By Kevin Hanson, The Courier-Herald

Stolen shotguns, the remnants of methamphetamine production and an illegal dog were turned up when Enumclaw police staged a 2 a.m. raid on a city home last week.

The April 23 raid eventually involved perhaps 15 officers, as Enumclaw forces were backed up by Buckley police and members of the King County Sheriff's Office and the Washington State Patrol.

According to Det. Heidi Hoffman of the Enumclaw Police Department, the department was told someone at the Porter address was attempting to sell shotguns, making no secret of the fact they had been stolen. Officers quickly made the connection to a theft, just a few days earlier, of four shotguns from a automobile parked at a Berilla Drive address.

A team of law enforcement officers was put together, a search warrant was granted and, within a span of a few hours, officers surrounded the Porter Street house. Upon entering, they found three adults awake in the basement and another asleep upstairs. "None offered any resistance," Hoffman said.

Three of the stolen shotguns were recovered in the home, along with a handgun registered to an Auburn man. Hoffman said police believe they know who has the fourth shotgun, and, as of late last week, were attempting to locate that person. It had not been determined if the handgun was stolen.

Police also turned up white powder that was "believed to be methamphetamine," Hoffman said, along with scales, plastic bags and "glassware consistent with the manufacture" of the illegal drug.

Officers also came upon a pit bull terrier, which "growled quite a bit," but did not attempt to bite. The dogs are illegal in Enumclaw, which will bring an additional charge against the owner.

Concluding the raid, officers arrested three women - ages 22, 23 and 33 - and a 28-year-old man. All four are Enumclaw residents and three have previous felony convictions.

During last week's raid, all four were charged with violating drug laws, possession of stolen property and criminal conspiracy. They were initially taken to the Enumclaw jail, but the man was taken Thursday to the Regional Justice Center in Kent. Because he is perceived as the "main player," Hoffman said, police are hoping to expedite charges against him.

Formal charges against all four will be determined by the King County Prosecutor's Office.