Skagit Sheriff Arrests Three Car Thieves

Lake Cavanaugh, WA-  Just after 6:30 am on August 26th, 2015 an alert citizen in the 27000 block of Lake Cavanaugh Road called 9-1-1 and advised that there were two vehicles traveling through the area that were unknown to the area and the drivers were acting suspicious.

Officers from the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area to check on the vehicles and their occupants.

One of the vehicles, a silver Ford Ranger was found abandoned on the side of the road in the 27000 block of Lake Cavanaugh Road. It was  determined to be a recently reported stolen truck from Mount Vernon. The Vehicle was returned to it’s owner and deputies continued to search the area for the other involved vehicle.

The second Vehicle was only  described by the RP as a black passenger car. Note: Around 4:30 am the same day (2 hours earlier) deputies had taken a report of a stolen black 1999 Volkswagen Passat from the Anacortes Area.

Also Note: The  previous day, on August 25th, deputies had investigated a Burglary complaint in the same area of Lake Cavanaugh Road. Soon after the burglary deputies recovered an abandoned stolen vehicle a short distance away. This led deputies to believe that the burglary suspects may have stolen the vehicle and used that vehicle in commission of the burglary  the previous day. 

The multiple stolen vehicles reported on August 25th and 26th and the recovery of one of those vehicles  and the positive Identification of another, led deputies to believe that the suspects were possibly attempting to repeat the same crimes committed the previous day .

While checking the areas around Lake Cavanaugh Road, deputies found a black Honda Accord traveling through the area. They ran the license plate number and it returned STOLEN out of Pierce County on August 22nd, 2015.   At the same time, deputies observed a black Volkswagen traveling through the same area in the opposite direction.

Deputies initiated a traffic stop on the Stolen Black Honda Accord as it turned onto Lake Cavanaugh Road and detained two subjects in the vehicle. The Driver, Jacob Rohelier of Everett, Wa and passenger Paul Cast of  Marysville, WA.  Both subjects were questioned about the stolen vehicle and both denied having any knowledge that the vehicle was stolen. Both men stated that Mr. Roheliers girlfriend had recently purchased the vehicle and that she did not know it was stolen. Both men denied having any knowledge of the other two stolen vehicles or the burglary on the previous day.  Deputies searching Mr. Cast found a brown tar substance, later identified as Heroin.

Deputies noted several sets of shaved keys on the front seat passengers  floorboard of the Stolen Honda. Shaved or altered keys are commonly used by car thieves to enter and start various types of vehicles.  Both occupants denied having any knowledge that they keys were there or any involvement with them.

During this time, another deputy located a black  Volkswagen Passat, believed to be the same one that the other deputies saw as they stopped the Stolen Honda. This  vehicle was confirmed to be the STOLEN vehicle  out of Anacortes from earlier in the morning. Two subjects ran from this stolen vehicle and a police K-9 tracked one of the subjects to the 1900 block of West Big Lake Blvd. Officers took  Zachary Hertz of Bellingham, WA into custody. The second subject was not found.

Deputies interviewed Mr. Hertz and questioned him about his involvement with the other two subjects or any of the  stolen vehicles and he denied knowing anything about any of them. However, upon searching Mr. Hertz, Deputies found on his person, the registration documents and insurance cards  from the stolen Volkswagen  that he was believed to have been seen running from. Deputies searched the stolen Jetta and they found the stolen  wallet of the owner of the stolen Ford Truck that had been recovered alongside Lake Cavanaugh Road.

All three subjects were arrested and taken to the Skagit County Jail.

Their Charges and history are listed below:

Zachary Kenneth Hertz: (D.O.B 05/15/1988) 

2808 Church Street, Bellingham, WA:

-Possession of Stolen Vehicle-2 Counts

-Possession of Stolen Property- 2 Counts

He is being held on a $50,000 bond

Paul Michael Cast: (D.O.B 05/20/1977)

5225 144th Place NE, Marysville, WA: 

-Possession of Stolen Vehicle

-Vucsa

He is being held on a $50,000 Bond

Mr. Cast has 11 prior felony convictions including, Assault, Trafficking in Stolen Property, Possession of Stolen Property. He was recently arrested in Everett for Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle.

Jacob Alan Rohelier (D.O.B. 02/10/1999)

907 94th St SE, Everett, WA 

-Possession of Stolen Vehicle

Mr. Rohelier was recently arrested in the Everett area for the crime of Robbery. He has a prior arrest for Possession of drugs with intent to Manufacture/Deliver a controlled substance.

He is being held on a $20,000 bond.

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