When a Port Angeles resident noticed a suspicious booking name on the Clallam County Jail Roster, their quick action uncovered a man with a long criminal history. His arrival raises uncomfortable questions about why repeat offenders are finding Clallam County so attractive—and why ordinary citizens are now doing the accountability work their government won’t.
A name that didn’t add up
Yesterday, a new person appeared on the Clallam County Jail Roster: “Livarria Garcia,” a 40-year-old man booked for possession of a controlled substance.
To most, it looked routine. To one resident who monitors the roster because of how quickly offenders are released, it didn’t.
She emailed county and city leaders:
“I can’t help but wonder if the booking today listed as Livarria Garcia is actually Hector M. Olivarria-Garcia, who has many arrest records in the region… Removing one letter would be an easy way to change one’s ID.”
Within hours, the jail updated the roster. The resident was right. And the alias was added.
But that discovery only opened the door to a larger story.
A trail of crime
Olivarria-Garcia didn’t arrive in Clallam County as a blank slate. He has an extensive record documented in the Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater Police Blotter.
Here is his recent criminal history in chronological order:
January 31, 2024 – Yelm Avenue E
At 3:42 PM, police arrested Hector Manuel Olivarria Garcia, 39, on suspicion of 3rd degree theft – shoplifting.
February 20, 2024 – Yelm Highway SE
At 2:09 PM, police arrested Hector M. Olivarria Garcia, 39, on suspicion of a misdemeanor warrant.
April 5, 2024 – SR 507
At 1:23 PM, police arrested him on suspicion of 3rd degree theft – shoplifting.
April 19, 2024 – McKenzie Avenue SE
At 2:40 AM, police arrested him on suspicion of a misdemeanor warrant.
May 23, 2024 – Capitol Boulevard S
At 6:46 PM, police arrested him on suspicion of 3rd degree theft – all other theft.
July 27, 2024 – Legion Way SW
At 10:03 AM, police arrested him on suspicion of:
Misdemeanor warrant,
3rd degree malicious mischief, and
Disorderly conduct.
February 16, 2025 – Sleater Kinney Road SE
At 11:35 PM, police arrested Olivarria Garcia, now 40, on suspicion of theft – shoplifting.
This is one year of crime, concentrated in the Olympia–Tumwater area: theft, warrants, malicious mischief, disorderly conduct. A pattern, not an accident.
So why did someone with this track record decide to drift into Clallam County?
Why here? Why now?
Repeat offenders go where conditions are favorable.
And right now, Clallam County is unintentionally rolling out the welcome mat.
Our County Commissioners continue to fund expansive “harm reduction” programs—programs that claim to reduce drug harm but in practice normalize and enable ongoing drug use by distributing publicly funded paraphernalia without accountability.
Where you create an ecosystem that supports drug use, users will come.
Where users come, suppliers follow.
And where both gather, repeat offenders thrive.
It’s naïve to pretend otherwise.
Law enforcement is not the problem
This isn’t a criticism of our deputies and officers. They are doing the best they can under impossible circumstances:
2021 social-justice reform laws stripped officers of many tools needed to intervene early.
Washington ranks dead last in officers per capita.
Morale is low because the profession no longer receives the respect it once did.
And while police try to tread water, some of our own leaders send a very different message.
Commissioner Mark Ozias invited known police-abolitionist and climate advocate Brel Frobe to present twice to county officials.
Commissioner Mike French publicly stated:
“Property destruction is not only fine, it’s usually the only way we’ve ever seen actual change happen…”
When people in power undermine law enforcement and normalize criminal behavior, offenders notice. They gravitate toward places where the system is easy to manipulate.
And make no mistake: the officers who have to work under that kind of leadership notice it too. Low morale, inconsistent support, and political second-guessing create an environment where even the people tasked with enforcing the law feel undercut.
The result? A county where crime is low-risk
Consider the signals Clallam County is sending:
Our jail is understaffed and operates as a revolving door.
Violent or predatory individuals receive generous plea deals—Dr. Josiah Hill sexually assaulted several patients and served just 179 days.
Climate activists like Tim Wheeler and Lisa Dekker film themselves vandalizing public property—and are celebrated for it.
To a repeat offender, this isn’t a county. It’s an opportunity.
So who’s the backstop when institutions fail?
You are.
This entire situation was set in motion because one citizen—arming herself with information, not ideology—noticed something odd in the jail log.
She didn’t shrug.
She didn’t assume someone else would handle it.
She sent an email.
That email may have prevented:
a child’s stolen bike sold for drug money,
an underage transient exploited for drugs,
or a deadly overdose.
And it highlights a truth many don’t want to admit:
Ordinary residents are now doing the oversight work that local government refuses to do.
Watchdoggers are changing Clallam County
Look at Watchdoggers engaging in the “comments” section:
People are sharing information on how to contact state and federal leaders and are showing up to speak at meetings.
Residents are signing petitions and pushing back on policies.
Neighbors are waking up—quickly.
The power of one alert citizen stopped a repeat offender from slipping through the cracks under a fake name. Imagine what a hundred could do.
Stay Engaged. Keep Watchdogging. Clallam County Needs You.
We are becoming a community that refuses to be asleep at the wheel. We’re connecting, questioning, and pushing back at exactly the right moment.
Keep going.
Because as this case shows, even a single email can help protect an entire community—and Clallam County is waking up just in time to save itself.
