Bremerton man suspected in SK break-ins

A Bremerton man suspected of committing a series of early-morning home-invasion burglaries and car prowls last week was still at large early this week, although the Port Orchard Police Department said he was spotted recently in the area.

Sgt. Mark Duncan said there have been several reported sightings of Chad Lewis Cash, 23, in the surrounding areas, although he may have changed his appearance by shaving his head.

Duncan said his department has also collected new evidence that connects Cash — who was recently released from prison after serving time for several burglaries in Central Kitsap — with the latest burglaries that occurred early Tuesday, Oct. 21, in Port Orchard.

His younger brother, Sonny L. Belgard Jr. was arrested that day in connection with the crimes.

Police tracked down Belgard, 21, shortly after a resident on the 1300 block of Pottery Avenue called 911 around 5 a.m. to report she found a man inside her home rifling through her things.

The suspect quickly left after she asked him what he was doing in her house. Afterward, she reported several items missing, including her son’s BB gun, a machete and a knife.

Using a police dog, the officers located Belgard, who had been picked up by Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies patrolling the area.

Belgard claimed he and Cash had been together earlier in the evening at Toys Topless but had separated before 5 a.m. He denied being involved in the burglary on Pottery Avenue.

Belgard was then arrested on suspicion of residential burglary and booked into Kitsap County Jail. He has since been released and no charges were filed against him, said a spokeswoman from the jail.

While questioning Belgard, the officers learned a resident right down the street — on the 200 block of Tremont — had just reported a burglary in progress.

The man said he had been in his bedroom when he heard footsteps in the hallway and when he went to investigate discovered a strange man — matching Cash’s description — in his home. The intruder then quickly ran out the back door.

Later that morning, after 8 a.m., a woman on Hull Avenue reported she found a strange man who also matched Cash’s description sleeping on her bedroom floor.

Police searched her residence, but could not locate him.

Cash is suspected of being involved in all the burglaries that morning.

That same morning, a man on Austin Avenue reported someone had broken into his Ford F150 pickup truck’s canopy and stolen a drill kit, two tool boxes and a bag of tools; a woman on Sweany Street reported she had two vehicles broken into and a cell phone, an umbrella and cash taken; and another resident on Pottery Avenue reported someone had broken into her home, apparently crawling through a second-story kitchen window that had been left open, but nothing appeared to be missing.

Cash is described as six-feet tall, 175 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Duncan said Cash lists his ethnicity as Native American.

If you have any information, call the Port Orchard Police Department at 876-1700.

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