The same suspects who tossed a flare into a state lawmaker's business on Fourth Avenue early Monday morning later burglarized an antique business about a mile away, police said Tuesday.
At 4:05 a.m. Monday, two men approached Hometown Property Management on Fourth Avenue, smashed a window and tossed a flare into the business. That business is owned by state Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Lacey. It also apparently is home to The House Republican campaign offices.
Twenty-minutes later, three suspects were seen breaking into or aiding a burglary at Lighthouse Antiques in the 2100 block of Pacific Avenue Southeast, said Lt. Paul Lower.
Police have recovered video images from both locations, he said.
Although state Rep. JT Wilcox said Monday he was concerned that Republicans were being being targeted, police think the suspects may have created a diversion at Barkis' business to commit a burglary in a second location, Lower said.
"Two of the three suspects are clearly the suspects from the flare-attempted arson," a police report reads.
The suspects used a ladder to get on top of the antique business, then entered it through a skylight, Lower said. An employee later found several smashed display cases and a pile of glass underneath the skylight. Police also were able to recover DNA samples because it appears one of the suspects cut himself while breaking into a jewelry case, according to the report.
The value of the stolen merchandise is estimated at more than $5,000 and the cost to replace the skylight at more than $2,000, according to the report.
The burglary suspects left the antique business — leaving the ladder in some bushes — at 4:32 a.m. Monday and headed west on Pacific Avenue.
They were last seen driving an early 2000s model Subaru Outback with a trailer hitch.
The two suspects at both locations are described this way: One is white, average height and weight, wearing a light-colored bucket hat, light-colored sweatshirt, light-colored athletic shorts and light-colored shoes, according to the report.
The other is described as a light-skinned man, tall, slender, wearing a black jacket, dark jeans and black shoes with white on the back of the heels. He also had black shaved hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call Olympia police at 360-753-8300.
