Three suspects from Pierce and Thurston counties were arrested in Randle Wednesday after they were allegedly caught stealing items from a carport.
Sunnie L. Stokes, 37, of Tenino, Joseph A. Jones, 54, of Orting, and Ashlie M. Nelson, 19, of Orting, were each charged Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court with one count of second-degree burglary.
Superior Court Judge Andrew Toynbee granted $5,000 bail to Jones and $5,000 unsecured bail to Stokes and Nelson, meaning the two of them do not need to post cash to be released.
According to court documents and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a report of an interrupted burglary at 10:39 a.m. Wednesday in the 12600 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Randle.
The victim reported he caught three people who he didn’t know in a building on his property attempting to take copper piping, wiring, oil, flower pots, light bulbs and other miscellaneous property.
He attempted to block their vehicle on his property, but the three left on foot and were reportedly picked up by a stranger.
At about 11:05 a.m. Wednesday, a deputy stopped a vehicle carrying three people who matched the victim’s description of the suspects.
The three suspects reportedly told deputies they were told by a man named “Greg,” whose last name they didn’t know, to go to the property and help him clean it up. The suspects said the man gave them permission to take some of the items and sell them.
Stokes and Nelson were at the property cleaning when Jones arrived, at about the same time as the property owner, whose name was not Greg, according to court documents.
The victim reportedly found items belonging to him in a vehicle left behind by the suspects.
