Two men are in custody at the Clallam County jail on suspicion of carrying out one armed robbery and attempting another at local residences July 7 and 8.

Sean William Moore, 19, and Travis Lee Turner, 23 were arrested by Clallam County Sheriff’s detectives July 19 on suspicion of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, attempted robbery, theft of a firearm, unlawful imprisonment, first-degree assault and trafficking in stolen property.

Det. Sgt. Lyman Moores said Sheriff’s detectives working with Sequim and Port Angeles police detectives conducted an intensive two week investigation of two armed robberies that occurred earlier this month.

The first occurred July 7 at a home in the 3000 block of Fourth Avenue in Port Angeles. During that robbery, three white males, wearing disguises and armed with handguns, unlawfully entered the home occupied by a husband and wife while demanding items from within the home, deputies said.

Once the suspects were inside the home, the wife was assaulted by having water thrown on her, according to the report. The suspects then demanded that the husband open his safe, which he did. 

The second occurred July 8 at a home in the 300 block of South Barr Road.  One of the suspects knocked on the back door of the home asking for gas, deputies said. The homeowner, who kept the door closed and locked, told the suspect there was none. The suspect asked to use a phone and the homeowner retrieved a phone and a handgun, Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Cameron said in a news release.

When the homeowner went to open the door, a second suspect appeared and pointed a gun at him, deputies said. The homeowner quickly shut the door and fired a shot through the door.

"Detectives received a break in the case this week when two citizens came forward and gave statements that Turner and Moore had been carrying guns and bragged about committing the robberies," Moores said in a news release. "Both citizens said that Turner had told them he had been shot in the arm while committing one of the robberies and they witnessed the fresh gunshot wound on his arm."

Detectives followed leads to the Riviera Inn in Port Angeles where Turner and Moore were staying, Moores said. After conducting surveillance on the hotel for two days, detectives obtained a search warrant to enter the hotel and arrested Moore along with Nicholas Andrew Taylor, 18, as they were leaving the hotel room. Taylor was arrested on an unrelated bench warrant, Moores said.

Detectives seized Moore’s pickup truck and recovered a plastic BB gun pistol, a rifle, burglary tools, jewelry and property stolen in one of the home burglary incidents, he said. 

 Sheriff’s detectives Jim McLaughlin and Tom Reyes interviewed Moore and Turner, who admitted to being involved in the robberies, being armed and wearing masks during the robberies and holding homeowners against their will, Moores said.

Turner admitted he was shot in the arm while trying to force his way into the home on South Barr Road, he said. 

The two men told detectives their motive behind the robberies was to gain large amounts of money, Moores said.  Detectives observed a 3 – 4 inch grazing gunshot wound on Turner’s right bicep.

Both men remain in custody at the Clallam County jail without bond.