A 26-year-old Othello man is facing firearm and vandalism charges after a neighbor's 911 call about someone spray-painting a fence led deputies to him later the same day, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.
The tip came in Oct. 1 from a resident who saw a man putting graffiti on a fence near West June Street and South Andes Road, just west of Othello. The man left before deputies got there, but the caller had photographed his vehicle and gave deputies a description.
That evening, deputies went to help Othello police with a separate graffiti report at PJ Taggares Park. They learned the same vehicle had been at the park. Othello police arrested a juvenile in connection with the park incident.
Later that night, Othello officers spotted the vehicle inside city limits and called deputies. Deputies contacted the driver, Dario Ochoa Jr., who matched the description from the first call, Sheriff Dale Wagner said in a media release.
While Ochoa was detained, deputies found a gun on him. Wagner said Ochoa has a felony conviction and is barred from having firearms.
Ochoa was booked Oct. 2 on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and third-degree malicious mischief. The sheriff's office said the investigation is still open.
Sources
- Columbia Basin Herald (quotes Sheriff Dale Wagner's release)
- KXLY
- KPQ
- Ritzville Adams County Journal
