Police: Realtor suspects another realtor in break-ins | Crime

In a perfect case of “it takes one to know one,” a realtor suspects another realtor, one sporting a blonde bouffant, of breaking into two Fremont houses for sale in an attempt to steal items used to gussy up the homes for prospective buyers, according to the Seattle Police Department.

On Aug. 2, the realtor stopped by a house in the 3800 block of Woodlawn Avenue North she is in the process of selling for its owners. The backdoor was unlocked, and a rear window was open.

The realtor noticed two decorative glass containers and two decorative vases had been moved, two bottles of water had been taken from the fridge and placed in the bathroom, and the key to the garage was missing, according to the police report.

The realtor then went to check on a house in the 3600 block of Carr Place North she had recently sold for the owners. The front door was ajar, and the backdoor was unlocked.

Inside, a number of times used for “staging” for-sale houses had been collected and placed together in the basement, according to the report.

While the realtor waited in her car for police, she saw a silver Lexus driven by a pudgy woman in her 50s with a poofy, blonde bouffant pull into the driveway, according to the report. The realtor told police the woman in the Lexus saw her and immediately backed out of the driveway and drove off.

For a number of reasons, the realtor suspects the woman with the bouffant is another realtor and is behind the break-ins.

According to the realtor, the items gathered in the basement of the second house would have little value to a burglar. She told police she believed the culprit is involved in the real estate industry and was planning on taking the items and using them in other for-sale properties.

According to the realtor, the physical appearance of the woman with the bouffant and her Lexus also pointed to realtor.

Finally, the realtor has just finished selling the house on Carr Place, and another realtor would know that would be the time to burglarize the house as there would be few people going in and out of it.