Gig Harbor burglary suspect with $1 million warrant out of Kitsap County arrested in OR

Alexis Krell

Investigators tracked a man suspected of burglarizing about a dozen Gig Harbor businesses to Oregon and arrested him last week.

Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey said detectives suspect the 36-year-old of burglaries at Wilco, United Rentals, Gerber Collision & Glass, Famous Footwear, Office Depot, a couple gas stations, Sherwin-Williams, Puerto Vallarta restaurant, and several burglaries at Ulta Beauty in Gig Harbor — starting in November.

“This is a massive case,” Busey told the Gateway.

Investigators in Pierce County, Mason County and Kitsap County have been looking for the suspect and believe “the number of burglaries within the three-county area could reach into the dozens,” Gig Harbor police said in a news release about the arrest last week.

“We’ve had commercial burglaries, but we haven’t had this quantity of them in such a short period,” Busey said.

He called it “a significant crime spree for Gig Harbor.”

Investigators served a search warrant the morning of Feb. 22 at the suspect’s home in Port Orchard.

“This resulted in the recovery of a large amount of stolen property and other evidence of criminal activity,” the news release said.

Busey said many tools were stolen, among other things. Investigators are still sorting through what they recovered, he said.

Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The tools pictured are some of the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.
Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The tools pictured are some of the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.

The alleged burglar had “been on the run since the issuance of a $1 million arrest warrant issued in Kitsap County,” in February, the news release said.

The Kitsap Sun reported that he allegedly tried to steal an ATM in Kitsap County in December, was arrested, and two days later investigators found $14,000 worth of stolen audio equipment in a storage unit he leased in Port Orchard. He made his $200,000 bail a few days later and was released, the Sun reported.

The Sun also reported earlier in February that Kitsap County prosecutors charged him with nine felonies — thefts and burglaries — that happened last fall. Investigators used Google location data to link him to crimes at businesses such as Kitsap Tractor and Equipment, Affordable Used Cars, Ace Hardware, AT&T and the Hwy 420 cannabis dispensary, the Sun reported. Bail that time was set at $1 million, and a warrant for his arrest was issued Feb. 17, the Sun reported.

Gig Harbor investigators “worked with the Oregon State Police and the Eugene Police Department,” to find the suspect Feb. 22, the news release said.

He allegedly fled, and the Eugene police SWAT team helped take him into custody following a police chase and search.

Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The tools and other items pictured are some of the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.
Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The tools and other items pictured are some of the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.

The Lane County Jail roster showed he was still in custody Tuesday in Oregon, following an arraignment Friday.

Lane County prosecutors charged him with first-degree burglary, being a felon in possession of a firearm, felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in a vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer on foot, recklessly endangering another person, and reckless driving, according to court records.

After he faces those charges, he’ll be extradited to Pierce County, the Gig Harbor news release said.

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Bremerton Police Department, Poulsbo Police Department, Port Orchard Police Department, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Drug Enforcement Agency helped with the investigation, the news release said.

Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The tool pictured is among the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.
Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The tool pictured is among the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.

The Eugene Police Department’s news release about the arrest said that investigators “recovered commercial drug quantities of methamphetamine, two stolen firearms out of Washington, and more than 200 pieces of crucial evidence linked to multiple, high-profile property crimes throughout Western Washington.”

That release also said that the suspect’s girlfriend was arrested and that at one point Feb. 22 she reported a kidnapping to “divert Vancouver police resources and aid in the couple’s flight from Washington to Oregon.”

Busey said the suspect has fled police multiple times, and that the law doesn’t allow police pursuits for burglary.

The state law changed in 2021. Officers are still allowed to pursue suspects if they have reasonable suspicion to believe a suspect committed violent or sexual crimes or is driving under the influence, The Olympian reported.

Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The item pictured is among the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.
Investigators served a search warrant at a Port Orchard home Feb. 22, 2023 as part of their investigation into a series of commercial burglaries in recent months in Gig Harbor and elsewhere in Western Washington. The item pictured is among the goods they believe were taken from Gig Harbor businesses.

Advertisement