Dewatto burglary bust

The Mason County Sheriff's Office and Mason County Regional Swat Team arrested two burglary suspects Oct. 8 with the help of K9 Kylo, according to a MCSO news release.

The bust took place on Northeast Dewatto Hills Road in Tahuya where police recovered nearly 20 firearms with 15,000 rounds of ammunition, two stolen commercial work trailers and Mason County Public Works traffic signs, the release said.

A third suspect on the property escaped into the woods and was arrested Oct. 10, according to court records.

The investigation started after Lori Blackwell and one of her friends encountered two of the alleged thieves while riding horses on Blackwell's land in Belfair on Sept. 29.

"Lori got off her horse and confronted an unknown male that was stealing items from the Conex box," MCSO Detective Ledford wrote in a probable cause document.

Another man was in a car and Blackwell saw some of her items, including tools, in the vehicle.

The men fled in the car and Blackwell ran back to her own vehicle to give chase, but couldn't catch up with the suspects, according to the document.

Blackwell discovered numerous items missing from the Conex box, including two large gun safes holding 21 firearms.

"The suspects would have had to go to the property before Lorie [sic] caught them due to the size of the two large gun safes that were stolen, and they would not have fit in the small sedan they were in," Ledford wrote.

On Oct. 1, Blackwell spotted the suspects' unoccupied vehicle parked on Gold Creek Road in Kitsap County, according to the probable cause document.

MCSO deputies impounded the vehicle.

While researching the car, deputies learned that Timothy J. Jones was arrested out of the vehicle that morning.

Ledford wrote that he and MCSO Detective Mercado recognized Jones' name from a search warrant they previously conducted Sept. 12 at the Dewatto Hills Road property.

"The property is approximately a 5-acre compound with numerous RVs, outbuildings and vehicles belonging to Braden S. Spilman," according to Ledford.

Police now had two suspects.

The detectives reviewed body cam footage of the Sept. 12 search and confirmed the suspects' vehicle was one of many on the property.

Later on Oct. 1, a homeowner on Northeast North Shore Road in Belfair called police to say his video surveillance camera captured a Dodge Durango towing a trailer with two safes and then leaving the area without the safes, according to court documents.

Police located the dumped safes and Blackwell's husband identified them as his stolen property, the probable cause document states.

On Oct. 2, residents on Northeast North Shore Road called police to report car prowls and the vehicle used was registered to Spilman, according to the document.

"Again, detectives remembered this vehicle from the previous search warrant" conducted Sept. 12, Ledford wrote.

On Oct. 3, detectives showed Blackwell a photo montage of six individuals and she "quickly picked out Tim Jones as the burglar she caught stealing the property," according to court documents.

Police again obtained a search warrant for the Dewatto Hills Road property occupied by Jones and Spilman.

On Oct. 8, detectives, SWAT and other deputies converged on the compound and immediately arrested Spilman, who was working on a vehicle, court documents state.

"Braden confirmed that he and Tim Jones had broken into the victims' Conex boxes and stole numerous items to include the two safes full of firearms, then they dumped the safes on NE Northshore Rd after cutting into them and removing all the contents," Ledford wrote.

Police recovered six stolen guns, firearms parts and "several thousand rounds of ammunition" from Spilman's RV on the property, according to the probable cause document.

Jones ran into the woods, evading deputies, and was arrested two days later on Oct. 10.

Police found six stolen firearms, a shotgun and thousands of more rounds of ammunition in Jones' RV and shed, the document states.

Jones' brother-in-law, Michael Goins, was staying on the property and ran into the woods with Jones, according to police.

K9 Kylo tracked Goins down.

Police found two stolen firearms and gun parts in Goins' tent.

There are still stolen firearms that have not been recovered, police said.

Jones was arrested for second-degree burglary and theft of a firearm.

Goins was arrested for first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a stolen firearm.

Spilman was arrested for second-degree burglary, first and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and 14 counts of theft of a firearm.

All three suspects have initial arraignments Monday in Mason County Superior Court.