Arrest Made After Pickup with Guns Stolen from East Wenatchee Motel

A woman from Orondo is now in custody after a pickup truck with two guns and ammunition inside was stolen Tuesday afternoon.

Chief Rick Johnson said a grey 2001 Chevy 2500 was stolen from the Sunset Highway Motor Inn in East Wenatchee around 2pm.

"The keys are with the vehicle and a female by the name of Brittany Garcia … was seen taking the vehicle.," said Johnson.

Garcia is 28 years old. She was tracked down by Douglas County Sheriff's deputies and members of the Columbia River Drug Taskforce after they were alerted to a woman driving a truck matching the description of the stolen vehicle in the area of Nelson Siding Rd.

Garcia was taken into custody without any resistance at about 6:30pm in the area of Nelson Siding Rd and SR 28.

A rifle and a pistol were in the truck as the owner had just returned from a gun range before it was stolen.

Police say the theft does not appear to be related to recent crimes sprees in the Wenatchee area involving car break-ins or stolen merchandise.

Officers say it appears to be a crime of opportunity where the thief took advantage of a situation where a vehicle was left unlocked with the key in the ignition. They said Garcia may be a homeless person.

She was booked into jail for Theft 2^nd, two counts of Theft of a Firearm and Vehicle Theft.