Man with active warrant arrested for alleged possession of a stolen car

A 36-year-old man was arrested after authorities found him in an allegedly stolen car parked in the parking lot of a local restaurant in Tumwater 

Around 1:49 a.m. on July 12, a roving Tumwater Police Department officer was conducting a business check at Denny’s on Trosper Road SW when he spotted a silver Dodge Charger without license plates in the parking lot. A records check revealed the car had been reported stolen from Cascade Motors several days earlier. 

The officer contacted the driver, identified in a police report as Edward Troymine Johnson of Tacoma, who allegedly gave false information about his connection to the vehicle. He claimed he is working at Cascade Motors and the owner loaned him the vehicle. 

“He said he was not given keys to the vehicle because it was an old police vehicle and the keys were simply inside, which allowed the vehicle to start without him having the physical keys,” a police officer stated in a report on the incident.

Upon verification with the auto company, the owner told authorities the suspect was not an employee and he did not give him permission to use the vehicle.  

Authorities later learned Johnson had an active felony warrant from the Washington State Department of Corrections for escaping community custody related to a prior robbery conviction. 

Johnson was arrested without incident and booked into the Thurston County Jail on charges of possession of a stolen motor vehicle and an outstanding warrant. The Dodge Charger was returned to the dealership.