Two young men await theft charges after at least 20 vehicles were entered and items taken in the Clinton area this past weekend, according to the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. Evan Tingstad of the Sheriff’s Office South Precinct said the 19-year-old Clinton man and an 18-year-old Mount Vernon man with a former Freeland address were taken into custody about 7 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12 after the string of break-ins near Deer Lake that began about 3 a.m.

Tingstad said the vehicles were parked along roadways and in driveways in the Timberline Road and Cedar Vista Drive areas. He said a variety of vehicles were involved, and most had been unlocked at the time they were entered.

Items taken included CDs, stereos, music players, money, cigarette lighters, sunglasses and a bottle of perfume, he said.

Tingstad said the two men were apprehended in a traffic stop in the Clinton area after a Timberline Road resident reported a suspicious vehicle in the area. He said that so far there is no indication the vehicle break-ins are connected to any previous car prowls.

Tingstad said the two men were released on their own recognizance pending conclusion of the investigation, at which point charges will be filed.

He urged anyone who has items missing from their vehicles to contact the South Precinct at 331-4535.