Port Angeles man sentenced to five years in new burglary cases

PORT ANGELES — Sean Vince Della has been sentenced to five years in prison for the burglary of a Forks pharmacy, the attempted burglary of a Joyce cafe and community custody violations.

The 28-year-old Port Angeles man was previously convicted of a series of burglaries and thefts in Port Angeles in late 2014 and early 2015.

Della pleaded guilty Oct. 25 to second-degree burglary of the Chinook Pharmacy in Forks and was sentenced to 51 months in prison, the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced.

Forks police said Della forcibly entered the back door of the pharmacy, set off an alarm and tried to cover his face when he realized he was caught on surveillance video in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, according to an affidavit for probable cause.

“Della appears to have not taken any items from the pharmacy,” Forks Police Officer Brent Kempster wrote in the arrest report.

Della was also sentenced Oct. 25 to second-degree attempted burglary of the Blackberry Cafe in Joyce and possession of burglary tools.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office said Della cut the phone lines to the cafe, pried open a dead-bolted door and fled after being spotted by a witness who heard an alarm in the early morning hours of Sept. 22.

Deputies found knives, pry bars and “other tools commonly used to commit burglaries” in a vehicle outside the cafe, Deputy Marc Titterness wrote in the arrest report.

Misdemeanor counts of third-degree malicious mischief were dismissed in both cases as part of a plea agreement.

Under the terms of his second prison Drug Offender Sentence Alternative, or DOSA, Della will serve 22 months for the attempted burglary concurrent to the 51-month sentence.

A concurrent sentence means the prison terms overlap, with longer sentence overriding the shorter one.

Della was sentenced in July 2015 for a series of crimes in Port Angeles. He was released from prison last August and had been serving community custody on his first DOSA.

The state Department of Corrections revoked Della’s community custody on the 2015 conviction after the recent charges were filed, Clallam County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jesse Espinoza said.

As a result, Della will serve about nine months in prison prior to serving the 51-month sentence for a total of 60 months, or five years, Espinoza said.

After his release, Della will serve 22 months of community custody and complete chemical dependency treatment as part of his second DOSA for the attempted burglary of the Blackberry Cafe.

“He’s going to be held accountable on that,” Espinoza said Tuesday.

“If he comes out and does it again, it’s just going to be constant prison time because his offender score is so high now.”

Della would not be eligible for a third Drug Offender Sentence Alternative.

“You’re only allowed two every 10 years by statute,” Espinoza said.

Della was convicted last year of two counts of second-degree burglary and single counts of first-degree theft, second-degree attempted burglary and heroin possession.

A Port Angeles police investigation tied Della to a Dec. 9, 2014, theft at Athlete’s Choice; a Jan. 31, 2015, burglary of Sabai Thai restaurant; and a Feb. 1, 2015, burglary of Spotlight Tanning &Apparel.

Before his arrest Feb. 1, 2015, a group of five Port Angeles residents tracked Della to an apartment and accused him of burglarizing Spotlight Tanning &Apparel.

The store owner, Mandy Gallacci, had received information about Della’s whereabouts after she posted a surveillance video of Della at her business on her Facebook page.

Della eventually returned seven pairs of jeans that he had taken from the business before Gallacci phoned police, Gallacci said in a 2015 interview with the Peninsula Daily News.

Della was also charged in November 2014 with the attempted burglary of the White Cup Espresso in Sequim.

He was being held Tuesday at the Washington Corrections Center near Shelton.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@ peninsuladailynews.com.

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