PORT ANGELES — A transient from Arkansas charged with two counts of second-degree burglary faces a June 3 status hearing to review a plea offer and the possibility of more charges against him.
Andrew W. White, 21, is charged for investigation of burglaries at What’s In Store at The Landing mall at 115 E. Railroad Ave. on April 9 and of the Thai Pepper Restaurant at 222 N. Lincoln St. on April 25.
Port Angeles police have said they are investigating a total of 27 burglaries that could be connected.
“I’m not in a position to file charges on these other crimes, but I think at this point, it can be said that Mr. White is a person of interest in those cases,” said Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Troberg on Friday.
The Thai Pepper burglary case was set to go to trial June 20, and the What’s in Store burglary case was scheduled for a June 29 trial.
Troberg said at a hearing in Clallam County Superior Court on Friday that he had filed a plea offer that would resolve both cases — but not any other cases that might come up.
Both Troberg and Alex Stalker, White’s attorney, agreed to a June 3 hearing at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the status of the plea offer — which is set to expire that day — and the possibility of further charges.
Stalker said he also will review videos that police said show White at both The Landing and Thai Pepper.
“I haven’t had a chance to review that evidence yet,” he said.
“But so far, that seems to be the only substantial evidence that they have against him.”
The 27 burglaries under investigation include 10 in which city power meters were damaged, Port Angeles Police Detective Jason Viada said last week.
Police said the 27 cases are similar in two ways:
■ The culprit or culprits forcibly entered closed, locked businesses, not residences.
■ The culprit or culprits also went straight for the money, stealing currency that totaled “in the thousands of dollars” but leaving other potential valuables.
Although police would not identify all 25 other businesses, Viada gave a general description: All but one were west of DelGuzzi Drive, north of Lauridsen Boulevard and east of the Tumwater Truck Route.
Although the plea offer was on file, the sentencing terms of the offer had not been resolved by Friday.
White remained in custody in the Clallam County jail Saturday in lieu of $10,000 bail.
White had been living at least since Jan. 15 at the Street Outreach Shelter, also known as S.O.S., operated by Serenity House of Clallam County at 520 E. First St., Viada said last week.
On that date, he was arrested for investigation of criminal trespass at 204 E. Front St. and was identified by his Washington State Identification Card, according to a police report.
According to court records, White is from Arkansas, and he told police that people call him “Arkansas.”
