Three women allegedly involved in a “shoplifting ring” were arrested on Monday after officers with the Centralia Police Department investigated suspicious behavior at the Centralia Outlets.
The officers responded to a call from a citizen in the 100 block of West High Street reporting “two cars were left in the parking lot, empty, with the engines running” and saying they “thought that (a) possible theft might occur,” according to court documents.
A responding officer found two cars, a Saturn minivan and a Chrysler Concorde, in the lot.
While the officer was in the lot, a woman, identified as Kelly Brown, 44, of Renton, reportedly approached the officer and said she owned the two vehicles.
Brown reportedly “said she purchased the cars at auction and was leaving the cars on to charge the batteries,” adding that “two friends were shopping at the mall.”
The two friends were reportedly associated with a champagne-colored Chevrolet Malibu.
An officer confirmed that all three vehicles were registered to Brown, who reportedly had a misdemeanor warrant for her arrest out of Kent, according to court documents.
“Since all three cars had been backed into stalls, and all three were registered to Kelly Brown, and two were left running, (a Centralia police sergeant) thought there might be a shoplifting ring in action,” according to court documents.
The officers called for backup, and two detectives were dispatched to aid in the investigation.
One of the detectives reportedly saw “two females exiting (an outlet store) with unpaid merchandise.”
The outlet store later confirmed the two women each stole approximately four shopping bags full of clothing.
The women then allegedly got into the Malibu and drove off, with the officer following in a patrol car.
The officer pursued the Malibu with lights and sirens activated until the Malibu ran a red light and continued northbound on Interstate 5, according to court documents.
The two detectives then began following the Malibu northbound on I-5.
Units with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) were notified when the Malibu hit Maytown and continued heading northbound on I-5.
“Anticipating the vehicle would flee again, TCSO units followed the suspect vehicle from a distance while additional units set spikes ahead,” TCSO said in a Facebook post Monday night. “The vehicle failed to yield after deputies attempted a traffic stop before cutting off a semi truck and exiting the freeway, losing the deputies behind it.”
Units with the TCSO and Centralia Police Department later located the vehicle in Tumwater and followed it without activating emergency lights until the vehicle “pulled down a dead end road in a neighborhood where it was blocked in,” the TCSO stated.
Law enforcement personnel then conducted a traffic stop and arrested the vehicle’s two occupants, who have since been identified as Angelina Ann Chase, 30, of Kent, and Cassandra Deana Paige, 40, of Renton.
“The vehicle was filled with stolen property from the Centralia outlet mall,” the TCSO stated.
Chase and Paige were booked into the Lewis County Jail at 12:45 a.m. on March 5.
They were each charged Tuesday with second-degree retail theft and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle. Paige was also charged with second-degree identity theft for allegedly giving officers a false name at the time of the arrest.
Brown was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 8 p.m. on March 4.
She was charged Tuesday with one count each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver and possessing a stolen firearm after officers searched the Chrysler and found suspected meth, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia and a stolen .40 caliber pistol inside.
Bail is set at $25,000 for Chase, $50,000 for Paige and $50,000 for Brown.
Arraignment hearings are scheduled for Thursday, March 14.
