Two Burglars Caught At Milton Middle School Construction Site

MILTON, WA — Two men were arrested Sunday morning in Milton for allegedly breaking into the Surprise Lake Middle School construction site, attempting to steal tools. One of the men was also charged for possessing methamphetamine.

Matthew Ray Crouch and Justin Dale Glenn were arraigned Monday in Pierce County court for second-degree burglary. Crouch was also charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Both men have a pre-trial conference set for Aug. 8.

According to arrest documents obtained by Patch, Crouch and Glenn were caught on camera walking through the middle school construction site at 2001 Milton Way on July 21. An alarm was raised and police were dispatched to the area.

When police arrived at the site, they were told the men were last seen hiking up a nearby hill.

Police first found and detained Crouch; they also seized a toolbox and backpack located near him. Crouch reportedly told police they'd entered the area through a gate and escaped by climbing over the construction site fencing. He also said he and Glenn were there to steal tools, adding that Glenn was familiar with construction sites and knew where the tools were kept, court documents state.

Crouch reportedly said he and Glenn stole the tools and put them in their backpacks before leaving. During a search of Crouch's pockets, police found lock-picking tools and a small amount of meth, court documents state.

Officers also found a variety of documents that included social security cards and birth certificates not belonging to either Crouch or Glenn. Court records indicate that matter is also under investigation.

Glenn was later found hiding in some bushes and initially refused to obey the officers' commands to come out. After eventually doing so, he told police he didn't know anything about a burglary and said he'd seen two other people in the area a little earlier, court documents state.

When officers asked why he didn't come out of the bushes when they first told him to, Glenn said he'd been sleeping.

After continued questioning, Glenn reportedly admitted to being involved in the burglary, telling police the whole thing was Crouch's idea.

More tools were found and construction personnel confirmed the items were taken from the site.