Gig Harbor contractor’s work truck stolen from job site, police say
On Friday, June 12, a Gig Harbor contractor’s truck was stolen at a job site near the Gig Harbor waterfront, triggering a police chase that ended with two vehicles damaged, work equipment destroyed and a family left to pick up the pieces.
Brent Noorlander was cleaning windows at a condominium when he noticed a blue diesel truck enter the small residential parking lot. He didn’t think much of it as he unloaded a ladder and other work gear, briefly stepping away until he heard the engine of his own Ford F-350 Turbo Diesel, Crystal Noorlander, Brent’s wife, told The News Tribune via phone call.
Crystal Noorlander said when he walked toward the familiar sound, he saw another person in the driver’s seat. The contractor watched as both trucks swiftly pulled out of the lot. He ran after them as he called 911.
The News Tribune asked the Gig Harbor Police department whether the blue diesel truck was also stolen and when law enforcement initially was dispatched.
Gig Harbor Police Chief Tray Federici said public information is currently limited as the case remains under active investigation.
Crystal Noorlander said her husband’s truck contained tools, equipment and personal property, including their house keys, causing significant concern for her husband’s job and family.
“He lives out of that truck,” Crystal Noorlander said. “His lunch was right there on the seat, his wallet and his keys were in the truck at that point because he was still getting his gear out. I mean, in his console were cards from our kids.”
Crystal Noorlander said police came on site immediately, pursuing the vehicles from Harborview Drive up to Peacock Hill. Witnesses said they also saw two trucks driving at high speeds over the Borgen Boulevard roundabout and down 144th Street, per posts on a private neighborhood Facebook group.
According to Crystal Noorlander, both trucks were recovered Saturday morning in a heavily wooded area north of Long Lake and Manchester State Park near Port Orchard. She said they found her husband’s truck in an embankment and crashed into a tree. While the truck remains drivable, much of the equipment was damaged and some items remain missing.
Local law enforcement employed K-9’s and drones in search of the suspects but have yet to find the people responsible, Crystal Noorlander said.
Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One Division Chief Patrick Phillips confirmed there are no injuries resulting from this incident.
Since the event, the Noorlander family has set up a GoFundMe page, raising funds to help replace some of the stolen tools and manage some of their financial loss. Crystal Noorlander said her family is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of community support her family received throughout this time.
“We had good friends line up with their trucks, saying, ‘I’ll drive my truck over right now,’ ‘We can share a car,’ ‘You can use my truck— whatever you need, we’re here to help you,’” she said. “It’s just, there are far worse things that could happen to people. This was just stuff.”
Crystal Noorlander , said she hopes the suspects are caught and held accountable. She urges others as the days get nicer to remain vigilant, lock their doors and avoid leaving items that include personal information out.
