Two Tacoma women were arrested Friday, Aug. 1, and charged Monday in Lewis County Superior Court with first-degree trafficking in stolen property after a theft of $600 worth of items from the Polo Outlet in Centralia.
Hillary Andrea Simmons, 18, and Anika Mateenya Rosa Ernst, 24, appeared separately in Lewis County Superior Court for their preliminary hearings Monday, with Simmons appearing virtually from Lewis County Jail and Ernst attending in person after posting bail over the weekend. Bail was set at $25,000 for Simmons by Judge Paul Strophy, and Ernst posted $50,000 bail.
On Aug. 1, Centralia police were dispatched to a theft complaint and given descriptions of two females as well as the vehicle they drove from the scene of the theft. The vehicle was located near the Columbia Outlet in Centralia, and two females matching the description were observed near the outlet. Upon exiting, they were contacted by police.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by prosecutors, Simmons indicated she and Ernst had stolen items from the Polo Outlet, and the items were located in the vehicle. The intent was to reportedly sell the items, as Ernst told police that a friend had paid her, provided her with a list and directed her to Polo because “it would be easy,” according to court documents.
The value of the stolen items was $600, court documents state. The thefts were caught on video, and Simmons and Ernst were observed walking out of the store and setting off security alarms. Consent was provided to search the vehicle, and the stolen items were recovered and the two suspects were arrested.
Ernst has one prior case with warrant history and is pending a felony eluding case out of Pierce County, while Simmons has five prior warrants, including a felony warrant for second-degree theft and first-degree criminal trespass in Thurston County that was active at the time of her arrest.
Simmons also has pending charges of third-degree theft out of two different courts, according to court documents. Her history includes convictions for robbery, assault, possession of a stolen vehicle and theft.
Simmons is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 7 for arraignment, and Ernst is set to be arraigned on Aug. 14.
