Tumwater police looking for two men linked to truck theft, child kidnapping
Tumwater police are searching for two men accused of stealing a truck containing a 10-month-old boy from a gas station late Tuesday.
At 11:48 p.m. Tuesday, an unknown man allegedly stole a truck parked at a Chevron gas station at 670 Trosper Road Southwest, according to a Facebook post by the Tumwater Police Department.
When the man drove away with the truck, police say he took the sleeping baby with him. The boy’s parents had left him in the car with the keys in the ignition while they briefly entered the business, according to the post.
Police believe the man who stole the vehicle was a passenger in another vehicle parked at an adjacent gas pump. The driver of the other vehicle and a female passenger also fled the scene, the post says.
One of the parents had left their phone in the truck, allowing a service provider to track the vehicle. About 15 minutes after the vehicle was taken, police located the abandoned truck at the intersection of Littlerock Road and 128th Avenue near another Chevron gas station, according to the post.
Police found the child safe in his car seat inside the truck. A K9 unit was brought in to track the man who allegedly stole the vehicle, but the dog was unsuccessful. The man may have been picked up by someone in another vehicle at that location, according to the post.
Surveillance cameras captured video and images of the two suspects.
The first man is described as in his 30s and balding with dark hair around the back of his head, the post says. He wore black pants, dark shoes, a face mask and a hooded sweatshirt colored orange, yellow and black.
The second man appears to be thinner and in his 20s or 30s, according to police. Images show he had dark hair and wore a red jacket with black shorts, black leggings and a black mask. He also wore light colored shoes and a “conductor style hat” colored yellow and red.
Police described the vehicle that fled the gas station as a red, early 2000s four-door Toyota Echo. The vehicle lacked hub caps on the passenger side tires and had non-tinted windows.
The first man is wanted for first-degree kidnapping and theft. Anyone with information about the alleged crime can contact the Tumwater Police Department at 360-754-4200 or Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 12:15 PM.
