PORT TOWNSEND — Three people were arrested Christmas Day on stolen property charges following burglary investigations during what has been a busy holiday crime season.
“We gave the people of Port Townsend a Christmas gift by getting these people off the streets,” said Port Townsend Police Officer Luke Bogues, who made the arrests.
Port Townsend residents Lonnie Allen Kohrdt Sr., 43; Maureen Patricia Rosbach, 33; and Austin James Thacker, 27, were all arrested Christmas Day, Bogues said.
Several burglaries occurred in the city in November, and the three were suspected in the cases, but several other cases including the burglary of two downtown businesses had taken most of the department’s attention, Bogues said.
On Christmas Eve, Bogues finished the reports and secured arrest warrants that were served the next day.
“We knew where they were and weren’t worried they’d leave the area,” Bogues said.
“We were more worried they would commit more crimes.”
Bogues reported that 42 burglaries have taken place since Oct. 1, compared to 13 for the same time period in 2013.
While he can’t explain the uptick, he said that most burglaries are drug related and are committed in order to support a drug habit.
Many burglaries that occur in Port Townsend are as a result of people leaving their doors or windows unlocked, he said.
Kohrdt was charged with one count of first degree trafficking in stolen property and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
Rosbach was charged with one count each of first degree and third degree trafficking in stolen property.
Thacker was previously charged with one count each of second degree and third degree trafficking in stolen property.
While new information tying Thacker to additional crimes was uncovered there, were no new charges filed because he was already in the system and is a recent Drug Court enrollee, according to Superior Court Clerk Ruth Gordon.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Kohrdt and Rosbach were in custody at Jefferson County jail and are scheduled for arraignment at 8:30 a.m. Friday in Jefferson County Superior Court, 1820 Jefferson St.
Thacker is scheduled for trial Feb. 9 and Feb. 10.
Bogues said much of the evidence in the arrest originated from Cash America, a Bremerton pawn shop, where all three defendants had sold goods later determined to be stolen from various locations around Port Townsend.
These included an iPad stolen from the Port Townsend Laundromat and Car Wash on Nov. 19, several tools stolen from a house on Thomas Street on Nov. 25 and a digital projector.
Aside from the three defendants, police arrested David Bernal, Kihya Lawson, Timothy Wardleigh and Graham Welch on burglary charges since mid-October with all but Welch affiliated with each other in some way, Bogues said.
“These investigations are continuing, and we’re looking into whether we can tie other burglaries to these individuals, or if there are other people involved,” he said.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.