Executive Summary
- Matthew Cavazos, 27, was arrested by Walla Walla SWAT after a standoff on Catherine Street.
- The investigation began with a stolen vehicle report and unauthorized debit card usage.
- SWAT was activated due to the suspect’s history of assault and potential possession of a firearm.
- Charges include identity theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, and dangerous weapons violations.
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — A tactical operation by the Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD) concluded with the arrest of a 27-year-old suspect on Thursday afternoon following a standoff at a residence on Catherine Street involving a stolen vehicle investigation.
According to department officials, Matthew Cavazos was taken into custody by the Walla Walla SWAT Team after barricading himself inside a home on the 400 block of Catherine Street. The arrest marked the culmination of an investigation that began early Wednesday morning when officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle at an apartment complex on the 1900 block of Melrose Street.
Police reports indicate the victim discovered their vehicle missing and subsequently received alerts regarding unauthorized debit card transactions. The victim later observed the stolen vehicle being driven on Melrose Street and followed it to a nearby parking lot, where the occupants fled the scene on foot. Investigators noted that several personal items, including a fishing rod, were missing from the vehicle upon its recovery.
Officers obtained surveillance footage from a local business connected to one of the fraudulent transactions, which allowed them to identify a female suspect. During a follow-up investigation, police located a vehicle associated with the female subject and observed stolen property inside. A search warrant was executed to recover the items. Further inquiry identified Cavazos as a second suspect involved in the criminal activity.
When officers attempted to contact Cavazos on Thursday at 1:30 p.m., he refused to obey commands to exit the residence. Authorities cited "several safety factors" for the subsequent SWAT activation, pointing to Cavazos’s prior history of assaultive behavior, a record of resisting arrest, and credible intelligence suggesting he may have been armed with a handgun. SWAT personnel entered the residence after obtaining an arrest warrant and successfully took him into custody.
Cavazos was booked into the Walla Walla County Jail on probable cause charges including possession of a stolen vehicle, three counts of second-degree identity theft, two counts of second-degree theft, resisting arrest, and a dangerous weapons violation. The WWPD reported that no probable cause was developed to charge the female subject at the time of the report.
Operational Safety Assessment
The escalation of a property crime investigation into a tactical standoff underscores the volatility often associated with suspects possessing a history of violent non-compliance. By activating the SWAT team based on risk factors such as prior assaultive behavior and potential weapon possession, the Walla Walla Police Department utilized established protocols designed to minimize danger to the public and officers during high-risk apprehensions. The case is now transitioning from the investigative phase to judicial proceedings.
It is important to note that all individuals, including Matthew Cavazos, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
