Suspicious activity report in Hoquiam leads to arrest in Tumwater burglary

Man, woman caught bashing a large drop-safe with a tire iron, had outstanding warrants

By Dan Hammock • January 2, 2017 1:30 am
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A report of suspicious activity led police to the 100 block of Beacon Hill Drive the evening of Dec. 27. There they found a 55-year old Aberdeen woman beating on this safe, later determined to have been stolen earlier that day from a business in Tumwater. The woman and a 45-year old Aberdeen man were both arrested for outstanding felony parole violation warrants and are now the subject of a Tumwater Police theft investigation. (Photo courtesy Hoquiam Police Department)
A report of suspicious activity led police to the 100 block of Beacon Hill Drive the evening of Dec. 27. There they found a 55-year old Aberdeen woman beating on this safe, later determined to have been stolen earlier that day from a business in Tumwater. The woman and a 45-year old Aberdeen man were both arrested for outstanding felony parole violation warrants and are now the subject of a Tumwater Police theft investigation. (Photo courtesy Hoquiam Police Department)

A City of Hoquiam public works crew member thought he’d come across a man and woman illegally dumping trash in an old gravel pit off the side of Beacon Hill Drive the evening of Dec. 27. Responding Hoquiam Police, however, found the woman “bashing on a large drop-safe with a tire iron” and a man with outstanding warrants hiding in the brush nearby.

The worker could hear “someone banging on something” when he made the call to police. Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers said officers got to the scene at 10:41 p.m. and saw a Chrysler New Yorker back into the brush, with the windows down and trunk open. An officer “followed the banging sounds to the back of the property” where he came upon a 55-year old Aberdeen woman hitting a large drop-safe with a tire iron. She claimed “they” had just found the safe in the brush and were curious as to its contents. She said she was with a man called Richard. A check on the woman found an outstanding Department of Corrections felony probation warrant. While one officer placed her under arrest, another searched for the man, who was spotted running down Beacon Hill Drive. The 45-year old Aberdeen man was not named Richard; however, he also was wanted on felony probation violations and was also arrested.

The safe was secured and transported to the Hoquiam Police Department. Once they accessed the safe they found documents linked to a business in Tumwater and found that business had been the victim of a burglary in the early morning hours of the same day. The man and woman were former employees of the business, and it was determined they had also taken alcohol and tools. Both suspects were held on their outstanding felony warrants pending additional investigation by Tumwater Police detectives.

“The saddest part of this case is this particular business works with the Department of Corrections to employ felons recently released from prison so they can get their feet back on the ground,” said Myers. “This is yet another example of how with a little digging, a simple incident ends up clearing a more serious case.”

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