Convicted felon charged with break-ins at Richland restaurant, apartment office

A man who recently served a prison stint for crashing into a bicyclist in Columbia Park is back behind bars on allegations he burglarized an apartment complex office and a restaurant.

Troy Hamilton Trusley, 37, faces a Sept. 14 trial in Benton County Superior Court on two counts of second-degree burglary. He pleaded innocent to the charges Thursday.

Someone entered Vintage at Richland’s locked lobby early July 12 and forced a door open to one of the main offices of the 1950 Bellerive Drive complex, according to court documents.

The burglar stole a computer tower, monitor, digital camera, set of keys, scissors and some thumb drives.

The suspect then went to the nearby Bonefish Grill, broke a front window to get into the 133 Gage Blvd. restaurant sometime after 5:18 a.m. and tried to break into the main office. Blood reportedly was found on the office door.

Trusley used to work at the restaurant but was fired several months ago. Former coworkers viewed surveillance video from inside Bonefish Grill and identified Trusley as the intruder, who was wearing a clown-style wig that was left behind at the scene, documents said.

Trusley fled when he was surprised by cleaning staff about 6 a.m., court documents said. He apparently left keys and scissors that had been taken from the prior burglary, but did grab a large filleting knife that belonged to the restaurant.

Prosecutors allege Trusley later tried to sell the apartment complex’s computer to the owner of an automotive shop.

When arrested July 17, Trusley had a camera in his possession that was identified as an item taken from Vintage at Richland, court documents said. A picture on the camera showed Trusley wearing the clown wig that was recovered at Bonefish Grill.

Bail was set at $75,000 in the burglary case. However, jail records show Trusley also has a no-bail hold by the Department of Corrections, possibly for violating his probation on the 2009 case.

Trusley was under the influence of methamphetamine in May 2009 when he hit Cindy Easterday Goulet with his Pontiac. Police said Trusley was driving 32 to 37 mph in the 25 mph zone.

Goulet was participating in the 25-mile Inland Empire Bike Ride on Columbia Park Trail in Kennewick. She was in a group of four bicyclists riding in a line, and was the second-to-last bicyclist in the group.

The West Richland woman was near Edison Street when Trusley struck her from behind, causing her to hit his windshield and be thrown over the car. She suffered two broken ribs and other injuries.

A judge convicted Trusley of vehicular assault and sentenced him in April 2010 to five years and three months in prison. Trusley apologized for what happened, but maintained that “it was an accident.”

His criminal history dating to 1995 also includes convictions for identity theft, residential burglary and burglary, tampering with a witness, taking a vehicle without permission, theft and hit-and-run.

This story was originally published July 25, 2015 at 10:44 PM with the headline "Convicted felon charged with break-ins at Richland restaurant, apartment office."