Kennewick police warn of more break-ins tied to social distancing closures

Crooks are taking advantage of social distancing as a way to help themselves to items in closed stores.

Kennewick police are stepping up patrols around area businesses, storage units, storage yards and construction sites after seeing a recent uptick in burglaries.

Investigators suspect the increase is linked to the statewide shutdown because of Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order.

The order closed non-essential businesses as an attempt to slow the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19.

“We know that in times of tragedy criminals will take advantage of the situation to commit crime,” Lt. Aaron Clem said in a news release. “This usually takes the form of more internet frauds, especially during national tragedy.”

But Tri-Cities police are seeing other crime too.

Burglars broke into the Leskovar auto dealership during the weekend, busting out a window at the Clearwater Avenue business and grabbed tools, keys and other items.

The break-in was discovered Monday morning.

Later, a Kennewick officer spotted Alejandro Cervantes, 26, driving in the neighborhood of Conway Street and Sixth Avenue and knew that he didn’t have a valid license, so they stopped him.

He was arrested for not following orders and driving with a suspended license, and as they were searching him, they discovered he had several keys that were taken from Leskovar.

Cervantes was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property.

Police are asking all business owners to check in on their stores as often as possible and to consider adding additional lights, cameras and other security alarms around windows and doors.

And anyone who sees something out of the ordinary is asked to call police at either 509-628-0333 if it’s not an emergency or at 911 if they see a crime being committed.