Man Arrested in Connection with Thursday Morning's Banner Bank Break-In

have arrested a person in connection with a break-in at Banner Bank early Thursday, according to a press release.

According to police, a man broke into the administrative offices of Banner Bank in the 3000 block of 112th Ave. N.E., around 6:30 a.m., encountered an employee already at work and threatened the employee with a pair of scissors before running away. The Bellevue police and a Redmond police K9 unit searched the area, blocking traffic from parts of 112th Avenue Northeast for about 90 minutes.

According to Bellevue police spokeswoman Officer Carla Iafrate, detectives were able compile enough information to identify the suspect through a photo montage.  

Bellevue police released a bulletin with the suspect’s name and picture to all patrol officers after 1 p.m. Within 15 minutes of the release of the bulletin, a Bellevue Police officer in his car spotted a man matching the description in the 2800 block of Bellevue Way N.E.

The officer contacted the subject, identified him as the person wanted in connection with the burglary and took him into custody, according to the press release from the Bellevue Police Department. The man, whose name was not released, will be booked into King County Jail on suspicion of first-degree burglary, with more charges to follow, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Original story:

A burglar broke into the Bellevue administrative offices of Banner Bank this morning and threatened an employee with a pair of scissors, sparking a search that blocked local traffic, Bellevue police reported.

The burglar broke into the Banner Bank offices in a business park in the 3000 block of 112th Ave. NE around 6:30 a.m., said Office Carla Iafrate, Bellevue police spokeswoman. The man, described as white, in his 20s about 5-feet, 7-inches tall and wearing a tan plaid jacket, encountered an employee who already was in the office, Iafrate said.

The man threatened the employee with a pair of scissors and then ran away, Iafrate said. Bellevue police and Redmond police K9 dogs blocked parts of 112th Avenue Northeast near State Route 520 as they searched for the suspect, she said. Though the police found some of the items the man reportedly carried, the police allowed traffic back through around 8 a.m.

Other offices in the same office park appear to have been burglarized and a vehicle in the office park parking lot appears to have been prowled as well, Iafrate said. Police continue to investigate.