ML car wash thief gets 20 days

EPHRATA - A man who stole hundreds of dollars from a Moses Lake car wash was sentenced to 20 days in the Grant County Jail last week.

Alex Tauveve, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft after security cameras at the Glass House Car and Dog Wash caught him stealing at least $645 from an employee only room Nov. 1.

Tauveve was caught quickly after the Moses Lake Police Department showed security camera stills of him on Facebook, and media outlets including the Columbia Basin Herald publicized his picture.

Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Angus Lee said that the defendant had a standard sentencing range from 1-3 months, and that his office asked for 2 months of jail time.

Grant County Superior Judge Evan E. Sperline sentenced Tauveve 180 days, but suspended 160 of those days, and ordered $2,495 in fees and restitution and 2 years of probation.

If Tauveve does not pay the fees, he could, eventually, serve the remainder of the suspended sentence in jail.

The maximum sentence for the crimes was 1 year and 3 months.

Tauveve was ordered to stay away from the car wash and its owner.