GOLD BEACH – Curry County Sheriff John Bishop is looking for the owners of a lot of property believed stolen by Richard Dominic Capella of Brookings, who is facing charges of committing numerous burglaries in the county.

Stolen items included a washer and dryer, stereo equipment, power tools, chain saws and linens.

The Curry County Grand Jury has indicted Capella for 23 crimes, including 18 felonies, stemming from a series of burglaries in Curry County over the past year.

Officials say more charges are likely against Capella, 41, who was arrested June 20 when sheriff’s officers, while checking out Capella’s possible involvement in a Port Orford burglary, discovered several truckloads of items believed stolen at his home at 98362 East Cougar Drive.

“Even though we have shown property to at least a dozen separate victims and matched up much of the property to its owners, there is still a large amount of property in our possession that we believe is stolen and we don’t yet know who it belongs to,” Bishop said.

The sheriff asked anyone who has been a victim of burglary or theft and has not contacted the sheriff’s office to check with the office to see if the sheriff has any of their belongings.

The sheriff’s non-emergency phone numbers are 541-247-3242, and 800-543-8471.

Capella had originally been charged with six counts of theft by receiving, interference with a police officer and escape after his arrest. On Monday, he was arraigned on seven charges of first-degree burglary, four of second-degree burglary, seven of theft by receiving, one of first-degree theft, two of second-degree theft, interfering with a police officer and escape. Those charges were handed up by the grand jury last week.

At Monday’s appearance, Capella’s attorney, Nathan Garcia, asked that his client be conditionally released because he had two landscaping jobs pending.

Judge Cynthia Beaman looked over the indictment and refused the release, instead raising his bail to $700,000.

Capella appeared in court again on Friday, when Garcia said his discovery is ongoing.

Beaman set his next court date for Aug. 3.

“This is a big bust,” Sheriff John Bishop said following Capella’s arrest. “This will solve a lot, and it’s going back to burglaries eight months ago or more. We know a couple of burglaries eight months ago we found property on.”

Deputies had been investigating several thefts and burglaries in the north county area when they obtained information of a possible location in Brookings of stolen property from the Coos-Curry Electric Co-op in Port Orford, Bishop said.

He said the officers obtained a search warrant and, with assistance from Brookings Police, served the warrant on the Cougar Drive address.

“During the execution of the warrant, Richard D. Capella fled from a second story window and attempted to run away,” Bishop said.

“Deputies commanded Capella to stop and then attempted to tase him as he jumped over the embankment and into the brush,” he said.

Bishop said Capella was the only occupant in the residence and Brookings Police were requested to respond with their K-9 to help apprehend Capella.

“Approximately one hour later Capella was apprehended and arrested,” Bishop said.

He was later taken to the Curry County Jail.

During the search, officers found the laptop computer and a chain saw taken from Coos-Curry. But that’s not all they found.

“Yesterday we took two truckloads out and we’ll take another or two today,” Bishop said following the arrest.

“This will solve burglaries all over the county, Brookings, Gold Beach and Port Orford,” he said.

Some of the property seized immediately matched up to things missing in several burglaries; others it will take a while.

“I know we’ve solved burglaries inside the Brookings city limits, outside the Brookings city limits, inside Gold Beach city limits, outside Gold Beach city limits, and in the Langlois and Port Orford areas,” Bishop said.

Capella is charged with burglaries at both the Port Orford and Brookings offices of the Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative.

Other burglaries he is charged with occurred on Mountain drive, Oceanview Drive in Harbor, Wharf Street in Brookings, Sandy Drive and Old Coast Highway in Gold Beach. They dated back as far as last October.

Items hauled away from the Brookings house included a washer and dryer, lawnmowers, stereo equipment, television sets, pictures, mirrors, power equipment, wheelbarrows and several chain saws, hammer guns, speakers, binoculars, pots and pans, drum, silverware, a soap dish, vacuum cleaner, bedding, linens, and towels, cordless drills and numerous other items.

And Bishop wants those who has been victims of burglary or theft to check with his office if they haven’t recovered their property.