PORT ANGELES — A Sequim man captured last week after a nearly weeklong law enforcement search pleaded not guilty Monday to eight charges.
Jay J. Dodaro, 33, entered a not-guilty plea in Clallam County Superior Court after being charged with three counts of residential burglary — one with aggravated circumstances because the homeowner was present in the house at the time, though they didn’t interact — three counts of second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission, one count of possession of a stolen vehicle and one count of second-degree burglary.
A jury trial for Dodaro, who remained Tuesday in the Clallam County jail on $50,000 bail, was set for May 20.
Dodaro will next appear in court April 12 for a status hearing.
Dodaro faces fines ranging from $10,000 and $20,000, and between five to 10 years in prison for each charge, according to court documents.
Clallam County sheriff’s deputies arrested Dodaro on March 19 in the Carlsborg area after receiving a tip from an area resident.
Authorities had been looking for Dodaro since March 15 on multiple arrest warrants, including warrants from Clallam, Jefferson and Thurston counties.
The charges brought against Dodaro stem from five separate Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigations spanning four months, from Dec. 25 last year to March 16.
Dodaro allegedly burglarized multiple houses and had taken two pickup trucks, one sedan and one motor home, all from different owners.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
