By Eric Trent
What started as a stolen vehicle report, quickly turned into a police chase, followed by a foot pursuit and game of hide and seek on the Peninsula College campus, for one suspect, and ended in the capture of two.
It began with the Jan. 15 report of a stolen 1993 white Honda Civic at 8:35 a.m. on the west-end, that soon after was spotted at the corner of E Front Street and Penn Street, that led to a police chase, with two persons finally ditching the vehicle north of Wabash Street and taking off on foot.
A Sequim K-9 unit responded to the area and tracked the two suspects into the woods above Peninsula College where at 9:32 a.m. the female suspect, Stephanie Lynn Case, was located and taken into custody, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office. Case was charged with theft of motor vehicle, and eluding a police vehicle.
A short while later, a male, wearing dark clothes, was spotted by Peninsula College security officer, Alec Risk, walking out of the woods onto campus. PC security gave chase and lost sight of the male near the “C” building on campus, according to Peninsula College Operations Manager, Marty Martinez.
Later a suspicious male, matching the description of the male suspect, was seen walking northbound on S Ennis Street and was contacted by Deputy Chief Brian S. Smith. He was identified as Robert Lee Coberly. Coberly gave a verbal statement and was arrested on probable cause for possession of stolen vehicle.
A black coat believed to have belonged to Coberly, was found by Martinez on the second story bathroom in the “C” building, where a number of Professors offices are located. Port Angeles Police Department came and gathered clothing and potential evidence, said Martinez.