Police link Washington home burglary suspects to international crime ring | Law Enforcement Today

REDMOND, WA - Authorities with the Redmond Police Department (RPD) believe that two defendants arrested for a home burglary back in October are linked to an organized crime ring.

According to KOMO News, RPD believes that the international criminal organization is responsible for multiple burglaries in Redmond and surrounding communities. RPD Detective Sgt. Jesse Bollerud said in a statement, "The suspects in this case specifically are tied to a larger transnational organized crime ring that a lot of agencies on the Eastside have been tracking for a while."

He added, "So, what they're looking for is easy targets. People that they believe would have large amounts of cash, large amounts of jewelry. Someone that they believe would be an easy victim."

King County Prosecutors recently charged the two suspects arrested in the October burglary. The suspects have been identified as 21-year-old Iustinian Iamandita and 32-year-old Florin Vadua. They have been charged with residential burglary. Police arrested Iamandita and Vadua in connection with an October 13th residential burglary at a home on NE 99th Way.

Court documents say that the homeowners reported a burglary in progress and told police that they saw two men inside their home through their home surveillance video system. After calling the police, the couple headed in the direction of their home. Court documents say that at one point, the homeowners followed the suspects after spotting them fleeing in a black Kia.

The homeowners said they received an alert on their phone that indicated their back door was open. Once back at their house, they found the door had been pried open with the door and locking mechanism damaged.

One of the homeowners, who did not want to be identified, said that she believes having a security mechanism on every door of the house was "key," adding that it alerted them quickly and in turn the police, which eventually led to the arrest of the suspects. A short time after the couple called the police, a witness near NE 88th Place and Avondale Road reported seeing three men flee from a black Kia.

The caller reportedly told police that the three suspects fled on foot and one of them threw something into a marshland off the roadway, taking off in that direction. Court documents say that investigators recovered the couple's jewelry, including three luxury men's watches, a woman's watch, a gold necklace, a sapphire bracelet, and other pieces valued at $8,000.

The couple confirmed that they got their valuables back, but believe they were targeted because their surveillance video shows the suspects arriving at their home five minutes after they pulled out of their driveway. The homeowner said that once they realized people were in their house, they remotely sounded a security alarm inside the home, which they think scared off the suspects.

On November 27th, police said in a statement, "Through diligent investigations, interagency cooperation, witness reports, and video footage, Redmond detectives identified the suspects as 21-year-old Iustinian Iamandita and 32-year-old Florin Vaduva."

Sgt. Bollerud said that there have been nearly a dozen home burglaries in Redmond this year, which he said is an uptick from the previous year. RPD has formed a Task Force with other Eastside jurisdictions to track jewelry thefts including muggings, where jewelry such as necklaces are pulled off a victim's neck are also linked to the same transnational organized crime ring.

RPD said that these investigations remain active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Redmond Police Department at 425-556-2500.