Edmonds Police Arrest Alleged Axe-Wielding 'Debt Collector'

On Thursday night Edmonds Police arrested a man who allegedly broke into a house wielding an axe to collect a debt.

Around midnight, according to a police press release, a man broke into a residence in downtown Edmonds located in the 600 block of Fir Ave. 

The suspect was known to a man and his girlfriend who were in the house at the time. The suspect, armed with an axe, ran upstairs to where the victims were located and threatened the couple over a debt owed to him by a third party.  

When the male victim picked up a guitar in the darkened room and said it was a shotgun, the suspect ran downstairs and started breaking windows and damaging the inside of the house. 

The victims called 9-1-1 but the suspect had fled prior to police arriving. Officers were able to quickly identify the suspect and locate where he lived. The suspect was found at his residence and taken into custody without incident, police said.

He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on related charges. 

The homeowner stated that there was approximately $10,000.00 damage to the house with additional damage done to a vehicle. 

The investigation is continuing with no additional information at this time.