Sequim Gazette staff
A series of vehicle prowls off West Sequim Bay Road are linked to burglaries in the Sun Meadows subdivision and Over Street from Oct. 13-16.
John Wilson, vice president of the Sun Meadows homeowners association, said burglar(s) took garage door openers from unlocked cars and went into homes early in the morning while people slept and took small electronics, money and prescriptions.
Burglaries took place a few days apart before more homes were entered and a truck was stolen on Oct. 16. It was later recovered by the Sequim Police Department.
Detective Sgt. Lyman Moores with Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said at this point there aren’t any suspects and these burglaries don’t appear to be linked to other recent burglaries on Woodcock Road and in the Carlsborg area.
“We’ve brought this to the top of our priorities to solve,” he said.
Along with the burglaries, “Crips” gang taggings were found on multiple signs and fences around the subdivision but Moores doesn’t think the taggings and burglaries are gang-related either.
“These are property crimes and vehicle crimes; not gang-related,” he said. “These are crimes of opportunity.”
Lynelle Lovejoy said her home was broken into early in the morning of Oct. 16: The thief took two wallets and a prescription bottle.
“I still feel kind of violated. We were sleeping when (the burglar) came in. I didn’t think that kind of thing happened in Sequim,” she said.
Jim Stoffer, another Sun Meadows homeowner, said his truck was broken into and his GPS and a few smaller items were stolen.
“Fortunately, they didn’t get beyond my truck due to other measures in place,” he said.
“(This) pretty much has the whole neighborhood on edge right now.”
Sequim Police Chief Bill Dickinson said the city has seen a spike in burglaries but mostly in empty buildings and storage units.
An incident similar to the Sun Meadows burglaries involved a homeless man entering a vacant home through an open door, but he took the garage door controller after he left.
“It wasn’t used to gain access but taken after the fact,” Dickinson said.
Moores is leading the Clallam County Burglary Task Force to stymie burglaries by partnering with other agencies to share information. He said they’ve come together a few times to exchange information successfully.
Moores recommends homeowners leave their lights on at night, lock car doors, keep valuables out of cars and bring garage door openers inside.
“Motion detection lights are also one of the best things you can buy,” he said.
Those inside the city limits going on vacation can call the police at 683-7227 for volunteers to patrol a home while they are gone. Dickinson also advises neighborhoods to start or join a block watch.
Following the burglaries, Wilson said the homeowners association put out a to-do list for residents to increase safety, including the items mentioned.
Affected neighborhoods are hosting a meeting with local law enforcement at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, in the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St., to increase awareness of the burglaries.
