Halloween was a nightmare for the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office as a man being sought in a murder investigation escaped capture multiple times.
The first time, the suspect was lost after a short pursuit. The second was in Port Orchard, lost after being in a crash, but escaping in another car. The third time the vehicle was stopped, but a passenger jumped behind the wheel and sped off. Finally, that vehicle was found in Gig Harbor, but a K-9 unit couldn’t find anyone.
The sheriff’s office received a tip that Caleb Sloan, who is wanted in connection with the Oct. 3 murder of Brandon L. Egeler in the 3100 block of Lincoln Road NE near Poulsbo, was seen using a certain vehicle. On Halloween, a deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description and attempted to stop it but was unsuccessful, a KCSO news release states. The vehicle was lost after a short pursuit.
Later that day, a vehicle matching the suspect description was involved in a crash at the intersection of Bethel Road and Cedar Road in Port Orchard. A person believed to be Sloan was seen leaving the scene in a yellow car with black racing stripes.
That car was later spotted by a deputy near the post office on Bethel-Burley Road and was stopped. The driver was cooperative, however, a passenger jumped behind the wheel and sped away. The deputy was then unable to locate the vehicle, per the release.
Soon after, a KCSO detective on his way home spotted the yellow car at the Sun Outdoors RV Resort at 9515 Burnham Drive in Gig Harbor. A K-9 unit searched for the car’s occupants but was unable to locate anyone.
The second suspect in the killing, Askel Strom, was arrested in Pacific County Oct. 27 and is in the Kitsap Jail in Port Orchard.
Felony arrest warrants for second-degree murder and first-degree burglary were issued for both men in early October.
KCSO is aware that Sloan is getting help from people in the Kitsap/Pierce County area to evade law enforcement, including transportation and money. Those people known to have assisted Sloan, and anyone else who is found to have helped him, will be under investigation for their actions and may face criminal charges, officials have said.
