Man arrested for allegedly slipping into homes when women sleeping and stealing underwear, firearms

SHELTON, Wash. -- A 22-year-old Mason County man has been arrested for allegedly creeping into homes when women were sleeping at night and taking  their underwear and firearms, the Shelton Police Department said Friday.

The police investigation began on April 20, when a Shelton woman awoke to see a man standing in her bedroom. She alerted her boyfriend, who was sleeping next to her, and the suspect fled.

A detective who responded to the case uncovered six similar incidents in Mason County and the city of Shelton that occurred the past several months, police said. Two more victims came forward earlier this week and explained that several years ago they had similar experiences and possibly knew who the intruder could be.

On Thursday, police said, officers contacted the suspect and served a search warrant at the suspect’s home in the Phillip’s Lake area of Mason County.

"Numerous items were discovered in the suspect’s home that linked the suspect to our victims. Property was recovered that was stolen from some of the victim’s homes; this included numerous firearms and undergarments," the Shelton Police Department said in a news release. "It is believed that the suspect took the items from the victim’s homes while they were sleeping."

The firearms recovered were from numerous burglaries throughout Mason County, police said.

"In almost all of the cases the suspect knew the victims through work or social media, and in fact admitted he entered at least one home after reading information the victim posted on social media," police said.

The suspect is in custody at Mason County Jail for a variety of offenses surrounding burglaries, police said.

Serial home intruder? Shelton woman awakes to find stranger standing in bedroom