Suspect claims to be his brother to avoid arrest

Tumwater Police Department (TPD) officers arrested an individual found sleeping inside a vehicle on charges of criminal impersonation Thursday, January 4, at 2 a.m.

The man, Jeremiah L. Pruett, 46, whose identification showed a Darrington, Washington address, a, was sleeping inside the vehicle at the parking lot at 1600 Mottman Road SW along with another male and a female. Officers observed various glass pipes, lighters, torches, and foil inside the vehicle consistent with consuming narcotics, according to the police report.

Officers awakened the vehicle’s occupants, who claimed they did not require medical assistance.

The man in the driver's seat identified himself as David Pruett and asserted that the blue 1999 Subaru Outback belonged to his father, while the other male in the front passenger seat said his name was Joseph Schilber.

The woman refused to disclose her identity.

The police asked both men if the Department of Licensing photos for the names they gave would match their faces, who answered that they gave accurate information.

Police reminded the two that pretending to be someone else was a crime.

A check on the vehicle’s records showed the driver was probably Jeremiah L. Pruett instead of his claim that he was David

Authorities confirmed Schilber’s identity

Pruett had two active warrants from the Aberdeen Police Department for driving with a suspended license and fourth-degree assault.Schilber had a non-extraditable warrant from the same police department for third-degree theft.

The suspect driver had left the vehicle and started walking towards a nearby hotel when authorities directed him to stop and informed him he was being detained and was under investigation for possible criminal impersonation.

"He (the suspect) admitted that he gave his brother`s name because he was scared of being arrested for his warrants," the Tumwater Police Department stated in the report.

Law enforcement placed the suspect under arrest, and he was booked at Thurston County Jail for first-degree criminal impersonation.