MOSES LAKE – A reported early morning violent robbery near Moses Lake led to a series of events that ended with one man dead after a vehicle vs. pole collision on Wednesday.
Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a home in the 4900 block of Road L.9 NE around 4:30 a.m. A woman called 911 to report that she had been robbed, pistol-whipped, and detained for about 2 hours by two men and a woman. She provided “street names” to deputies and stated the suspects left in one vehicle.
Deputies quickly spotted a vehicle known to be associated with the given street names in a Jack-in-the-Box drive-through in Moses Lake. They initiated a traffic stop on Third Avenue and arrested two women, Champagne Garza, 36, and Becky Avalos, 30, on suspicion of first-degree robbery and unlawful imprisonment.
A male in the vehicle moved from the rear to the driver’s seat and fled the scene. A high-speed chase ensued that ended when the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve on Lakeshore Drive south of I-90. The car struck a utility pole. The driver was declared dead at the scene; his identity has not yet been released.
Washington State Patrol is handling the crash investigation.
