A Centralia man is facing felony charges for allegedly pushing his ex-girlfriend out of her vehicle and stealing it after she agreed to give him a ride on Saturday. 

The vehicle’s owner reported the theft at approximately 5:50 a.m. in the 1300 block of Crescent Avenue in Centralia. The vehicle was caught on camera traveling westbound on Harrison Avenue near High Street at 5:56 a.m., according to court documents. 

When interviewed by officers with the Centralia Police Department, the vehicle’s owner reported that she had agreed to give Forest Lea Jones, 41, with whom she had a previous dating relationship, a ride to a park-and-ride in Grand Mound to meet a friend. 

While they were driving, with the vehicle’s owner in the driver’s seat and Jones in the passenger seat, they reportedly “began arguing about going to the location,” according to court documents. 

Jones allegedly “pushed her out of the driver’s seat then crawled over into the driver’s seat” and “sped off in her vehicle,” according to court documents. 

She indicated that she was not injured and confirmed that Jones did not have permission to drive the vehicle. 

Officers were unable to locate the vehicle in the Grand Mound area. However, the vehicle’s owner later found the vehicle in a local Centralia grocery store parking lot with the keys in the ignition, according to court documents. 

After learning that Jones was staying in a trailer behind the Grand Mound park-and-ride, an officer and Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies located and arrested him, according to court documents. 

Jones allegedly indicated he would talk to officers and gave a statement, but said he “wanted to start his statement over,” gave a “second version of events,” then “decided to invoke his rights and not make further statements when asked to clarify events,” according to court documents. 

He was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 9:10 p.m. on Nov. 2, according to jail records. 

Jones was charged Monday, Nov. 4, in Lewis County Superior Court with one count each of second-degree robbery and theft of a motor vehicle. Each charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. 

“He (Jones) did make it very clear to me, and I will inform the court, that (the victim) does not want this case pursued whatsoever,” defense attorney Rachael Tiller said during Jones’ preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, Nov. 4. 

Bail is set at $25,000. 

Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7.