Bellevue Home Depot Operation Nets 50+ Arrests

BELLEVUE, WA — An anti-shoplifting operation focusing on Bellevue's Home Depot led to the arrests of more than 50 suspects, police announced this week. In a news release, the Bellevue Police Department said officers partnered with the retailer in January for emphasis patrols designed to "reduce shoplifting and criminal activity in and around the business."

Since then, police said officers have arrested dozens of suspects linked to several crimes, including shoplifting, robbery and possession of a stolen vehicle. In a recent case, officials said uniformed officers worked with undercover detectives to stop two suspects attempting to traffic stolen items.

Loss prevention workers at the store alerted nearby police after recognizing a vehicle in the parking lot that matched the description of one sought after a pressure washer was taken from a Home Depot in Bothell, police said. Detectives watched as one of the suspects sold the item to someone in the Bellevue store's parking lot.

After reviewing images in the Bothell case, detectives said the suspects were wearing the same clothes in Bellevue. Detectives arrested both and booked them into jail.