String of yard thefts foiled

      A tip to police has led to the arrest of three suspects who were found in the possession of dozens of lawn ornaments taken from the yards of Washingtonians over the last month.

      The lawn ornaments, including about a dozen gazing globes, several gnomes, different varieties of yard stakes and one concrete gorilla, just to name a few, will be returned to their owners by police. The three suspects, meanwhile, face felony theft charges.

      Washington Police Capt. Greg Goodman said Officer Chad Ellis developed information this week from an informant who said they'd been witness to a vehicle driving away late at night from the scene of one of the lawn ornament thefts. The same informant later pointed out the vehicle to Ellis while in Washington.

      Ellis took the opportunity to speak with the owner of the vehicle and after doing so Stephen Charles Pacha, 17, of Washington, admitted to taking the lawn ornaments, and told Ellis that the lawn ornaments were safe in a Washington apartment.

      Ellis, Officer Chad Huschka, and Goodman searched that apartment-No. 3 at 220 North Second Avenue-at about 3:30 a.m. this morning, and confiscated the lawn ornaments, valued between $1000 and $10,000.

      Along with Pacha, Benjamin Philip Asbury, 18, of Washington, and Robert Ray Nace, 18, of Washington-who are residents of the apartment searched-were arrested and charged with second-degree theft/possession of stolen property, a Class D felony.

      Pacha will be transported to juvenile detention later today.