Nine cars stolen in Thurston County over past 24 hours

Thurston County law enforcement agencies are investigating at least nine stolen vehicle reports in a 24-hour period, with four in Olympia, three in Thurston County and two in Lacey, police said.

Seven of the stolen vehicles were Hondas, police said. Thurston County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Brady said that detectives are investigating that the stolen vehicle reports might be related. He said car theft rings typically steal cars, strip them, then sell the parts. "There's no real viable suspect information at this time," Brady added.

Several of the stolen vehicles have been recovered. A stolen Honda Accord was recovered about 4 p.m., Monday at the South Puget Sound Community College's Mottman Road campus, but at the same location, another Honda Accord was reported stolen, a spokeswoman for the college said.

The four cars reported stolen from Olympia all involved cars that were reportedly left unlocked, Olympia police spokeswoman Laura Wohl said. Wohl did not have other details about the four reported car thefts in Olympia since Monday morning.

Brady said that the cars reported stolen from Thurston County include the following: A 2006 Honda Accord that was reported stolen Tuesday morning from Nisqually Park Loop; a Nissan that was reported stolen early Monday morning from Beach Way; and a Honda Accord that was reported stolen from the Grand Mound Park and Ride early Monday morning. The stolen Honda on Beach Way contained a firearm, Brady added.

Lacey Police Lt. Phil Comstock said a Honda was reported stolen Tuesday morning from the Costco parking lot on Marvin Road. The vehicle was recovered several hours later at the Walmart parking lot on Galaxy Drive. A second Honda also was reported stolen from Lacey Tuesday on Marvin Road, near the satellite campus of South Puget Sound Community College on Marvin Road, he said.

Police remind motorists to lock their cars, and not to leave valuables or other important items in their unattended cars.

Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5445 jpawloski@theolympian.com