Deputies responded to the area of Red Deer Drive, off Blue Mountain road at about 2:40 on 11-12-09 to a call of a burglary in progress. Deputies eventually learned that a homeowner came home to find a car parked in the driveway with a female occupant in the passenger seat. As the homeowner got out of their car, a male came from the back of the house with one hand behind his back, claiming to have a gun. The male got into their car and left. As the suspects left, the homeowner recognized items in the car that had been taken from inside the residence. The homeowner also confirmed that the front door had been pried open.

The homeowner was able to give the deputies excellent description of the people and the vehicle including a license number. As deputies responded to the home, Sgt. Randy Pieper began checking the area along SR101 for the suspects. As he drove by the trailer court at 256832 SR 101, he saw a vehicle matching the description given by the homeowner parked at one of the small trailers.

Investigating further, Sgt. Pieper positively identified the vehicle as the car.

Sgt. Pieper and other deputies had the occupants of the trailer come out and they were identified as Alvin L. Witherspoon, 35, and Violet Conklin, 29. The homeowner was escorted by deputies to the trailer park where Witherspoon, Conklin and the car were positively identified as being at the residence on Red Deer Drive.

Deputies obtained a search warrant for the trailer as well as the car. The investigators located items that were missing from the homeowners residence. These items included jewelry and pillow cases, likely used for carrying items from the house. No firearm was located.

Alvin Witherspoon was booked into the Clallam County Correctional Facility for Burglary 1st degree and Theft 3rd. Conklin was interviewed and released.

The suspects in this case were identified and captured very soon after the report due to the excellent observations of the homeowner. Their ability to describe the suspects and the car gave the deputies the information they needed to find the suspect and react. At the same time, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind citizens to be extremely careful when meeting someone in such a situation. Here, the contact with the suspects was unavoidable the way it played out and the homeowner never confronted the suspects. They simply allowed them to leave, taking in as much information through their observations as they could.

The case has been referred to the Clallam County Prosecutor for review and formal charging.