Police arrest Federal Way man suspected of stealing 18 vehicles across multiple counties
The Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force announced Wednesday that a Federal Way man could be facing multiple felonies for allegedly stealing over a dozen vehicles.
Eighteen vehicles, trailers, and “pieces of heavy equipment” were recovered across properties in numerous cities, including Parkland, Kent, Federal Way, and Bellevue. Authorities believe he stole the vehicles in Eastern Washington before moving them to the western side of the state.
Police spotted the suspect -- a 45-year-old man from Federal Way -- behind the wheel of a stolen 2015 Ford Transit van. He had reportedly changed the VIN to match a separate wrecked Transit van he bought at an auction, and then registered it in Washington in order to use its plates on the stolen van.
He was said to have been living in a travel traveler which had also been reported stolen from the Richland area. The trailer’s original decals and VIN had been removed and replaced with a VIN placard from a Forest River travel trailer and Forest River decals.
In total, police recovered:
2021 Grand Design travel trailer
2020 Shadow Cruiser travel trailer
2017 Coachmen Freedom Express travel trailer
2021 CAT 303.5 mini excavator
2006 Trail King trailer
2017 John Deere 318E skid steer
2017 U-Haul trailer
2020 Kubota KX040 mini excavator
2006 PJ trailer
2021 Mirage cargo trailer
2015 Ford Transit van
2003 Cargo trailer
2018 Ford Transit van
2017 Kubota SVL95 skid steer
2016 Big Tex dump trailer
2018 Load Trail trailer
2021 Summit trailer
2012 Mercedes Sprinter van
