Homeowner guides authorities to alleged burglars with phone

MOSES LAKE - Two men were jailed on Monday, Dec. 17, after Grant County sheriff's deputies arrested them with the help of the owner of a home that was burglarized and robbed.

Deputies were called to a home burglary at 9488 Road L NE, east of Moses Lake in the afternoon that day. The homeowner told deputies someone had broken into the home through a window and stolen numerous items, including 13 firearms and ammunition.

Deputies were not able to find any valuable evidence at the scene. Then, at about 9 p.m. the same day, the homeowner called deputies after finding a pickup truck hidden between haystacks across from his home.

According to Sheriff Tom Jones, the homeowner said he saw two people loading items into the bed of that pickup, and the pickup drove away. The homeowner jumped into his own car and followed the pickup while relaying information to deputies over the phone.

Deputies and Moses Lake police officers pulled the pickup over in the 6000 block of Road L NE, arresting Brandon DeLaughder, 31 and Shawn Lushenko, 23, both of Moses Lake. Deputies saw one of the stolen guns in the bed of the pickup and found additional stolen items on DeLaughder. The pickup was impounded.

Further interviews led deputies to a location in the 10000 block of Road 9 NE, where seven stolen firearms were recovered. Evidence at the scene linked DeLaughder to that site.

DeLaughder was lodged in the Grant County Jail on eight counts of possession of stolen firearms and third-degree possession of stolen property. Lushenko was lodged in the jail on one count of possession of a stolen firearm and felon in possession of a firearm.

"This was simply a great stop by deputies and Moses Lake police, and the homeowner's watchfulness helped a lot," said Sheriff Tom Jones. "The good news is the homeowner will be getting his guns and back, and two bad guys will be answering to criminal charges."

- Staff report