By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A suspect has been arrested and charged in three West Seattle business burglaries – in addition to four others around the city. All but one were burglaries at pet-supply shops. The suspect is 27-year-old Teresa R. Scavotto, seen here in a photo from the charging documents:
The seven counts of second-degree burglary include April 16 break-ins in the West Seattle Junction, at Next-to-Nature (as reported here) and co-owned The Hydrant next door. All the other charges involve locations of All The Best Pet Care, including the West Seattle shop at 4722 Fauntleroy Way SW, which the charging papers say was burglarized on April 15.
Though Scavotto is alleged to have stolen two dog jackets from the local All The Best – detectives note she had a dog with her when she was arrested – her primary targets, investigators say, were the stores’ safes, from which she allegedly procured thousands of dollars in cash. Here’s a paragraph from the detective’s report included in the charging papers, describing her alleged MO:
… After reviewing the cases, I observed the following similarities. The same vehicle used in all 3 incidents. The same method of entry being that of breaking the front window and going in through there. Teresa immediately proceeded to look for a safe. Teresa then uses the same bright colored crowbar to try and pry a safe open or completely off. Despite Teresa wearing a face covering, the same body type and build can be observed in all 5 incidents.
The same hair type could be seen in one of the incidents, it is styled in dreads and blonde in color. This same hair color would then later be seen during (her) arrest. The same green vest in the last 2 burglaries would later be found in the stolen vehicle with money coming out from it. The angle grinder in the stolen vehicle which was consistent in the damage that occurred during the last two burglaries. The black sling style backpack that Teresa was wearing in one of the burglaries also being found in the driver seat of the vehicle. …
The “stolen vehicle” refers to a car through which she was traced when tracking technology placed it at a north Seattle storage unit linked to her – a storage unit in which some burglary loot was found, including jewelry stolen from The Hydrant. She was arrested at the storage site and then charged in the vehicle theft; jail records show she was booked on that case late in the day on April 16 – same day as the burglaries at Next-to-Nature and The Hydrant – and released one day later. She didn’t appear for arraignment and was arrested on a warrant for that May 3; she is still in jail today, in lieu of $55,000 bail, and was due for arraignment on the burglary charges today. The new documents say she has a criminal history in the past four years including theft, obstructing an officer, and carrying a concealed pistol without a license.