Sammamish Police arrested a key suspect in an Eastside crime ring, which is allegedly responsible for hundreds of home burglaries in the past two years.

Prosecutors allege that James Franklin Kennemer, 26, used his background in tree trimming to scope out homes to break into.

If homeowners answered the door, he pretended to solicit a sale, but if they were gone he’d break in through a back entrance, said Sgt. Jessica Sullivan, from the Sammamish Police Department.

Kennemer didn’t raise suspicions, because he had tree trimming experience, she said. “They could talk the talk if someone answered the door.”

He’s been charged with burglarizing at least five homes in Sammamish, Bothell, Redmond and Woodinville. He was also charged with stealing firearms, unlawful possession of a firearm, possessing stolen property and trafficking stolen property, according to the charging papers.

After his arrest, police drove him around various neighborhoods, where he voluntarily pointed out homes he remembered burglarizing, Sullivan said.

Kennemer had been arrested in connection to a Sammamish burglary in April. It’s yet unknown whether charges were filed in that case.He told police before the April arrest, he burglarized about three homes a day for two years, according to the papers.

While Kennemer was known to several police departments, Sammamish broke the case when they found some stolen jewelry had been sold.

The jewelry belonged to a Sammamish woman, whose bedroom was ransacked Sept. 28. She reported about $210,000 in missing gold pieces from India.

About a week later, police learned that Kennemer’s girlfriend, who hasn’t been charged, sold some of the gold at a jewelry shop in Federal Way.

The Reporter doesn’t name suspects who haven’t been charged.

Kennemer told police he didn’t break into the Sammamish home, but he went to pick up the man who did. The man pulled out a pillowcase so stuffed with jewelry, it looked like it had a basketball in it, according to the papers.

The man has yet to be charged. So far the only evidence in his involvement is a statement from Kennemer.

Kennemer went with the man’s girlfriend to sell about $17,000-worth of the jewelry that day.

Sammamish police spent about three weeks tracking Kennemer, until he lost his sister’s cell phone during a burglary in Bothell.

The Sammamish investigating officer followed Kennemer from his Everett home, where he initiated a traffic stop.

Kennemer then fled in a dramatic scene, according to the papers.

As soon as he learned he was under arrest, he sped away in his car. Crashing off the side of the road with an explosion of dirt, his car began to roll. Kennemer opened his door and looked back at the pursuing officer.

Rolling his car another 100 feet down an embankment, he jumped out of the moving car.

The officer drew his gun and demanded that Kennemer stop. Instead Kennemer jumped a gate and began running through a wooded neighborhood. A neighbor saw a car pick him up.

Police allegedly found thousands in stolen goods in the car, including a wad of cash and jewelry. It was supposedly where Kennemer stored his most valuable items.

That night police picked up two of Kennemer’s friends, who told police Kennemer returned to his apartment after the incident to recover a couple of stolen guns, according to the papers.

Police didn’t finally arrest Kennemer until Nov. 2, when he visited an Everett casino with his girlfriend. The staff recognized the girlfriend from police fliers.

The two tried to flee again in a Pontiac. The car was forced to stop, and when Kennemer fled, police caught him on foot behind a youth center.

At least seven other people, all described as jobless drug users, were implicated in the crime ring.

So far, about $35,000 in jewelry and two handguns have been recovered.Bail for Kennemer was set at $50,000. If convicted, Kennemer could face up to 12 years in prison.