Updated at 9:21 a.m. and 9:47 a.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Law enforcement spent several hours looking for a 22-year-old shirtless, shoeless and handcuffed man who slipped away from a deputy early this morning as he was being escorted to a patrol car at Providence Centralia Hospital.
Andrew Holmgren
Andrew Holmgren was found just before 9 a.m. hiding in the trunk of someone’s vehicle on the 1300 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office
The resident saw mud by their vehicle inside a carport and thought it had been prowled, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.
Holmgren was arrested last night after a police pursuit of a stolen vehicle that ended near state Route 6 and Curtis Hill with a deputy using his patrol car to intentionally tap the truck Holmgren was driving and spinning it out of control, according to Brown. The Winlock resident drove his truck into two patrol vehicles at slow speed before he was taken into custody, Brown said.
He was taken to the hospital because he claimed a medical emergency – he fell down and appeared unconscious – and at about 3:30 a.m. when doctors released him, Holmgren bolted from the deputy, jumping a fence and running through a swamp, according to Brown.
He was also wanted for a warrant from the state Department of Corrections, as while under their supervision he failed to report as required, according to Brown. The offense – escape from community custody – is a felony.
When deputies responded just before 9 o’clock this morning to a report of two car prowls, they saw mud inside the vehicle and when they pulled the lever to open the trunk, it kept closing back up, according to Brown.
After a few times of that, deputies removed the back seat and there he was, according to Brown.
He is on his way to the jail, Brown said. He was to be booked for eluding, possession of stolen property, the warrant, second-degree assault and vehicle prowl.
The truck was reported stolen from the 1000 block of Yakima Street in Centralia just after 7 p.m. last night and spotted by a deputy just before midnight on Harrison Avenue.
The pursuit by four law enforcement agencies went into Grand Mound and back down Interstate before heading west to state Route 6, according to Brown.
@ George … Really?! I’m sorry, did you say you were there on scene to see what actually happened or the chain of events that could have led up to this? Your “typical cop” stereotype is highly inaccurate and inappropriate.
Susie Q. – 1000 block of Yakima St, Centralia,
Where was the car stolen from??
So, one must take a look at the deputy that permitted someone to escape from his custody, and what the deputy did to stop this person from doing so. Or maybe the deputy was blind, and could not run…. too many donuts?