Police dog finds robbery suspect hiding in tree

A Pasco robbery suspect's attempt to hide in a tree at a Kennewick golf course from pursuing police was thwarted by a police dog with a nose for tracking criminals.

Ricardo Solorio, 33, of Pasco, eventually was arrested early Wednesday after dumping his car near the Tri-City Country Club after a chase down Highway 395 into Kennewick, said Pasco police Capt. Jim Raymond.

The incident started at 12:30 a.m. when employees at the Walmart on Road 68 spotted a man, later identified as Solorio, in a fenced area where old car batteries are stored, Raymond told the Herald.

The manager went to confront Solorio while a security officer stood in front of the car that Solorio was loading the batteries into, Raymond said. The security officer apparently was trying to take a picture of the red Buick Regal when Solorio jumped in and sped off, nearly running over the security officer.

Store employees then called police.

A short time later, a Washington State Patrol trooper driving south on Highway 395 near the blue bridge noticed a red Buick in front of him pulling away instead of pulling over, Raymond said.

The trooper started chasing the car as an alert went out connecting the car to the Pasco robbery.

During the chase, Solorio was seen throwing a duffel bag out the window of the car. Officers later recovered the bag and found personal ID information and registration papers belonging to a stolen car, Raymond said.

Solorio continued into Kennewick, turned onto Yelm Avenue and then ditched the car near the countryclub.

Pasco police surrounded the area and called out a K-9 unit to track Solorio. The police dog initially alerted officers by stopping at a big tree on the golf course, Raymond said. The K-9 unit then searched the rest of the golf course and went back to the first tree and sat down.

Officers then discovered Solorio hiding up in the top of the tree where he couldn't be seen, Raymond said.

Solorio eventually climbed down from the tree and was arrested.

He was booked into the Franklin County jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery and also could face an eluding charge.

Solorio has a history of running from the cops. In 2009, he was convicted of attempting to elude police after he refused to stop for a trooper who tried to pull him over on Columbia Drive in Kennewick for having a brake light out.

Solorio eventually jumped out of the still-moving car, which rolled through an intersection and into the front yard of a house and hit a tree, documents said.

Troopers later caught Solorio, who said he ran because he had warrants out for his arrest.

9 Kennewick teens suspects in tagging incidents

Nine Kennewick teens are suspected of being responsible for a rash of graffiti around Kennewick during the past four months.

The taggers spray painted "OMG" around town on numerous public and private buildings and property, said Kennewick police spokesman Mike Blatman.

Kennewick police, with help from Kennewick residents who reported the taggings, began investigating and served multiple search warrants connected to the incidents.

They identified nine boys ranging in age from 14-17 as being responsible for about 40 incidents between February and the first week of June, Blatman said.

Damage and cleanup costs are estimated at $7,000.

The group of taggers also is being investigated for graffiti found outside of the city limits in Benton County, he said.

Prosecutors are reviewing police reports for possible charges of felony malicious mischief against the group.

Blatman said citizen involvement by providing information to police about the graffiti was essential in solving the crimes.

Woman being sought for obtaining painkillers by forging prescriptions

Kennewick police and Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers are seeking the public's help identifying a woman who picked up a forged prescription for painkillers.

The woman picked up the prescription, supposedly for a relative, on June 19 from the Kennewick Safeway's pharmacy, said Mike Blatman, Kennewick police's crime prevention specialist.

The prescription was for 180 oxycodone pills, Blatman told the Herald.

An image of the woman at the pharmacy counter was released Wednesday in a Crime Stoppers wanted bulletin.

Anyone who can identify the woman is asked to call Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers at586-8477 or go to www.tricitiescrimestoppers.org. Tips can also be sent by text message by writing "Text TIP 411" plus the message to CRIMES (274637).

All calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential.

Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that results in a felony arrest.

Tri-City banks urged to watch for serial robber

Banks in the Tri-Cities were sent an alert Wednesday to be on the lookout for a serial robbery suspect.

The notice went out through Kennewick police's merchant alert and a bank security alert system, said Mike Blatman, Kennewick po-lice's crime prevention specialist.

The same robber is suspected of holding up two banks on the west side last week and a Bank of America in Moses Lake on Tuesday, Blatman said.

The Moses Lake bank was robbed around 1:30 p.m.

The suspect also hit a Bank of American branch in Mount Vernon around 2:15 p.m.June 12 and a second bank on June 14, authorities said.

The robber is descried as being black, 40 to 50 years old, 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds. In the first robbery, he wore a black hooded sweatshirt with a blue baseball cap, jacket and black-framed glasses.

Man still being sought in 2011 gang-related shooting

A Kennewick man wanted in connection with a suspected gang-related shooting last year at a Pasco motel still is being sought by Pasco police.

Ramon Morfin Jr., 22, was featured Wednesday in a Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers bulletin.

Morfin is charged with two counts of first-degree assault in connection with an Aug. 29 shooting at Motel 6 on Oregon Avenue.

Morfin is accused of shooting Paula Villarreal, 36, after firing several shots at a car she was in. Villarreal's daughter, Debbie Anne, was near the car, but was not hit.

Morfin is 5-foot-10, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his back of his name "Morfin."

He was last known to be living on West 10th Avenue in Kennewick.

Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that results in a felony arrest.

Anyone with information about Morfin's whereabouts can call 586-8477 or go to www.tricitiescrimestoppers.org. Tips can also be sent by text message by writing "Text TIP 411" plus the message to CRIMES (274637).

All calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential.

-- Paula Horton: 582-1556; phorton@tricityherald.com

This story was originally published June 21, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Police dog finds robbery suspect hiding in tree."