Judge: Pair of AWOL soldiers remain held in jail for thefts

Two Fort Lewis soldiers who are absent without leave are suspected of identity theft and stealing a flat-screen television from a Thurston County residence, court papers state.

Jacob Dellinger, 22, and Joshua Mains, 18, are not welcome to return to Fort Lewis and their superiors consider them flight risks, court papers state.

Dellinger was being held Wednesday night at Thurston County Jail with bail set at $5,000.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Hirsch found probable cause to order Dellinger held on suspicion of two counts of identity theft.

Mains was being held at the jail Wednesday night with bail set at $7,500.

Hirsch found probable cause to order Mains held on suspicion of one count each of first-degree theft, identity theft and trafficking in stolen property.

According to court papers:

A Thurston County homeowner reported to a Thurston County sheriff's deputy April 11 that Dellinger and Mains stole his 42-inch television and other items from his home.

The next day, a Washington State Employees Credit Union employee called the homeowner to report that Mains had fraudulently tried to pass several of his checks.

On April 29, a Yelm resident reported that someone had stolen his mail, and later, a $750 check he did not write was cleared from his account. The Yelm resident later found out the stolen check had been made out to Dellinger.

Another mail theft was reported in the area April 29, and Dellinger later was identified on bank surveillance video trying to cash a $310 stolen check.

Dellinger and Mains do not have criminal histories.

Jeremy Pawloski covers public safety for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5465 or jpawloski@theolympian.com.