PORT ANGELES — A 25-year-old Port Angeles man has been charged in connection with two residential burglaries allegedly committed within 6 miles of each other — including one where the victim was home at the time.
Nelson Ray Blewett pleaded not guilty Friday in Clallam County Superior Court to two counts of residential burglary and one count each of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission.
The charges stem from two burglaries Blewett allegedly committed last Tuesday, first at a house in east Port Angeles and later at an apartment just north of William R. Fairchild International Airport.
A Clallam County sheriff’s deputy and a Lower Elwha police officer arrested Blewett on Tuesday night at an address just east of the Elwha River Casino on the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation, according to documents filed in Clallam County Superior Court.
Blewett is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail at the Clallam County jail.
His next scheduled court appearance is
Jan. 11. A jury trial, expected to last three days, is slated for Jan. 28.
According to police reports, Sheriff’s Deputy Melvin Kempf responded to the report of a burglary at a house on East Myrtle Street near the Mount Pleasant district that reportedly occurred at about 5 a.m. Tuesday.
Blewett allegedly entered the Myrtle Street home through an unlocked door and took the homeowner’s car keys from a nightstand in the bedroom while the homeowner was sleeping, according to the police reports, and took off in the homeowner’s car after stealing two spotlights from the kitchen and two pork chops from the refrigerator.
In a later interview, the homeowner told police that roughly $2,500 worth of jewelry and cash also were missing from the home.
At 10 a.m. that same day, a barefoot man later identified as Blewett was seen entering an apartment on 16th Street just north of the airport and was heard rummaging through drawers there, according to police interviews with witnesses.
The witness who saw Blewett enter the apartment called the tenant, who was not home at the time, to ask whether the tenant had allowed anyone to enter the apartment.
The tenant said no.
The witness confronted Blewett, who said he was the tenant’s brother. The witness then allowed Blewett to speak with the tenant via the witness’ cellphone, after which Blewett left in a blue four-door sedan with two other men.
In later interviews with police, the tenant said she knew Blewett but did not give him permission to enter her apartment.
Blewett was seen leaving the apartment with a red backpack, the witness told police, and the tenant later confirmed that the backpack, seven tattoo guns and an iPhone were missing.
The tenant also told police that the door had been locked and must have been jimmied open.
When police caught up with Blewett at about 9:30 p.m. near the casino, Blewett allegedly admitted he had been involved in both burglaries and was in possession of a .22-caliber revolver, which he was not legally allowed to own because he is a convicted felon.
The revolver was recovered in the garage of the home where police found Blewett. The missing car from the 5 a.m. burglary was found in the driveway.
Blewett has an extensive criminal history in Clallam County, including multiple arrests as a juvenile and, most recently, a guilty plea to second-degree robbery in July of last year.
In that case, Blewett was sentenced to 17 months in prison and 18 months of community custody, and ordered to pay $1,669 in restitution after taking $260 and 20 suspected methadone tablets from a motor home in February 2011.
According to court documents, Blewett had threatened the motor home’s owner during the robbery with an Airsoft pistol made to resemble a real firearm.
Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
