Sheriff's office pays to replace locks, keys

SOAP LAKE — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office had to pay to replace keys and locks after accidentally losing keys belonging to an inmate.

Michael Eugene Power, 55, Soap Lake, was arrested for violating a protection order after allegedly yelling something at a man he was not supposed to talk to on May 13, Grant County Undersheriff John Turley said. In the protection order, Power is forbidden to speak to the male.

Soap Lake police arrested Power but a sheriff’s deputy transported Power to Grant County Jail in Ephrata because Soap Lake police needed to respond to a different assault case, Turley said.

When the deputy arrived at the jail, he placed Power’s keys and wallet on top of the closed trunk of his patrol vehicle, he explained. Power was released to the jail. The deputy was called to assist with a case in Moses Lake and pulled away from the jail, and left the keys and wallet on the trunk, Turley said.

He said the deputy’s vehicle was recorded on surveillance footage leaving the jail with the items on the trunk. It seems the items fell off the trunk while the deputy was driving to Moses Lake, he said.

A citizen found Power’s wallet on Basin Street and turned it in to the Ephrata Police Department. The wallet was returned to Power and nothing was reported missing.

The keys were not located, Turley said.

The sheriff’s office paid more than $400 to replace the keys and locks to Power’s home and vehicle, he said.