DAYTON - Three men were arrested here last week and charged with posses- sion of stolen property and various drug offenses. All three are suspects in a rash of burglaries from vehicles that have been reported in Day- ton in the past three months.

On September 27, Ryan P. Timmons, 26, was ar- rested at a home on E. Commercial Street and booked into Columbia County Jail on charges of possession of methamphetamine, vehicle prowl and possession of sto- len property.

On September 30, Ken- neth Tolliver, 25, and Carlos Arroyo, 33, were arrested at a home on S. 5th Street after a search warrant was served and the home was searched. Tolliver was charged with possession of stolen proper- ty, trafficking in stolen prop- erty and possession of drug paraphernalia. Arroyo was charged with possession of stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.

All three men are being held in the Columbia County jail pending arraignment in Superior Court, which is scheduled for December 5. Timmons and Toll- iver are being held subject to $25,000 bond each. Ar- royo is being held subject to $10,000 bond.

According to a probable cause document filed by Chief Deputy Joe Helm, on the evening of Septem- ber 27, the managers of Ski Bluewood reported that an iPhone with a red case was stolen from their vehicle while it was parked behind the Bluewood office in the 200 block of E. Main St. The victims told Helm that the phone had a GPS/iCloud tracking feature that allowed them to see the location of the phone on a map on their laptop computer. The Google Earth map showed that the phone was at a property that Helm recognized as 119 E. Commercial St.

Helm, along with Deputy Ken Foxe, immediately went to the Commercial Street home and knocked on the front door, according to the report. Timmons answered the door, and the deputies explained the reason for their visit. Helm then asked Tim- mons if he had the phone in question. Timmons admitted that he did, took the phone out of his coat pocket and handed it to Helm.

Timmons was then placed under arrest, handcuffed and searched. The deputies found a clear glass pipe in another pocket which contained a "white powdery substance."

After agreeing to be interviewed at the Columbia County Jail, Timmons told Helm he had entered several cars over the previous three days, including four that evening. He said he took a number of items, including the hat he was wearing, as well as a substantial amount of cash from a vehicle in Walla Walla.

Helm later performed a preliminary test on the glass pipe, which indicated the substance it contained was likely methamphetamine. The iPhone was returned to its owners after being photo- graphed.

In separate probable cause documents, deputy Matt Wiens said that he had re- sponded to a burglary on November 3 at the First Christian Church on S. 3rd St. Several electronic items were reported stolen, including a BenQ projector. On November 25, the Sheriff's Office received a report that a similar projector was pawned at H&H Sports and Loan in Walla Walla.

H&H provided deputies with a copy of a receipt from Tolliver for a BenQ projector, along with a video taken by the store's camera when the projector was pawned. The video showed two men enter- ing and leaving the store, one of whom deputies recognized as Tolliver.

On November 30, a search warrant was served on Toll- iver's residence on S. 5th St. Four deputies searched the home and found numerous items that had been reported stolen - some from the church and some from vehicles - in the room Tolliver stayed in. They also found several drug paraphernalia items.

While at the home, the deputies also searched a room occupied by Arroyo. There, more items reported to have been stolen were found, along with more drug paraphernalia. A number of other items were found in a duffle bag in the back yard of the home.

The three arrests come on the heels of a string of reported car prowls. Sheriff's Office spokesperson Dian Ver Valen said that at least 45 burglaries from cars have been reported in Dayton since September 1, including 25 in November. In every case, the vehicle was left unlocked.

In a press release, Sheriff Rocky Miller said he "con- tinues to urge citizens to take basic precautions against car prowls. Lock your vehicle anytime you are going to leave it unattended, no mat- ter how long. Store valuables out of sight if you must leave them in the vehicle. Park in lighted areas. And call 911 immediately to report any suspicious activity."