205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 04/22/2021 - Kittitas County Sheriff’s Deputies have responded to numerous reports of theft of mail in the past two weeks. A request for citizen assistance led to the arrest of one suspect, but there is reason to believe others are still active, and we are asking for help identifying a suspect vehicle.
Initial reports and abandoned stolen mail indicated thefts were concentrated in the upper county including portions of State Routes 97 and 970, Emerick Road, Hidden Valley, Teanaway Rd, White Rd and nearby areas. Through social media, the Sheriff’s Office posted a notice and request for citizen witnesses to identify any related activity, vehicles or persons. Just hours after the request for information, on the evening of Wednesday 4/21, a resident of Game Farm Road near Ellensburg who read about the theft series watched the driver of an unfamiliar pickup stop in front of her house and open her mailbox. She called 911. Sheriffs deputies and Ellensburg Police Officers arrived to find 31-year old Kara Lewis of Ellensburg in the pickup with mail and packages from nine different nearby addresses. She admitted to stealing the items and was booked for Theft of Mail. Other mail thieves, however, are still believed to be active. Around noon on 4/21, a resident of Lambert Road near Cle Elum, reported the theft of outgoing packages from her mailbox. Her home security camera captured video of an unknown car stopping in front of her mailbox long enough to open it and speed away; the attached photo is from that video, which can be viewed on our Facebook page. Anyone who recognizes the car is asked to call Kittcom at 509-925-8534. We ask everyone to look out for your neighbors and community by reporting suspicious activity quickly so we can act on it—911 is always the most direct way to get live information to Law Enforcement.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Chris Whitsettchristopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us509-962-7525