Homeless family found in garage after burglary at empty house | POLICE BLOTTER

The following information was compiled from Renton Police Department case reports.

The following information was compiled from Renton Police Department case reports.

Renton Police officers investigating a burglary Nov. 12 at a house on Pelly Avenue North found three homeless adults and a 2-year-old child inside the garage, trying to escape the cold.

The adults told the officer they were cold and homeless and wanted a warm place to stay. The officer told them they couldn’t go inside someone’s house without permission or it is a burglary. But they only went inside the garage and didn’t know who got inside the house.

The owner of the rental house discovered the door unlocked on Nov. 12; the renters moved out three days earlier but he doesn’t know who left the door unlocked. Someone had left behind clothing and other items. The previous renters left the house empty and clean.

The adults were told not to return to the property.

EXERCISED OVER CELL: A 93-year-old man, annoyed when a fellow resident’s cell phone rang in an exercise class Nov. 7, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a hallway.

He wasn’t arrested because the officer feared the stress of going to jail could induce a medical emergency.

He was cited for fourth-degree assault, which was being reviewed by Renton city prosecutors.

The two were participating in a group exercise class at a Renton assisted-living facility when the victim’s cell phone rang.

As she left the room to take the call, the elderly man yelled at her to get off the phone because she was disturbing the class. He then pulled the 78-year-old woman into the hallway, causing her great pain. The man admitted he could have handled the situation better.

TOOLS STOLEN: About $5,000 worth of tools were stolen from a company’s work van parked at 1701 East Valley Road.

Someone damaged the lock on the passenger-side door to get in and remove about 40 hand and power tools late Nov. 4 or early Nov. 5. The truck belongs to a company in Springfield, Ore.