Suspects who were alleged to have been involved in the theft of a catalytic converter in the 800 block of Yelm Avenue West on Jan. 12 were located by law enforcement.
The Yelm Police Department responded to the call and was alerted that three suspects fled on foot toward Tahoma Boulevard, stated a news release from the City of Yelm.
A Yelm officer arrived on the scene first and was able to track the suspects on foot while relaying their position to incoming units, who started searching the area. One suspect was taken into custody in the area of Tornado Alley and Tahoma Boulevard, according to the release.
At the same time, the police department along with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office began to receive reports from citizens along Yelm Avenue West who observed suspicious individuals who reportedly matched the description of the suspects who were being pursued.
Following the reports, officers and deputies located a suspect in a tree, who was then taken into custody. A third suspect, who was lying in the brush along Tornado Alley, was located using Washington State Patrol aircraft.
“This was a combined effort between Yelm Police Department, TCSO, state patrol, and local residents who were crucial to this successful conclusion,” stated the city in the release. “If you see something, say something.”
During the incident, Yelm High School was placed on lockdown.
