Washington Man Sues Claiming Officers Raided Wrong Address

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A Lynnwood, Wash., man is suing after police raided his apartment and later determined they had the wrong address.

Juan Alberto Castaneda Miranda said agents burst into his apartment in 2018, according to a pair of lawsuits filed in Snohomish County Superior Court and in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He showed the officers his wallet to prove they had the wrong guy. Police didn’t listen, the Everett Herald reported.

Instead, they reportedly handcuffed Castaneda Miranda and his girlfriend and told him to confess about the drug cartels, the lawsuit said. Castaneda Miranda, a Comcast technician, says he had no idea what they were talking about.

A federal judge authorized the search warrant four days prior, to locate controlled substances, drug paraphernalia and records of drug sales. Police tore up the apartment looking for evidence. They came up empty.

The officers then acknowledged they were in the wrong apartment, the complaint claims. They gave him claim forms to get reimbursement for the damages to his apartment and car. He said all of his belongings, including his vehicle, were destroyed. He said he had to move.

Spokespeople for the Snohomish and King County sheriff’s offices, Seattle police and the FBI declined to comment as the litigation is pending.