Home burglarized three times

It isn’t often that one home would be burglarized three times within a couple of weeks, but that just happened in Grand Coulee.

Many items stolen from a burglary at the William “Moe” Evans home in Grand Coulee were recovered Feb. 12, when a county interagency task force and the U.S. Secret Service raided a house on Burdin Boulevard, police officials stated.

Police Chief John Tufts said several items taken from the Evans home, which included a fireplace and dishes, were recovered Feb. 12, when officers raided the Melvin Toulou, Jr., home in Grand Coulee. In addition to the stolen property, Toulou, who was arrested and taken to Grant County Jail, faces potential drug and counterfeiting charges.

He was released from jail Wednesday, Feb. 17, on $5,000 bail after being charged in Grant County with second-degree possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Local officers investigating the Evans burglary said the home had been emptied of much of its furniture and articles and that several items had been piled up as if the burglars hoped to return for them.

The burglars did return and took many additional items. The second burglary was discovered by a neighbor when he returned Feb. 14, to check on the house.

Tufts said his department is investigating a third burglary at the Evans residence, this one occurring at 6:47 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22. This time the burglar was apparently scared off since nothing was taken. The burglar entered through a basement window and had gathered a number of golf balls and a router, but didn’t take them.

Police said a surveillance camera had been installed and they were waiting to see if images could be obtained.

Evans, who had been in California when the first two burglaries occurred, had returned home this past weekend.

The series of thefts began Feb. 8, when a neighbor saw someone drive away in Evans’ 1998 Honda.

Police got involved after Evans, who was in California at the time, learned that a city water bill for a house on “A” Street was paid for by a $200 check from his account.

That’s when police checked on his residence and found a rear sliding door had been accessed and the house was in disarray.

A number of items taken from the Evans home turned up at Toulou’s, including Evans’ passport, police said.

Photos were taken of items found in the Toulou residence and many of them were identified by Evans as belonging to him.

Evans also told police that a number of EE Bonds were missing and he gave police serial numbers.

Chief Tufts said a number of latent prints had been lifted and were sent to the Washington State Crime Lab for identification.