Popsicle sticks leads to Mukilteo thief

MUKILTEO, Wash, — Burglars who stopped for a snack during their crime spree gave officers exactly what they needed to solve the case.

"It kind of looked like a bomb went off." 

That's how Ray McCann described the sight of his Mukilteo home after burglars broke in last year.

Thieves hit every room, grabbing jewelry, cash and electronics.

They loaded it up in the couple's car and took off.

"Somebody being in here in the first place kind of scares you," said McCann.

The McCanns were cleaning up when a pair of sticks under the debris caught their eye.

"We realized they had the audacity to go ahead and steal our Popsicles," said McCann.

The treats were taken from a downstairs freezer.

The sticks were sent to the Washington State Patrol crime lab, which is battling a backlog of work.

Investigators are handling 720 cases. Violent offenses like rape and murder are given top priority.

"It's very uncommon to get DNA in a burglary," said Mukilteo Police Chief Rex Caldwell.

Caldwell said detectives were surprised to get a call more than a year after the McCann break-in.

Officers already arrested one woman and recovered some of the stolen property, including the couple's car at a nearby motel.

DNA form saliva on one Popsicle stick matched Joshua Medoro, a violent felon with 11 convictions.

The search continues for a DNA match on the second stick and a cigarette butt left at the home.

"The popsicle sticks kind of put them right in the house because they came out of the freezer and the stick was left at the house. It really ties it together," said Caldwell.

The State Crime lab now has money in the budget to refill five forensic scientist positions, which will help cut down on the backlog.

KIRO