K9 officer nabs 2 for attempted burglary

MOSES LAKE — Two men were arrested after they allegedly attempted to burglarize a Moses Lake business, fled from law enforcement, ran their car into a ditch and were tracked by a Grant County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit early Saturday morning.

Ryan Hughes, 34, Moses Lake, and Billy Ray Rogers, 56, Olympia, were booked into the Grant County Jail Saturday on charges of burglary, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, resisting arrest and obstructing law enforcement, according to a press release from the GCSO.

Hughes and Rogers allegedly attempted to break into the United Rentals office, 13558 North Frontage Road, setting off an alarm at about 3:20 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies responding to the alarm saw a car leaving the business, the press release said, and gave chase.

The vehicle was found in a ditch near the intersection of Road 4 and Road L Northeast, but the occupants had fled. Deputies went looking for them, with K9 Chewbacca doing the tracking. Chewbacca’s handler is GCSO Corporal Nick Overland.

The dog and Overland found Hughes about two miles away, hiding in a parked car. Chewbacca located Rogers about a half-mile further away, hiding in some bushes. “Chewy grabbed onto Rogers’ arm and held him until deputies could take him into custody,” the press release said.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].