Residents came home to drawers pulled open and ransacked. Jewelry, silver and computers were missing.

Eleven homes in the Mutiny Bay area have been burglarized since the first of the year.

About 30 Freeland residents, including many of the victims, met with deputies Thursday night to hear what was being done about the recent rash of burglaries in the area.

Sheriff Mark Brown, Lt. Evan Tingstad and Det. Dan Todd updated residents about the crime spree and said two men suspected in the burglaries have been arrested.

Todd, the detective in charge of the investigation, noted the importance of having people keep a close eye on what happens in their neighborhoods.

Todd said the rash of home invasions included not only the theft of computer hard drives, tools, bank records and silver jewelry, but also personal hygiene items such as shampoo and soap.

Todd told the crowd that two men were arrested and may be the main culprits in the break-ins.

“We believe these two were the nucleus. I am very comfortable we have the main perpetrators,” Todd said. “Both have had preliminary hearings and the judge found probable cause to hold them on bail.”

Since the beginning of the year there have been 15 burglaries on the South End.

Tingstad said there were five commercial burglaries on Jan 2. in Freeland within a short distance of one another.

Most of the residences hit in the rash of break-ins were vacation homes.

Arrested last week was 40-year-old Christopher Fuller, a Freeland resident.

Todd said they served a search warrant on Fuller’s home on Wahl Road and found a significant amount of stolen property.

The second suspect is Philip Stumpf. He was seen running away from a reported burglary in the Mutiny Bay area and is currently being held in Island County jail.

Betty and Larry Harris, whose home was hit while they were in Europe, said they appreciated the sheriff’s public meeting on the string of break-ins.

“We came home to find all my earrings missing, (plus) a purse with my driver’s license and a couple of credit cards and my MP3 player,” Betty Harris said.

Harris said she believes the burglars were just getting started in her house and had planned to return in a day or so. The couple returned home to find their computer equipment unhooked and stacked by the door; her mother’s antique silverware was found in the woods nearby.

“The pair seemed to target part-time residents,” Todd said.

There may be other victims, as well, he said.

“We might still find houses that have been broken into when weekend residents return to their homes,” Todd added.

The last reported burglary was Jan. 19.

Detectives have not recovered many tools that have been stolen from homes and construction sites.

“Tools are a popular item because they can turn them quickly for money,” Todd said.

“They will every sell the tools to other contractors. Shame on the contractors who buy tools like that,” he said.

Brown, Island County’s new sheriff, said it was important for neighbors to form neighborhood watch groups.

“Sometimes it takes an event to get the fire going,” Brown said.

“I would like neighbors working to inform each other when you are leaving town. Also be on the lookout for strangers or strange vehicles in your neighborhood,” he said.

“Neighbors provide extras ears and eyes for police. That’s how we caught Stumpf,” he noted. “Someone called 911.”