Vancouver burglary suspect appears in court

A homeless man appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of a residential burglary in Vancouver’s Lincoln neighborhood.

David Popplewell, 31, faces a charge of residential burglary at a Jan. 2 arraignment.

Judge Robert Lewis held him on $40,000 bail and appointed Vancouver attorney Heather Carroll to defend him.

Vancouver police believe Popplewell may be responsible for a string of early-morning burglaries that have occurred during the last month on the west side of the city.

Vancouver police officers responded to a burglary in progress at 4:43 a.m. Wednesday in the 3400 block of Columbia Street, police said. An officer followed the suspect as he fled and attempted to hide in neighbors’ yards, according to court records. Police then enlisted the help of a police dog in the pursuit. The K9 helped apprehend Popplewell by biting his left leg, court records show.

A corrections officer had to wheel Popplewell into the courtroom Thursday in a wheelchair.

Police said they found Popplewell with a laptop stolen from the house on Columbia.

In court records, Popplewell reported that he’s been homeless for 10 years. When asked for a reference to verify his residency, he wrote, “I have no one to verify.”