U.S. Postal inspectors have been called into an ongoing investigation by the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office that already has resulted in the dramatic arrest of 36-year-old suspect for first-degree residential burglary, assault and robbery.
The man is suspected of a crime spree in the area over the last several weeks, including stabbing a homeowner who surprised him during a burglary just before his eventual arrest Thursday morning outside Montesano.
Undersheriff Dave Pimentel said Thursday that there has been an arrest tied to two malicious mischief complaints at the Copalis Beach Post Office with “reference to a suspect prying open post office boxes and stealing mail from inside the boxes.”
On Aug. 15 the Aberdeen Police Department also investigated a theft of mail. The suspect was identified as a 36-year-old transient from King County. On Aug. 18, the Elma Police Department received a complaint that a subject had attempted to enter a bank deposit drop box. The suspect was identified as the same 36-year-old white male and the suspect’s vehicle also was identified, the news release said.
On Aug. 25 the subject was seen at Our Community Credit Union in Elma. Officers from the Elma Police Department, Montesano Police Department, the Aberdeen Police Department and deputies from Grays Harbor County responded to apprehend him.
However, the suspect fled, heading westbound on State Route 12 in his vehicle. The pursuit proceeded into Aberdeen and was discontinued for public safety reasons. Later, the suspect’s vehicle was found abandoned and was subsequently seized as evidence, Pimentel said.
On Aug. 28, Sheriff’s detectives obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and a significant amount of mail theft evidence was located. Earlier that morning at 8:51 a.m., another break-in/burglary at the Copalis Crossing Post Office had been reported to the Sheriff’s Office. It is not yet known if that break-in is connected to the others.
On Wednesday at about 8 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of an attempted vehicle theft on Devonshire Road in Montesano. Responding deputies discovered that the suspect fled on foot from the location. A K-9 track was started and while tracking for the suspect, deputies discovered that he had attempted to steal a second vehicle from another location. The suspect was not located during this track.
Early Thursday at about 1:10 a.m., deputies responded to an interrupted burglary in the 200 block of Devonshire Road.
“The reporting party advised there was an unknown suspect inside the residence. The reporting party confronted the suspect and the suspect immediately attacked the owner of the residence. The suspect stabbed the reporting party and homeowner in the arm and shoulder with a screwdriver and struck him with a metal folding chair on two occasions in an attempt to get away from the homeowner,” said a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. “The suspect also attempted to physically take the homeowner’s keys to his truck but was unsuccessful and fled the location on foot.”
Law enforcement containment of the area was provided by the Aberdeen Police Department, Cosmopolis Police Department, the State Patrol, Montesano Police Department, the Elma Police Department and the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office, preventing the suspect from fleeing the area.
The suspect finally was located at 6:40 a.m. in a barn in the 200 block of Devonshire.
“The investigation is ongoing and will include Federal Postal inspectors. The Devonshire homeowner that was attacked during the incident is recovering at his residence,” Pimentel said.
“The successful arrest of this subject was a result of excellent coordination and cooperation between all local law enforcement agencies working together and sharing information. The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the other agencies for their assistance and support.”
