Mother & Son Hermanns Arrested

WALLA WALLA - Waitsburg resident and fugitive Adam Hermanns and his mother Pam Hermanns are both in Walla Walla County jail following their arrest on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Walla Walla County Sheriff 's Department.

They were expected to appear in a Walla Walla court some time on Wednesday morning.

Adam Hermanns, 23, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, was located in College Place late Monday night after citizen tips sparked an hours-long search for him in the Walla Walla area.

Law enforcement officers from three jurisdictions - the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office, the Walla Walla Police Depart- ment and the Col - lege Place Police Depar tment - were involved in the search that began around 9 p.m. and ended after midnight when officers found Hermanns in an apartment building on West Whitman Drive.

Hermanns, who was found hiding alone behind the door in one of the apartments' bedrooms, was arrested without incident, taken into custody and brought to Walla Walla County Jail, according to Walla Walla County Undersheriff Eddie Freyer.

"It was a classic fugitive hunt," said Freyer, indicating that the initial search based on a tip led to a series of searches at three different locations before Hermanns was found. "It was good work."

A Walla Walla judge earlier this year issued a warrant for Hermanns' arrest. The warrant charges him with the theft of automotive components and a fire arm. Freyer said no items "of evidentiary value" were found at the apartment, but further investigation on Tuesday allegedly revealed evidence that his mother had been aiding him while in hiding from police.

Pam Hermanns was arrested at her home in Waitsburg Tuesday afternoon and charged with rendering criminal assistance in the first degree, a felony, Freyer said.

"Even though we advised her that it was an offense, she continued to support him," he said in retrospect. "She provided material and financial support to him, and lied to us about her knowledge of his whereabouts."

Freyer alleges Pam Hermanns assisted her son with food, money and cell phone communications, visiting him at the apartment of what he believes is a family acquaintance who was not aware Hermanns was sought by police.

The warrant out for Hermanns charges him with the felony of theft in the second degree and a misdemeanor offense of theft of a fire arm.

In April last year, Hermanns pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of possession of stolen property and was sentenced to two months in jail, following his arrest in January 2010.

Freyer said his office also intends to question Hermanns about the suspicious January 2011 fire on the Waitsburg property of his parents. That fire destroyed the couple's garage.

"We'll talk to him about the fire," Freyer said.

The latest allegations against Hermanns were a topic at Sheriff John Turner's first Roundtable in Waitsburg last month and Freyer predicted area residents will be relieved to learn he was found and booked into jail.

"Hopefully, we can keep him out of circulation for a little while," Freyer said.