UPDATED: Four More Arrested During Investigation of Rash of Burglaries in Twin Cities, Thurston County

Authorities arrested four more people on Thursday in connection to a string of burglaries across Centralia, Chehalis and Thurston County, after a drug bust reportedly uncovered items stolen during a burglary at a Centralia coffee stand Monday.

Personnel with the Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) served a search warrant in the 800 block of South Gold Street in Centralia after receiving a tip from the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office that people at a residence there were selling narcotics in the county, according to a police press release.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on Monday, a coffee stand in the 400 block of South Tower Avenue was burglarized. An employee went to work that morning to find a door had been forcefully opened and a cash drawer missing.

During the execution of the search warrant, JNET personnel found containers and blenders that were consistent with items taken from the business. They also allegedly found cocaine, a scale, plastic bags, a ledger of drug sales and marijuana.

“Centralia Police Officers assisting with the service immediately observed items that had been stolen as part of the string of burglaries that had been occurring within Centralia. An additional search warrant was requested and granted and several people were subsequently arrested,” reads the press release.

Authorities arrested Johnathon D. Wilson, 24, of Centralia on suspicion of second-degree burglary, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and third-degree theft; Macie D. Browning, 20, of Centralia on suspicion of second-degree burglary, possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and third-degree theft; Taeya L. Brown, 19, of Centralia on suspicion of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver; and Bryson A. Serventi, 20, of Centralia was cited for possession of marijuana.

According to court documents, police believe Wilson and Browning were responsible for the burglary. Brown was charged after JNET found items consistent with dealing marijuana.

During a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Friday afternoon, Judge Joely O’Rourke imposed $20,000 bail in Wilson’s case, $10,000 in Browning’s case and $10,000 unsecured in Brown’s case. All three have arraignment hearings on Thursday.

Although court document’s don’t specify a connection between the coffee stand burglary and other recent property crimes, the new arrests come in the midst of several arrests for seemingly connected burglaries in Centralia and nearby communities.

On Wednesday, multiple felony counts of burglary were filed against two Centralia residents ­— Anthony S. Depuisaye-Greene, 26 and Elizabeth A. Rogan, 43 — who are also believed to be connected to recent burglaries. They are currently in the Cowlitz County Jail for a charge first-degree murder for the death of a Ryderwood man last month.

Depuisaye-Greene was charged with seven counts of second-degree burglary and single counts of second-degree malicious mischief, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm.

He is in the Cowlitz County Jail for charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Rogan was charged in Lewis County with three counts of second-degree burglary and one count of second-degree malicious mischief.

During the spate of burglaries in Centralia — Police Chief Carl Nielsen said there were 21 within approximately three weeks — authorities launched an investigation that led them to the 500 block of South Rock Street in Centralia.

As a result, JNET arrested Depuisaye-Greene and Rogan on suspicion of burglaries and Galen R. Whitmire, 27, of Centralia and Patrick M. Gish, 29, of Winlock on Department of Corrections warrants. While Gish and Whitmire were named in court documents as allegedly taking part in the burglaries, as of Friday, charges had not yet been filed as of Friday morning.

The next day, authorities arrested Adam I. McGowen, 27, of Centralia for his alleged role in several of the burglaries.

While authorities have released that some burglaries in Chehalis may be connected to the same suspects, Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer said he couldn’t immediately advice how many were connected. It was clear, he said, that Centralia had suffered the brunt of it, and JNET had been heading up the investigation.

“Centralia Police Chief Carl Nielsen, Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer, and Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza again praised the efforts of all of the law enforcement officers involved throughout this investigation and noted that this was their initial vision when they created JNET — the formation of a proactive team that would directly affect the safety of community members throughout Lewis County,” reads the press release.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said additional charges against people involved was a very real possibility.

During a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court earlier this week, Depuisaye-Greene and Rogan were placed on a 72-hour no-bail hold to give the prosecutor’s office time to file charges. Now that charges had been filed within that timeframe, Meyer said more counts are likely.

In the meantime, Depuisaye-Greene and Rogan sit in the Cowlitz County Jail without bail as they await their case in the shooting death of 47-year-old Travis Seiber. Depuisaye-Greene allegedly shot Seiber during a botched robbery in his Ryderwood home on March 18.

“As far as we’re concerned right now, Cowlitz County will get done and then they’ll be transported here, however, we may end up talking to Cowlitz County and … there’s a variety of options that can occur,” said Meyer.

Meyer said that while the sheer quantity of recent burglaries wasn’t the largest he had seen during his time as prosecutor, it was a large outbreak.

“This is a big number of burglaries in a very short time, and fairly brazen in nature, and coordinated it seems,” he said.