Two house invasions in Everett, Shoreline put homeowners on edge
EVERETT -- Alisha Smith was getting ready to go to work when she got the fright of her life inside her Everett home.
“I hear some very loud, aggressive knocking at the door,” Smith said Friday. “They`re ringing the door and trying to jiggle the door handle open, which totally freaked me out."
Smith hid in the bedroom, and soon heard movement inside her house. The person or persons breaking in didn't snap any locks or smash any windows, but somehow got inside.
“I leave the bedroom, and start shouting, ‘Who is in my house?’” said Smith. “At that point, I just see a gray sweatshirt running down the stairs and into the garage.”
It was a scary scene and very similar to what played out in Shoreline earlier in the day.
Ashleigh, (who asked that her last name not be used in this report), came home to find her place ransacked. Computer, other electronics, and jewelry were gone. Her sister was locked in her room upstairs. She had been there while the burglars took what they wanted.
“I realized a brick had been thrown through the back window,” said Ashleigh. “It was shattered and there was glass everywhere in the living room.”
Then Ashleigh found a bag with a gun in it.
“That`s when I really started to panic, because I realized maybe someone is still in the house.”
Turns out the home invaders were gone, but neighbors and workers nearby noticed the disturbance and gave Shoreline police vital information. The vehicle the burglars took off in was tracked down, and that led to a chase and a collision near Northgate where all three suspects were arrested.
Ashleigh said she’s very thankful to her community, but in Everett, where the burglars are still on the loose, Smith is shopping for new deadbolts and security equipment.
Experts say better security can definitely help. They also suggest having a safe room in your house where you can go if someone breaks in, and make sure there is a phone in that room so you can immediately call 911.