Kent Police this week are thanking the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force (PSATTF) and the King County Sheriff’s Office for partnering with them on tackling auto theft in our City.
PSATTF recently led a multi-agency operation to recover stolen vehicles and arrest vehicle theft suspects in the Kent area. In total, five vehicles were recovered and three arrests were made. One vehicle fled from officers during the emphasis.
“We are happy to be a part of this task force and are looking forward to more recoveries and arrests in the future,” Kent police said.
The following vehicles were recovered during the operation:
- Dodge Durango (occupied): Stolen from the Seattle area. Located in the 25600 block of 104th Ave SE. The vehicle initially fled from officers. The driver was arrested and booked into jail for unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and eluding. He also had a DUI warrant out of Pierce County.
- BMW X4 (unoccupied): Stolen from the Tukwila area. Located in the 23600 block of 105th Pl SE.
- Kia Optima (occupied): Stolen from the Seattle area. Located in a motel parking lot in the 22300 block of 84th Ave S. A female suspect was arrested and booked into jail for unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle.
- Kia Optima (unoccupied): Stolen from the Kent area. Located at an apartment complex in the 11300 block of SE Kent-Kangley Rd.
- Nissan Rogue (occupied): Stolen from the Seattle area. Located near SR-167 and Central Ave. The driver was arrested and booked into jail for unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and unlawful possession of a firearm (he’s a convicted felon).
Kent Police Department participated in the operation, and air support was provided by the King County Sheriff’s Office’s Guardian 1 helicopter.
“Auto thefts are a regional issue,” said Sgt. Jeff Carroll of the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force. “We have detectives from multiple agencies within King and Pierce Counties working together to aggressively investigate prolific thieves and get people their stolen vehicles back.”
Tips to Protect Your Vehicle:
- Remove or hide all valuables
- Lock your car
- Don’t leave keys or fobs inside
- Don’t leave your vehicle running unattended
- Use anti-theft devices (alarm, kill switch, steering wheel lock
- Park in well-lit areas
The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force (PSATT) is dedicated to investigating prolific auto theft offenders through multi-agency cooperation in King & Pierce Counties. The PSATT is funded through a grant from the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA).
