Dayton Man Arrested Following Retail Burglary

DAYTON – John Garrett Waltermire, 24, was arrested Saturday after a short foot pursuit near East Jackson Street in Dayton. Waltermire was a suspect in the burglary of the Inland Cellular store on East Main Street here last week.

Early on the morning of Monday, March 2, a burglar broke into the cellphone company’s retail store at 151 E. Main St. A witness reported hearing what sounded like a loud crash at approximately 4:30 a.m. Shortly thereafter the witness saw a male with a backpack running north toward East Commercial Street, according to a Columbia County Sheriff’s Office report.

The commercial burglary was reported when the store manager, Gina Wilson, arrived for work at about 8:15 a.m. and noticed that the back door to the business had been forced open. Missing from the shop were an HTC cell phone, a Samsung Galaxy tablet, a Bluetooth headset and a pair of small stereo speakers.

During the investigation, Columbia County deputies were able to develop enough information to determine that Waltermire was a person of interest in the burglary, according to the report. Deputies also learned that Waltermire was already wanted on a Columbia County District Court warrant for obstructing a law enforcement officer.

Deputies attempted to locate Waltermire for questioning. On Tuesday afternoon, following the Inland Cellular burglary, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 800 block of East Main Street. Deputies spotted Waltermire in the vehicle, but he fled from the traffic stop on foot and was able to evade capture.

While fleeing, however, Waltermire dropped some of the items allegedly taken in Monday’s burglary. Deputies continued looking for Waltermire around town; in the meantime, a felony warrant from a previous arrest was issued Thursday after Waltermire failed to appear in court on charges of possession of a legend (prescription) drug and possession of a controlled substance.

Then on Saturday, at approximately 3 p.m., deputies learned that Waltermire was in an apartment building on East Jackson Street. They responded, and with the assistance of Washington State Patrol troopers, went to the apartment to arrest Waltermire. After a short foot chase, Waltermire was taken into custody on the two warrants, as well as on suspicion of resisting arrest, second-degree burglary, and possession of stolen property.

Waltermire is being held without bail pending a preliminary hearing on the new charges, without bail on the prior superior court warrant, and on $700 bail on the district court warrant pending a hearing. He is currently being housed for Columbia County in the Walla Walla County Jail.