PORT ANGELES — A 21-year-old Port Angeles man whose picture was captured on a security camera as he allegedly burglarized a business remained in custody Sunday night.
Police said the camera caught him entering a closed business in The Landing mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave., late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Andrew William White was being held at the Clallam County jail for investigation of second-degree burglary and third-degree theft for allegedly taking cash from the business, police said Sunday.
Port Angeles police said White entered the building through an unlocked outer door. Police declined to name the business or how much cash was taken because of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities also weren’t saying whether they believe White is connected with a string of burglaries elsewhere in downtown Port Angeles or along Eight Street in the uptown commercial district that have been logged since late March.
Unlike the 13 previous burglaries or attempted burglaries, electricity was not cut off in The Landing burglary, a Port Angeles police spokesman said.
Police Officer Sky Sexton identified White from a photograph taken from the security camera.
Sexton and Police Cpl. Bob Ensor arrested White without incident on the 100 block of East Front Street about 4 p.m. Saturday.
“It was extremely good police work on behalf of Officer Sexton for locating the suspect downtown,” Ensor said.
No other commercial burglaries were reported over the weekend in Port Angeles, Ensor said.
The Gateway Gaming Center arcade and Thai Peppers restaurant in Harbor Towne Mall, 222 N. Lincoln St., were broken into last week. Cash was taken from both, and arcade machines were damaged.
Also late Tuesday or early Wednesday, burglars tried and failed to enter Odyssey Bookshop at 114 W. Front St.
Nine previous burglaries or attempted burglaries were reported from the 300 to 900 block of East Eighth Street.
“Each one of those is a separate crime,” Port Angeles Deputy Chief of Police Brian Smith said.
“We’re entering a new phase of this case now. Time will tell whether we can attribute the remainder [of the crimes] to this person or not.”
Meanwhile, business owners who suspect that their power was turned off should phone the Port Angeles Police Department, Smith said.
Anyone with knowledge about the crimes is asked to call the Port Angeles Police Department at 360-452-4545 or North Olympic Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and filing of felony charges. Tips can be left anonymously.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
