ARLINGTON – An Arlington area man who called police to report a burglary Monday was jailed early today suspected of killing the suspected intruder.
“This case is unusual in that the original burglary victim has become our shooting suspect and the alleged burglary suspect has become our shooting victim,” Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said this morning.
“Detectives do not have any information indicating the shooting suspect was acting in self defense,” she said.
The victim, a Snohomish County man, 25, has not been identified. He died of apparent gunshot wounds. The suspect, 38, is expected to go before a judge later today.
It all started Monday when a homeowner called 911 to report a break in at this home in the 22800 block of 37th Avenue NE near Arlington, Hover said.
The homeowner arrived home to see a man running out of the house. Inside, he noticed some of his wife’s jewelry was missing, Hover said.
Sheriff’s deputies searched the area and deployed a police dog but were unsuccessful in finding the burglar.
A few hours later, the homeowner again called 911 to report that the burglar returned to the area. Deputies found the homeowner in a field near his home.
He told them he was looking for the burglar, who he spotted in a ditch. He told them he yelled at the man, who then ran off across the field, Hover said.
Deputies were unable to find the burglar, Hover said.
On Wednesday morning a neighbor who lives in the same area as Monday’s burglary called 911 to report finding a man’s body in a creek bed in the 23400 block of 35th Avenue NE.
The dead man had jewelry in his pockets that belonged to the shooting suspect’s wife.
During the death investigation, detectives learned that neighbors heard gunshots Monday just before the man called police the second time, Hover said.
A neighbor reported that the homeowner said he fired warning shots at the burglary suspect.
When detectives went to interview the homeowner Wednesday about the body, he told them he knew a body had been found, that he was a subject in the investigation and asked to speak with an attorney, Hover said.
The man was arrested and is being held in Snohomish County Jail pending this afternoon’s scheduled bail hearing.
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