Local Authorities Arrest Suspected Thief Outside Columbia Center Mall

(Kennewick, WA) — The Benton County Sheriff's Office arrested a suspected thief outside the Columbia Center Sunday morning. A deputy noticed a vehicle associated with numerous burglaries parked over on the east side of the mall in front of Twigs. Deputies planned block the vehicle in and search for a suspect female in the mall, but as they drove toward the truck, the suspect ran to it and hopped in.

The woman immediately rammed a patrol vehicle while backing up, then pulled forward and struck another. She continued to hit the gas--causing smoke to billow from under the tires until authorities were able to remove her from the truck and take her into the custody. She has since been identified as 26-year-old Morgan Childers.

Childers is suspected to be involved in a theft from at least one clothing store in the mall, in addition to shoplifting from Lowe's in Pasco. She also has an out-of-state warrant for theft in La Grande, Oregon.

Today at about 1130 a.m. a deputy on foot, located a vehicle associated with numerous commercial burglaries, unoccupied...

Posted by Benton County, WA Sheriff's Office on Sunday, December 19, 2021

There were no major injuries during the arrest, and the investigation into the various thefts is still ongoing.