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Remember the kidnapping/burglary at the marijuana company? 1 man arrested, Tumwater police say
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Remember the kidnapping/burglary at the marijuana company? 1 man arrested, Tumwater police say

An 18-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of seven felonies in connection with a kidnapping and burglary that occurred at a Tumwater marijuana business in April, The Olympian reported Sunday.

“We have one of the seven suspects in custody,” said Tumwater Police Lt. Jen Kolb. She said he was the only suspect not wearing a mask during the incident.

Around 3:20 a.m. April 5, police were dispatched to the 1000 block of 85th Avenue Southeast near the Olympia Regional Airport. When police arrived, they found an unoccupied vehicle still in motion and a broken window, The Olympian reported.

Suspecting a burglary, police set up a perimeter and called in an Olympia police dog to search the area. No suspects were found. Later, a representative of the pot business appeared and asked, “Where’s the guard?”

That prompted police to review video footage showing the 23-year-old security guard was abducted, The Olympian reported.

A few minutes later, however, the guard appeared on foot and explained what had happened to him.

Between 2 and 3 a.m., the guard was on duty, sitting in his vehicle, The Olympian reported. He saw two vehicles in the area, which he thought was odd for a dead-end street. Both vehicles then entered the business property, with one of them blocking the security guard’s car.

Seven men then got out of the cars, including some armed with guns. Three of them got into the security guard’s car and drove with him south on Old Highway 99 for about two miles. The guard was then removed from the car and ordered to the ground.

The suspects were spooked by a northbound vehicle and drove off, leaving the security guard at the scene, The Olympian reported.

Meanwhile, the remaining four suspects broke into the pot manufacturing facility and then left.

Following the incident, Tumwater Police released information on the identifiable suspect and charges were filed with the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office. They have issued a warrant for his arrest, Kolb said Sunday.

Police in the area identified the man, then he was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals, she said. The suspect was turned over to Tumwater police on Nov. 14.

According to jail information, the man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree burglary while armed with a deadly weapon; first degree kidnapping while armed; theft of a motor vehicle; possession of a stolen vehicle; theft of a firearm; felony harassment/threat to kill while armed with a firearm; and first-degree robbery while armed with a deadly weapon.

7 suspects still at large after security guard kidnapped, pot stolen, Tumwater police say