Fishing for criminals -- who's taking the bait?

One suspect made the sign of the cross before stealing the vehicle; another had already worked up a story about how her daughter's friend from Wapato let her borrow it; the third planned to repaint his new set of wheels.

First, though, he considered stealing the rims.

Invocation of religious references notwithstanding, this trio's efforts to thwart the law didn't pass muster with the Yakima County Sheriff's Office.

That's because their criminal antics were taken down by audio and video recorders concealed in a new bait car being used by the sheriff's office to target the region's rampant auto theft problem.

The sheriff's office Crime Reduction Unit -- a squad of three deputies who focus on addressing specific crime problems across the county -- has been using the bait car since October. It's the first time the sheriff's office has used the tactic, made possible by the insurance industry.

Three suspects have been arrested for auto theft; four passengers or friends were taken into custody on drug charges or other offenses.

Sgt. Randy Briscoe, the unit's supervisor, agreed to discuss the program as long as the Yakima Herald-Republic didn't show pictures of the vehicle or disclose some confidential crime-fighting details.

Deputies had tried to keep the program secret for several months in order to limit the chances that the bad guys would avoid the hot car.

But Briscoe said he now hopes that suspects will think twice before punching the ignition in somebody else's car. For all they know, a candid camera could be watching.

The first suspect was arrested in November after deputies parked the vehicle at a Yakima convenience store.

Within 24 hours, she was in custody and spinning a fictional account about how her daughter's friend had left the car there and given her permission to use it. The tape told a different tale; after some debate, the woman agreed with deputies that she was "busted."

She was sentenced to 22 months in prison, in part because the in-car technology makes it easier for prosecutors to charge suspects with the more serious crime of auto theft.

Typically, the cases are charged as possession of stolen property because it's harder to prove whether the person found in the vehicle actually stole it.

The Crime Reduction Unit is also tasked with checking on sex offenders and tracking down suspects with arrest warrants, among other duties. That means they can't deploy the bait car full-time.

However, "If we can curtail the thefts, then we win," Briscoe said.

Briscoe refers to the bait car only as a "vehicle." It could be a car, truck or Jeep -- and it could be switched out in days with a different model from Seattle.

Whatever it is, the CRU deputies have planted it across the county, in rural areas as well as several cities. They set the alarm and then wait for the monitoring company to let them know that somebody has triggered it.

Then these deputies -- or their counterparts on patrol -- race toward the location as dispatchers update them on the suspect's movement. Within a mile or so, the deputies stop the car.

Deputy Aaron Wuit-schick, part of the CRU squad, said the suspects so far have followed a predictable pattern.

"The first thing they try is turning on the car, and then they give up and start thinking of their lies and stories," Wuitschick said.

The other deputy in the unit, Chad Peterschick, worked with the National Insurance Crime Bureau to obtain the bait car.

The bureau, supported by insurance companies nationwide, loans the cars to law enforcement agencies for less than $10 per year. A second grant paid for the installation of the monitoring system, and donations from two Yakima businesses -- Hendo's Accessories and the Les Schwab Tire Center on South First Street -- also helped reduce the cost.

At least two dozen bait cars are assigned to Washington police agencies, said Craig Fairfield, an NICB senior special agent.

The bureau ranks Yakima County No. 9 per capita among U.S. cities with the worst car theft problem.

Nearly 1,900 cars were stolen across the county last year. That was down from 2,200 in 2005.

Of the nearly 500 vehicles stolen and reported to the sheriff's office, Briscoe estimates an average value of $10,000 for each -- for a total of $5 million in potential losses to owners and insurance companies.

The sheriff's office has applied for a grant that could make several bait cars available. Then the suspects would have to think up even more stories.

Drop a dime on auto crime

Most people probably won't know a stolen car at first glance, but they can keep an eye out for suspicious activity that may be tied to auto theft.

Chop shops -- where thieves disassemble the cars and sell the parts or paint them and change other key identifiers -- are often evident because of the regular vehicle traffic around a backyard garage, for example. A collection of engines or other parts could be another sign of a chop shop.

Local police say car thieves use orchards or rural roads -- particularly in the Lower Valley -- as a dumping ground.

Tips may be reported directly to the nearest law enforcement agency or the Yakima County Crimestoppers hot line at 800-248-9980.

Crimestoppers callers can remain anonymous. They receive a cash reward if their information leads to an arrest and felony charges.

* Mark Morey can be reached at 577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.

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