By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Even though an arrest was made overnight of the person suspected of stealing police badges and guns from Mossyrock’s top law enforcement officer, authorities are still concerned because not everything has been recovered.
Longtime interim Mossyrock Police Department Chief Jeremy Stamper was out of town hunting last weekend when somebody broke into the home on 300 block of Bear Ridge Road and made off with two silver badges, an old police uniform shirt with a patch, three firearms and a broken Tazer gun.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 20-year-old in Vader overnight who they say admitted burglarizing the home.
Jeremy Reeves Elliott was booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree burglary, theft of firearms and third-degree theft, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies recovered the guns and some other valuables but Elliott denied taking the badges, uniform and Tazer, the sheriff’s office reported this morning.
“We are still looking for the badges and uniform and asking the public to call the sheriff’s office if they have any information,” Sheriff Steve Mansfield said in a prepared statement this morning.
Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said it’s a concern, as they don’t want anybody impersonating a police officer.
It’s unlikely anyone could get away with that in the small town of Mossyrock, since most people know what Stamper looks like, she said.
However, she offered this advice: “If somebody has a feeling that something’s not right, that somebody is not a police officer, or if they’re not sure, they could call 911 or ask to see identification,” Brown said.
Brown said Elliott was arrested at his father’s house without incident.
Information from people in the area led deputies to Elliott, and he had previously been renting a room at a home on Bear Ridge Road, she said.
The house is in a remote area where it’s probably not hard to see when residents are home and when they are not, according to Brown.
The family is in the process of moving and Stamper’s wife had been staying in the new home. She returned on Monday to discover the burglary.
The sheriff’s office also recovered the children’s Wii game system and a hunting coat. But still missing are women’s hair accessories, underclothes, children’s’ coats and prescription sleeping pills.
Stamper said yesterday he still has a badge to wear, although not his wallet badge.
It was stolen the week before while he was deer hunting in Chelan County and somebody made off with everything from his campsite, before setting his tent on fire. He doesn’t think the two events are related.
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Read yesterday’s news story on the burglary here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I hope they find it..I think that they should contact “Washington’s Most Wanted” on Q13 FOX and put the word out.David Rose would definately put the word out I am sure of that.