Mercer Island police apprehended a man who was caught in the middle of a Shorewood Apartments burglary on the morning of Dec. 19. According to the police report, a resident of Shorewood called 911 shortly after 7 a.m. to report a breaking and entering. The tenant confronted the burglar, a 24-year-old male, and the man quickly fled the scene.

“He broke into the apartment through a window and woke the residents,” said MIPD Detective Pete Erickson.

Police responded to the call and set up containment in the area. A motorist driving by stopped and told police that he had seen a man without a shirt running up the I-90 freeway on-ramp, according to Erickson. Using this tip, police were able to track down the man in the 8100 block of North Mercer Way, where he was apprehended. There were no items on the suspect and no injuries.

The man, who is a Mercer Island resident, has been booked into King County Jail. He is currently under investigation for residential burglary.

This is the second thief that Mercer Island Police officers have apprehended in the past month. An officer stopped a man in the middle of a burglary at the South-end Rite Aid on Dec. 9, after responding to the store’s alarm system. The thief fled the scene in a 1992 Acura that he abandoned after veering into a ditch. With the help of a K9 team, police were able to track down and arrest the man, who was also booked into King County Jail.

“This is an example of the professionalism and the teamwork of our Mercer

Island officers,” said Emergency Preparedness Officer Jennifer Franklin. “This is also an example of the continued support of our community in helping Mercer Island Police apprehend criminals.”