Taxi driver paid with beating

A Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a taxi driver with a rider who was refusing to pay a fare at the Camp Union Store on NW Holly Road at about 2 a.m. Nov. 28. While en route, the taxi driver called back and reported he had been struck and the suspect had fled on foot.

The driver said he picked up the suspect at Our Place Tavern on Silverdale Way and the passenger requested a ride to the Camp Union Store. When they arrived at the store, the suspect gave the taxi driver $14. The driver said he agreed to transport the suspect back to Silverdale to an ATM, but on the way, the suspect started hitting him from behind. The suspect allegedly hit the driver three times in the face before the car stopped and he ran into a wooded area.

Other deputies arrived and while checking the area, found a man in a swampy wooded area, approximately 50 yards from the roadway. He matched the description given by the driver. The man said he did not hit the driver and said he paid for the fare completely. The officer noted the subject smelled of intoxicants and had dilated pupils. He was booked into jail for third-degree assault and third-degree theft.

Heidi’s Teriyaki loses $100 for Thanksgiving

The owner of Heidi’s Teriyaki on Bucklin Hill Road called police Thanksgiving morning to report a burglary. He said he arrived at the business at about 4:30 a.m. to begin work on renovations to the restaurant. When he came in the front door of the business, he said he heard the back door shut. When he walked back to check the door, he discovered the throw of the door handle had been pried inward, allowing the door to be opened. He said he observed a white male, 25 years old, 5 feet, 9 inches tall with a medium build and wearing a gray hoodie in the area of the business. $100 was taken from the register which was open overnight, but his laptop computer was not taken and was left on the counter near the register.

Vehicle stolen, found in Seabeck

A blue Volvo that was stolen from a Seabeck home just before Thanksgiving, was found two days later.

The suspects apparently forced open the garage door and broke into the pedestrian door leading into the home, located on Cadmar Lane NW, where they found the keys. Other items reportedly stolen from the home included three firearms and jewelry.

The vehicle was later found on Priddy Vista Road, where it had been parked for two days. The key was in the ignition when the vehicle was found. Neither the guns nor the other stolen objects were in the car.