The television program “Washington’s Most Wanted,” along with the Puyallup Police Department and Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound, recognized Kent Police Officer David Beerbower this month, because his work directly led to the capture of the alleged “the River Rat Bandit.”

Beerbower was honored with the October Officer of the Month award in an episode that aired Oct. 24, on “Washington’s Most Wanted” on Q13 FOX.

“Washington’s Most Wanted” host David Rose said, “It’s my pleasure to present Officer Beerbower with this distinguished award. Even though he’s only been working as a police officer for a little more than a year, his dedication to detail demonstrates the high-caliber work of the Kent Police Department. Without his keen eye, the River Rat Bandit could still be terrorizing clerks at banks and check-cashing businesses.”

From late July until early October, detectives say the man known as the River Rat Bandit robbed at least 18 banks and check-cashing businesses in Washington and Oregon. Beerbower was helping another investigator after a robbery at the Advance America Check Cashing business. When he was asked to search for fingerprints, he took a look at the surveillance video. The video allowed Beerbower to pinpoint exactly what the suspect touched. He found the suspect’s prints on a calendar that was a smooth surface.

Investigators ran the print through AFIS and got a match to 32-year-old Alexey Perez-Hernandez, who is now being held in Pierce County on $5 million bail.

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