Bail for a woman accused of shoplifting from a Centralia business, hitting an employee with a stolen car and leading law enforcement on a pursuit Sunday was set at $50,000 in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday.
The woman, Jessica L. Rose, 39, is accused of stealing “an abundance of items” from Lincoln Creek Lumber in the 1600 block of Harrison Avenue just after 12:20 p.m. on March 26, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Lewis County Superior Court records indicate her address is in Puyallup.
Rose and a second suspect, identified as Arashi R. Ulufale-Talamoni, 42, of Tacoma, reportedly took a cart “filled with various tools” out of the store without paying.
A store employee reportedly went after Rose, who was in control of the cart, as she exited the store. The employee reportedly “grabbed the cart from Jessica and attempted to pull the chainsaw from her grasp,” but she allegedly “pulled it from her and put it in the car” -– which was later identified as an airport taxi that was reported stolen out of King County.
The chainsaw was the only stolen item from the cart Rose allegedly put into the vehicle, according to court documents.
Meanwhile, Ulufale-Talamoni reportedly got into the passenger seat of the vehicle.
A third suspect, identified as Aigalelei Pua, 44, of Kent, was reportedly pushing a separate cart toward the exit but when he saw the scene between Rose and the employee, he reportedly left the cart inside, walked out of the store and began walking down Harrison Avenue.
The employee was reportedly standing behind the vehicle when Rose allegedly got into the driver’s seat and began to leave. Rose allegedly “attempted to hit him while driving 2-3 mph,” then allegedly “ran into him with the front bumper of the car” as he was taking a photo of the license plate, according to court documents.
No injuries were reported.
The vehicle then reportedly fled the scene onto Galvin Road, stopping briefly to pick up Pua on Harrison Avenue, court documents state.
Officers with the Centralia Police Department reportedly saw the vehicle, which was traveling eastbound, while they were driving westbound en route to the Harrison Avenue business, according to court documents.
The officers turned around to follow the vehicle, which “attempted to change lanes and maneuvered between other vehicles,” according to court documents. The vehicle allegedly failed to yield to the patrol vehicle and accelerated onto northbound Interstate 5, traveling 95 mph in a 70 mph zone.
Centralia officers reportedly terminated the pursuit after the vehicle began “traveling at high speed on the shoulder” of I-5, according to court documents. Washington State Patrol and Thurston County law enforcement were notified about the vehicle and the direction it was traveling, according to court documents.
Ulufale-Talamoni and Pua later told law enforcement they both repeatedly asked Rose to stop and pull over during and after the pursuit, according to court documents. Arashi reportedly added she only got into the vehicle “because she did not want to be left without a ride.”
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Tenino Police Department reportedly got involved in the pursuit once the vehicle reached Thurston County, according to the Centralia Police Department.
The vehicle eventually stopped after spike strips disabled a tire, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Rose, Ulufale-Talamoni and Pua were then taken into custody.
Rose and Ulufale-Talamoni were booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 3 p.m. on March 27, while Pua was booked at about 8:10 p.m., according to jail records.
Rose is the only one of the three suspects to face felony charges related to the incident.
Pua and Ulufale-Talamoni are expected to be charged with theft in Lewis County District Court.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Pua was still in custody at the Lewis County Jail serving time on an unrelated case while Ulufale-Talamoni had been released.
Rose had a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, where she was charged with one count each of possession of a stolen vehicle, attempting to elude a police vehicle and second-degree theft.
Rose’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 30.
