Olympia man suspected in Lacey car prowls

Lacey police have arrested a 31-year-old Olympia man who they believe is responsible for several vehicle thefts and car prowls along Martin Way.

Karl A. Hohstadt was arrested Oct. 28 by the Lacey Police Department and is charged in Thurston County Superior Court with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, making or having burglary tools, and third-degree driving while a license is suspended.

Cmdr. Chris Ward said Lacey, like other areas of Thurston County, has seen an increase in car thefts and break-ins in recent months. According to a police report, the department has investigated 16 such crimes since Oct. 19 — and Ward said he suspects that Hohstadt may have been involved in several of them.

“He’s well known to us as somebody who commits these sorts of crimes,” Ward said.

In an effort to catch vehicle prowl suspects, a Lacey sergeant parked a dark, unmarked car on Columbia Way Northeast, near the area where several car prowls and thefts had occurred. He reported seeing a car driving slowly through the neighborhood without headlights, in a manner consistent with a driver casing the area, according to police reports.

Another officer located the vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta, and contacted the driver — identified as Hohstadt — and a passenger. The officer searched Hohstadt and found a key ring holding 15 “shaved keys” — keys that have been ground down and are commonly used to access vehicles during thefts.

After obtaining a search warrant, the officer searched Hohstadt’s car. He found several items that appeared to have been stolen, including several cellphones and a military-issue backpack. He also found 14 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of heroin, and five oxycodone pills, according to court documents.

Hohstadt was booked into the Thurston County Jail and later released on bail.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Olympia man suspected in Lacey car prowls."