QUILCENE — Burglars took about $50,000 in high-end camera equipment and jewelry, along with priceless personal artifacts and hours of video from a movie in progress from a retired movie producer living in Quilcene.
“We lost a lot,” said Bob Rosen, who lives with his wife, Pen, in the house they own on Munn Road after it was burglarized Monday morning.
Rosen, who worked with actor Bruce Dern in the 1977 movie “Black Sunday,” said he made the original connection with Dern that led to the actor’s upcoming appearance at the Port Townsend Film Festival.
“I lived in Los Angeles for years, and nothing like this ever happened,” Rosen added Tuesday.
“It has spoiled the ‘On Golden Pond’ magic moments we thought we had up here.”
There are no leads to the burglary at present, but detectives are investigating, said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Chief Criminal Deputy Joe Nole.
Rosen, who has lived in Quilcene for nearly 10 years, said the items were taken sometime between 9:50 a.m. and 11:40 a.m., on Monday.
The house was locked, and the thieves broke in through a second-story window.
Rosen manages the Quilcene Community Center and served as a fire commissioner.
On Saturday, Rosen led a dedication for an outdoor community theater that he built using volunteer labor.
Rosen said the camera equipment is covered by insurance, but the other items are irreplaceable.
“I collect old watches,” he said, then correcting himself to say, “I used to collect watches.
“There was one expensive watch that my father had given to me that I cannot replace.”
Also stolen were several hours of film footage in various formats that contained interviews of soldiers that Rosen had conducted over the past several years.
In the video, the soldiers discussed how difficult it is to return home from a war zone and how hard it is to adjust.
Rosen said he had collected hundreds of interviews from veterans as far back as World War II.
“We will never be able to get any of this again,” he said.
Nole said there is no way to tell whether the thieves were watching the house.
“I don’t know if they were out there waiting for us to leave, or if we should feel lucky that nobody was there when they broke in,” Rosen said.
He told police he had no idea who might have broken in to the house, Nole said.
Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, 360-385-3831.
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
