Bremerton man arrested for burglarizing local churches

A 19-year-old Bremerton man who burglarized places of worship and then sold the stolen items on eBay.com was arrested by Kitsap County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) detectives Wednesday at an apartment in the 1900 block of Naval Avenue in Bremerton, according to the sheriff's office.

The arrest culminated a two-week investigation by patrol deputies and detectives into the following burglaries:

• Tuesday, Dec. 2 — Church of the Nazarene, 4647 Sidney Road SW in South Kitsap

• Tuesday, Dec. 9 — Faith Fellowship Church, 6251 NW Newberry Hill Road in Silverdale

Musical instruments and sound reproduction equipment were stolen from the two churches.

The investigators said the suspect would steal electronic components from the churches, then arrange to have a personal acquaintance list the stolen property on eBay and sell the items for him, according to KCSO.

The acquaintance was detained initially then released because detectives determined he did not know he was selling stolen property.

Detectives also determined the suspect sold a total of seven stolen electronic pieces on eBay. Most of the stolen property has been recovered to return to the rightful owners, according to KCSO.

Investigators are still contacting some of the people who bought the stolen items.

The suspect also committed burglaries in Mason and Pierce counties and law enforcement agencies in those jurisdictions will be notified of the Kitsap County investigation, according to KCSO.

The suspect was booked into Kitsap County Jail for second-degree burglary and first-degree trafficking in stolen property. Bail was set at $50,000.

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