Teen stole all kinds of things, and loved telling Puyallup police about it
Tyler Townsend told the Puyallup police officers who arrested him stories about stealing cars, guns and running from police.
On Friday, he told them to a judge before pleading guilty to 19 felonies.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Martin gave the 19-year-old a low-end sentence of seven years, three months in prison.
In total, Townsend was convicted of eight counts of vehicle theft, three counts of trying to elude police, first-degree burglary, unlawful gun possession and two counts each of second-degree possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and identity theft.
Charging papers gave this account:
Police arrested Townsend on June 29 in connection with a stolen vehicle. The teen told officers about other times he’d stolen cars, guns and had run from police across Pierce County.
He took credit for nine stolen vehicles. In addition, he said one burglary involved 300 rounds of ammunition and nine guns stolen from a home.
Then there were the times he fled police — once on an ATV, and once in a stolen car he ended up crashing.
Officers also asked him about a time someone fled Puyallup police, and “the defendant appeared to be very proud of himself and laughed with police about the incident,” Deputy Prosecutor Scott Peters wrote in the declaration for determination of probable cause.
Investigators learned later that Townsend also had tried to use stolen credit cards at a video rental kiosk in Puyallup.
He told them his crimes supported his methamphetamine addiction, and spanned the jurisdictions of the Sheriff’s Department and police in Puyallup, Bonney Lake and Federal Way.
Townsend’s prior convictions include residential burglary, unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and second-degree burglary.
His attorney did not return a News Tribune message Monday.
Alexis Krell: 253-597-8268, @amkrell
This story was originally published May 8, 2017 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Teen stole all kinds of things, and loved telling Puyallup police about it."