Burglary suspect climbs onto roof to escape capture

A burglary suspect tried to escape capture Sunday by climbing onto the roof of a local market, Kent police said.

The incident began with a break-in at a church on East Hill, where two pressure washers were reported stolen.

“Turns out the suspect, a 58-year-old Kent man, was attempting to sell the pressure washers to someone in the parking lot of the Home Depot,” police said in a post on Facebook. “He was spotted by the parishioners, dropped the washer, and fled on foot, leaving the washers behind. They followed him, and when he climbed onto the roof, they kept vigil below to keep him from fleeing until police arrived.”

Puget Sound Fire brought in a ladder truck, and officers climbed up onto the roof.

“At this point, he was thoroughly surrounded by police on the roof and the less-than-happy parishioners below, so he gave up without further incident,” the post said.

Officers eventually catch burglary suspect

Officers put handcuffs on the man once he was on the ground.

“We won’t lie, assuming you’re not afraid of heights, it’s pretty fun to play firefighter occasionally,” the post said. “A big THANK YOU to Puget Sound Fire for the literal lift and support. You can run, you can hide, you can even climb, but we’re not shy about asking for an assist when needed to catch a suspect.”

The police also thanked the parishioners, “who worked as a team to force the suspect to stop running and stay put in a place we could get him. You guys are a force to be reckoned with and we are glad you’re on our side.”

Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.

Follow @FrankLenziKIRO