- Moses Lake, WA
An Othello man is behind bars after being apprehended for burglary in east Moses Lake. According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office the Sheriffs office, and MLPD responded to an Alarm at Commercial Tire on N. Frontage Rd early Sunday morning. When officers arrived deputies began a search on the outside perimeter of the business while MPLD sent in a K-9 to search for the suspect inside the business.
Deputies discovered a hole on the outside fence and found 41-year-old Roberto Robles-Mejia was found hiding inside a stack of tires. Robles-Mejia was apprehended and booked into the Grant County Jail in Ephrata on burglary, attempted-theft, and malicious mischief charges.
When officers discovered the hole in the business’s outside fence they found that Robles-Mejia was attempting to cut and steal a catalytic converter from a school bus that was secured inside of Commercial Tire. Officers stated that they located the suspect before any damage was done to the bus.
Catalytic converter theft have been on the rise across the state. Officials say if you fall victim to a converter theft you will most likely be covered if you have comprehensive coverage on your insurance policy. According to AAA, catalytic converters are selling for as much as $700. Those who own Toyota Prius vehicles costs and repairs can be a minimum of $2,000 USD. AAA also said to check with local automotive repairs shops and dealer ships to get your license plate number engraved onto your catalytic converter this acts as a serial number so local authorities can track down the parts, parking in well lit and busy area also act as a blocker for thieves along with installing anti-theft devices.