Kids chase burglars

"A Seattle-area couple’s suspected burglary spree was brought to a hault early Sunday morning by three local young men and a teenager, according to the Oak Harbor Police.Police Capt. Rick Wallace said a group of young Oak Harbor people — a 15-year-old, two 18-year-olds and a 20-year-old — heard what they thought was a car alarm just after midnight, then saw a man come out of the shattered front door of Kits Camera with an armful of equipment.The group of friends jumped into their own car and “gave chase” after the burglars jumped into a get-away car driven by a woman, Wallace said.After a short chase around the city, the four friends returned to Kits Cameras One Hour Photo — located between Safeway and Rite Aid — and found that the police were already there, having responded to the alarm. They gave officers the license plate number of the car and a detailed description of the occupants.About 30 minutes later, Wallace said a Island County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the car in the city. The deputy and several officers pulled the car over at the corner of S.W. Castillian and S.W. Judson and arrested the two occupants on suspicion of second-degree burglary.Tuesday afternoon, Wallace said the 28-year-old man was ordered held on $65,000 bail, while the 28-year-old woman is being held on $35,000, at the Island County jail.The bail amounts are unusually high, he said, because the couple is also suspected in 11 “similar burglaries at Kits Cameras” in the South King County area.“The method of entry and the type of property stolen was very similar in each case,” Wallace said.The police have not, however, recovered the stolen equipment, which he estimated to be worth more than $5,000.Philomena O’Rourke, the manager of Oak Harbor’s Kits Camera, said she’s very proud of “the boys” for what they did.“It was a very brave thing for them to do,” she said “considering that they didn’t know if anyone was packing a weapon.”Kits Camera is open as usual."

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