Two men suspected in dozens of locker room thefts in Bellevue, Washington, are now facing criminal charges in at least six states – and one of the men is still on the loose, authorities said.
They were mostly after credit cards that people had left in their wallets, investigators said.
According to Bellevue police, they were stealing from coast to coast at places like LA Fitness.
“Wow,” said Zachary King, of Bellevue. “That’s amazing.”
King stood outside LA Fitness, which reportedly was hit numerous times by the thieves. “Yeah, that’s pretty clever,” said King. “I never witnessed anything like that in there.”
Bellevue police said the suspects, Troy Mitchell and Sydney Williams, worked together.
They used a gym membership to get into the locker room, police said. Then the men reportedly would cut the locks and steal credit cards. Surveillance video shows both men buying up gift cards, often before the victims realized they had been robbed, authorities said.
“So we have dozens and dozens of victims here in Bellevue,” said Meeghan Black, Bellevue Police Department spokeswoman.
She said Bellevue police detectives followed Mitchell and Williams across the country.
“They would use the same gym membership card,” said Black, “and so when they would check in Colorado or Oregon or Georgia or Texas, it would light up. So our detectives alerted law enforcement officials in all those different states, and now they’re being brought up on charges around the nation.”
Many people who go to LA Fitness said they keep their valuables with them at the gym.
“Yeah,” said Leonard of Bothell. “I remember my dad getting stuff stolen out of the locker once back when I was a kid. So I just learned not to do that myself.”
Mitchell is back in the King County Jail, but Williams is not in custody yet.
About the Author
