A flurry of reported vehicle prowls in Hoquiam Friday morning has been tied to a 30-year old Olympia man who was arrested on several felony counts by State Patrol officers after a brief pursuit later that day, according to Sergeant Jeff Salstrom with the Hoquiam Police Department.

Multiple vehicle prowls were reported Friday morning in east Hoquiam; they were all in close proximity to each other, all the vehicles were import model passenger cars – mostly Acuras and Hondas, and many of them had been locked but there was no sign of forced entry.

Troopers contacted Hoquiam Police Friday afternoon and advised they had arrested a man who had crashed a car after attempting to flee officers. The man had previously lived in several locations in Grays Harbor County, including Hoquiam. A search of the car revealed “several items consistent with those taken in the Hoquiam vehicle prowls,” according to Salstrom.

The suspect admitted he had stolen a car in Olympia and driven it to Hoquiam, and also admitted to stealing the car he was driving during the pursuit, a 1996 Acura. He was charged with several felony counts.

Hoquiam officer David Blundred “began searching the area of the vehicle prowls and located another 1996 Acura parked behind a residence in the alley of the 2700 block of Simpson Avenue,” said Salstrom. “A check of that vehicle’s registration showed it had been reported stolen to the Olympia Police Department. Officer Blundred began searching through items strewn about the alley and located paperwork with the name of the registered owner of the vehicle troopers had recovered in Olympia. This led him to an address in Hoquiam. He contacted the occupant who did not realize his vehicle had been stolen.”

The investigation is ongoing, but Salstrom said, “It is likely the suspect will face several charges in Hoquiam in addition to the charges he faces in Thurston County.” In a twist, Blundred also arrested the suspect in 2009 when he was found driving a stolen vehicle in the Oakville area. At the time, Blundred was a deputy with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office.