Retired trooper captures burglars at gunpoint

Suspects tried to steal from Othello home

OTHELLO - Two burglars quickly found themselves held at gunpoint after attempting to steal items from a residence on Rayburn Road near Othello Wednesday night.

Dulce A. Bustos, 21, Othello and Eliseo Garcia-Chavez, 23, Pasco were each booked in Adams County Jail for one count of residential burglary. A 14-year-old female related to Bustos was booked in Martin Hall for one count of residential burglary.

More charges are possible after law enforcement reportedly found stolen items in the suspects' homes from roughly 20 burglaries in Adams and Franklin counties, including an Adams County Sheriff's deputy's home.

They were caught by a neighbor of the victims, a retired California State Patrol trooper who is also the landlord for the burglarized residence, Sheriff Doug Barger said. The trooper noticed a truck at the residence that was not supposed to be there, he said. No one was home at the time of the burglary and the residence had been burglarized before.

Barger declined to name the former trooper.

He said the trooper went to the residence and saw the suspects loading items into the truck.

When deputies arrived at the scene, the trooper had Bustos and Garcia-Chavez held at gunpoint, Barger said.

The suspects were lying on the ground outside the residence. Barger said the trooper handled the situation professionally and followed law enforcement protocol during the incident. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported.

When the trooper ordered the suspects to lay on the ground, the juvenile disobeyed and fled from the scene on foot, Barger said. Deputies located and arrested the juvenile at her home on Foley Road near Othello.

A search warrant was executed and deputies searched Busto's residence where they located thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise including firearms, jewelry and lawn care equipment, he said.

Evidence indicated the three suspects were involved in at least 20 burglaries in Adams County and Franklin County.

A second search warrant was issued in Pasco. Franklin County law enforcement located more stolen merchandise at a pawn shop. There could be additional charges against the suspects issued in Franklin County, Barger said.

Items reported stolen from an Adams County sheriff's deputy's residence near Othello were also recovered, he added.