Felon charged in stolen vehicle case

A 36-year-old woman with prior felony convictions is facing more legal trouble after being found behind the wheel of a stolen pickup truck.

Court records show Samantha Marie Rogers, of Auburn, has been charged in Thurston County Superior Court with possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

The charge stems from her arrest at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 24 in the 3400 block of Pacific Avenue SE, where officers located a gray 2015 Toyota Tacoma that was reported stolen in King County. 

Authorities said Rogers was stopped after officers observed the truck being driven without visible license plates on Interstate 5.

The vehicle exited onto Pacific Avenue before pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant, where officers detained her. The vehicle’s identification number was used to confirm the vehicle was stolen.

During the stop, officers also reported finding baggies containing crystal substances inside the truck, along with personal documents belonging to the vehicle’s owner.  

When interviewed, Rogers told officers she had purchased the truck for $500 from a man she identified only by a nickname. She claimed she was supposed to pay another $500 in exchange for receiving the title, but admitted she did not know the seller’s full name or have any paperwork. 

According to the owner of the vehicle, he was going to give Rogers a ride but she left the owner and drove away with the vehicle.

“He was going to help Samantha out by bringing her to A Street in Auburn, however, he did not have enough gas to make it to Auburn, which prompted the trip to the gas station. When he went into the gas station, Samantha left with the truck and it was unknown where she went as she did not bring the truck back,” a responding officer said in a report.

 The suspect has one felony conviction for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and two felony convictions for taking a motor vehicle without permission. 

Rogers was booked into the Thurston County Corrections Facility following her arrest. The recovered truck has since been returned to its registered owner.