GOLD BAR – On television, police detectives always find fingerprints, and 60 minutes later, they’ve solved the case.
“In reality, that’s not what happens,” sheriff’s deputy Terry Haldeman said.
Still, Haldeman, 38, is credited with being a one-man crime scene investigating unit. He recently busted two suspected burglars who police believe broke into 20 properties at a popular resort community near Gold Bar.
In his 16-year career in policing, Haldeman said he has never seen fingerprints so good, and never seen them at five separate crime scenes.
“It was quite amazing that they left all those prints the way they did,” Haldeman said.
He used the information to arrest two Everett men, 20 and 21, for investigation of residential burglary, among other crimes.
Nearly $13,000 in property was stolen from homes at Gold Bar Nature Trails resort, starting in May, Haldeman said.
The burglars took 45-inch flat-screen plasma TVs, DVDs, tools, pressure washers, check books and a $3,000 diamond ring.
The 273-acre resort, nestled in the Cascade foothills, has 1,200 members who spend time there year-round.
A combination of recreation-vehicles, campers and cabins make up the property.
The resort has sophisticated security, Haldeman said. But one of the suspected burglars had grown up spending time at Gold Bar Nature Trails and knew how to break in unnoticed.
Since the break-ins, the resort has beefed up its security.
It wasn’t until June 2 that calls to police started to come in. At first, about five people reported stolen property. By the time the investigation was complete, Haldeman was investigating burglaries at 20 properties, he said.
The property owners went to Haldeman and asked when the team of investigators were going to arrive.
“I am the detective. I am the crime scene processor,” he told them. “I have to do the entire investigation from the time of the initial call to trial.”
That’s not unusual in the far reaches of the county, he said.
Even on his own, Haldeman was able to solve the case, said Rebecca Hover, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman.
“He was still able to take a look at the crime scenes, gather evidence and follow through,” she said. “Because of all that hard work, he was able to make the arrests. Hopefully that’s of some comfort to the victims.”
The deputy got on the suspected burglars’ trail after he followed the path of a stolen check. That led to stolen property at Everett pawnshops, and to one of the suspects, Haldeman said.
Further investigation led to the second suspect’s arrest.
The deputy expects the fingerprints he found will help prosecutors build the case against the pair.
Although Haldeman wasn’t able to retrieve all the stolen goods, he got enough back to fill up the back of his Ford Expedition.
The recovered items included the stolen diamond ring.
“This is what I do. I investigate crimes and do the best I can to help people out,” he said. “To be able to get the property back is very cool.”
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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