Two Ellensburg Residents Facing Federal Charges After Being Accused Of Mail Theft

A pair of Ellensburg residents are facing federal charges after police say they were linked to rash of mail thefts in Kittitas County.

The Ellensburg Police Department says it received reports of mail being stolen in the Bluegrass, Bridgewood, and Stonebridge neighborhoods of Ellensburg during the overnight hours of July 17-18.

Investigators used residential surveillance video to identify a suspect vehicle, which an officer recognized and subsequently located while on patrol.

After initiating a traffic stop on the vehicle, the officer reportedly observed several pieces of mail that did not belong to the occupants, who were then detained while a search of the vehicle was conducted.

During the search, officers also uncovered numerous packages with different recipient addresses that did not belong to the occupants.

Based on the discovery of the alleged stolen mail, police arrested 29-year-old Ayah Abere Qteishat and 49-year-old Jathan Lee VanWeerdhuizen, and booked them into the Kittitas County Jail on charges of mail theft, residential burglary, and second-degree theft.

Authorities noted that some of the charges pertain to an unrelated case to which Qteishat and VanWeerdhuizen have also been connected.