The suspect accused of stealing the “Jaws of Life” from the Riverside Fire Authority in downtown Centralia on Saturday has been arrested.
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest on Monday night, noting that the man is also suspected of an armed robbery at the Little Creek Casino. He was arrested in Kent.
The Centralia Police Department later identified the man as 32-year-old Edgar Gonzalez-Barragan, of SeaTac. He has been booked into the Lewis County Jail as investigators continued to search for the stolen equipment. On Tuesday afternoon, the department announced the Jaws of Life had been recovered from Gonzalez-Barragan's vehicle after a search warrant was served.
At about 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, while the Riverside Fire Authority tended to medical-related business at George Washington Park in downtown Centralia, an unnamed suspect approached and stole a “Jaws of Life” machine valued at $12,000.
The term “Jaws of Life” is used to collectively describe three hydraulic rescue tools known as the spreader, the cutter and the ram. First responders typically use these items to extricate, or free, individuals trapped inside a vehicle or some collapsed or compacted structure.
The suspect of Saturday’s theft and their vehicle were captured on surveillance cameras.
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office reports that the man was arrested in Kent after a joint investigation by the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, Homeland Security, the FBI, Kent police, Squaxin Island police and the sheriff’s office.
“The safe apprehension of the suspect was possible due to the cooperative efforts of all involved," the sheriff’s office stated.
Investigation
A news release from the Centralia Police Department provides more details about the theft and subsequent investigation.
The release noted that the Riverside Fire Authority had responded to George Washington Park for a call for service at about 2 p.m. Saturday when the equipment was stolen from a fire authority vehicle.
“The Jaws of Life are a crucial piece of equipment for RFA personnel to extract victims from vehicle collisions and are valued at about $12,000,” the release stated. “Centralia PD patrol officers responded to the scene and immediately began a theft investigation. Officers quickly obtained surveillance footage of the suspect walking away from the fire department vehicle with the stolen equipment. A bulletin was created with a photo of the suspect and his vehicle and, a short time later, Centralia PD was advised that this suspect appeared to be the same person who attempted an armed robbery at a casino located in Mason County.”
On Sunday, Centralia Detective Mitch King began investigating the theft. He learned that the license plate on the Toyota vehicle the suspect had been driving had been recently stolen from another Toyota in Olympia.
Using the Flock Safety camera search function, King was eventually able to locate the suspect vehicle from a previous day in Kent. He was able to identify the vehicle as being the correct one due to subtle differences in the vehicle that made it unique, according to the release.
King began coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to locate the vehicle and the suspect.
At approximately 8 p.m., Kent police located the vehicle and arrested the suspect in the Centralia theft and the attempted robbery in Mason County.
The suspect was identified through multiple surveillance photos recorded while he was committing crimes. He was identified as 32-year-old Edgar Gonzalez-Barragan, of SeaTac. Custody of Gonzalez-Barragan was transferred to the Centralia Police Department.
Gonzalez-Barragan was driven back to Lewis County where he was booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree theft. The Jaws of Life will be returned to the Riverside Fire Authority.
“The Centralia Police Department wishes to thank all the collaborative police agencies, both local and federal, that assisted us in the apprehension of Gonzalez-Barragan,” the police department stated in the release. “This investigation is ongoing, and no additional information will be provided at this time. If/when the Jaws of Life are recovered, an updated press release will be provided.”
