Monroe Police recover three stolen vehicles in one day

Monroe Police stopped the driver of a stolen car with guns drawn last Tuesday.

It was the second of three vehicles law enforcement recovered in the city that day, according to an agency news release. Five officers were involved in the encounter that took place just after 1 p.m. near the 7-11 on Main Street, according to Debbie Willis, department administrative director.

Three people were in the car when it was spotted. Willis says law enforcement had their guns out because that is part of the procedure for a high-risk stop.

“They were taken out of the car one by one,” according to the release.

The driver was taken into custody and turned over to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The two passengers were released at the scene.

The 2002 Chevrolet Prizm was reported stolen in Sultan. Earlier that morning the same officer who first saw the car had noticed a stolen SUV on the 300 block of South Kelsey Street. The officer was working as part of the Monroe Police Department’s Proactive team tasked with preemptively addressing crime in the area.

The thief had abandoned the 2016 Audi Crossover, which had been reported stolen out of Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood.

Later that afternoon another occupied car was seen in the Walmart parking lot. A woman was at the wheel of the 2004 Dodge Neon. She drove to the entrance to meet a man walking out of the store, according to the MPD. Police stopped her after she picked up him.

All three cars were impounded and search warrants are pending.

About seven vehicles are stolen in Snohomish County every day, according to the Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force. More than 2,700 were reported missing in 2015. According to the Washington State Patrol, one in five crimes occur when someone leaves a key in the car.

Vehicles are more likely to be taken on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, which has one of the highest rates of auto theft in the nation.

Cars are often stolen when people leave their car running to warm up. Washington State Patrol Detective Sgt. Jason Knott says it creates an opening for thieves to easily move in. Often SNOCAT sees a spike in vehicles reported as stolen when the temperatures start to dip during the colder months.