Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 22-year-old man in Freeland late Saturday night on suspicion of committing a residential burglary.
Philip Stumpf was seen running away from a reported burglary in the Mutiny Bay area of Freeland. The Mutiny Bay area has suffered from a rash of home invasions in the last month.
Lt. Evan Tingstad, South Precinct Commander for the Island County Sheriff’s Office, said Stumpf was caught thanks to a call from a neighbor who spotted him near the man’s home.
Stumpf is homeless and was cooperating with the investigation, Tingstad said.
Police said there may be other suspects.
“We’ve responded to 11 residential break-ins and six commercial burglaries in just the last three weeks,” Tingstad said.
“Though the suspect is trying to isolate himself from his own involvement, he has furnished us with information,” Tingstad added. “He’s very likely not acting alone.”
Stolen property included computer hard drives, tools, bank records, silver and jewelry.
The detective in charge of the investigation, Dan Todd, noted the importance of having people keep a close eye on what happens in their neighborhood.
“That’s how we caught Stumpf,” he noted. “Someone called 911. Most of the residences affected were vacation homes.”
Todd said people leaving on extended trips should let their neighbors know they will be gone. “Tell them if they see anything suspicious, even strange cars driving around, call us.”
Billie Winship wishes she had done just that.
When she came back to her Freeland home from Alaska last week she discovered her doors unlocked, drawers pulled out and valuable items missing.
“Several antique pieces, jewelry, some financial records and silver were gone. Be sure to tell friends when you’re away,” she said. “And the police said if I see a suspicious car or person around to take a photo. I plan to do that.”
“I’m having better locks installed,” she added.
When Dick Stallbaum’s wife Jan woke him up on the night of Jan. 13, he thought the noises she had heard were the neighbors in their hot tub.
“The next morning I realized someone had entered the garage through the carport, then come into the house,” Stallbaum said.
“They took a chainsaw, an empty jewelry box and some unused ferry tickets. For some reason they also took a propane torch and gas,” he said.
“I’m going to start locking my doors at night. We’ve lived here since 1975 and the island seems to be getting more like the mainland every day,” Stallbaum said.
When fellow resident Ron Norman heard of the break-ins, he contacted Sheriff Mark Brown and organized a community meeting. The meeting is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Freeland’s Trinity Lutheran Church.
“When a child is taken, we have an amber alert,” Norman said. “There’s a crime wave in our area and people need to be made aware of it.”
“In any neighborhood, folks need to keep their eyes open. This kind of thing can happen anywhere,” he said.
Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.
