Deputies stop felon driving stolen car full of stolen military medals, guns, gear

The car was hot, and so was the military gear and the guns inside, according to a report from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.

A report released Friday by the department told the story:

On the afternoon of July 15, deputies spotted a vehicle, stolen from Lakewood the previous week, traveling down Hosmer Street just outside of Tacoma. Deputies pulled up behind the car. The 25-year-old driver, who told deputies he was a gang member, said he knew the car was stolen and that it was full of stolen property, including guns. He was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property. Since he is a convicted felon, he was also booked for unlawful possession of a firearm.

His 26-year-old passenger, who had a felony warrant for her arrest, told deputies they were saving her life by taking her to jail. She said she is a heroin addict who needs help.

Deputies had the car towed and served a search warrant. Inside the vehicle, they found property stolen the morning of July 15 during a burglary at the home of a Lakewood soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The stolen items included the soldier’s passport, military I.D. and financial documents. Deputies also recovered several military medals, collector coins, guns, credit cards, watches, jewelry, ammunition and unspecified military equipment. They were still processing the stolen items to see if they could be matched to items stolen from other victims.

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 10:31 PM with the headline "Deputies stop felon driving stolen car full of stolen military medals, guns, gear."