PORT ANGELES — About a quarter of the toys that were stolen from the Port Angeles Salvation Army and which were destined to be given to children for Christmas were recovered Tuesday night, police said.
The Port Angeles Police Department received a call from a man who said he had bags of toys that he thought may have come from Sunday morning’s Salvation Army burglary, Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith said Wednesday afternoon.
“We recovered 10 blue Walmart grocery bags of toys. It was a lot more than we recovered on Monday,” Smith said.
Burglars entered an unlocked rear window in the building early Sunday morning and spent several hours sorting through the gifts before making off with at least $1,500 in toys, clothing and gifts, according to Salvation Army officers.
Stolen goods included four bicycles, video games for older children, preschool learning tablets, dolls, socks and underwear, they said.
Smith said Salvation Army employees were called into the police station Wednesday and identified the items recovered Tuesday as being about a quarter of what was taken during the burglary.
The toys were photographed and catalogued for use as evidence, and the toys were to be returned to the Salvation Army immediately, he said.
The man who turned in the toys was not identified.
Smith said he did not know how the man obtained the toys.
Police are chasing down dozens of tips to find the burglars, Smith said.
Because of public interest in the crime, many people have spoken to police with possible information that officers have been sorting through, he said.
On Monday, Michael William Tripp, 24, a transient staying as a guest in a Port Angeles home, was cited for possession of stolen property after a resident of the house told police that Tripp had the goods, Smith said.
Several girls’ toys were recovered, Smith said.
Tripp was cited with misdemeanor possession of stolen property, requiring a court appearance, Smith said.
No date had been set at Clallam County District Court for his appearance.
Even as the original toys are being returned a few at a time, donations continued arriving Wednesday at the Salvation Army office, 206 S. Peabody St.
Major Scott Ramsey, co-director of the office, said a group of motorcyclists delivered toys there Wednesday.
They had placed collection boxes at Front Street Alibi at 1605 E. Front St., Lazy Moon Tavern at 130 S. Lincoln St. and Castaways Restaurant at 1213 Marine Drive, all in Port Angeles, Ramsey said, adding that he did not know the group’s name.
KONP radio’s two-day fundraising effort raised $6,410, plus two bikes and several boxes of toys, said Todd Ortloff, general manager at the Port Angeles-based station.
“It was overwhelming,” he said.
He said that when the office opened its doors Monday morning, people were lined up waiting to donate.
“They brought in $1,000 in five minutes,” Ortloff said.
Customers of the Boiler Room at 711 Water St., in Port Townsend have organized a collection box for toys to be included in the distribution to be taken to Port Angeles.
Donations can be made at the Boiler Room.
Ramsey said the amount of money raised — $22,000 as of Wednesday afternoon — exceeded what was needed to fill the needs of the children registered to receive toys.
On Wednesday, volunteers and employees were shopping to make sure every child registered for the gift program received items from their wish lists, purchasing anything that was not already donated, Ramsey said.
About 500 families are scheduled to pick up toys, clothes and food baskets Friday and Saturday at the Toy and Joy Center at the former Hartnagel Building Supply building at the corner of Race and Front streets.
The remaining toys, clothing, gifts and holiday food baskets will be distributed to the remaining families on a first-come, first-served basis Monday, Ramsey said.
Families can register for the distribution beginning at 9 a.m. Monday at the Salvation Army office.
Distribution will continue until the toys are gone, he said.
Ramsey said funds that remain after the gifts and food baskets are distributed will be used for other Salvation Army programs, such as soup kitchen, food pantry, emergency shelter and emergency home heating programs.
Kitsap Bank’s headquarters in Port Orchard announced Tuesday that all Kitsap Bank branches will collect cash donations for the Port Angeles Salvation Army through Wednesday.
Cash donations to support the Salvation Army can be made at the Salvation Army office, online at https://secure20.salvationarmy.org or by phoning 360-452-7679.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
