PORT ANGELES — Clallam County sheriff’s deputies were on the lookout Wednesday for a man who broke into a Deer Park Road home the day before and fled after the homeowner surprised him and grappled with him.
The homeowner told deputies that he came home at about noon Tuesday and found a stranger inside rifling through his belongings, said Sgt. Randy Pieper of the Sheriff’s Office.
The homeowner, William Feeley, struggled with the man, who broke free and ran into the woods around the home, Pieper said, and the homeowner called emergency dispatchers at 9-1-1 for help.
Feeley was not hurt except for a bruised arm, he said.
Nothing appeared to be missing from the house in the 2600 block of Deer Park Road, Pieper said.
“It appeared the suspect was disturbed before anything was taken,” Pieper said.
The break-in prompted a 2½-hour search by deputies, Border Patrol agents and a police dog from the Port Angeles Police Department.
Jag, a police dog with handler Cpl. Kevin Miller, lost the scent of the man at Lisel Lane, which intersects with Deer Park Road, Pieper said.
“[We’re] not actively searching the area, but we still have an active investigation going at this point,” Pieper said.
Pieper said the man appeared to have entered the raised first floor of the home by using a stepladder to access a rear window.
A neighbor living across the street from the burglarized home told police a man appearing out of breath had run up to her home and asked for a ride, which she refused, Pieper said.
The man, who is white and estimated to be between 25 and 27 years old, was described as standing between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10 inches tall and being stocky, weighing about 160 pounds, Pieper said.
Pieper added that the man had dark brown or black hair.
The man also had a neck tattoo resembling streaked lines and was wearing a blue windbreaker jacket and blue jeans, Pieper added.
Pieper said that though the homeowner did not see any weapons on the man, the intruder could still be considered dangerous.
“We treat all these sorts of people that do these sorts of things as dangerous, especially if it’s an unknown at this point,” Pieper said.
Anyone who sees the man should phone the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office business line at 360-417-2459 or dial 9-1-1 if the situation is an emergency, Pieper said.
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
