Editor’s note: There are two sheriff’s logs this week because Detective Joe Nole, who provides the information for the log, was in training and unavailable for one week.

For the week of July 3-10, Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to 310 calls, including 14 animal complaints, 3 burglaries, 9 civil complaints, 14 requests for civil service, 1 death investigation, 10 field investigations, 16 fireworks complaints, 9 noise complaints, 2 search-and-rescue missions, 12 suspicious circumstances, 5 traffic collisions and 80 traffic stops. Some of the incidents reported include:

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Port Hadlock area at about 1 p.m., July 3 after receiving a report of a man stopping in front of a residence and taking photographs of children from his vehicle. The children’s mother walked to the street to confront the suspect, and he drove away. The suspect made no attempt to talk to the children. The suspect was described as approximately 70 years old and wearing black-framed prescription glasses. The suspect’s vehicle was described as possibly a Lexus. Deputies searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect.

A citizen came to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office July 3 and reported that an individual in the Paradise Bay area had put red and blue emergency lights on a pickup truck and was walking around wearing a black shirt with the word “Sheriff” on it. Deputies responded to the scene and located the suspect hiding in his shower. The suspect was arrested on an outstanding warrant and counseled on the consequences of impersonating a law enforcement officer.

A sheriff’s deputy on routine patrol July 4 observed a body in the grass along South Discovery Road near Adelma Beach Road at 1:50 p.m. The deputy stopped to investigate and determined it to be a woman lying in the grass, eating a sandwich. She advised the deputy that she was fine.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Beaver Valley area at 11:52 p.m., July 4 and assisted East Jefferson Fire Rescue with a rapidly growing barn fire. Beaver Valley Road was closed while firefighters fought the blaze. Units were on the scene from midnight until 1:49 a.m. The fire was determined to have been caused by fireworks.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) responded to 330 calls for service between June 26 and July 3, including 8 animal complaints, 4 burglaries, 10 civil complaints, 2 death investigations, 5 disabled vehicles, 10 domestic violence incidents, 2 drug investigations, 1 DUI stop, 7 fireworks complaints, 5 noise complaints, 4 search-and-rescue incidents, 3 sex offense investigations and 57 traffic stops. Among the incidents were:

JCSO received a report on June 22 from a resident attempting to sell a motor vehicle on Craigslist. The resident reported they had received an offer on their vehicle from an unknown person who sent them a check for payment in an amount that was four times greater than the asking price. The suspect requested that the seller cash the check and return the remainder to the suspect. The seller was aware that this is a common fraud tactic and wanted to report it to law enforcement.

“Good job by the seller for not falling victim to the scam,” said Detective Joe Nole. “Most frauds/scams count on the victim thinking they are going to get something for nothing. How often does that happen?”

A hiker parked a vehicle at the Duckabush trailhead in the Olympic National Forest on June 26. Upon returning at about 10:50 a.m., the hiker discovered the vehicle had been broken into. Items stolen include two pairs of shoes, two pairs of Icetrekkers, house keys, a remote control for a home alarm system, and keys for a second vehicle. There are no suspects.

On June 27, a Kala Point resident reported the theft of mail from several Kala Point mailboxes; the thefts had occurred sometime during the night. On July 1, mail theft was reported to have occurred between noon and 1 p.m. in Port Ludlow. Mail thefts appear to be on the rise.

“Please be vigilant of yours and your neighbor’s mailboxes,” said Detective Joe Nole. “If you see suspicious activity, report it to your local law enforcement. If you can obtain a vehicle description and license plate number without endangering yourself, please do so. As always, safety first.”

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a motor vehicle theft that had just occurred in the Port Hadlock area at 6:48 a.m., June 28. The victim observed his vehicle being driven from his residence at a high rate of speed. At 7 a.m., a deputy spotted the stolen vehicle traveling on Oak Bay Road. The deputy attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and continued onto Old Oak Bay Road, where the suspect crashed the vehicle into a ditch. After crashing, the driver left the vehicle on foot and within minutes was apprehended by the pursuing deputy. The suspect was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and attempting to elude law enforcement. The victim had left his keys in the vehicle.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a Port Hadlock residence at 7:27 p.m. on June 28 after receiving a report of a burglary in progress. The victims had returned home from a walk and noticed strangers in their yard. The victims began to ask the strangers what they were doing in their yard, at which point the strangers ran away. The victims described the suspects as a man and a woman. Deputies arrived, located the suspects and took them into custody. On-scene investigation led to the discovery of two duffle bags that contained numerous electronic items stolen from the residence. The suspects were booked into the Jefferson County Jail for burglary and theft.

At 3:58 p.m. on June 29, two 12-year-old children were reported to have floated too far from shore on an inflatable toy near the marine science center at Fort Worden. The inflatable toy had blown over, and the children were in the water. The children were able to climb onto a paddleboard that was in the area, and the paddleboard was towed to shore by an assisting kayaker.

A female inmate at the Jefferson County Jail asked to speak to a deputy July 2. She said she wanted to report that her young daughter had been raped. When the deputy attempted to interview the inmate about the rape, she told him that she would not provide any information unless she was released from jail. Information was provided to Child Protective Services. The case is under investigation.

On July 2, a man was reported to be swinging a baseball bat at passing motorists, almost striking a motorcycle and its rider. A witness said the suspect destroyed a mailbox with the bat and heard him complaining that he needed heroin to kill the pain and that he wanted to harm people. The suspect was also reported to have been jumping in front of oncoming traffic. Deputies contacted the suspect and he was arrested without incident for two counts each of assault, disorderly conduct and property damage.