State police arrest six in stolen auto raid

Detectives with the Washington State Patrol’s Spokane Auto Theft Unit conducted a raid Wednesday morning in rural south Stevens County and arrested six suspects. They also discovered five stolen vehicles as part of the investigation that started 12 months ago.

Detectives found a stolen Ford Mustang, Nissan Pathfinder, fifth-wheel camper trailer, motorcycle and a snowmobile.

Arrested were Lucas T. Cassidy, 45; Douglas J. LeBlanc, 46; Dana Hunter, 40; Janice Christianson, 50; Nicole Boose, 26; and Patty Moore, 43, Trooper Jim Hays said.

The charges include possession of marijuana, methamphetamines, stolen property and firearms.

The search warrant Wednesday was the final leg of an investigation that started in February 2004 when a confidential informant bought a stolen vehicle from two men 107 E. Kiernan in Spokane.

Following leads and associates and stolen parts, detectives have served numerous search warrants around the area, netting several stolen vehicles and car parts. They also made several arrests.

Most of the searches were made at rural locations cars are chopped into parts. “Or they move stolen vehicles from place to place until they are sold,” Hays said. “Part of it is to subsidize their meth addictions. Part of it is this is what they do.”