A Longview man is accused of breaking into a home, with a family member of the owners, and stealing a safe containing about $72,000 in cash and other items.
William A. Courser Jr. appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree theft and residential burglary. Judge Daniel Stahnke set Courser’s bail at $50,000. He will be arraigned Feb. 12.
Courser burglarized a Battle Ground home on Dec. 26. The family was vacationing, and Courser, along with the owners’ daughter, Mariah Coburn, forced their way inside through a rear sliding door, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Courser and Coburn reportedly suffer from substance addiction and are transient, court records say. Coburn faces similar allegations in a separate case. Her bail was set at $50,000 during a first appearance hearing on Jan. 6.
Authorities believe the couple broke into the home partly based on a text Coburn sent to her estranged sister, asking when the family would return from vacation. The stolen items were also hidden and only would have been found with prior knowledge, according to the affidavit.
In addition to the cash, an electric scooter, a new pair of boots, a handheld video game system and jewelry were taken from the home, according to the affidavit.
Police caught up with Courser and Coburn at a Kelso motel. Courser exited a motel room with a bag containing about $66,000 in cash, which he handed over to Coburn before running away, the affidavit says.
Coburn told police: “It was all William’s idea,” before requesting an attorney, the affidavit says.
Officers retrieved stolen property from the motel room and the couple’s car. In an interview, Coburn allegedly admitted to breaking into her parent’s residence. She said Courser ransacked the home to make it appear like a random crime. She said they were planning to travel to Arizona with the stolen money, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit indicates that as of Jan. 12, Courser had been in the custody of the Cowlitz County Jail on drug possession charges.
