KIRO 7 showed surveillance video of a man and woman gaining access to the Atrium Apartments in Seattle last year.
In her investigative report, reporter Linzi Sheldon was the first to expose the growing criminal trend of suspects breaking into buildings all over Seattle using what's known as a Knox-Box key fobs. Knox Boxes are assigned to the Seattle Fire Department so firefighters can access approximately 4000 buildings in case of emergency.
The man police and prosecutors say is shown in the video --- 49-year-old John Evan Roberts -- has been arrested by Seattle police and charged with two counts of burglary for allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars in cash, an iPad and two packages from the lobby mail closet at the Atrium Apartments.
The woman in the video has not been charged.
However, Philippa Nevils Murphy and Chad Murphy also have been arrested in a similar scheme of allegedly using Knox Boxes to break into Seattle buildings.
Both are charged with four counts of burglary, and are suspected in 14 different similar thefts: at the Barclay Court Apartments, Renaissance Condos, the Bridges, the Terravita and more.
When the Murphys were arrested last month, investigators found an umbrella like the one that suspects used to hide from cameras, according to documents filed in King County Superior Court.
Wayne Murphy allegedly told detectives exactly how he made his own Knox Box key.
The Murphys and John Roberts all entered pleas of not guilty in court on Monday.
Cox Media Group
