PORT ANGELES — Three more businesses had power cut and one had cash stolen by a burglar or burglars over the weekend, police said Monday.
And a transient arrested earlier this month for investigation of similar commercial burglaries in Port Angeles was rearrested Monday in connection with an April 9 power-cutting burglary, Deputy Chief Brian Smith said.
Although Smith declined to release the names of the businesses that were burglary or attempted-burglary targets over the weekend, they were located at the 1900 block of East First Street, the 1200 block of East Front Street and the 1100 block of South Eunice Street, he said.
All three had the electricity cut and suffered property damage — just like strings of incidents along Eighth Street and downtown earlier this month.
But only the business on Eunice was broken into and had an undisclosed amount of money taken, Smith said.
Andrew William White, 21, has been charged with burglary and theft in the investigation of a burglary in which police say a surveillance camera automatically captured White’s picture as he entered The Landing mall April 9.
At his first appearance in Superior Court the following week, Judge Brooke Taylor set White’s bail at $2,500.
But at an arraignment Friday, White was released from jail on his personal recognizance.
While again reviewing surveillance tape Saturday of the April 6 burglary at Thai Peppers restaurant, police recognized White, according to court documents.
He was rearrested early Monday morning for investigation into the burglary at Thai Peppers, 222 N. Lincoln St.
White’s second arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday in Clallam County Superior Court.
At his court hearing Monday, bail was set at $10,000.
White remained in custody Monday night in Clallam County jail.
Although he was out of jail over the weekend, White has not been linked to the three most recent burglaries, all of which were away from the downtown business district.
“What I can say is we hadn’t had a burglary since April 9 until this weekend,” Smith said.
“We arrested him on April 9 and he was released sometime last week. But we are not yet saying he is responsible for any of the other burglaries.”
Police have asked for a DNA sample from White to evaluate evidence found at other crime scenes, Smith said.
The three burglaries this weekend make a total of 16 incidents this month in which the power was cut and some of the businesses were entered.
Among them was an arcade in the same building as Thai Peppers. Gaming and money-changing machines were entered and damaged, and $900 was missing.
“There have been other commercial burglaries that we are looking at in which the power was not cut,” Smith said.
Anyone with knowledge about the crimes is asked to phone the Port Angeles Police Department at 360-452-4545 or North Olympic Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and filing of felony charges. Tips can be left anonymously.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
