Kerry Gansberg said his 10-year-old cat, Strider, alerted his wife, Barb, to the presence of two burglars Tuesday in their Olympia home.
An Olympia cat helped contribute to the arrest of two burglary suspects on Tuesday.
Barb Gansberg called 911 about 8 a.m. Tuesday to report that her house in the 1000 block of Pear Street Northeast had been burglarized. Two male suspects had entered her home through the garage door and tried to take several items before they fled, according to police. She then walked down the hall and saw two men rifling through a desk in another room. The men ran away when she screamed, according to police.
Two male suspects, ages 18 and 19, were found nearby on East Bay Drive Northeast. Olympia police booked them into the Thurston County Jail, but they will not be named until they are charged.
Kerry Gansberg, Barb’s husband, told The Olympian that Strider is not allowed in their bedroom and that his wife had tried to shoo away the cat while she got ready for work. However, the cat sat in the doorway and refused to budge, prompting his wife to find out what was wrong. The burglars were able to make off with only a wallet.
“It’s a good thing they ran off because she would have pummeled them,” Kerry Gansberg said of the suspects, adding that his home has been targeted by thieves in the past.
Olympia police are investigating other property crimes in the area and encourage anyone with information to call (360) 753-8300.
Gansberg told police she was in her bedroom and heard a knock at the front door, but was unable to answer it. She said she knew something was wrong in the house when her cat, Strider, entered the room and behaved oddly.
