Olympia homeowner discovers armed burglar in garage attic Saturday night
An Olympia homeowner encountered a suspected burglar with a knife in the attic space of his garage Saturday night, according to police.
About 11:35 p.m. March 5, police were dispatched to the 1500 block of Redwood Place Southeast after a report of a burglary in progress. Redwood Place is off 18th Avenue Southeast in Olympia, not far from Home Depot on Fones Road.
Police arrived to find a neighbor who had detained the suspect by pointing a BB gun at him, Olympia Police Lt. Paul Lower said.
Minutes earlier, the homeowner went to lock a side door on the garage for the night — a door left open for a dog — but discovered the door was shut, a light was off and a flashlight could be seen. The owner entered the garage and saw a ladder propped up against an appliance, and above it, some dangling shoes.
The owner took a swing at the shoes and quickly learned they were attached to a suspected burglar, who leaned forward and showed a butcher knife. The homeowner exited and called 911.
A neighbor also was called who showed up with the BB gun.
“They did what they thought was right and it worked in this case,” Lower said about detaining the suspect. “But, in general, if someone is armed with a weapon, let the police take care of it.”
No one was hurt, he added.
The 34-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary. However, those potential charges were knocked down to misdemeanor trespassing, Lower said. He currently is being held in the city jail.
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 10:50 AM.
