Sheriff Says Car Prowl Investigation Led To 14 Crimes Solved

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office says their investigation of vehicle prowls led to 14 crimes in two counties and a national park being solved.

Sheriff Mike Morrison says deputies worked together to track evidence from car prowls near Leavenworth and far northwest Chelan County to two suspects from Everett.

Morrison says they arrested one of them and were able to link both of them to the 14 crimes after collecting evidence from two storage units.

Sierra L Cotter faces charges in Chelan County while detectives continue to look for fellow suspect Brandon R. Sutherland.

Deputies were first sent to a vehicle prowl near Chatter Creek trail head outside Leavenworth on June 27, where the victim reported someone had broken her passenger side window and stole her wallet along with other items.

They say they were able to get a description of the suspect vehicle after following up with a business where the victim's credit card was used in Leavenworth.

Then the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Forrest Service Deputy investigated reports of vehicle prowls along the Highway 20 corridor on National Parks Service land in the northwest area of Chelan County.

His investigation identified the vehicle used in those prowls as the same one used in the car prowl near Leavenworth, complete with a license plate number.

Further investigation led that deputy to discover that the owner of the suspect vehicle had sold items stolen in the car prowls.

Chelan County Sheriff’s detectives were next able to use video footage to identify the suspects as Cotter and Sutherland, both of Everett.

Cotter was arrested in King County and taken to Chelan County jail on suspicion of Possession of Stolen Property, Identity Theft, and Forgery.

The detectives then used a search warrant obtained in King County to locate evidence found in two storage units in the Everett area that belonged to Sutherland and Cotter.

Sheriff Morrison says the investigation resulted in the solving of two cases in Chelan County, two in National Parks and 10 cases in Snohomish County.

The suspects may now be facing charges in Snohomish County.

Morrison did not elaborate on the whereabouts of Sutherland.