Jovahnee A. Hall was one of five Portland residents to make their first appearances Monday in Superior Court in an organized retail theft investigaiton.
Five Oregon residents were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of engaging in a scheme to steal more than $800 in alcohol and other items from a Centralia store.
Isiah R. Campbell, 20, Jovahnee A. Hall, 21, Latia D. McDaniel, 25, Zariah Y. Torregano, 20, and Jovahntea R. Hall, 21, all of Portland, Oregon, were arrested Sunday on suspicion of organized retail theft.
The Centralia Police Department responded at 4:35 p.m. Sunday to the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue. The suspects had already left the scene, but were later arrested by the Washington State Patrol.
The investigation is ongoing.
All five suspects were booked into the Lewis County Jail Sunday night and made their first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Monday afternoon.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office has not yet filed charges, instead asking Superior Court Judge James Lawler to grant each defendant $10,000 bail and allow the state to wait until today to formally file charges to allow investigators more time to work.
“They’re finishing up the search warrant,” said Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher.
Meagher said investigators had found evidence tying the suspects to additional thefts at two other stores.
Lawler agreed. Each suspect is required to reappear in Superior Court this afternoon at 4 p.m.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed with Superior Court, Centralia Police responded at 4:35 p.m. Sunday to Safeway in the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia.
Store staff reported seeing the five suspects making two trips into the store and leaving without paying for alcohol and food. Using video footage, staff identified $869 in merchandise believed to be stolen by the suspects.
