You snooze, you lose your stolen cruiser
Moses Lake Police Department/courtesy photo Darrell Smith, 48, was taken into custody after he was allegedly found asleep in a stolen vehicle.
MOSES LAKE — An alleged car thief was found asleep inside of his ill-gotten ride by officers with the Moses Lake Police Department Monday, according to a statement issued by the agency.
Darrell Smith, 48, was arrested after a neighbor called to report a suspicious vehicle on Winona Street Monday evening, according to law enforcement. When officers arrived, they reportedly found Smith asleep in a stolen vehicle alongside purported burglar’s tools.
“Smith was apparently on the way to an early Halloween party, since a black mask was also found in the car, next to the screwdriver used to start the car,” the MLPD wrote on social media Tuesday.
Monday was not Smith’s first encounter with local law enforcement, the statement said. He is known most notably for a 2010 incident in which he escaped from the Grant County Courthouse and stole a grain truck from downtown Ephrata while wearing handcuffs. In an attempt to elude pursuing officers, Smith drove the truck off state Route 17 just past Randolph Road near Moses Lake.
“Smith ditched the truck and attempted to swim across the lake,” the MLPD wrote. “In March, wearing handcuffs… He sank, and had to be rescued by a GCSO Sergeant.”
Smith was booked into the Grant County Jail Monday night on charges of possession of a stolen car and possession of burglar tools.
Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.
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