Guns, Guitars and Drugs Uncovered as Trio Arrested in Connection with Burglary Spree

Guns, guitars, jewelry and drugs were recovered after the Bellevue Police Department arrested three in Tacoma in connection of a series of regional burglaries that stretched from Gig Harbor to Bellevue, according to a Bellevue Police Department press release.

Bellevue police said they found a large amounts of stolen property in the apartment of Andy Max Ellis, 28, who lives in the Commencement Terrace Apartments in Tacoma.

Police arrested Ellis Thursday, along with two others, Paul M. Valencia, 31, and a 30 year-old male yet to be charged, last Thursday morning during a traffic stop in Tacoma, according to the Bellevue Police Department. They are all from Tacoma.

A total of seven guns were recovered from Ellis' apartment, as well as multiple guitars, musical instruments, jewelry, 59 grams of methamphetamine, and 4 and a half pounds of Marijuana. Detectives are still sifting through the recovered items and identifying owners, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Ellis had become increasingly brazen with his burglaries and bragged about doing occupied burglaries at night and watching residents sleep, the police department reported.

The Special Enforcement Team obtained warrants for Ellis' arrest and to search his apartment after a recent burglary in Gig Harbor where a large amount of jewelry and a gun were taken.

Tacoma Police, Gig Harbor Police and Pierce County Sheriff’s Office assisted Bellevue in the investigation and in serving the search and arrest warrants. Burglary tools and two ounces of methamphetamine were taken into evidence during the traffic stop. 

Prior to being booked into King County Jail, Ellis showed detectives homes in Bellevue that he burglarized, the police department reported. Valencia confessed to being the driver in burglaries in Bellevue along West Lake Sammamish Blvd, Newcastle and Issaquah.

More locations are still being identified. Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Bellevue and Pierce County will all clear several cases as a result of these arrests, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

According to the police department, Ellis cooperated with investigators in interviews and confessed to more than 100 burglaries in the region within the last eight months and at least four in Bellevue.

King County Prosecutors filed charges against Ellis for eight counts of Residential Burglary and two counts of Theft of a Firearm.

Charges filed against Valencia were two counts of residential Burglary and one count of Theft of a Firearm. Additional charges are pending on all suspects. 

Bellevue Chief Linda Pillo said, “This is an excellent example of regional law enforcement working together to solve crime.”