Guns, Guitars and Drugs Uncovered as Trio Arrested in Connection with Burglary Spree

Homeowners targeted by burglars in Issaquah — including incidents where burglars bragged about slipping past sleeping homeowners — can rest a little easier tonight after the Bellevue Police Department announced in a press release that it had broken up a residential burglary ring raiding homes across the Puget Sound.

Bellevue police said they arrested three men in Tacoma in connection of a series of regional burglaries that stretched from Gig Harbor to Bellevue and Issaquah. Police found a large amounts of stolen property — including guns, guitars, jewelry and drugs in the apartment of Andy Max Ellis, 28, who lives in the Commencement Terrace Apartments in Tacoma.

Police arrested Ellis Thursday, along with two others, Paul M. Valencia, 31, and a 30 year-old male yet to be charged, last Thursday morning during a traffic stop in Tacoma, according to the Bellevue Police Department. They are all from Tacoma.

A total of seven guns were recovered from Ellis' apartment, as well as multiple guitars, musical instruments, jewelry, 59 grams of methamphetamine, and 4 and a half pounds of Marijuana. Detectives are still sifting through the recovered items and identifying owners, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Ellis had become increasingly brazen with his burglaries and bragged about doing occupied burglaries at night and watching residents sleep, the police department reported.

Prior to being booked into King County Jail, Ellis showed detectives homes in Bellevue that he burglarized, the police department reported. Valencia confessed to being the driver in burglaries in Issaquah, Newcastle and in Bellevue along West Lake Sammamish Boulevard.

According to the police department, Ellis cooperated with investigators in interviews and confessed to more than 100 burglaries in the region within the last eight months and at least four in Bellevue.

The Special Enforcement Team obtained warrants for Ellis' arrest and to search his apartment after a recent burglary in Gig Harbor where a large amount of jewelry and a gun were taken.

Tacoma Police, Gig Harbor Police and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office assisted Bellevue in the investigation and in serving the search and arrest warrants. Burglary tools and two ounces of methamphetamine were taken into evidence during the traffic stop. 

More locations are still being identified. Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Bellevue and Pierce County will all clear several cases as a result of these arrests, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

King County Prosecutors filed charges against Ellis for eight counts of Residential Burglary and two counts of Theft of a Firearm.

Charges filed against Valencia were two counts of residential Burglary and one count of Theft of a Firearm. Additional charges are pending on all suspects. 

Bellevue Chief Linda Pillo said, “This is an excellent example of regional law enforcement working together to solve crime.”