Two suspects connected to approximately 10 burglaries in the Puget Sound region — including four in Centralia — were arrested in Centralia early Saturday morning.
The suspects were part of a group of four who reportedly tried to rob a business in the 600 block of North Tower Avenue just before 1:20 a.m. on April 8, according to the Centralia Police Department.
The arrests were part of a week-long investigation into the string of burglaries, the department stated in a news release.
The suspects were reportedly targeting businesses for their cash machines and ATMs, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Security videos from the victim businesses showed the suspects were armed with handguns at the time of some of the burglaries. During one of the burglaries outside of Centralia, a business owner confronted the thieves only to have the suspects point a gun at him before they fled, according to the news release.
“With all the combined information, the suspects were considered armed and dangerous,” the Centralia Police Department stated in the release.
Centralia officers were reportedly able to identify two suspect vehicles through the new Flock Safety cameras that are being used along with several stolen vehicles.
“Through the investigation, the Centralia officers believed the suspects would target the Centralia area again, so they devised a plan to capture them if they attempted another brazen theft,” stated the department in the release.
That opportunity arose with the April 8 burglary.
Officers reportedly arrived “within minutes” of the burglary report and saw four suspects fleeing through the business's back door as they got into a getaway vehicle, according to the release.
“Because of the Washington state laws on pursuit, the officers wanted to prevent the suspects from being able to flee,” stated the department in the release.
As the suspects attempted to drive away, within one block of the business, a Centralia officer immediately performed a pursuit intervention technique, or PIT maneuver, which disabled the suspect’s vehicle.
All four suspects immediately exited the vehicle and fled on foot in different directions. Two of the suspects were immediately apprehended while the other two escaped capture, according to the police department.
Those who were arrested included Wanida Supatra Prommarin, 29, of Renton, and Deondre Jackson-Durden, 32, of Seattle.
Both are being held in the Lewis County Jail until a judge can address their cases on Monday. Charges had not been filed as of Saturday afternoon.
Both suspects allegedly confessed to approximately 10 burglaries and said they were in possession of firearms in the commission of several of those crimes, according to the Centralia Police Department.
The other two suspects have not been located at this time, but they have been positively identified and will be tracked down by law enforcement, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Two handguns and “a large amount of evidence” were located in the suspect's vehicle and taken as evidence, according to the release.
The investigation continues and further details will follow when they are available, according to the release.
Anyone with information on the burglaries is encouraged to call the Centralia Police Department at 360-330-7680 or Lewis County Communications at 360-740-1105.
