SEQUM — One of two suspects is in custody after multiple alleged incidents in Sequim, including several vehicle thefts.
Joanie Squires, 33, of Tacoma was arrested at about 5 p.m. Thursday after crashing a vehicle into landscaping in front of Hurricane Ridge Veterinary Hospital on the corner of North Seventh Avenue and West Hendrickson Road.
Judge Brent Basden placed Squires on a 72-hour hold on Friday with bail set at $10,000.
Deputy police chief Mike Hill said in a phone interview police anticipate recommending up to 12 charges to the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, including felonies of attempting to elude a police vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Squires tentatively will be charged Tuesday in Clallam County Superior Court with Harry Gasnick, director of Clallam Public Defender, appointed her defense attorney.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sarah Woolman said in court Friday that Squires allegedly said she used methamphetamine and drank alcohol one hour to 90 minutes before driving a stolen truck.
A 32-year-old male accomplice, not identified by authorities, remained at large after allegedly fleeing in another stolen vehicle out of the area, police report.
The silver GMC truck was found abandoned in Mason County on Friday, police said.
Sequim police continue to investigate the whereabouts of the man, and if he’s not located, they’ll issue an arrest warrant and name him then, Hill said.
He added the pair’s connection to Sequim was unknown as of late last week.
Reported thefts
Sequim police officers report the woman and man came to Sequim, allegedly in a stolen orange truck from Fife; it was seen at about 9:30 a.m. on Thursday near South Rhodefer Road — when the pair allegedly stole power tools from a parked vehicle, law enforcement officials said.
Police report the pair then allegedly stole a green pickup from a Sunnyside Avenue apartment building and, at about 10:30 a.m., the man was seen on South Ninth Avenue via surveillance cameras unsuccessfully attempting to steal another vehicle.
A few minutes later, the stolen green truck was abandoned on the 700 block of West Washington Street and the man allegedly stole a second vehicle and abandoned it a few blocks away.
Another vehicle, a silver GMC pickup, was reported stolen at 4:45 p.m. on the 200 block of West Bell Street.
Soon thereafter, Squires was allegedly seen driving the orange truck on the 1100 block of West Washington Street, and officers attempted to stop her.
She allegedly fled, officers reported, as did the male, who was spotted in the silver truck nearby.
Hill said updated state law prevented them from pursuing the vehicles because of the nonviolent severity of their crimes, so officers stopped pursuing them.
Police reported the pair allegedly fled east on Washington Street into oncoming traffic.
The man allegedly struck another vehicle with the driver uninjured on the 700 block of West Washington Street, police report. He turned toward Westside Pizza and was stuck in its landscaping with police demanding he exit, but he fled again, police report.
Squires drove the orange truck up North Seventh Avenue, where she struck landscaping and a large rock in front of a veterinarian hospital, where she was arrested.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
