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Four people were arrested Friday at a house in the 5900 block of 228th Street Southwest after Mountlake Terrace Police officers, with the support of other local departments, served a warrant to search the place for drugs.
It was a quick, quiet confrontation, thanks to careful planning by law enforcement officials.
The house first came onto the Mountlake Terrace police department’s radar after neighbors complained about trash, motor homes and other problems with the house. Mountlake Terrace Police Commander Kevin Pickard said the first complaints came in at least two months ago.
With all that time building a case and getting a warrant, officers weren’t going to leave anything to chance. A half dozen police vehicles parked in front of the house, blocking any possible escape. The locations of the vehicles had been decided well before officers made their way to the door. A Lynnwood K-9 unit was also on hand to track anyone who may try to take off, though no one did.
Officers knocked and announced themselves. They had a warrant for the arrest of Corey Jones, who was booked into Snohomish County jail Friday.
Officers entered the house. The six people who had been inside came out quietly, in handcuffs. They were lined up in front of the officers’ vehicles to be searched then put inside the vehicles to be interviewed.
Four of them were arrested, including Jones. Two were released.
Once everyone was out of the house, investigators and DEA agents went inside to begin processing the house. Syringes, trash and evidence of cooking meth were quickly spotted.
Trash had also been piled up in the backyard in such a way that it could not be seen from the front of the house. An old motorcycle front end, pieces of carpeting and shopping carts were piled among the trash in the back yard.
After the arrests were made, the owner of the property was served an abatement letter. South Snohomish Narcotics Sergeant Jeffrey Mason said the homeowner told them he would be evicting the tenants from the property immediately.
During the arrest, a neighbor came outside to get something out of her car. She then approached officers at the scene. “Thank you for this,” she said before returning back to her house.
Congratulations were shared among responding officers.
“We did our job today. We did a good job, and nobody got hurt,” Pickard said.
–Story and photos by Natalie Covate
If you knew anything about law enforcement you would know they did an amazing job. They had to have evidence to get a warrant and not based on complaints from neighbors. However frustrating it is it takes time to build a case. And a judge won’t sign a warrant based on complaints from neighbors. I’ve worked with MLT police and they are a group of honorable, caring, and professional public servants. Great job MLT police!
You would be surprised by how much I really do know about how the police work. But I’m not going to give them an excuse to be complacent just because they are the police. Have you read the comments in this thread? These are all people who have had to deal with this house, with minimal effort from the police. My guess is that either you, a family member or a friend of yours is a cop. That would explain your enthusiasm.
I have dealt with this house and other like it in various capacities. I am not affiliated with any law enforcement agency or employee or know any of them. I am familiar with the laws and what it takes to build a case. I am a citizen of MLT, reside close to the house in question, and have been for over 13 years. My kids attend Edmonds School District schools and my husband is self-employed. I am part of this community. I am offended by your insinuation that my ‘enthusiasm’ is based on speculation I am affiliated with Law Enforcement.
Funny, we are in contact, or know all the neighbors closely surrounding this drug house, and never once have I seen or talked to you. Just curious, in what capacity have you been involved with this and other drug houses? Don’t get me wrong. I will never discourage any citizen from getting involved in their community, but your remarks are in stark contrast to any others on this thread. On a positive,. Your family sounds very similar to ours. We’ve been here 13 years, have 2 kids in the district. Both my wife and I volunteer at their school and I’m also self imployed. Interesting, huh?
I was wondering the same thing!!! I used to live right next to them and all sorts of things happened to us because of them. I’m surprised they even did anything now.
He’s in Jail. Poss(Heroin) Felony C. w/intent(AMPHET-SELL) Felony B. Bond $5000. If he doesn’t make bond, He’s going to be in there for awhile.
Huge thanks to our MLT Police Department for the drug bust! Negligent landlords are a big part of the problem. If neighbors have been complaining for over 10 years, as Aaron Garberding says, do law enforcement officials routinely contact a landlord after each complaint? If not, it should be mandatory..
I agree. Various family members have lived here on and off for the past decade and people have been complaining the entire time. It has been a long haul. Hopefully this will finally be the end.
My old house is right next door, my ex husband still owns and lived there these people were a nightmare to live next too and that’s putting it mildly. I would get excited but they are like roaches and keep coming back. Hopefully they will be gone for good this time. Plus they are renters so I hope the owners finally end their lease for good!
We spoke with police and confirmed that the person in the white sweatshirt can’t be positively identified. We have edited the caption accordingly.
Teresa, you are not enforcing your own policies by allowing people to call others “scumbag” and make slanderous allegations in print. Either moderate appropriately or delete. I am no cheerleader for unwelcome elements in the MLT neighborhood, but I do expect a little decorum in the press rather than fostering this vigilante posse in the comments section.
Point taken – those comments will be removed
Apparently not, Teresa. The post remains, and our neighbors continue to tar and feather other named individuals online. ( In case they are confused, that was a metaphor.) Libel is not cool. As any first year law student can tell, an arrest is not a conviction, so save it for the judge.
To be clear, I have no beef with these neighbors’ personal quarrel with their neighbors, my problem is with it being published on MLT News. I recall similar name-calling towards Neighbors that was nowhere near as severe during the Prop 1 days that gave rise to your commenting policies. Here you have Neighbors bad-mouthing Neighbors in vile terms with damning allegations as yet unproven in court, and if anyone cares to post an opposing opinion, they too are singled out for attack based on supposition only, no personal knowledge. Is this the kind of local online news source you want to operate? If so, I am disappointed.
I didn’t realize there were two separate comments you were referring to (until now) but I believe I have addressed your concern.
Hey James Mize, the police are the ones that told us that Troy Neilsen was dealing heroin out of that house. So how is this slanderous? And how is it okay to call good people names,who are just trying to make their neighborhood safe for their kids? Why don’t you just unsubscribe to this site, if your too sensitive to handle the problems of today’s society? Or, just stick to issues you know something about. We, as a neighborhood, have witnessed the drug dealing and theft first hand. Again, how is it committing libel, to share our first hand accounts? But I guess it’s okay to call law abiding citizens “loudmouthes”, but it’s not okay to call heroin dealers”scumbags”? This thread is exactly what we need. Neighbors uniting to clean up their neighborhood and communicating with each other through sites like this and NextDoor.com.
Loudmouth has been removed.
Teresa, I’m not offended by being called a loudmouth. I understand that you have an obligation to your viewers, to keep offensive language off of your site, but nothing that has been said was either offensive or slanderous. We have all witnessed what that looks like, and it’s safe to say that you would have all your readers support, if you had to remove truly offensive dialog. Don’t cave to the ultra sensitive. One voice crying fowl is not anything to react to.
These people were arrested for selling heroin and stealing from others. Some of their known associates are being tried for attempted manslaughter. The term is too lenient for them. And where is there any reference to a vigilante posse? All this neighborhood has done is call the police every time they see something illegal and put as much pressure on the landlord as legally allowed.
James, It’s apparent that you haven’t dealt with any problems like this. Maybe when they get out of jail they can live next to you.
Thanks Rick. Isn’t it frustrating when someone with no prior knowledge of our issue comes along and defends the drug dealers?
I actually know the owner of that house & had told him of the problems for years since I had owned mine about 3 houses away but since it was Section 8 housing for Troy’s mother Sherry, he was getting paid & didn’t really care. She had a live in boyfriend for 20 years there illegally, no one batted an eye & I am certain more than one neighbor called the state to report that but it went unchecked. That house was the reason I owned 4 dogs. Had a few “rats” from that place wander into my yard once or twice. They & their friends would steal anything not nailed down but ironically had the loudest car alarms in the neighborhood that were always going off. I heard from someone in the neighborhood today that Troy wasn’t there during the bust.
Troy is in the Lynnwood jail.
Troy was there during the bust. That’s why he’s in jail.
We’re you trying to make a point? I wouldn’t know because your post makes no sense.
I would like to read all comments in their entirety and do not appreciate being allowed to do so. This really smacks of censorship!
Just to be clear. I own and operate this website and moderate comments based both on my own policies and on reader feedback. In the end, it is my call to make and I take responsibility for balancing what is best for ensuring respectful dialogue. You can feel free to disagree with me, as I’m sure I will never please everyone.
— Teresa
Teresa, your newspaper is a wonderful source for local news.Thanks! I would not have been able to inform the gentleman that lives across the street from that house of the entire situation without your article. I immediately directed him to MLTnews.com so he could read it himself. He was only able to see what happened from his front windows & porch but couldn’t hear what all was going on & wasn’t sure how many people had eventually been arrested.
A little late on the comments but I will add ours. We have complained to this irresponsible owner for 5 years. My fiancé has been to the city and police department over the years. When there were 3 RV’s parked at this house and run down cars, I went to the police department. Back in October they said they issued a 30 day notice. Our uncle came to visit us in his small trailer and it was parked on our property and we were served with a notice that it had to be move within 30 days. But yet the RV camp at this house and the broken down cars – that was okay. A couple of years ago my fiancé went to the police department because Troy and others were digging a ditch in the backyard at midnight. Nothing was done. The owner is totally irresponsible and should not be able to have a rental in Mountlake Terrace. He could of put an end to this years ago, but he didn’t care heck why should he, he lives in a nice neighborhood. I’d like to know what insurance company holds the insurance on this property and I would like the soil tested because my guess with the ditch in the backyard and stove in the garage, it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s Meth residue. Totally unacceptable. The house should be demolished and the owner sued.
If the Police didn’t do anything about these Hazmat materials being buried in the backyard, Did anyone call the Fire Department?
Rick we did not think about the Fire Dept, we should have been told thst. We did present our case at the City Council meeting. We will be in touch with the City Attorney.
Lights on and people in the house tonight