Meth found in Soap Lake home, 2 arrested

SOAP LAKE - Three children were recently taken into protective custody after Grant County deputies found drugs and a stolen vehicle at a Soap Lake home.

According to Chief Deputy Ryan Rectenwald on Monday, people wanted by law enforcement were seen coming in and out of a residence in the 100 block of Sixth Avenue Southeast. During surveillance of the home, deputies observed a man, identified as Trinidad Rodriguez, 40, of Soap Lake, repeatedly going in and out of the residence to a vehicle parked in front. The vehicle was reportedly found stolen out of the Wenatchee area.

Deputies also discovered Mariana Landeros Ramirez, 20, was living at the residence with her two young children.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies and Soap Lake police officers assisted Child Protective Services with a welfare check of the home last week. Law enforcement were able to make contact with Ramirez, who was removed from the residence with her children.

Rodriguez attempted to escape out a back window, but went back inside when confronted by law enforcement, Rectenwald said. Deputies talked Rodriguez out of the home about 10 minutes later and he was arrested on a state Department of Corrections warrant.

During a warrant search of the home, deputies found "more than a user amount" of drugs along with drug paraphernalia and scales, reportedly accessible to the children. Rectenwald said the living conditions inside the home were "not good" and the two children, as well as one other child not at the residence, were placed on a 72-hour hold by CPS.

Ramirez was then arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine.

The sheriff's office is still investigating the vehicle theft.

"The main goal of the agencies involved was the health and welfare of the children first and foremost," Rectenwald said.