Suspect charged in theft of brass fittingsMyClallamCounty.com

By Pepper Fisher

PORT ANGELES – We have an update on a story we published last month after the Port Angeles Fire Department discovered someone had stolen or vandalized 13 large, brass hose fittings that were installed on the outside of commercial buildings in the downtown area.

The fire department filed a police report, and local metal recycling businesses were contacted to be on the lookout for the fittings.

Within a few hours of contacting All Metal Recycling in Port Angeles, the owner, Chris Edwards, called and said he had recovered the brass parts and had declined to pay out any money for them.

At the time, police were still working to identify the person involved.

On Tuesday, Deputy Police Chief Jason Viada called in with this update.

"The update on that case is that on May 8th, the suspect was charged by the prosecutor's office after they reviewed the case that was put together by Officer Swanson and Fire Marshal Sanders. The suspect was charged with trafficking in stolen property and possession of stolen property, and that suspect is Ben J. Lester, age 29, of Port Angeles."