Thief caught in the act

COLLEGE PLACE — Early Saturday morning, at 4:40 A.M., officers from the College Place Police Department responded to an interior motion alarm at Hop Thief Tap Room, 795 SE Sydnee Lane. Upon arrival and initial inspection, officers observed a male step out of an exterior door of the building before quickly going back inside once he saw the officers. Officers on scene were able to make contact with the business owner, who stated that no one should be inside the building at that time.

Officers from the Walla Walla Police Department and deputies from the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office as well as K9 Murphy arrived on scene to assist in setting up a perimeter around the building.

Officers starting hailing for the suspect to exit the building and continued to do so for nearly 30 minutes with no response. At that time, officers and K9 Murphy made entry into the building and located the subject upstairs, hiding under a table. The suspect, who was identified as Raul Melgar Moreno, 23, of Walla Walla, was taken into custody without further issue.

It was discovered that Melgar Moreno had made entrance into the business through an upper balcony door. When he was taken into custody, Melgar Moreno had more than $500 in his possession that he had taken from a cash box within the business.

Melgar Moreno was booked into the Walla Walla County Jail on charges of burglary in the second degree, theft in the third degree and obstructing a law enforcement officer.

While being booking into jail, officers discovered that Melgar Moreno was released on his own
recognizance by a judge on Feb. 9. Melgar Moreno was previously booked into jail on Feb. 5 on
charges of robbery in the second degree, theft of motor vehicle, assault in the fourth degree (domestic violence), possession of a stolen vehicle and attempting to elude a police vehicle.

Photo via College Place Police Department

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Elkhorn Media Group

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