Vehicle plows into retaining wall in Lacey area

A vehicle plowed into a newly built retaining wall in the area of Trailblazer Street on early Sunday morning, Aug. 24, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office said.

Courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office

Posted Monday, August 25, 2025 3:50 pm

By Darlanne Cruz

A 32-year-old man is facing several charges after he crashed a car into a retaining wall on Sunday, Aug. 24.

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a residential neighborhood on Trailblazer Street in the Lacey area after reports of a collision.

The vehicle owner told deputies that someone had taken his car and immediately crashed it into a retaining wall.

But it was later learned the owner of the vehicle lied about the incident.

"I arrived on scene and an individual adamantly told me that someone stole their car, left the driveway, and immediately crashed. K-9 Mac arrived on scene shortly after and started tracking," stated Sheriff Derek Sanders in a social media post.

"Simultaneously, deputies and I became suspicious that the owner of the vehicle was lying about what happened."

A witness also reported that the driver, identified by sheriff's office records as Roberto Carlos Valdez-Leon, had been allegedly driving while drunk. Deputies conducted a breath test and showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.147 percent.

He was arrested and is expected to be booked on charges of driving under the influence, hit-and-run, and making a false or misleading statements to a public servant.

The homeowner informed authorities the retaining wall had just been built the day before.