SWAT, feds swarm wanted felon in a Richland security guard’s stolen car

A man with an outstanding warrant in Spokane sped up his own arrest when he reportedly broke into an off-duty security officer’s apartment in Richland Wednesday morning.

The U.S. Marshals Service Task Force informed the Richland Police Department on Wednesday that it intended to arrest Raymond Andrew Smith, 24, according to a police Facebook post.

Court records show the warrant was connected to Smith’s 2018 conviction for robbery and assault. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, though it is unclear how long he served.

Before law enforcement could arrest him, Richland police were called to investigate a burglary at the same Duportail Street apartment complex.

An off-duty security officer reported his apartment was broken into while he was out walking his dog. The burglar took his car keys, personal belongings and a rifle.

The security officer then saw Smith stealing his car, and he alerted police.

Officers, backed by SWAT team members, placed Smith under surveillance and developed a plan to arrest him, said the post.

He was arrested at 10 a.m. without incident during a traffic stop.

Police searched his apartment and recovered stolen property, including the rifle, said police. They also seized two handguns, including one reported stolen in Oregon.

Smith was being held Wednesday at the Benton County jail.

Benton County records indicate he was previously convicted in November 2024 for attempting to elude officers in Kennewick.

The arrest on Wednesday included officers from Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, as well as the Benton County Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Corrections and the Marshals Service.