Police investigate break-ins at cellphone stores

Police are investigating a series of break-ins that targeted cellphone businesses in Vancouver and ended with a stolen car engulfed in flames Saturday morning.

Officers first responded at 4:15 a.m. to an alarm at the 16300 block of Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard and found broken glass in front of a cellphone store. While investigating that incident, another alarm came from a second cellphone business nearby, where police again found broken glass.

At that point, police began watching cellphone businesses in the area. Vancouver police Cpl. Chris LeBlanc then spotted a person running from a strip mall where another cellphone store is located near Mill Plain and Southeast Chkalov Drive.

The person ran to a waiting vehicle — which police learned was stolen — that later fled the area, according to police.

Shortly after 7 a.m., calls of a vehicle fire at the 11200 block of Northeast Burton Road led police to the same stolen vehicle engulfed in flames, police said. The fire is being investigated as a possible arson, police said.

No suspects were located. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Cpl. Duane Boynton with the Vancouver Police Department at 360-772-2366.