Soap Lake man arrested in Red Door burglary

MOSES LAKE — A Soap Lake man was arrested Monday morning in connection with a burglary at the Red Door Café and Red Door Store in Moses Lake.

Assailants reportedly broke into the building in the 200 block of West Third Avenue by prying open the back door Friday night. There was no damage done to the door itself, but the café side of the business was rummaged through and a $200 cash register was stolen from the consignment side of the business, along with numerous other items. The register was later recovered at the Moses Lake Sand Dunes with all of its contents missing.

The burglary was reported to the Moses Lake Police Department on Sunday. Officers with the Moses Lake and Soap Lake police departments identified Tony Gonzales, 36, of Soap Lake, as a possible suspect. Gonzales was arrested Monday morning in Soap Lake and booked into the Grant County Jail for second-degree possession of stolen property. Several items stolen during the burglary were recovered when Gonzales was arrested, according to the Moses Lake Police Department.

“The investigation is ongoing, and other suspects have been identified. It is expected that there will be additional arrests, as well as additional charges filed in the case,” according to a prepared statement from the Moses Lake Police Department.

Initial information indicates $600 in cash was stolen from different locations in the building, along with several pieces of jewelry. Several electronic tablets and a Nintendo DS gaming system, which belonged to business owner Jan Thacker’s grandchildren, were also stolen.

“We truly are so sick over this. Being in business is such a struggle and this really, really hurts,” Thacker stated on Facebook.

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