Man to serve 20 years for two burglaries

EPHRATA - A Yakima man with 19 felony convictions is serving 20 years in prison, after a burglary led to a police chase near Moses Lake.

A jury convicted Antonio Garcia Valle, 38, of two counts of residential burglary, malicious mischief in the third degree, theft in the second degree, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, unlawful imprisonment, coercion and intimidating a witness.

The crimes were added to a string of prior convictions dating back to 1986 in Grant and Yakima counties. The convictions include burglary, forgery, assault in the third degree and possession of stolen property. 

The number of crimes led prosecutors to recommend an exceptional sentence for Valle. He originally faced a maximum possible sentence of seven years, Prosecutor Angus Lee said. Valle's offender score was nearly double the maximum listed in the state's sentencing guidelines.

"The sentencing guidelines operate on a grid that goes up to an offender score of nine or nine-plus," he said. "The problem is it stops at nine. So if prior to trial he had an offender score of 14 to 15 and after trial he had an offender score of 19, the Legislature wanted to give us an option."

Valle broke into a woman's house while she was in the shower, according to the Grant County sheriff's report. The woman found him in the residence holding her video camera. Valle told her to get back into the bathroom and she complied.

The victim came out a short time later, and saw Valle running toward a silver van. The victim took pictures of him and the van before he drove off, according to the police report. Police traced the vehicle to Valle's girlfriend, who told police her boyfriend had the van. 

Police waited near Valle's girlfriend's house, and spotted the homeowner driving by the residence slowly before taking off. They stopped the vehicle, and Valle ran away. Police chased the man into a cornfield, and a helicopter spotted Valle running toward a residence on Road H Northeast, according to the police report.

Valle entered the residence, ordering a woman inside to tell police he wasn't there, according to the police report. She took her child into a bedroom. Police surrounded the house, and caught Valle inside.