BOTHELL, Wash. — Wednesday morning, the Bothell business owner of "What's Sup" paddle board and canoe rental found that one of his canoes was missing from their rental location at Bothell Landing.
The security cables had been cut, and he noticed saw marks were left in the gravel from the hull of the canoe.
The marks led from where the canoe was secured to the edge of the Sammamish River.
Steve Holmes told KIRO 7 that earlier that morning, he had seen a car, with a suspicious man wearing a neon work vest.
“I watched him go behind the bathroom. He was kind of like, looking around,” Holmes said.
Holmes said by the time he realized his canoe was gone, the man was gone as well.
Seeing the marks where the canoe may have gone in the river, Holmes said he drove to other docks along the river, hoping to spot his boat.
“We all work hard in this business, and losing a boat is huge. And I said, ‘this guy ain’t going to get away with it. And I’m going to find him,’” Holmes said.
Minutes later, after returning to Bothell Landing, he saw the same suspicious car on SR 522 at 98th Avenue Northeast with his canoe on top.
He called his wife, to ask her to call 911 before he made a bold maneuver, through opposite lanes of traffic.
“I honked my horn, I went against traffic, I stopped the car. I got out of the car, I opened the guy’s door, and I removed him from the car – and I said, ‘you’re under citizen’s arrest,’” Holmes said.
Police arrived and took the canoe thief into custody for an outstanding warrant for possession of stolen property.
The charges from this case will be referred to the King County Prosecutor's Office.
The King County Sheriff’s Office told KIRO 7 there have been two kayaks stolen from Squire’s Landing Park during the first week of April. It is unclear whether those cases may be connected to this incident.