Tuesday court hearing set in Port Angeles burglary cases; prosecutor is considering plea offer

Sean V. Della

Sean V. Della

PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man who allegedly burglarized three area businesses over the winter may soon have a plea offer to consider.

Sean Vince Della, 27, has a Tuesday court hearing in advance of two upcoming trials in a pair of cases.

Clallam County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jesse Espinoza said Friday he is considering a plea offer but had yet to file one.

Della pleaded not guilty Feb. 27 to three counts of second-degree burglary and single counts of first-, second- and third-degree theft; second-degree possession of stolen property; and third-degree malicious mischief for a string of burglaries in Port Angeles.

After a lengthy investigation, Port Angeles police tied Della to burglaries that occurred Dec. 9 at Athlete’s Choice, 215 W. First St.; Jan. 31 at Sabai Thai restaurant, 903 W. Eighth St.; and Feb. 1 at Spotlight Tanning & Apparel, 715 E. First St.

Della was also charged last November with second-degree attempted burglary of the White Cup Espresso in Sequim, possession of heroin and making false or misleading statements to a public servant.

If convicted on all counts, Della faces a likely sentencing range of 33 months to 43 months, serving the sentences concurrently, Espinoza said.

Prison sentence

“He is definitely looking at prison for these [charges],” Espinoza said in a telephone interview.

In a Friday court hearing, defense attorney Ralph Anderson told Superior Court Judge George L. Wood he was waiting for discovery and hoped for a global resolution.

A global resolution simply means a plea offer would resolve both cases as one, Espinoza said.

“I haven’t made such an offer yet,” Espinoza added.

The Friday status hearing was reset for 1 p.m. Tuesday in both cases because Della’s second attorney was unavailable, according to the minutes of the status hearing.

Della is scheduled to go to trial March 16 for the alleged burglaries in Port Angeles.

A second trial for the alleged attempted burglary of the Sequim coffee stand is scheduled for March 23.

Although he intends to make a plea offer, Espinoza said he is preparing as though the cases will go to trial.

Della was arrested Feb. 1 after the owner of Spotlight Tanning & Apparel and four others tracked him to a Lauridsen Boulevard apartment.

He was charged Feb. 4 with second-degree possession of stolen property.

Additional charges were added after Port Angeles police collected evidence, reviewed surveillance videos and interviewed witnesses.

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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

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