COWLITZ COUNTY, Wash. — The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office took a man into custody accused of breaking into a home and assaulting the homeowner before stealing their vehicle and burglarizing a second home on Friday.
Jacob Dean Smart is a suspect in multiple crimes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and has active warrants out for his arrest, according to Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office.
Boise, Idaho station KTVB reported that Smart is suspected in a string of burglaries in Idaho where he allegedly stalked women and entered their homes while they were asleep, stealing women's underwear, a gun, an ID and debit and credit cards.
Around 8:30 a.m. on Friday, the Smart allegedly broke into a home in Longview and was "interrupted by the homeowner," according to a news release from sheriff's office on Sunday. He "violently assaulted" the homeowner, then stole the person's vehicle and drove away, deputies said. They didn't release any other details about the extent of the homeowner's injuries.
Deputies found the stolen vehicle abandoned at the top of Columbia Heights Road. A police K-9 searched nearby woods and led deputies to the area of Pacific Way. The sheriff's office believes Smart then broke into a home on Pacific Way and stole clothing.
The sheriff's office said Smart is facing multiple charges: kidnapping in the first degree, burglary in the first degree and theft of a motor vehicle. KGW reached out to the sheriff's office for more information about the kidnapping charge, but hasn't heard back yet.
The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office released the two images of the suspect.
Smart was arrested after hours of evading police and an eventual stand-off with multiple police divisions in Kalama, Washington. The incident began just before 1 a.m. on Monday, when officers found Smart's vehicle near Rebel Truck Stop, along Old Pacific Highway. A man matching his description was seen fleeing the area.
During the search, Cowlitz 911 received what appeared to be an accidental call from a phone number associated with Smart, according to Cowlitz Sherriff's Office. They were able to GPS locate the call, placing Smart near the Rebel Truck Stop.
Around 6:30 a.m., a person reported seeing Smart running across Interstate 5 and into the Temco property on the Port of Kalama. The suspect tried to flee the property in a vehicle but was blocked. He then managed to run away.
Officers evacuated employees at Arxada Kalama Plant after Smart was seen entering the building.
At about 8:08 a.m., officer's received a 911 call, identified as coming from Smart's phone, saying that he was armed at a gas station and was "going to kill officers," according to the news release. Using drones and a remote-controlled robot, officers were able to locate Smart in the Kalama Plant and used chemical agents to take Smart into custody. The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office said Smart was treated for minor injuries following the arrest.
Anyone with information about any of these incidents in the Kalama area is asked to contact Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office detectives at 360-577-3092 and reference case A24-3378. Anonymous tips can be submitted online.
Deputies are looking for video footage from residents in the West Beacon Hill neighborhood, specifically the 3600 block of Columbia Heights to Lone Oak Road, and the top of Lone Oak to Elk Ridge Drive. They're also looking for any footage taken in the Pacific Way area from the 4200 block to the 3000 block, and any video taken in the woods from Elk Ridge Drive to the 4100 block of Poplar Way.
