Police arrested a burglary suspect in Whittier Heights early this morning thanks to some old-fashioned police work and a homeowner armed with a surveillance camera.

It all started when the homeowner, watching a surveillance camera several blocks away, saw a man enter a detached garage near a home under construction in the 800 block of NW 67th Street.

Police responded and saw the suspect running away. “The suspect managed to elude officers by running in between houses, over a fence and into a pond,” explains SPD Detective Mark Jamieson.

That’s when officers discovered a suspicious vehicle with a possible accomplice inside, Jamieson said. “Officers contacted the occupant in the driver’s seat and identified him after he denied any involvement. Officers left, but kept an eye on the vehicle,” he said.

Sure enough, Jamieson said the suspect returned to the vehicle a short time later, and they drove off. Police pulled them over near 11th Avenue NW and NW 70th Street (below), and officer discovered the burglary suspect in the back, covered with blankets, he said.

“Officers were able to compare the physical description of the suspect with the video images provided by the homeowner,” Jamieson said. “The 32-year-old suspect was arrested for the burglary and was later booked into the King County Jail. The driver of the vehicle was identified and released.”

(Thanks to Zach for the photos and tip. We blurred the identity of a man in the photo, as it’s unclear if he’s the suspect or the driver who was not arrested by officers.)