WMW viewer tip leads to identity of theft suspect seen stealing from non-profit that helps rescue animals

Thief steals gold necklace worth hundreds from non-profit thrift store

A man stole a gold necklace worth nearly $1000 from a Lynnwood non-profit thrift store , whose full proceeds go toward local animal rescues.

CASE UPDATE March 25, 2021 - Lynnwood Police detectives say a Washington's Most Wanted viewer tip to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound led to the identity of a suspect seen on surveillance video in February stealing an expensive gold necklace from a non-profit store that helps rescue animals and sanctuaries.

Oleg Dopolyuk has a warrant for his arrest for theft.

He's accused of sliding open a case inside Bella's Voice thrift store, grabbing a gold necklace worth $900, then running out of the store.

What's even worse: It appears he staked out the store hours before, asking questions about whether it was real gold then returned later to steal it.

The store still hasn't gotten that necklace back but police want the person who did this to be held accountable.

Police reports say in addition to the scabs on his face, he also has scabs and red marks on his arms and neck.

It's not all bad news for an organization doing so much to improve the lives of animals. After hearing about what happened, several local businesses and people in the area made donations.

Comstock Jewelers in Edmonds really stepped up, donating a piece of jewelry to replace the one that was stolen. They also donated and installed a new lock for their case to hopefully keep this sort of crime from happening again.

Cami Ovena, one of the founds of Bella's Voice, says she's so thankful for everyone who has helped out.

"We've never felt so much love and support from our community after this incident, and it just gave us the energy to keep going, remember what we're doing this for," Cami Ovena says. "It was really nice to feel like everybody had our back and wanted to help in any way they could."

If you know where officers can find him, submit an anonymous tip Crime Stoppers through the P3 Tips App on your cell phone and you will be paida cash reward up to $1,000 when he is arrested.

Thief steals gold necklace from Lynnwood thrift store

A man stole a gold necklace worth nearly $1000 from a thrift store dedicated to donated all their profits to local animal rescues and sanctuaries.

-----ORIGINAL CASE-----
FUGITIVE WANTED IN LYNNWOOD February 16, 2021 --
The owner of a Lynnwood thrift store is devastated after the theft of a gold necklace that would have helped local animal non-profits and their fundraising efforts.

Bella’s Voice, named after a rescue cat, donates 100 percent of its profit to local animal rescues and sanctuaries. Surveillance video from Monday inside the store at the corner of 40th Ave W and 198th St, shows a suspect reach behind the counter, open the case and remove the gold cross necklace that's worth $925.

"To be honest, that's the most expensive item we have in our store or had in our store. So, it was a pretty big hit. We're supporting the feral cat project this month. So, we were hoping that money would go to help spay and neutering feral cats this month. So, it was pretty hard," said Cami Ovena.

Ovena said the suspect was in the store earlier that day scoping out the necklace, then returned again around 3 p.m.

"The cashier walked away from the register for a minute and he ran back in, reached inside the case and stole the gold cross and left," said Ovena.

Animal rescues and sanctuaries have had a hard time fundraising during the pandemic so donations from Bella’s Voice are crucial to their operations. They are hoping somebody recognizes the suspect described as white, with his hair shaved around the sides and back, long on top and with a part hanging down to the right.

If you know his name, submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound for Lynnwood Police and reference case #21-4705. There is a cash reward of up to $1,000 offered for information leading to an arrest in the case.