Today, the Auto Crimes Enforcement (ACE) auto
theft task force of Pierce County concluded a mission called "Operation
Cancel Christmas." Their task was to identify the region's most
prolific auto thieves and arrest them for outstanding bench warrants in order
to preclude them from committing their crimes over the holiday season.
ACE detectives arrested 7 of the targeted 17 suspects, and today arrested
a male subject in Tacoma. With the Tacoma Police SWAT team serving 2
warrants in the City of Tacoma, the male subject, who was considered the "ACE of
Spade" suspect for the warrant sweep, was finally apprehended. He
was wanted for 2 felony warrants for eluding area police in stolen vehicles, a
recent car jacking in Tacoma, and a home-invasion robbery.The task force believes his arrest will be measurable because the male subject admits to stealing up to 7 cars per week, and claims to have stolen a minimum of 700 cars in the past 10 years.
He was booked into the Pierce County Jail.
The ACE Task Force is staffed by detectives from Fife Police (parent agency), Puyallup Police, Tacoma Police, Pierce County Sheriff's Office, Washington State Patrol, real-time crime analysts from South Sound 911/LARIAT, and a deputy prosecutor from the Pierce County Prosecutor's Office.
Sgt. Nestor Bautista
Washington State Patrol
Criminal Investigation Division
253.606.1948
