PORT ANGELES — A man suspected of stealing from a local hardware store was arrested last week, leading deputies to recover drugs, a loaded gun, and stolen items.
The case began when Hartnagel Building Supply on East Highway 101 reported a theft and posted surveillance video online. Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputy Eagan recognized the suspect in the footage as Jaired Nove and confirmed the theft had taken place on July 3. About $707 worth of Milwaukee batteries and a charger had been taken.
On July 10, around 4 p.m., deputies saw Nove driving a blue 2003 Ford Crown Victoria in Port Angeles and pulled him over near East 2nd Street. He initially denied stealing the items but later admitted to taking one of the batteries and hiding it under his shirt.
During the arrest, deputies found two green capsules with a crystal-like substance that Nove said was methamphetamine. He also had a wallet with a driver’s license and several cards belonging to someone else, who confirmed they’d been stolen.
A search warrant for Nove’s vehicle turned up a loaded 9mm handgun, a high-capacity magazine with 29 rounds, four syringes filled with suspected meth, a red container with pills, more Milwaukee tools, and clothing matching what the suspect wore in the surveillance video.
Nove has a previous felony conviction from 2022, which bars him from having firearms. Deputies obtained an additional warrant to seize the gun and ammunition. The suspected meth tested positive using a field test.
Nove was booked into the Clallam County Jail for unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property, possession of meth, and third-degree theft. His bail was set at $25,000.