A Tacoma man accused of stealing a cellphone out of another man’s hand at the Timberland Library in Centralia was arrested Thursday after three witnesses reportedly chased him around the library on South Silver Street.
Hector Martin Espinoza, 37, is accused of walking up behind a man inside the Timberland Centralia Library and taking a Samsung S20 Ultra cellphone from his hand. The alleged victim said he was unable to give chase himself, but three witnesses reportedly chased Espinoza to the west side of the library’s entrance to try and get the phone back. During the chase, Espinoza allegedly “charged” at one of the three witnesses chasing him, knocking her to the ground before fleeing again.
Officers with the Centralia Police Department were dispatched to the incident just after 4:50 p.m. After talking with the alleged victim and the witnesses, they soon located Espinoza nearby on West Main Street and identified him as the suspect from the library theft.
When asked about the theft, Espinoza reportedly said “he had been at the library copying something when he was engaged in some sort of argument where he slapped a phone out of someone’s hand,” according to court documents. According to officers, Espinoza “eventually agreed” to show the officers where the phone was “hidden” in a backyard.
Espinoza was arrested and was booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 5:50 p.m. on Sept. 1. He has since been charged with one count each of first-degree theft and fourth-degree assault.
He was held at the Lewis County Jail without bail overnight pending his preliminary hearing Friday afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
