By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Two local men who thought they’d apprehended a common thief actually captured a murder suspect yesterday in downtown Centralia.
Police were called about 12:30 p.m. after the owner of a vehicle parked along the 400 block of North Tower Avenue saw a stranger inside his vehicle.
The owner confronted the man, who took off running, according to the Centralia Police Department.
“The owner and another citizen chased him down the street, found him about a block away,” Sgt. Dave Clary said. “They took him to the ground to detain him.”
When arriving officers checked the suspect’s name, they found he had an outstanding murder warrant from Alameda County in California, Clary said.
Lemario D. Thomas, 27, from Hayward, was booked into the Lewis County Jail on the warrant. He was also cited for vehicle prowl, the sergeant said.
Clary said the two men definitely did law enforcement a “good turn,” however, he doesn’t advocate people chasing down and confronting suspects.
“It was lawful, but the fact is, they were tangling with a murder suspect,” he said.
Fortunately, Thomas wasn’t found to have any weapons on him, Clary said.
Thomas told police he was just looking for some change, to get out of town, he said.