CAPTURED: Lacey Police arrest prolific burglary/car theft suspect after pursuit and crash



CAPTURED -- Lacey Police arrested Robert Collins on Friday after he crashed head-on into another car during a pursuit at Martin Way near Marvin Road.   Collins got out to run into a store and was caught.

Photos are courtesy the Thurston Co. Scanner, News, & Weather Blog Facebook page who says the injuries to the other driver were minor.   Collins was booked into the Thurston County jail on numerous charges for Eluding Police, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Identity Theft, Heroin, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Hit and Run and Theft of a Motor Vehicle.  Collins s being held without bail.



CENTRALIA, Wash. -- Department of Corrections officers and deputies in Lewis and Thurston County are asking for your help to find 41-year-old Robert Collins, who is accused of stealing multiple cars and burglarizing homes.

He was almost caught last week near Centralia when a homeowner shot him with an airsoft pistol that fires nylon bullets, but Collins got away after crashing a stolen car.

"A subsequent K-9 track was unsuccessful in actually locating Robert Collins, but he was able to get away, which is why we are seeking him now," said Chief Dusty Breen with the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.

He is from Tenino, but officers say he has stolen cars in Lacey, Tumwater and Olympia. Detectives say he is putting the public in danger by leading officers on high-speed pursuits.

" biggest concern is that if we don't catch him, he's just gonna keep going. It’s more people’s cars being stolen, property missing and other crimes so the longer he's out there, the more auto thefts we're gonna have," said Crime Analyst Elizabeth Donovan with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, who is tracking all of his alleged thefts.

His criminal history includes convictions for five residential burglaries, vehicular assault, multiple thefts, theft of a firearm, possession of stolen property, trafficking in stolen property and multiple drug possessions.

If you spot Collins, call 911 or submit a tip to Crime Stoppers of the South Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS or through the P3 Tips App on your cell phone. There is a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to his arrest