Olympia man accused in 8 area burglaries appears in court
An Olympia man accused of committing eight burglaries in the area within the last month appeared in Thurston County Superior Court Thursday.
Judge Christine Schaller found probable cause to charge Brandon S. Sanchez, 35, with eight counts of second-degree burglary and one count of attempted second-degree burglary, court documents show.
According to a prosecutor’s statement of probable cause:
Olympia Police were called to a medical office Wednesday on the 400 block of Black Hills Lane Southwest in west Olympia. A doctor saw someone was inside the building via security cameras, and a security guard arrived to find a windowpane had been removed and saw a man trying to exit the building.
The suspect fled into nearby woods. Officers searching the area found a laptop and backpack belonging to the medical office.
While investigating, officers received a call reporting a car theft in the area that was determined to be fake. The call came from a phone number belonging to Sanchez, who the prosecutor’s statement describes as “well known to law enforcement.”
Detectives knew the hotel where Sanchez was staying and got a search warrant for his room, where they found sets of keys, garage door openers, laptops, and medical supplies, along with paperwork belonging to Sanchez and a sweatshirt detectives believe was worn in recent area burglaries, according to the statement.
Officers found Sanchez in a vehicle at a supermarket near the burglarized medical office. Inside the vehicle was clothing matching a description given by the medical office security guard.
Sanchez confessed to the burglary and to making the diversionary phone call, according to the statement.
Detectives had noticed parallels between this case and several other recent burglaries that involved removed windowpanes and stolen money and asked Sanchez about those incidents, the statement reads.
Ultimately, Sanchez also admitted to burglaries at three area ice cream shops, two area restaurants, an area tobacco shop, and an area marijuana shop. And he allegedly told detectives he had tried to break into a salon unsuccessfully.
All of the previous burglaries happened between March 29 and April 9.
Sanchez has another open case in Thurston County, in which he’s been charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He had been released on personal recognizance in that case April 10, according to court documents.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Scott Jackson filed a motion to revoke Sanchez’s conditions of release Thursday; Judge Schaller then approved new conditions in that case, setting bail at $7,500.
For the alleged burglaries, Judge Schaller set bail at $50,000. Arraignment in both cases is scheduled for May 5.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 9:02 AM.
.jpg)