Police recover child, arrest suspect in auto theft incident

Hoquiam and Aberdeen police departments team up to find child and suspect

By Jerry Knaak The Daily World • January 30, 2026 1:30 am

The Hoquiam Police Department reported via Facebook that at approximately 1:25 a.m. Thursday morning, Hoquiam Police Officers were dispatched to the 200 block of Lincoln Street for a reported vehicle theft with a child still inside.

The driver, a 33-year-old Ocean Shores woman, reported that she had stopped at Circle K to use the restroom and left her vehicle running with her sleeping 11-month-old child secured in a car seat. When she exited the store, she discovered her vehicle was missing with her child still inside.

Officers reviewed surveillance footage and quickly distributed a description of the suspect to surrounding law enforcement agencies.

At approximately 1:42 a.m., Aberdeen Police Officer Abby Twibell located the stolen vehicle parked in the 2400 block of Pacific Avenue. The child was found still asleep secured in the car seat and unharmed. The suspect was still at-large, however, a wallet left behind in the vehicle identified the suspect as a 40-year-old male with a Puyallup address.

Aberdeen Police deployed a K-9 unit to track the suspect, but was unsuccessful due to time elapsed and weather conditions.

At 4:17 a.m., Lieutenant Jeff Salstrom was on his way home, but instinct led him to return to check on the vehicle, believing the suspect might return to the scene. While in the 500 block of 25th Street, Salstrom observed a subject matching the suspect’s description walking back toward the vehicle’s location.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident and later transported to the Grays Harbor County Jail where he was to be booked on charges of kidnapping in the first degree and motor vehicle theft.

“We are thankful this incident ended with a positive outcome and that the child was safely recovered without injury,” Hoquiam PD wrote on Facebook. “Big thanks to the Aberdeen Police Department for their quick assistance and response without hesitation or the need to be asked. The partnership between local law enforcement agencies in Grays Harbor is truly unmatched, and this incident highlights the strength of that teamwork.”