Renton Police Arrest Aspiring Burglars

The quick actions of an alert neighbor led to the arrest of five teens following their failed daytime burglary in Renton’s Talbot Hill neighborhood on Tuesday.

The neighbor observed a group of young men knocking on the door of a Talbot Crest Drive home about mid-day, then saw the group walk around to the home’s back yard.

The group of teens did looked unfamiliar to the neighbor, who suspected they were up to no good and decided to call 9-1-1. Renton Police Officers quickly arrived on scene, interrupting the five suspects as they fled the yard carrying jewelry and a television set. 

The suspects entered the home after using a rock to shatter a glass sliding door at the back of the house, according to the Department. All five burglars, ranging in age from 14-to-18-years-old, were caught as they tried to flee on foot. They were booked for Residential Burglary.

Tuesday's botched theft only took a few minutes, from the time the alert neighbor first spotted the suspects to the time police found and arrested the teens.

Renton Police encourage homeowners and renters to know their neighbors, watch for strangers, and be alert for unusual behavior.

One way to meet the neighbors is through Renton's neighborhood program. Click here for the 2012 picnic schedule. The events begin in Juy and run through September.

Eastside residents have suffered a since the first of the year. In February, the City issued an alert about the increase in residential burglaries.

"These burglaries are very concerning," said Mayor Denis Law earlier this year. "We've increased police patrols in our neighborhoods and are offering homeowners a free security survey by city staff. But it's important that the public call 911 immediately if they see any suspicious activity in their neighborhood"

Homes aren’t the only targets. .

Anyone observing suspicious activity should immediately call 911; in this case, that call was the difference between a clean getaway for a group of young burglars, versus five arrests and the recovery of all stolen property, according to a statement from the Renton Police Department.