The Washington State Patrol arrested a man in Lewis County Saturday after he allegedly stole a car from the Portland International Airport and attempted to flee north.
According to police, the victim had stepped outside of his Lexus to say goodbye to family members when David A. Miller, 35, of Lakewood, entered and drove away.
Miller drove north on Interstate 5. When troopers attempted to pull him over, Miller allegedly accelerated to over 90 mph and drove on the shoulder of the road to pass traffic.
Miller eventually pulled over near Coulson Road on state Route 508, east of Napavine. The arresting trooper reportedly found the victim’s wallet inside the tan coat Miller was wearing.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Miller has had 16 prior warrants issued for his arrest. He’s thrice been convicted of both possession of a stolen vehicle and attempting to elude a police vehicle, and has multiple theft convictions.
Miller made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday.
He’s charged with one count each of possession of a stolen vehicle, attempting to elude a police vehicle and first-degree driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Prosecuting Attorney Jonathan Meyer said he had “zero doubt” Miller would fail to abide by his conditions of release, and asked for a bail amount of $100,000 cash or bond.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for no more than $25,000 in bail. Tiller said Miller’s employment at McDonald’s demonstrated an ability to abide by his release conditions.
Strophy agreed with Meyer that the allegations posed a significant risk to community safety.
At one point, Miller interrupted and said he’d had a mental breakdown and was not in the “right state of mind.” Strophy eventually ordered Miller to be quiet.
Strophy acknowledged Miller’s “significant” warrant history, before saying he was most concerned about the nature of the allegations and Miller’s similar criminal offenses.
The judge granted the state’s request for a bail of $100,000 cash or bond and scheduled an arraignment for Thursday.
