Organized crime involved in a series of robberies in Redmond

Redmond police are warning residents about an organized crime gang targeting pedestrians, especially seniors, in the area.

“Other agencies helped the Redmond Police Department determine that this was a theft ring,” Redmond Police Department spokesperson Jill Green told MyNorthwest. “We've had five different crimes of this nature recently, and they had a similar modus operandi.”

Green said the thieves were targeting affluent neighborhoods and were looking for expensive jewelry.

“Sometimes they offer to exchange jewelry, and if the person doesn't agree, they take it by force,” Green said.

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Seniors were targeted because they were easy targets, Green explained.

“We ask people to leave their expensive jewelry at home when walking around the neighborhood,” Green said.

Although no arrests were made, the police have increased patrols.

Police Chief Darrell Lowe advises against going alone.

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An incident was captured on video surveillance cameras in the Woodbridge neighborhood. The footage shows a black SUV approaching a woman standing alone. After a brief conversation, a person in the back seat gets out of the vehicle and forcibly removes the woman's necklace before fleeing.

“We believe these individuals are part of a larger transnational organized crime group, possibly with Romanian ties,” Chief Lowe told KING 5, pointing to similar crimes in other areas.

The victims were predominantly elderly East Indians.

“Although there is a pattern among the victims, the group does not specifically target the Asian community, but rather individuals traveling alone with expensive jewelry,” Lowe added.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, Here and send him an email here.