SEQUIM –– Sequim police contacted people at 14 homes on Govan and Matriotti streets Thursday after the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office discovered a car filled with personal documents.
Jefferson County Chief Criminal Deputy Joe Nole said deputies entered the unoccupied car at Diamond Point after obtaining a search warrant because the car had been linked to several burglaries in Jefferson County.
Nole would not tell the make of the car because the case was still under investigation. He said deputies are working to track down the people they believe own the car.
Inside the car were bags full of mail, vehicle registration forms, receipts and car insurance cards.
Nole said there also were several items stolen from Jefferson County residences inside the car.
Police Chief Bill Dickinson said officers contacted the people to whom the documents belonged Thursday night to see whether they had noticed if their cars or mailboxes had been broken into.
With some of the documents containing time-sensitive information, Nole said, police decided to return them to the homeowners instead of keeping them as evidence.
Nole said information contained in many of the documents could be used to steal the identity of the owners.
“If there’s a message here, it’s that you should really always lock your car,” Nole said.
________
Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.
