Pierce County deputies arrest suspected car thief with farmer's help

TACOMA, Wash. - A Pierce County farmer was able to trick a suspected car thief and help deputies arrest him. 

Suspect Michael Lavallie is facing several charges including vehicle theft, eluding law enforcement and assault in the second degree. 

Detectives said on July 12, after pursuing Lavallie in a stolen car, he took off running into the woods near Eatonville, going under the radar of the K-9 unit. 

A breaking point in their search came from the help of local farmers. Based on suspect descriptions, a man recognized Lavallie in his cow pasture. The man’s wife called 911, saying her husband’s plan was to pretend he didn’t know Lavallie was on the run and offered him a ride in his pickup truck, all while his wife gave 911 dispatchers details of their every move.

"Gave him a ride off the property, but at the same time had another person call 911 to let them know this is probably the person we’re looking for they had in their vehicle. Go ahead and pull me over. At that point, our deputies show up and hold the vehicle at gunpoint and end up taking the suspect into custody," said Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.

Though it worked out in the end, investigators advised to never interact with a suspect, as they could risk someone’s life to save their own.

"The safest thing to do is to call us, let us get there. You can take photos, you can take a video on your phone, you can stay on the phone and tell us which direction the person is going until we can get there," said Moss. "Getting that close to somebody and have them actually sit in your vehicle with you, potentially he could have been armed and taken the vehicle from him or hurt him."

Lavallie's first appearance at Pierce County Courthouse in Tacoma was on Thursday. Prosecutors said Lavallie had a history of car thefts in the county, including a Jeep, a pickup truck and an ATV all in one day near Eatonville, according to court documents.

"This guy is stealing numerous vehicles every time we try to contact him or take him into custody. He rammed an Eatonville police officer’s car. We’re concerned he’s going to try to hurt someone in the public just to get away, let alone committing other crimes," said Sgt. Darren Moss, the public information officer for Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. 

"These allegations, the criminal history, the fact that there are so many charges here poses a substantial danger to the community safety," said Matthew Morrow, a Pierce County deputy prosecutor.

Lavallie is scheduled for an arraignment on Aug. 1.