AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. – Car theft is not uncommon statewide, but the circumstances behind one woman’s case were anything but routine.
Janine Burke says her SUV was stolen right outside her place of employment. A few weeks later, she was notified her license plates from that vehicle were found. Days after that, the man last driving the stolen vehicle shot at police, led them on a chase and then crashed into a downtown building causing extensive damage. The whole thing has left the vehicle’s owner feeling victimized, twice.
“The whole criminal aspect of it is interesting,” Janine Burke said. “Usually, it’s a joy ride, crashes into a tree and it’s over.”
The suspect behind the wheel during the August 2023 crime spree was identified by police as Robert Lee Talley, who they say had more than 20 prior criminal convictions.
In the Spring, Talley was convicted of shooting at a deputy, then leading law enforcement on a high speed chase before crashing Janine’s stolen Tahoe through a brick wall. No one was seriously hurt but the Tahoe was badly damaged. Still, Burke says she would have loved the opportunity to see if any part of her property was salvageable. She alleges she never got that opportunity and only found out what had happened to her vehicle once it was already gone.
Even months later she still vividly recalls being filled with dread immediately when she saw the car gone.
“When I called crime check, I was very sad,” she said. “I just knew I would never see my vehicle again. I just had a feeling.”
But just how bizarre the circumstances would turn out to be, she had no way of predicting.
The beginning of the end for her Tahoe started in early July of 2023 when she called Airway Heights Police to report it stolen. A few weeks later, that letter from Spokane Valley Police came letting her know they had her plates.
“They found my license plates on a stolen car and (asked me) to come pick them up,” she said. “That was very uneventful.”
But she was grateful to have at least part of it back and that they could reach her with updates. Then, a few days later, she happened to be watching the news.
“They show a clip of a black Tahoe coming in…it slammed into a brick wall,” she said.
The end result of a series of crimes.
“I said, that looks like our Tahoe,” Burke recalled. “So we waited, waited for word to come get it…something…and nothing.”
Burke started to think maybe it wasn’t her vehicle after all. But then, in October, during her weekly visit to check her PO Box, she saw two letters.
“Oct. 10 is the date on the letter,” she said. “I go home, read them. They are both from a towing company. And the second letter said your car was sold at auction.”
According to the paperwork, It’s something tow companies are permitted to do after 15 days of notifying the registered owner that they have their vehicle and hear nothing back.
The document states, ‘as the registered owner of record, you were previously notified that the tow truck operator identified below has custody of the above vehicle and if not redeemed, will be processed as an abandoned vehicle and auctioned.’
But Burke is adamant the only notifications she received didn’t come until October, after the auction.
It’s unknown where those first notices could have wound up. Burke says she never received anything until October, but a rep from the company told Nonstop Local over the phone that they were sent. Requests for an owner or manager to call us back were unsuccessful. Burke says the tow company did waive the charges her vehicle had accumulated.
Burke only had liability insurance on the SUV. She requested court documents and paperwork associated with the case from investigators. She says she was caught off guard no one from law enforcement notified her about what happened to her vehicle.
“Apparently the law in Washington is that only the tow company is legally responsible to tell me what happened to my vehicle,” she said. “Law enforcement doesn’t have to do that.I’m sad I lost a really good vehicle, towing vehicle, four-wheel drive, it was a gift and I’m really sad I lost it.”
Law enforcement may not be legally required to notify vehicle owners when their property is recovered but local agencies Nonstop Local spoke to say there are policies in place that they try. It’s typically up to the agency where a vehicle is recovered to initiate that contact. This crash occurred in downtown Spokane but due to the severity of the incident, the Spokane County Major Crimes Unit took the lead. Burke’s vehicle was initially towed into police evidence while they awaited a search warrant before it was towed away for good.
Talley was convicted of attempted murder for shooting at police. He’s currently serving his prison sentence.
RESOURCES TO PREVENT AUTO THEFT: https://waautotheftpreventionauthority.org/
Nonstop Local spoke to WSP about vehicle theft in general. We asked what the best things vehicle owners can do if they are ever the victim of auto theft. They advise reporting it immediately, ensuring they have multiple ways to get in touch with you, including at least one phone number (that can accept voicemails), and then following up. They say if you think you have spotted your vehicle or have new information, never hesitate to call that in and keep in contact with investigators.
