Inmate charged with kidnapping after stealing WA prisoner transport van

A Kittitas County inmate has been charged with kidnapping after she stole a transport van on Tuesday, while a prisoner awaiting transport was still in the back of the vehicle.

Rebecca Tupuola, 27, of Wapato, has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, after she stole a jail transport van near Bowers Field Airport in Ellensburg and drove away while an inmate – not believed to be associated with her – was still in the vehicle.

Timeline:

On July 1, around 9:50 a.m., Tupuola stole a transport van parked for a routine transfer of inmates between county jails. The van was bound for King County. 

Kittitas County deputies responded to the theft of a stolen prison transport vehicle. 

Tupuola was in custody on theft-related charges, was not in Kittitas County Jail custody and had never faced charges prior to July 1. 

At 10:17 a.m., the inmate in the back of the van was dropped off in a field, and called law enforcement with a cell phone left in the van. Kittitas County officials pinged the phone while the man stayed on the line and cooperated with law enforcement. 

The man told officials that Tupuola had entered a house and came out with cash, and was lying hidden in a treeline. As additional units arrived on scene, Tupuola surrendered and was taken into custody.

The Source: Information in this article is from the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office. 

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Kittitas CountyCrime and Public Safety