[January 20, 2010] GH police help bust up burglary ring: Suspects targeted local homes, used stolen vehicles Tweet Jan 18, 2010 (The Peninsula Gateway - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- In a Gig Harbor police holding cell, everything from flat-screen TVs and video game systems to golf clubs and DVDs wait patiently for someone to take them away. All of it has been taken once, but this time, police want to make sure they return to their rightful owners. Seven people have been arrested and more than $80,000 in stolen property has been recovered in connection with a burglary ring in both Gig Harbor and University Place. Suspects used stolen rental vehicles to haul items such as portable safes, personal belongings and jewelry, Gig Harbor Police Detective Mike Cabacungan said. A Tacoma home served as the hub for the criminal activity, and more than 20 victims have been identified in the case, according to the Gig Harbor Police Department. Gig Harbor detectives Cabacungan and Fred Douglas got their first break Dec. 21 after burglars were interrupted while they were breaking into a Gig Harbor home. The vehicle used in the caper, a stolen rental truck, was tracked to Tacoma. Evidence gathered from that vehicle led Gig Harbor detectives to begin surveillance on a Tacoma business. That led to several arrests and a search warrant that was served at a Tacoma residence on New Year's Eve. When police searched the house, they also found purses and backpacks of apparent vehicle prowls, detectives said. "These kind of victims we'll never know about," Douglas said. Conservative estimates show that $20,000 in stolen property was at the house when the search warrant was served. Large amounts of marijuana also was found, police said. The case remains open as investigators continue to look into the correlation between more than 60 identity theft cases in the Gig Harbor area. Cabacungan called the bust an example of textbook teamwork, saying both the Tacoma Police Department patrol officers who helped serve the warrant and University Place officers were vital. They also were in contact with authorities in Renton and Auburn, he said. "They were very bold," Cabacungan said of the suspects. He added that many of the home burglaries happened during the day. Two people reportedly worked together, and they even waved to neighbors at times, Cabacungan said. Burglars also went out of their way to take remote controls and owners manuals for TVs, making any resale less suspicious, detectives said. Other items recovered included female makeup and curling irons, police said. Detectives suggest people should invest the time to take photos of personal belongings and serial numbers for identification. Nearly half of the property recovered bore no ownership markings, and the serial numbers were never reported, making it impossible for the owners to identify the recovered property, they said. Cabacungan added that neighbors who see suspicious activity shouldn't be afraid to passively get involved by doing such things as writing down plate numbers of suspicious vehicles or by taking photos. Storing valuables in a safe place, including the photos of personal property, is vital, detectives said. Two portable safes were recovered during the service of the search warrant at the Tacoma home, a reminder that safes that aren't bolted down can be taken by thieves, police said. This week, the Gig Harbor Police Department will have photos available on its Web site to help victims recover their property. Identification will be required to obtain the property, including such items as receipts, serial numbers or photographs. Reach reporter Nate Hulings at 253-853-9243 or by e-mail at [email protected]. To see more of The Peninsula Gateway or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.gateline.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, Wash. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]