2 arrested in connection with vehicle theft, apartment burglary

MOSES LAKE — A man and woman were arrested late Wednesday night after they were reportedly pulled over in a stolen vehicle and a television stolen during an earlier burglary at a Moses Lake apartment were found inside the stolen car.

About 9:55 p.m. Moses Lake Police Department officers pulled over a 1999 Chevrolet Tahoe, which was previously reported stolen to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office out of the Warden area in the 4000 block of Longview Street Northeast.

As the driver of the Tahoe, identified as Juan Hernandez, 29, of Moses Lake, slowed down both he and his passenger, Jacqueline Lence, 24, of Moses Lake, got out of the vehicle and started running, according to MLPD Capt. Dave Sands. Lence was apprehended by police as she was running through a yard in the 4300 block of Miller Drive Northeast. As Lence was resisting a MLPD officer and attempting to flee, the officer reportedly spotted Hernandez go back to the Tahoe and start driving toward North Grape Drive.

“Other officers and Grant County Sheriff’s deputies began arriving in the area. Lence advised she did not know who the driver of the vehicle was, and initially denied being in the vehicle,” Sands said.

The Tahoe was later found parked in the 9400 block of Beacon Road Northeast. Officers and deputies found footprints leading away from the driver’s side door to a residence in the 4700 block of North Grape Drive. Hernandez was found inside the Grape Drive residence and taken into custody, with officers matching his shoes to the footprints in the snow.

Police reportedly found two flat screen televisions and a video game system in the passenger side area of the stolen Tahoe. A resident in the 200 block of West Nelson Road later spoke of a burglary that occurred at his apartment, in which a flat screen television was stolen. Officers matched one of the recovered televisions from the Tahoe to the television stolen in the burglary on West Nelson Road.

“Officers located further evidence at the burglary scene to indicate Lence and Hernandez were responsible for that crime as well,” Sands explained.

Lence was booked into the Grant County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, obstruction, residential burglary, third-degree malicious mischief, third-degree theft and outstanding Grant County District Court warrants for third-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license. Hernandez was booked for possession of a stolen vehicle, first-degree burglary, third-degree theft, resisting arrest, malicious mischief, failure to obey a law enforcement officer, third-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license and an outstanding Department of Corrections warrant.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.