QUILCENE — Two men arrested in connection with a residential burglary on Leland Valley Road earlier this month are under investigation for a rash of burglaries extending from Port Townsend to Port Ludlow, Undersheriff Tim Perry said Tuesday.
Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies arrested Joseph Gaikowski, 21, of Port Townsend, and Anthony Shea, 20, of Port Hadlock for investigation of second-degree burglary after the property owner of a Quilcene home they allegedly burglarized followed the truck the two were driving away.
The witness said he saw them leave his home on June 7 and called 9-1-1, according to Perry.
When Gaikowski and Shea noticed they were being followed, they ditched the truck and fled on foot, said Perry.
Deputies arriving on the scene pursued the men, eventually finding them and taking them into custody.
In the back of Gaikowski’s pickup truck were numerous stolen items, some of which were identified by the victim as belonging to him, said Perry.
Other items found
Other items believed to be stolen were not identified by the victim, leading detectives to believe that the two men may have committed other burglaries.
“The key word is ‘may have,”‘ said Perry.
“We haven’t tied them yet to other burglaries, but the premise is they may have committed the other burglaries.”
Numerous burglaries and attempted burglaries have been reported in residences and commercial buildings in Port Ludlow, Port Hadlock and Port Townsend over the past month.
Gaikowski and Shea remained in Jefferson County jail Tuesday evening.
