Car thief suspect drags Tri-Cities man nearly 30 feet while stealing his car

A car thief suspect with a taste for ice cream and beer is in jail after dragging a man 30 feet while stealing his car from a Pasco mobile home park.

Police say Juan Antonio Calderon, 28, was prowling cars in the Flamingo Trailer Court near the blue bridge when he found a car with an open trunk and the keys inside.

The 32-year-old owner had left the car open to show a friend some tires and rims in the trunk.

Police were already on their way to the trailer court as Calderon got inside the car. Several people in the neighborhood had spotted shirtless, tattooed man behaving strangely about 2:40 p.m. Sunday and called officers, said Pasco’s Facebook page.

A friend told the victim that Calderon was in the car. But by the time, the owner ran outside to confront the thief, Calderon had already started the car and was driving away.

He reportedly dragged the car owner 30 feet before the owner let go, fearing Calderon was about to crash into a truck, said police.

The stolen car sped away, dropping one of the rims out of the back.

Officer Mario Becho was able to identify Calderon as the suspect and spotted him Monday morning in the Loyalty Inn parking lot on Lewis Street during an unrelated call and arrested him.

Investigators found the car parked in east Kennewick, and it was returned to the victim, who was not seriously hurt.

Calderon was booked into the Franklin County jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

Police later connected him to a smash-and-grab burglary at the Xpress Mart convenience store near 18th and Lewis streets about 1:15 a.m. Saturday.

Officer Andrew Taylor said Calderon used a rock to bust the store’s front window and take ice cream cones from a nearby cooler. He reportedly left and then returned a couple minutes later to steal some beer — all recorded on security video.

He’s now under investigation for burglary, as well.