Arrest of wanted man leads to 3 stolen vehicles in Lacey 

A man wanted on a felony warrant led authorities to three stolen vehicles after he was arrested on Oct. 10, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office said in a report. 

While conducting a patrol, deputies spotted two men in the 1300 block of Stillwell Street NE in Lacey. The deputies knew one of the men, Richard Bryan Northness, 30, of Olympia, was wanted on a Washington State Department of Corrections felony warrant, the report states.

During the arrest of Northness, deputies found a fanny pack containing multiple identification and financial documents belonging to another person, along with a small bag containing suspected methamphetamine. 

When asked why he was in possession of the IDs and credit  cards,  he reportedly told deputies the bag did not belong to him. Deputies also discovered a set of shaved keys commonly used in vehicle thefts. 

“Richard stated he was going to attempt to use the credit card. However, he had not yet had the opportunity to try,” said a TCSO deputy in the report.

While being transported to jail, Northness provided information about several stolen vehicles in Lacey. He identified an apartment complex off Neil Street NE, where he claimed the stolen vehicles were parked. 

Deputies later searched the location and found three vehicles confirmed to have been stolen earlier this year — a white Ford F-150, a green Subaru Impreza and a red Honda Civic. The vehicles were recovered and processed by investigators. 

The suspect denied involvement with the stolen vehicles and told law enforcement that he knows the person who stole the vehicles. He said that’s how he knew where the vehicles were kept. 

Northness was booked into the Thurston County Corrections Facility on suspicion of identity theft, possession of a controlled substance and the outstanding felony warrant.