An Adams County Deputy apprehended a woman driving a stolen car near Othello after his car ‘told’ him it had been taken.
License plate reader nails another stolen vehicle
A few months ago, we reported how more law enforcement agencies in our area are using Axom license plate scanners. The tech, made by the same company that makes most body cameras worn by officers, can scan license plates from a distance of up to 50 feet and can capture a plate at a combined closing speed of up to 140 miles per hour (meaning if the offender is going 70 and the officer is as well towards each other, it can still capture the plate).
A stolen vehicle does have to be reported to law enforcement so the plates can be entered into the Axon database, but once they have, the scanners can work.
Monday morning, a Deputy on patrol near Othello on West Bench Road when his reader flashed on a stolen vehicle.
He gave pursuit and used a high-risk maneuver to stop the vehicle pictured in our story. It had been reported stolen out of Moses Lake, and the driver, identified as 23-year-old Lorna Paola Villanueva-Ozuna of Moses Lake, was arrested. She’s facing multiple charges. A male who was riding with her was released.
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