Man allegedly mugs and holds victim hostage

A Lakewood man allegedly shot and held an Olympia man hostage in the victim’s car.

According to reports by multiple Olympia police officers, a reporting party told authorities Saturday, March 26 that a man was shot at a known RV encampment on the 3000 block of Ensign Road.

An anonymous female caller reported hearing a gunshot and seeing a man fall into the grass. The caller identified the shooter as “Monster,” who was later named by police as Wesley Saua Benjamin Mapu, 22.

After coordinating a plan of contact, law enforcement canvassed the scene of the incident on foot and saw a small pool of blood near one of the RVs but did not find a victim.

Officers said individuals on the scene gave different accounts, with some saying they heard fireworks and others saying they heard a single gunshot.

During a secondary sweep of the area, police found the involved parties inside a small sedan parked among the RVs.

The man in the driver’s seat was identified as the suspect, Mapu, who had what was later determined to be a loaded handgun, a prohibited switchblade, and a baton, while the victim was in the front passenger seat.

One officer noted that the victim had a bloodied face his speech was “difficult to discern as he appeared to have a significant problem with his jaw and nose.”

The victim told police that he was with “his girl” when he was approached, Mapu, whom he did not know, demanding his money. The victim said he tried to get away from the suspect when Mapu pulled out a handgun and shot a round in the air.

The man said the next thing he knew, he was on the ground looking up at Mapu mounting him and demanding he empty his pockets. The man said he could not recall how he fell to the ground, stating that he got “knocked out” somehow.

The victim said he made another attempt to get away, but Mapu demanded his car keys and the two of them entered the vehicle. The victim said he was unable to exit his car because Mapu took the driver’s seat and kept him inside.

Police report the victim “appeared terrified of Mapu.”

The suspect, meanwhile, told police that he was cold and the victim allowed him to sleep in his car. He refused to make further statements about the incident.

Police report that Mapu complied when asked to leave the vehicle and was detained in front of the car without restraints, eventually handcuffed after authorities confirmed his identity.

A police search of Mapu yielded a black case containing cigarettes, a small bag of what appeared to be methamphetamine, a small bag of blue pills, the suspect’s wallet, the victim’s wallet, a smartphone, and a can of dipping tobacco.

Mapu was booked at the Thurston County Jail for first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, unlawful possession of firearms, aiming or discharging firearms, possession of dangerous weapons, and an out-of-town warrant.

The victim was brought to Providence St. Peter Hospital and was nearly unconscious at the emergency room, according to one officer.

It was not immediately clear what happened to the victim’s supposed companion, and the police reports did not note that any other people were involved in the incident.