Pair of burglary suspects arrested after deputies follow footprints in snow

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A pair of burglary suspects were arrested early Saturday in Tacoma after deputies followed their footprints in the snow to track them down.

Deputies with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department were called at 2:39 a.m. to the 3400 block of 72nd Street East.

When a deputy arrived at the scene, he saw two men fleeing, authorities said. Instead of running after the men, deputies checked the house first to determine if a possible crime had been committed.

A detached garage had a broken window on a door, officials said.

A K-9 was deployed and followed two sets of footprints in the snow, one leading from the garage to a church parking lot, where a man was found hiding in a dumpster under a piece of cardboard.

A second set of footprints led deputies to a tree, and they called the second man to climb down.

Both suspects were arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail for second-degree burglary and obstructing an officer. The man found in the dumpster was also booked for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Cox Media Group