Bellevue Police Department (BPD) has confirmed that the juveniles apprehended for a recent carjacking, conducted at gunpoint last Friday, are linked to a theft incident at a luxury retail store in Bellevue on the same day. The stolen merchandise from the high-end boutique, Bottega Veneta, located at The Shops at the Bravern, amounts to over $106,000.
According to the store manager at Bottega Veneta, the suspects arrived at approximately 6:44pm in a white Hyundai Elantra, which had been reported stolen prior to the criminal activities.
Wearing all black attire and ski masks, the five suspects entered the store and grabbed merchandise from the display cases. Within a span of about a minute, they snatched 29 handbags, purses, and tote bags, as reported by the store manager.
After the burglary, the suspects targeted a random grandmother driving a black BMW. They trailed the victim until she parked at the 10000 block of SE 13th Place in Bellevue, where they proceeded to carry out the carjacking.
Those suspects, already in custody for the carjacking, now face additional charges of Theft of the First Degree (Shoplifting) in connection with the theft at Bottega Veneta.
The Bellevue PD continues its investigation into both incidents from last Friday. We will update the article once more information becomes available.