PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office arrested two men and discovered a stolen car, boat and two quads after a SWAT team converged on a Lake Aldwell Road residence, authorities said.
Justin Joseph Bryles, 31, and Benjamin Robert Maley, 28, were arrested Friday after a State Patrol SWAT team entered a residence at 64 Lake Aldwell Road west of Port Angeles.
Authorities developed probable cause to search the residence after investigating a series of recent burglaries, Clallam County Chief Criminal Sheriff’s Deputy Brian King said Friday.
Detectives with the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with several other officers, were on the scene at 64 Lake Aldwell Road west of Port Angeles on Friday morning to search the residence. (Clallam County Sheriff’s Office)
Stun grenades were used when the SWAT team entered the residence at about 7:30 a.m., King said.
Investigators found eight firearms at the residence, including an AK-47.
“Bryles was our primary person of interest,” King said Friday afternoon.
“We’re sifting through a mound of suspected stolen property right now.”
Bryles, who lived at the residence, was booked into the Clallam County jail for investigation of first-degree possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen firearm, three counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, eight counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, second-degree burglary, first-degree malicious mischief and second-degree theft, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Bryles had six prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms, King said.
Additionally, he has six gross misdemeanor and three misdemeanor convictions, according to a Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post and press release.
Maley was booked for an unrelated state Department of Corrections warrant, King said.
A SWAT team was used “due to a number of safety factors regarding access to weapons by suspects who resided there,” King said.
Detectives with the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team, Clallam County and Jefferson County sheriff’s offices, Port Angeles police and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations were on scene.
Investigators found four shotguns, two hand guns and two rifles at the residence, King said.
One of the handguns has since been confirmed stolen out of Oregon state, according to the press release.
Also found were two stolen Kawasaki quad all-terrain vehicles, a stolen Subaru Outback, a stolen drift boat, tools and a cargo trailer, King said.
According to the press release, items from a Port Angeles Power Equipment burglary were also recovered.
The Sheriff’s Office was working to return the items to their owners, King said.
“I’d like to give a shout out to the Washington State Patrol SWAT team,” King said in a telephone interview.
“It was really a team effort. There’s a heck of lot more work to be done, but we got a really good start.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at [email protected]