VIDEO: Burglary suspect caught thanks to public crime tips, Kitsap Co. authorities say
Burglars who broke in through restaurant ceiling arrested
A Port Orchard man accused of breaking into Jimmy D’s Bar and Grill in Gorst has been charged. The Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged 29-year-old Joshua Troy Peterson with second-degree burglary and second-degree theft after his arrest on January 17.
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. - A man accused of breaking into a restaurant through the ceiling and stealing an ATM full of cash is now facing charges. Kitsap County detectives say they were able to identify the suspect thanks to tips from the community.
The Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged 29-year-old Joshua Troy Peterson of Port Angeles with second-degree burglary and second-degree theft after his arrest on Jan. 17.
The burglary happened at Jimmy D's Bar and Grill in Gorst in April 2023. The incident was caught on surveillance camera, and the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office shared the video on social media as part of its "Who Am I?" series – which is where detectives post videos and pictures asking for the public’s help identifying suspects in various crimes.
"This case may never have been solved without a tip from the public," said Kevin McCarty, public information officer for the sheriff's office.
"It’s finally getting resolved. And they’re hopefully going to get some time put away," said Heather Romero, bartender and waitress at Jimmy D’s.
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Peterson and two other suspects are accused of breaking into the restaurant through the ceiling and stealing items including an ATM full of cash. After several months passed without answers, Romero said the team began to feel the crime was forgotten, not realizing detectives were already working on a big break in the case.
"Well, we were surprised because it’s been since April," said Romero. "There’s just so many break-ins and so much going on with businesses and people."
"A lot of times when homes are broken into, cars are broken into, things are stolen and shoplifting incidents, people think, well, nothing is done. Nobody gets arrested. You just take a report, this is for your insurance. That’s not the case. Our people want to solve these crimes," said McCarty.
An early tip, paired with the surveillance video and DNA collected from the crime scene led detectives right to Peterson. McCarty said additional tips from the public helped detectives identify two more people of interest in the burglary who potentially face arrest and charges.
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"More information built and built and built as people came forward and told us that they saw this, or they heard that. That helped solve the crime," said McCarty.
The sheriff’s office said sharing information is how the community and law enforcement work together to fight crime.
"No matter how minor it might be, it might be the information that helps break a case. And we really appreciated it when people from the public come forward and tell us about these things because that might be the missing piece that our detectives need to solve a crime like this," said McCarty.
Jimmy D’s has since recovered from the burglary by repairing the ceiling and replacing the ATM. Now with one suspect in custody, Romero said the restaurant is one step closer to justice.
"We weren’t sure if anyone was going to get caught or not. And it’s great that this is happening," she said.