DUNGENESS — A whimpering dog turned into a stool pigeon Monday that helped authorities collar a suspected burglar, sheriff’s deputies say.
The accused bicycle-riding burglar was in Clallam County jail in Port Angeles on Monday night after he was arrested that morning.
His girlfriend’s daughter’s whimpering dog led deputies to his Marine Drive hiding place — in brush below the bluff’s edge on Marine Drive near Mains Farm, deputies said.
Bail was set at $5,000 for Joseph W. Vuckel, 28, who was being held for investigation into the burglary and possibly other burglaries in the area.
“A dog that Vuckel was supposed to be walking that belonged to his girlfriend’s daughter began whimpering where Vuckel was hiding when deputies came near,” the deputies’ report states.
Vuckel then surrendered to Deputies Bobby Cannon, Ken Oien and Tom Doane, who earlier responded to an attempted home entry reported by a resident in the Mains Farm-Marine Drive area.
The burglar was seen trying to pry open the rear door of the house by the people living inside.
The thief fled on a bike that was found by Cannon on the roadway nearby with some possibly stolen items, deputies reported.
Some of the items recovered: a nearly full gallon of Dungeness Valley Creamery raw milk, a small two-way radio, loose change and a business checkbook.
Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigators continue to check for the possibility of other thefts, burglaries and prowling incidents reported in the area.
They said they don’t think these cases are related to commercial break-ins that have occurred recently in the city of Port Angeles.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@ peninsuladailynews.com.