GCSO seeks burglary suspect

MOSES LAKE – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is looking for Eric J. Fuentes, 31, of Moses Lake in connection with a burglary along Road K.5 Southeast on Sunday evening at about 8 p.m.  

According to a GCSO statement, law enforcement was called to the 6000 block of Road K.5 Southeast just outside of Moses Lake when a property owner saw live surveillance footage showing a person dressed in a black hat and sweater enter her garage and shut the door.  

Arriving officers found and detained four people along the road near the home and another person took off running. Officers were informed that Fuentes was the one who fled upon their arrival.  

Investigators spoke with Fuentes’ associates and found that he had asked a friend to help him move a trailer he had purchased in the neighborhood. While the trailer was being towed, the tow vehicle died and needed a jump-start. Fuentes phoned another friend who came and jumped the vehicle. The tow vehicle subsequently broke down again. 

Rather than calling his friend back for another jump-start, Fuentes knocked on the door of the reporting homeowner to see if she would provide a jump-start. When there was no answer, Fuentes went into the garage while the homeowner watched on the live surveillance feed. He later emerged, but did not appear to have taken anything.  

In searching for Fuentes, law enforcement issued a mass notification to area residents to shelter in place. Fuentes was not located and the shelter in place notice was canceled by 11 p.m. K-9 officers and a drone were used to search for Fuentes.  

A recommendation of charges related to burglary of the garage has been sent to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office and the four people detained during the incident were released once no crimes could be connected to them.  

GCSO was assisted by the Moses Lake Police Department during the incident.