Family trio arrested, accused of WA burglary spree

Family trio arrested, accused of King County burglary spree

A convicted felon, his girlfriend, and her son have all been taken into custody in connection to a string of burglaries across the Sound this summer.

BELLEVUE, Wash. - A convicted felon, his girlfriend, and her son have all been taken into custody in connection to a string of burglaries across the Sound this summer.

Their alleged crime spree spanned from Newcastle to Bellevue and Kirkland. The three now face a slew of serious charges.

Interestingly, Bellevue Police say a piece of trash thrown on the ground helped them make the arrests.

Court documents say 18-year-old Davis Bateman Jr. littered while driving a Honda Accord. He was then confronted by a security guard, telling him to pick up the trash, and Bateman then pointed a gun at him.

This interaction led investigators to Bateman's apartment in Renton. He allegedly ran from officers before being caught.

Inside that apartment, police say they found a backpack with two stolen firearms. Bateman has a domestic violence no contact order, meaning he is not allowed to possess firearms.

Officers also found stolen passports, money, jewelry and marriage certificates, connected to various home burglaries in the area.

"Of course, we hear some people who say, 'It's just property crime,' but I don't think they would say this if it were their house," said Casey McNerthey, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. "It's a real concern for public safety these are really serious allegations."

Investigators learned that Bateman shared the apartment with his mother, Crystal Moniz, a convicted felon. Moniz's boyfriend, Daniel Bateman, is also a convicted felon.

Court documents state evidence inside the apartment linked Moniz and Bateman to stolen credit cards they tried to use at stores. The two were captured on surveillance video.

Detectives matched the tattoo on Bateman's left hand to security video from a home burglary in Newcastle. Bellevue Police say when Bateman was taken into custody, he was wearing one of the victim's watches.

The two were also allegedly caught on camera while stealing a Toyota Prius outside a general store in King County.

"When you see the details on these court documents, it's really concerning and it should hopefully be reassuring what prosecutors and police are doing to address it," McNerthey said.

Moniz was arrested last Friday in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, and Daniel Bateman was arrested on Monday in Federal Way. They are each being held on a $75,000 bond.

Bateman Jr. pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday, and Moniz and Bateman are set to be arraigned on September 9.