COLFAX – On Friday, June 9, 2023, at approximately, 4:25 p.m. Whitman County Deputies were advised of a man trespassing at a residence on Dry Creek Road north of Colfax.
According to a media release from the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, the homeowner had gone outside and saw a man in her driveway near her residence she did not recognize and immediately went back inside the residence when the man started walking towards her.
In addition to police, the homeowner contacted a relative and requested they respond as well. The relative arrived at the residence before law enforcement and saw the male loading items from a blue Volkswagen Jetta into another vehicle that belonged to the homeowner.
The relative contacted the male and made him aware the police had been called. The male then started taking his items from the homeowner’s vehicle and putting them back in the Jetta. The male then got back into the Jetta and left the residence driving eastbound on Dry Creek Road.
Deputies arrived at this time and stopped the vehicle on Dry Creek Road near Milepost 9. The driver was identified as Nicholas J. Bunch (40 yoa) of Garfield, Washington. Bunch was arrested for Trespassing, Driving While Suspended 2nd Degree, and Ignition Interlock Required and was transported to the Whitman County Jail.
Deputies investigated the incident further and determined Bunch had entered a storage barn at the residence and removed the homeowner’s vehicle from the storage barn and was loading his personal belongings into it when he was contacted by the relative.
Deputies also determined the Jetta that Bunch was driving at the time he was stopped had also been stolen from a business in Garfield, Washington recently and the registered owner had not realized it had been stolen.
Before the above incident and earlier in the afternoon the blue Jetta and Bunch were reported as a traffic offense on SR 195 northbound near Colfax. It was reported that Bunch was driving recklessly and passed several cars.
After Bunch passed the cars northbound he turned his vehicle around and drove southbound and stopped his car on the highway. Another driver attempted to contact Bunch to see what was going on and Bunch made a death threat to the other driver. Officer’s were unable to locate Bunch or the vehicle at the time of this call.
Bunch was booked into the Whitman County Jail on Burglary, 2 Counts Taking Motor Vehicle Without Permission, Harassment (Threats To Kill), Driving While License Suspended 2nd Degree, Ignition Interlock Required, and Driving Under the Influence.
It should also be noted that Bunch was arrested in January of 2023 for stealing another vehicle from this same residence on Dry Creek Road.
