Police investigate burglary attempts after cars ram area businesses in Olympia, Tumwater
Olympia and Tumwater police are investigating after a string of both successful and unsuccessful burglary attempts. It’s believed the same group was involved in every incident, and police now have four people in custody.
Lt. Jen Kolb with the Tumwater Police Department said Rooftop Arms in Tumwater was the victim of a burglary Thursday morning. Units were dispatched at around 3:30 a.m. to the shop at 2840 Crites St. SW for a burglary alarm activation. When officers arrived they found a 2015 Kia Sedona was driven into the front doors of the business, causing damage to the building and car.
The car was unoccupied, and officers were unable to locate any suspects inside the building or in the area. Police found items at the scene they believed to have been stolen from another burglary that happened in Olympia. They later learned the vehicle had been reported stolen from Federal Way hours prior to the burglary.
Kolb said TPD believes the incident is related to incidents that happened in Olympia in the 24 hours prior, and to a suspicious circumstance in Centralia.
Lt. Paul Lower with OPD said multiple people burglarized a Green Lady Marijuana store on Olympia’s west side on Wednesday. The suspects rammed a stolen vehicle into the front of the building, stole items and fled in another vehicle.
The following night at around 2:20 a.m., a group of suspects attempted to burglarize a firearms store, Private Sector Arms, a few blocks away from the dispensary. The suspects rammed a vehicle into the front of the building but were unable to make entry. This incident happened about an hour before the Tumwater incident.
Prior to the Tumwater burglary, a Centralia officer saw the stolen car acting suspiciously in the parking lot of a closed jewelry store, Kolb said. The officer tried to initiate a stop once they learned the car was stolen, but the suspects left the scene.
The car was impounded and transferred to the Tumwater Police Department impound yard to be processed. It’s unclear if the suspects stole any gun parts from Rooftop Arms.
Police were able to obtain video surveillance of the suspects outside the business, Lower said, and four people have been taken into custody. There are at least four people involved, but police are still investigating.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Olympia Police Department at 360-753-8300.
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 9:51 AM.
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