BELLEVUE, Wash. — Police have arrested a man accused of breaking into homes while people were sleeping, and stealing their belongings. He was arrested by Bellevue police after trying to retrieve his impounded SUV.
“This suspect was escalating his crimes which makes this moment even scarier,” said a spokesperson for Bellevue PD.
Bellevue police say 36-year-old Kevin Sampson abandoned the vehicle during an attempted burglary in mid-September, with stolen items inside.
Officers say they have tied him to at least four burglaries from July to September using surveillance footage from homeowners and their neighbors.
You can view some of that footage here:
Victims shared with law enforcement that they often would have no idea that Sampson was in their homes until they woke up in the morning, and noticed items were missing.
He’s accused of stealing everything from guns and designer purses to credit cards and personal checks.
Police claim Sampson would enter homes through unlocked windows or sliding doors—sometimes from the second story.
Drew Anderson with the Bellevue Police Department says the suspect would “gain access into some victim’s homes by a sliding door, an unlocked window.”
In some cases, officers say he burglarized the same home more than once, adding, “Because he was able to gain access to the homes he went back again, and sure enough, he was able to get access again. Some of the victims didn’t even know they were burglarized or victims of a crime until after the fact. Sometimes even after the second time.”
On September 19, just before 4 a.m. law enforcement responded to an attempted burglary on Southeast 58th Place.
When officers arrived, they spotted a grey SUV matching the description of the vehicle seen in several burglaries, and when they tried to stop the car, the driver abandoned his vehicle.
Officers then impounded the SUV after finding stolen items inside, including some stolen designer purses, credit cards, and debit cards connected to these victims.
Bellevue officers developed probable cause to arrest Sampson for numerous crimes whenever he returned for his car.
“He attempted to get his vehicle right here at the Bellevue Police Department, so then our officers brought him in for questioning, and we were able to arrest him,” said Anderson.
The Bellevue Police Department reminds everyone to do the following to keep themselves safe:
1) Lock all doors in the house,
2) Shut and lock all windows that are not in use,
3) Shut and lock all windows and doors each night,
4) Shut and lock the door connected between a garage and home, and
5) Arm the home’s security system
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