PORT HADLOCK — If your home was recently burglarized, there is a chance the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has recovered your stolen property.
The Jefferson and Kitsap county sheriff’s offices arrested three people on Wednesday afternoon in connection with multiple burglaries across county lines.
Jefferson County Sheriff Tony Hernandez said that the two departments recovered 150 stolen items worth about $50,000 from the home and vehicles of Port Hadlock residents Robert Lucas, 23, Jason Lucas, 29, and Gloria Lucas, 44.
Of the items seized by police, 62 are firearms — including handguns, assault rifles and shotguns.
Gloria Lucas was arrested on investigation of possession of stolen property and appeared in Jefferson County Superior Court on Thursday. The Jefferson County jail roster did not have her listed in custody Thursday night.
Robert and Jason Lucas each were arrested on investigation of residential burglary, theft, possession of a stolen firearm and trafficking of stolen property.
Both men appeared in Kitsap County Superior Court on Thursday. The Kitsap County jail roster listed both men in custody on Thursday night with bail set at $60,000 each.
Burglaries connected
Hernandez said the two agencies worked together after discovering that a string of burglaries in Jefferson and Kitsap counties could be connected.
In March, two residences were burglarized in Jefferson County. On March 5, several firearms, jewelry and collectors’ items were taken from a home in Port Ludlow. On March 25, a home in Port Hadlock was burglarized and had firearms and jewelry taken.
Kitsap County investigators received information from an informant that Robert and Jason Lucas, who are brothers, were preparing to illegally sell firearms at Salisbury Point on the east side of the Hood Canal Bridge, Hernandez said.
“The investigation went fairly quickly,” he said. “They called us on Wednesday morning, and we discussed how to proceed.
“By the afternoon, we had made the arrest at [Salisbury Point], and by that night we had sorted through the evidence.”
Hernandez said police found weapons on Jason and Robert Lucas when they were arrested.
“They had some loaded weapons on them at the time of the arrest, but they were taken in without incident,” he said.
Later in the day, investigators went to the Lucas’ home in Port Hadlock. There, Hernandez said, their stepmother, Gloria Lucas, was wearing stolen jewelry.
Investigators searched the home and discovered other stolen items, Hernandez said.
Collection of goods
Hernandez and Detective Mark Apeland stood in front of the collection of goods laid out on a table in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday morning.
Among the stolen treasures are baseballs signed by Seattle Mariner all-stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki, a game bat autographed by former Mariner slugger Edgar Martinez, service medals from the Vietnam War, a bag filled with Native American arrowheads, a collection of hodgepodge jewelry and coins dated in the early 1900s.
Hernandez said that, of all the goods, he was most excited about recovering firearms.
“When you recover stolen guns, you take them off the street, where they were likely going to be used for an illegal purpose,” he said.
Among the collection were AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles, a few Mossberg 12 shotguns and several handguns, including a Ruger Blackhawk, a Glock 9mm and a .357 Magnum.
The 40 items on display were only a small sample of what was taken in the cooperative action between Jefferson and Kitsap sheriff’s offices.
Apeland said that another 110 stolen items — 43 of which were firearms — were at the Kitsap County office.
Additional items being held in Kitsap County are two big-screen television sets and more jewelry and collectables.
Police also found an unspecified amount of marijuana, which was packaged for sale and distribution, they said. Police have not asked for drug charges to be filed.
Hernandez said he is asking anyone with information on connected crimes to contact his office.
“If people bought something from these people, they should call the sheriff’s office,” he said.
“If they believe their stuff might be here or if they have any other information, they should give us a call as well.”
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at 360-385-3831.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
