Puyallup man wanted in extortion case arrested after car chase, wreck in Olympia
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- A 47-year-old Puyallup man was arrested after a chase that began at the Capital Mall.
- Detectives allegedly recovered a handgun, 45.5g meth, 2.9g fentanyl and $800.
- Investigators suspect the man of extortion, theft, assault and other crimes.
Thurston County deputies arrested a 47-year-old Puyallup man accused of multiple crimes after a car chase in west Olympia Tuesday that ended when he allegedly drove into a patrol vehicle.
Deputies developed probable cause to arrest the man in connection with an extortion investigation earlier this month, Sheriff Derek Sanders shared on Facebook.
An Olympia police detective spotted the man at the mall Tuesday, and the pursuit ensued, Sanders said. Court records show the pursuit started at the south parking lot of Capital Mall and ended at another parking lot on the east corner of Black Lake Boulevard Southwest and Cooper Point Road. Law enforcement pinned the man’s vehicle and arrested him “without further incident,” Sanders said.
A witness called 911 to report a handgun near a mall entrance, Sanders said. Detectives recovered the gun and identified it as a functional “M&P Shield 9 mm firearm” with scuff marks, according to court records.
Sanders alleged the man left the gun behind during the pursuit. The gun will be sent to a crime lab for DNA testing, he added.
“Special thank you to the citizen who called in to report the firearm left behind and didn’t touch it, which preserved its evidentiary value,” Sanders said in his post.
Law enforcement searched the man and recovered a bag of a white crystal substance that appeared to be methamphetamine as well as $70 cash, according to court records.
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives allegedly found more cash and suspected drugs inside the man’s vehicle.
In all, court records show detectives collected 45.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 2.9 grams of suspected fentanyl and $800 cash.
Deputies ultimately booked the man into the county jail on suspicion of the following crimes:
- First-degree extortion
- Second-degree theft
- Harassment
- Second-degree vehicle prowl
- Eluding a police vehicle
- Unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, synthetic narcotic, while armed
- First-degree unlawful possession of a firearm
- Second-degree assault
The Puyallup man has an adult criminal history that dates back decades, which most notably includes a second-degree murder conviction in a 1996 Thurston County case, according to court records.
Additionally, the man has two open cases in Thurston County Superior Court, both of which include allegations of unlawful possession of controlled substances.
The extortion investigation
Court records detail the extortion investigation that preceded the pursuit from the perspective of law enforcement. Those records give this account of what happened:
A person reported the Puyallup man to law enforcement on March 17, alleging he came to his home, threatened him over money and stole a variety of items.
The Puyallup man allegedly arrived at the home at about 3:30 a.m. that day and took tools as well as a backpack belonging to the person. The backpack reportedly contained the person’s credit cards and prescription medication.
A roommate at the property allegedly found the Puyallup man outside and invited him inside, not knowing he had just taken the tools and backpack. The Puyallup man allegedly told the roommate that their partner had until 9 p.m. that day to pay him $2,100 or else “people will get hurt,” according to court records.
The roommate allegedly observed what he believed to be a firearm in the Puyallup man’s pocket during the exchange. The Puyallup man then left the property.
The next day, the Puyallup man repeatedly texted the person he believed owed him money. The person begged for his medication and tools, but the Puyallup man upped the cost to $2,200 and set a new deadline, according to the court records.
“Then u better figure out how to get my money by 9 p.m. now you’re on my time,” the Puyallup man allegedly replied. “So (expletive) around and find out if u don’t have my 2200 by 9 p.m.”
On March 19, detectives obtained a search warrant for the Puyallup man’s home and vehicle. The detectives served the warrant but did not find the Puyallup man; however, they did recover a bag with medication and credit cards that did not belong to him, court records said.
On March 24, a detective spoke with the Puyallup man over the phone. The Puyallup man allegedly said the person failed to fix a car he purchased from him. He allegedly admitted to taking the person’s tools and backpack, explaining that he intended to give them to someone else so they could fix the car.
When questioned about the texts he sent, the Puyallup man allegedly downplayed the language in the texts and said he no longer had access to the texts because he broke his phone.
The detective informed the Puyallup man that he was under arrest, and he allegedly became “irate and refused to turn himself in,” according to court records.
The pursuit outside the Capital Mall occurred a week after the call. Investigators allege the Puyallup man rammed through a curb, struck a city-planted tree and drove away after being confronted by law enforcement.
He allegedly fled at a “reckless rate of speed” through the parking lot with complete disregard for numerous pedestrians, court records state.
The pursuit ended once he drove head-on into a law enforcement vehicle and got pinned in by other law enforcement vehicles, the court records said.
