Juvenile driver arrested after vehicle theft

LEAVENWORTH — Chelan County Sheriff’s Deputies had their work cut out for them first thing Monday morning, when a report of a stolen vehicle came in around 5:15 a.m. The Sheriff’s Office received information about a vehicle stolen from the Monroe, WA area being in the vicinity of Leavenworth.

Upon responding, Deputies spotted the vehicle as it was heading out of Leavenworth on Highway 2 westbound. According to the CCSO press release, there were two occupants of the vehicle when it was located.

The Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, but it fled the scene. Rather than engage in a high-speed pursuit in a dangerous area, the Deputies instead observed that the car had turned onto Gill Creek Road, which the suspects obviously did not know was a dead end road.

More Deputies arrived at the scene from the other side, and under the direction of a supervisor, they set up a containment area and launched a drone. The suspects exited the vehicle on foot, but were detected by the drone, the footage of which allowed the officers to call out to the suspects and let them know they also were on foot and closing in.

The two suspects, both identified as juveniles from out of the area, were apprehended on foot without further incident.

The passenger of the vehicle told law enforcement that they did not know the vehicle was stolen and they were transported to the Crisis Residential Center awaiting pickup by their parents. The driver was arrested and charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, attempt to elude and possession of stolen property in the third degree.

The vehicle will be returned to its owner.

It was a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office that they were able to use tools and strategy to safely bring the incident to a close peacefully and without endangering anyone nearby.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media