug. 25-Sept. 3

Published 9:42 pm Thursday, September 3, 2015

The Sammamish Police Department is investigating 23 car prowls, including six in Klahanie, reported between Aug. 25 and Thursday, Sept. 3, Detective William Albright said Thursday.

The department is looking into two suspects linked to the incidents, Albright said. The investigation is ongoing; no arrests have been made.

The majority of the crimes are concentrated in the Trossachs neighborhood and nearby areas.

Most of the incidents occurred between Friday, Aug. 28, and Tuesday, Sept. 1.

“These are crimes of opportunity,” Albright said.

Those responsible look for easy targets, usually unlocked vehicles with items in clear view to passers-by, he said.

The crimes likely occurred between midnight and 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.

Authorities identify suspects based on video surveillance and by tracking purchases made with stolen credit cards, Albright said.

In Sammamish, car prowls are not unusual in an otherwise nonviolent city. Officers log one or two car prowls on any given day.

However, this is not the first time Sammamish residents have been victim to a rash of concentrated car prowls.

The Timberline neighborhood experienced 10 prowls between March 2 and March 4.

Between May 19 and May 30, Sammamish police logged nearly 60 reports, including a handful from Klahanie, of smashed windows and stolen property that involved more than 70 vehicles.

“We got hit hard,” Chief Nathan Elledge said in June.

Authorities did arrest a Snohomish County man in connection to the May stint. Chase T. Dunkel was found with nearly $60,000 in stolen property linked to at least 17 of those incidents.

He was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, but he did not show. King County Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers issued a bench warrant on a $15,075 bail for Dunkel’s arrest.

On a whole, there was nearly a 50 percent increase in thefts throughout the city between 2013 and 2014, according to police data. There were 277 incidents reported last year, whereas there were 186 reported in 2013. These statistics include all forms of theft, not just car prowls.

The department does not have a tally for theft in 2015.

The best thing people can do to protect their belongings and vehicles is to keep items out of sight from passers-by and to lock their doors, Albright said. If residents hear a car alarm or see something suspicious, don’t ignore it and call the police.

For an emergency or ongoing incident call 911.

The non-emergency dispatch line is 206-296-3311.