Seven guns, multiple guitars, musical instruments, jewelry, 59 grams of methamphetamine, and 4.5 pounds of marijuana were recovered in a Bellevue bust last week following the arrest of a prolific burglary suspect.

Detectives are still sifting through the recovered items and identifying owners.

On March 28, the Bellevue Special Enforcement Team (SET) arrested a prolific regional burglary suspect, Andy Max Ellis, 28, in Tacoma where they recovered massive amounts of stolen property, guns and drugs.

“This is an excellent example of regional law enforcement working together to solve crime,” Bellevue Chief Linda Pillo said.

According to charging documents, Ellis admitted to police he burglarized a Kirkland home and stole construction equipment from Alexander Graham Bell Elementary school.

Ellis said he clipped a supposed alarm wire and stole several Xbox games before fleeing an unlocked residence at the 11000 block of 112th Ave. N.E. in Kirkland on March 1.

Documents said the resident did not know the burglary had occurred but police confirmed the clipped wires on the south side of the home during their investigation.

When asked what his “top five” burglaries were, Ellis also told officers he committed a “substantial” burglary at A.G. Bell Elementary’s construction site during the 2012 summer.

“Ellis stated over a two-day period that he and an associate stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of construction equipment, including welding gears and saws,” charging documents state.

Lt. Mike Murray with the Kirkland Police Department said the stolen items – torches, settling tanks to weld with, saws, electrical tools, chop saws, drills and hand tools – cost between $30,000 to $40,000.

Construction equipment was also stolen the week of New Years at the elementary school, according to Murray, however it is unknown if Ellis was involved with that crime.

Tacoma Police, Gig Harbor Police and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office assisted Bellevue in the investigation and in serving the search and arrest warrants. SET developed information identifying Ellis as a suspect in multiple burglaries throughout King and Pierce County.

He became increasingly brazen with his burglaries and bragged about doing occupied burglaries at night and watching residents sleep.

Probable cause was developed on Ellis for a recent burglary in Gig Harbor where a large amount of jewelry and a gun were taken. A SET Detective applied for an arrest warrant for Ellis and a search warrant for his apartment in the Commencement Terrace Apartments in Tacoma.

Ellis was arrested, along with two other Tacoma residents, Paul M. Valencia, 31, and a 30 year-old man yet to be charged, last Thursday morning during a high risk traffic stop in Tacoma. Burglary tools and two ounces of methamphetamine were taken into evidence. The Tacoma Police Department assisted in the stop.

Detectives also searched Ellis’s apartment and recovered property linking him to six recent burglaries, including the firearm taken in the Gig Harbor burglary. They also discovered a marijuana grow room in the apartment. Ellis’s roommate, a 28 year-old man, who was home during the search, was arrested for possession of a stolen firearm and possession of methamphetamine. He has not been charged.

During interviews, Ellis cooperated and confessed to more than 100 burglaries in the region within the last eight months and at least four in Bellevue. Prior to being booked into King County Jail, he showed detectives homes in Bellevue that he burglarized. Valencia confessed to being the driver in burglaries in Bellevue along West Lake Sammamish Boulevard, Newcastle and Issaquah. More locations are still being identified. Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Bellevue and Pierce County will all clear several cases as a result of these arrests.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against Ellis for eight counts of residential burglary and two counts of theft of a firearm. Charges filed against Valencia were two counts of residential burglary and one count of theft of a firearm.

Additional charges are pending on all suspects.

Arraignment for Ellis is on April 10 in Seattle.

Andy Ellis allegedly stole seven guns and multiple guitars in a regional burglary spree. Marijuana and methamphetamine were also recovered after a Bellevue bust. CONTRIBUTED