Seattle Man Charged in High-Profile Burglaries Targeting Professional Athletes
ICARO Media Group
Earl Henderson Riley IV has been charged with four counts of residential burglary and one count of first-degree robbery as revealed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office on Friday.
Riley is accused of burglarizing the homes of notable sports figures including Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodriguez, Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo, Seattle Seahawks legend Richard Sherman, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell. Many of the stolen items were discovered either at Riley’s residence or with his family members, who reportedly claimed the goods were presents. Cellphone records placed Riley’s device near the scenes of the burglaries, which took place between February and May. Several incidents were captured on home surveillance cameras, showing suspects with frequency jammers and weapons.
Among the most alarming allegations is that Riley held a person at gunpoint inside Richard Sherman’s home during one of the break-ins. Riley is currently detained at King County Jail with bail set at $1 million. This is not Riley's first run-in with the law; he has previously pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and faces additional charges for attempting to evade police and unlawful possession of a firearm. His arraignment is set for June 16.
The string of burglaries commenced on February 7, when Luis Castillo’s home in Issaquah was targeted. Thieves made off with $6,000 worth of Louis Vuitton bags, fleeing in a dark-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee. On March 24-25, Blake Snell’s home in Edmonds was burglarized, resulting in the theft of about $244,000 in valuables, including two $75,000 Rolex watches.
Just days later, Castillo’s home was hit again on March 28, this time losing Rolex watches and designer purses. A Louis Vuitton suitcase taken from Castillo’s home was later recovered at Riley’s mother’s house. On the night of March 29, suspects driving a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee appeared at former Seattle Mariners player Edgar Martinez's home but did not gain entry.
The following day, armed burglars raided Richard Sherman’s home in Maple Valley, stealing over $100,000 in luxury watches. At the time, Sherman's wife, Ashley Moss, her cousin, and five children were present. Sherman later stated on his social media account how terrifying the experience was, particularly given it occurred on his birthday.
On May 1, Julio Rodriguez's home on Mercer Island was burglarized. Rodriguez’s girlfriend, present at the time, barricaded herself in a bathroom as the intruders ransacked the house, nearly breaking into the bathroom where she hid. The burglars stole about $200,000 worth of designer purses and jewelry, escaping in a black Jeep Cherokee while firing gunshots, with shell casings found at the scene.
On May 6, Sherman informed police that his friends encountered individuals at a Seattle club boasting about possessing a significant amount of cash from selling "Richard Sherman's watches." Subsequently, police uncovered a social media photo of Riley wearing one of Blake Snell’s stolen Rolex watches, strengthening the case against him.