Alleged copper thieves busted for burglary following theft and damages at state building

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with a burglary last week at a former regional headquarters of the Washington Department of Transportation (DOT) that left approximately $146,000 worth of damages and stolen items.

Lori Jane Mathat, 46, of Tumwater, and Justin Anthony Paul, 39, of Puyallup, were arrested on July 6 after police responded to a burglary complaint at the former DOT headquarters on Capitol Boulevard in Tumwater.

A SWAT sergeant for the Washington State Patrol told Tumwater police that multiple doors to the main office on Building 1 had been propped open. The State Patrol is leasing the property from the DOT.

The maintenance manager for the facility, a DOT employee, told police that he walked through the building and found several broken door frames, broken locks, damaged drywall, and 22 HVAC units picked apart with the copper taken off.

The manager estimated the total worth of the theft and damages to be around $146,000.

A day before this incident, a State Patrol sergeant also reported a burglary at Buildings 5 and 9 well as at the Washington State Fish and Wildlife building at the same complex, according to the police report.

Surveillance footage from the prior burglary helped police identify the suspects, who were living at the Tumwater Inn and Suites across the street from the DOT headquarters.

At the hotel, authorities found a pickup truck registered under Paul’s name. In it was a large blue toolbox that is believed to be the same one stolen from the Fish and Wildlife building.

Police knocked on one of the units and Mathat came to the door. She was immediately arrested without incident, followed by Paul shortly after.

Mathat admitted to stealing lawn chairs and a cooler from one of the DOT buildings. Police said she and Paul were caught on video exiting Building 5 with three lawn chairs, which were found inside their unit. The cooler was in Mathat’s vehicle.

The sergeant said the lawn chairs and cooler were “definitely” the State Patrol’s.

The suspects were booked into the Thurston County Jail for commercial burglary, theft, and vandalism. Police also applied for a search warrant for Paul’s vehicle.