Suspect Unsuccessfully Tries to Traverse Muddy Field in Stolen Truck
Spokane County Deputies responded to a trespassing call and discovered the truck driven by the suspect had been stolen. The Deputies eventually located the suspect, and he was arrested for Taking a Motor Vehicle without Permission and Making/Possessing Motor Vehicle Theft Tools.
On March 6, 2025, at approximately 5:30 pm, Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a trespassing call at a residence south of Fairchild AFB. The caller stated an unknown male drove a white Chevrolet pickup onto his property and got stuck in his very muddy field. The male suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Brandon B. Grothe, exited the truck and walked away.
Arriving Deputies learned that Grothe was last seen walking south on Graham Road toward SR. 902. Deputies could not get to where the truck was stuck due to the flooded and muddy conditions of the field. Thankfully, the homeowner gave the Deputy a ride to the truck’s location on his ATV. Once at the pickup, they found a “Ram” key in the ignition, and upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a “shaved” key, commonly used to steal vehicles without the actual ignition key.
Deputies spoke with the business that owns the truck and learned it was stolen earlier in the morning from a location in the 1300 block of N. Atlantic in Spokane. The victim said they had both sets of keys, and no one had permission to take the vehicle.
Deputies searched the area, but Grothe was not immediately located.
After Deputies had cleared and responded to a different call for service, a caller reported a suspicious male, matching Grothe’s description, had walked in front of their car near SR. 902 and S. Bartholomew Road. Deputies requested the assistance of Airway Heights Police Officers and Washington State Patrol (WSP) Troopers.
At approximately 7:40 pm, Deputies arrived in the area and observed a male (Grothe) talking to a WSP Trooper. Grothe was swiftly detained and frisked for weapons. The Deputy located some keys in Grothe’s pocket, including another worn/shaved RAM key. The key appeared to be shaved, similar to the one removed from the stolen truck’s ignition, and he had mud on his shoes.
An Airway Heights Police Officer brought the homeowner to the location, and he positively identified Grothe as the same person he observed driving the truck.
Grothe was advised of his rights and agreed to answer questions. He stated he was very high on methamphetamine and was walking from Spokane but didn’t know how he ended up in Medical Lake. Grothe denied taking the Chevy pickup and had no idea what the keys found in his pocket were for.
After the interview, with probable cause established, the Deputy advised Grothe that he was under arrest. He was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Taking a Motor Vehicle w/o Permission 2nd Degree and Making/Possessing Motor Vehicle Theft Tools.
This Spokane County Sheriff Office news article "Suspect Unsuccessfully Tries to Traverse Muddy Field in Stolen Truck" was originally found on https://www.spokanecounty.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?CID=7